The Haunted Tea-Cosy


Edward Gorey - 1997
    What is Gorey's moral? Don't eat fruitcake? Don't look for morals? Don't mess with the classics? Whatever. You decide. But don't think too hard, and have a Merry Christmas.

The Man in the Moon


William Joyce - 2010
    When a newly orphaned baby in the moon makes friends with the children of Earth, he seeks a way to ward off their fears and nightmares.Up there in the sky.Don’t you see him?No, not the moon.The Man in the Moon.He wasn’t always a man.Nor was he always on the moon.He was once a child.Like you.Until a battle,a shooting star,and a lost balloonled him on a quest.Meet the very first Guardian of Childhood.MiM, the Man in the Moon.

The Truth Pixie


Matt Haig - 2018
    Just as cats go miaow and cows go moo, The Truth Pixie can only say things that are true.

A Very Klingon Khristmas


Paul Ruditis - 2013
    Illustrated in a classic Norman Rockwell–inspired style, A Very Klingon Khristmas is the perfect holiday gift for every Star Trek fan!

I Want My Hat Back


Jon Klassen - 2011
    Patiently and politely, he asks the animals he comes across, one by one, whether they have seen it. Each animal says no, some more elaborately than others. But just as the bear begins to despond, a deer comes by and asks a simple question that sparks the bear’s memory and renews his search with a vengeance. Told completely in dialogue, this delicious take on the classic repetitive tale plays out in sly illustrations laced with visual humor—and winks at the reader with a wry irreverence that will have kids of all ages thrilled to be in on the joke.

Santa's Twin


Dean Koontz - 1995
    Winner of an Atlantic Monthly fiction competition while he was just a senior in college, Koontz today is a world-famous author whose books have been published in thirty-eight different languages and have sold more than three hundred million copies.Lavishly illustrated with spectacular paintings by Phil Parks, this thoroughly modern masterpiece breathes new life and warmth into the world's most beloved legend.

Red Is Best


Kathy Stinson - 1982
    Sure, the brown mittens are warmer, but the red mitts make better snowballs. And the red boots aren't just for rain; they take bigger steps in any weather. And, yes, a red cup does make a difference... juice just doesn't taste as good in a green one. No doubt about it, red is best.Red is Best is the story of one toddler's obstinate color preference, an easily read aloud tale illustrated with simple child centered drawings and each page punctuated by red.

The Fox and the Star


Coralie Bickford-Smith - 2015
    Illuminated by Star’s rays, Fox forages for food, runs with the rabbits, and dances in the rain—until Star suddenly goes out and life changes, leaving Fox huddling for warmth in the unfamiliar dark. To find his missing Star, Fox must embark on a wondrous journey beyond the world he knows—a journey lit by courage, newfound friends, and just maybe, a star-filled new sky. Inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement and the art of William Blake, The Fox and the Star is a heartwarming, hopeful tale which comes alive through Bickford-Smith’s beloved illustrations, guiding readers both young and grown to “look up beyond your ears.”

The Gift of Nothing


Patrick McDonnell - 2005
    He wonders what he can buy the dog who has everything and decides that the answer, of course, is nothing. This simple story features characters from the Mutts comic strips and is the first book for children.

Cautionary Tales for Children


Hilaire Belloc - 1907
    Collected here and illustrated to wonderful haunting effect by Edward Gorey, these short, funny pieces offer moral instruction for all types of mischief makers—from a certain young Jim, "who ran away from his nurse and was eaten by a lion," to the tale of Matilda, "who told lies and was burned to death”—and add up to a delightful read for any fan of Roald Dahl or Shel Silverstein.

The Minpins


Roald Dahl - 1991
    Come deep into the forest if you dare...but beware the Terrible Bloodsuckling Toothpluckling Stonechuckling Spittler!

The Velveteen Rabbit


Margery Williams Bianco - 1922
    This reissue of a favorite classic, with the original story and illustrations as they first appeared in 1922, will work its magic for all who read it.

The Touch of the Master's Hand


Myra Brooks Welch - 1997
    First published in 1921, the poem's message about the individual worth of those often overlooked strikes a familiar chord in a society struggling to come to terms with its own victims of homelessness, drug abuse, and alienation.The poem is made new with the addition of Greg Newbold's illustrations. Newbold's images -- which are rich in detail, and made even more so by his use of color and light and his painterly style -- evoke a bygone era that is old-fashioned, small-town, pleasantly nostalgic. Newbold's work in Touch of the Master's Hand has already been recognized by the Society of Illustrators and Communication Arts magazine with a 1996 Award of Merit.

There's a Hair in My Dirt!: A Worm's Story


Gary Larson - 1998
    It was a cartoon that appeared for many years in daily newspapers and was loved by millions. (And was confusing to millions more.) But one day he stopped.Gary went into hiding. He made a couple short films. He played his guitar. He threw sticks for his dogs. They threw some back.Yet Gary was restless. He couldn't sleep nights. Something haunted him. (Besides Gramps.) Something that would return him to his roots in biology, drawing and dementia--a tale called There's a Hair in My Dirt! A Worm's Story.It begins a few inches underground, when a young worm, during a typical family dinner, discovers there's a hair in his plate of dirt. He becomes rather upset, not just about his tainted meal but about his entire miserable, wormy life. This, in turn, spurs his father to tell him a story--a story to inspire the children of invertebrates everywhere.And so Father Worm describes the saga of a fair young maiden and her adventuresome stroll through her favorite forest, a perambulator's paradise. It is a journey filled with mystery and magic. Or so she thinks.Which is all we'll say for now.What exactly does the maiden encounter?Does Son Worm learn a lesson?More important, does he eat his plate of fresh dirt?Well, you'll have to read to find out, but let's just say the answers are right under your feet.Written and illustrated in a children's storybook style, There's a Hair in My Dirt! A Worm's Story is a twisted take on the difference between our idealized view of Nature and the sometimes cold, hard reality of life for the birds and the bees and the worms (not to mention our own species).Told with his trademark off-kilter humor, this first original non--Far Side book is the unique work of a comic master.Now Larson can finally sleep at night.Question is, will you?(from the back cover)

Miss Hunnicutt's Hat


Jeff Brumbeau - 2003
    So when Miss Hunnicutt steps out in her new hat, the stuffy townsfolk are scandalized. The chicken has to go! But plucky Miss Hunnicut stands up for her right to wear what she likes. And when the Queen's arrival prompts a surprising turn of events, the townspeople learn to celebrate the silly eccentricities that make life interesting.