George and Martha: not, as one might think, the first president and his spouse, but two hippopotamuses created by the singular talent of James Marshall. For the past quarter century, these stories have entertained, intrigued, and delighted readers of all ages. The portly animals have also taught us, in a humorous and lighthearted way, about what it means to be a true friend. A man with a talent for friendship, James Marshall defined its very essence in his stories about the world's two best friends. In this volume, all thirty-five episodes are brought together to celebrate friendship and two of the most lovable book characters ever created.

    Stanley has to get on his tractor and plough the field. There's lots to be done, and friends to help him out, but will the seeds grow?Join Stanley and friends for an out-of-doors adventure in this colourful new series from William Bee...

    Who else could have braided the dog's hair? Who else could be playing that faint music in the air? And who else could've made those mysterious circles in the grass? So thinks a little girl as she sets out into the woods in her backyard searching for the elusive little creatures. Although readers can see them, as hard as she looks, the fairies are always just out of view for our heroine. In the end, it's clear (to the girl AND to readers) that there is magic all around, even when it's hidden in plain sight.Lush, multi-textured illustrations bring the woods (and the fairies) to life in this playful read-aloud by Phoebe Wahl. Kids will delight in seeing the fairies hidden in each piece of art and revel in the tricks and games the fairies play on our unsuspecting heroine.

    But big-brother penguins, just like human ones, sometimes think that little brothers are pests. Flip wants to play with a buddy his own size, someone like Hip, the polar bear. And that leaves little Flop out in the cold.How Flop finds a friend of his own -- and a game that everyone can enjoy -- makes for an endearing tale, written and illustrated with snowy sparkle.

    In this irresistibly charming picture book, many different quiet moments are captured, from the anticipation-heavy “Top of the roller coaster quiet” to the shocked-into-silence “First look at your new hairstyle quiet.” The impossibly sweet bears, rabbits, fish, birds, and iguanas are all rendered in soft pencils and colored digitally, and, as in all of the best picture books, the illustrations propel the story far beyond the words. A sure-to-be-a-classic bedtime favorite. Awards: 2011 ALA Notable Children's Book, 2010–2011, New York Times bestseller, 2011 CCBC Choices, 2011 NCTE Notable Children's Trade Book, 2010 New York Times Notable Book, 2010 Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, 2010 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

    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.

    In the following days, more topiaries appear, and each one is more beautiful than the last. Soon, William’s gray little town is full of color and life. And though the mysterious night gardener disappears as suddenly as he appeared, William—and his town—are changed forever.

    But when Toot leaves Woodcock Pocket to travel and see the world, Puddle chooses to stay at home. Just when Puddle begins to miss his old friend, he embarks on some of his own adventures-right at home. Finally, after Toot returns from his year-long trip, the two discover that true friendship knows no boundaries.With a delightful mix of humor, warmth, and a classic style all her own, Holly Hobbie captures the all excitement and joy that surround adventures-near and far-and reminds readers that true friendship knows no boundaries.

    She likes taking walks with George and looking at the clouds together, but the closest she comes to another dog is when she encounters her reflection in her empty dog bowl, and sometimes that makes Rosie feel lonely. One day George takes Rosie to the dog park, but the park is full of dogs that Rosie doesn’t know, which makes her feel lonelier than ever. When big, loud Maurice and small, yippy Fifi bound over and want to play, Rosie’s not sure how to respond. Is there a trick to making friends? And if so, can they all figure it out together?

    Young children will love guessing what animal they are pretending to be, before shouting out the answers as the pages are turned to reveal the real creatures.

    When he gets to school, though, he's not so sure he's ready for kindergarten. But before long Henry discovers that the only thing he's not ready for is how much fun he's going to have at school! This gently humorous, encouraging story will give children about to enter kindergarten an extra boost of confidence."Perfect for parents to share with their children, and the endearing Henry will offer reassurance to even the most hesitant prekindergartners."-Booklist

    So the animals are out of sorts—listless, grumpy, and no longer fun. All except two little friends, a very small hippo and a baby kangaroo. Their hip-hopping, toe-tapping,  and rap-rocking soon has the other animals joining in the hip-aroo beat. "Racoons danced in pairs, baboons danced in troops, and snakes joined the dancers as live hula-hoops." Children's favorite songs get a funny new spin—seals bark out "The seals on the bus go round and round"—as the animals create their very own musical.Young readers and listeners will be amazed and delighted at how the animals chase the winter doldrums by getting along as friends, pooling their talents, and pushing themselves to new heights. After all, these are the same clever animals who learned to read in Judy Sierra's and Marc Brown's Wild About Books, an award-winning New York Times #1 bestselling picture book. ZooZical is sure to inspire some "can do" fun in kindergarten and primary grades.From the Hardcover edition.

    Molly Lou Melon is different, but this doesn't slow her down.

    Well, all except for Possum. Skunk tries to be helpful, pointing out a cave, then a tree, then a den. But the more places Possum tries to sleep, the more night animals he wakes up. Will Bear, Wolf, Skunk, and Possum ever find a good day's rest? The stars of Gianna Marino's Night Animals know what makes kids laugh in this hilarious spin on the bedtime book.

    In his nest in his cave in his mountain, a dragon dreams of a girl.When a lonely dragon follows a trail of princess tears, a beautiful friendship is born. They march and sing, roar and whisper, hide and seek, then settle into snug companionship at bedtime. Barbara Joosse’s fiercely protective and gently loving dragon cavorts across the pages, endearingly illustrated by Randy Cecil. At the end of the day, who can resist curling up in the embrace of a lovabye dragon?