In the end, though, who would want to?This zany tale of upholsterosis (a chronic state of couch-potato-ness) is sure to tickle the funny bones of young readers—and not-so-young-readers too!

    Jim builds his house of seaweed, but the big bad shark munches it up. Tim builds his house of sand, but the shark crunches it up. It's smart Kim who sets up house in an old sunken ship!Children will delight in this silly story with funny, eye-popping illustrations. And there's foil on the cover!

    Mattotti's sweeping ink illustrations capture the terror and longing found in the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Gaiman crafts an original text filled with his signature wit and pathos that is sure to become a favorite of readers everywhere, young and old.

    Starting with a rock, a red rock, in the middle of the deep blue sea, the story takes a closer look at this tropical locale. The simple, repetitive text makes for a fun read-aloud for storytime or sharing, and identifying the vivid images and strong colors provides an exciting concept learning experience for young readers.

    “Hold on to my tail,” says Mama. “If you want to ask me a question, tweak twice.” Tweak, tweak! “Mama, what is that?” Little Elephant is curious about the frog, the monkey, the songbird, the butterfly, and the crocodile—and especially about what a little elephant can do. Mama knows just how to answer, to help her cherished Little Elephant grow. Eve Bunting’s tender text and Sergio Ruzzier’s whimsical illustrations make this walk with Mama an excursion any little elephant would enjoy.

    When a kind baker removes the thorn, the sparrow tricks her into giving him some bread. Each time the sparrow meets new people, he tricks them out of bigger and better things. Will the sparrow’s greed get the best of him? Through this endearing Armenian folktale illustrated with mixed media, readers will learn that people who engage in dishonest or selfish behavior may end up losing whatever they gained because of that behavior. The Greedy Sparrow was selected as a 2012 Honor Book by the Storytelling World Awards Committee.

    Along the way she meets an array of interesting characters, including an odd postal worker and a gang of bandit monkeys, who all help her get where she is going. This eccentric and hilarious story from Philip C. Stead, the author of the Caldecott-winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee and illustrator Matthew Cordell will surprise and entertain from beginning to end.

    Barker, see on their fairy-tale adventure? Peek through from scene to scene to guess who they might meet next.Lucy is reading a fairy tale to Mr. Barker, but her dog has other ideas. When he jumps out the window — landing in a cottage with a broken chair, three bowls of porridge, and a little golden-haired girl — Lucy is right behind him. Goldilocks would rather not be there when the bears return, so she joins Lucy and Mr. Barker as they continue on their way, adding a trio of pigs, a boy with a goose, and a just-awakened princess during their journey. What happens next? Cutout windows throughout add visual surprises to this lighthearted fractured fairy tale.

    Lazy Taro gets his comeuppance when his wise mother uses his trick to avoid work to her own advantage.

    One fine spring morning, they decide that it is time to sow the vegetables. Throughout the summer the seeds turn into ripe, juicy vegetables and the time comes for them to harvest their crop. Soon there is just one turnip left at the end of the row. It looks very big -- in fact, it looks gigantic!This hilarious retelling features simple vocabulary and has lots of repetition. It is perfect for reading aloud and will soon have young readers joining in. Niamh Sharkey's quirky illustrations also provide plenty of counting practice for small children.

    Everything they have is either too hot or too cold or too big or too lumpy or too hard or too soft or too completely, absolutely wrong. Only one of them can get anything right! Just right, that is. But have you ever wondered, even for the littlest mini-second, what the Three Bears think about her? Well, it turns out those bears have a thing or two, or three, to say... Margaret Willey turns this fav-orite classic upside down...because there's always another side to the story....

    In the open eucalyptus forest of Australia, an emu as tall as a human settles down on his nest to warm and protect the eggs left by his mate. When they hatch, the chicks will be ten times bigger than domestic chicken hatchlings and covered in chocolate-and-cream stripes to provide camouflage in the grasslands. This unusual family sticks together until the hatchlings grow up, facing dangers that include eagles and dingoes. Ornithologically inclined youngsters will delight in this visually striking chronicle full of fun emu facts.

    Join a rowdy musk ox and a cantankerous zebra on the adventure of a lifetime—a tour through the seven continents!Erin Cabatingan and Matthew Myers team up again in this wild and crazy adventure around the world.A Neal Porter Book

    When it came time for them to marry, the tsar called the princes to his side and said: "String your bows with the strength of ten men, and shoot an arrow as far as you can into the heart of Russia. Whoever finds your arrow shall be your pride."

    . . They can be funny and lovable and really, really silly. Oh, Daddy! The acclaimed author of "Dinosaur vs. Bedtime" delivers a sweetly funny story about daddies and their kids and how much they depend on each other. Perfect for Father's Day. Full color.