Every time she passes by him, she tries to catch his eye. While the other townspeople fear what may be locked up inside the mysterious castle, the girl finally gets up the courage to knock on the door and find out what’s really behind the gate. A story about overcoming fear of the unknown, trying new things, and reaching out to make new friends, The Very Last Castle shows that bravery comes in packages both big and small.

    The crayons in it just couldn't get along. Yellow did not like Red, and neither, for that matter, did Green. And no one at all seemed to like Orange. As Blue pointed out, something was very wrong.But something very right begins to happen when a little girl takes these crayons home and starts coloring with them. They realize that the big picture they make together is ever so much more exciting and varied—yes, even dazzling!—than the small pictures they make alone.This is a simple little story with a big important message.

    Pumpkin is heartbroken to find out he's too little to go, and when Penguin tries to say good-bye, his brother is nowhere to be found! At the farm, all the pumpkins Penguin sees remind him of his own special Pumpkin.So Penguin and Bootsy bring a special surprise home to share a little touch of Autumn with Pumpkin. Prolific author/illustrator Salina Yoon's spare text and bright, energetic illustrations bring to life this endearing story celebrating Autumn and family in many forms!

    A chilly chipmunk asks to stay, and Will scooches over in bed. "There's room for two -- I'm sure we'll fit." The chipmunk is just the first in a parade of mammals, each bigger than the last, until the bed is full. Then a note is slipped beneath the door: "Do you have room for just one more?" William tugs the door to see who's there . . . only to find a great big BEAR! Is there enough space to spare? Will the other animals be willing to share?Kids will delight at each new guest's arrival and enjoy counting along as the animals keep scooching over to fit in William's bed. Linda Ashman's clever rhymes set up each page turn with suspense and humor, and the expressions on Chuck Groenink's characters are perfect. This is must reading for the dark time of year when everyone wants to hibernate!

    But on this not so quiet Saturday, Oskar and Teddy get a rude surprise when they're interrupted by a five-headed, hangry monster! Will Oskar ever get to finish his book in peace? Will Teddy ever get to gorge on his donuts? Or might both of them hold the secret weapons to taming the beast?OHora brings his signature humor and quirkiness to a story with evergreen appeal. This laugh-out-loud picture book is perfect for story time.

    When Pokko takes the drum deep into the forest it is so quiet, so very quiet that Pokko decides to play. And before she knows it she is joined by a band of animals —first the raccoon, then the rabbit, then the wolf—and soon the entire forest is following her. Will Pokko hear her father’s voice when he calls her home? Pokko and the Drum is a story about art, persistence, and a family of frogs living in a mushroom.

    But passing messages on a telephone line isn't as simple as it sounds. Each subsequent bird understands Mama's message according to its own very particular hobbies. Will Peter ever get home for dinner? This uproarious interpretation of a favorite children's game will get everyone giggling and is sure to lead to countless rereads.

    He scribbles in books. He steals candy from baby unicorns. He even burps in church. Seriously, who does that? Dragon, that's who. The king, the knights, and the villagers are desperate to take down this beast once and for all. But sometimes it's up to the unlikeliest of heroes to tame a dragon this terrible.

    But first, Bear had a story to tell...Bear found his friend Mouse, but Mouse was busy gathering seeds and didn't have time to listen to a story. Then Bear saw his friend Duck, but Duck was getting ready to fly south. What about his friend Toad? He was busy looking for a warm place to sleep. By the time Bear was through helping his friends get ready for winter, would anyone still be awake to hear his story?This endearing story of friendship and patience is a worthy companion to Philip and Erin Stead's last collaboration, A Sick Day for Amos McGee, winner of the 2011 Caldecott Medal.Bear Has a Story to Tell is a Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of 2012. This title has Common Core connections.

    Train! WHO WILL WIN?!If you think Superman vs. Batman would be an exciting matchup, wait until you see Shark vs. Train. In this hilarious and wacky picture book, Shark and Train egg each other on for one competition after another, including burping, bowling, Ping Pong, piano playing, pie eating, and many more! Who do YOU think will win, Shark or Train?

    Wherever they go, Googily kindly checks high and low just to make sure there are no scary monsters about. But as every child knows, monsters come in many shapes and sizes. Some are even blue with hairy eyebrows and pointy teeth.Jumpy Jack & Googily is a universal story of friendship and fear of the unknown told with wit and charm by the fantastic team who created the irresistible Meet Wild Boars.

    But books are mysteriously disappearing. Eliza Brown decides to stay awake and catch the book thief. It turns out to be a little creature called the Snatchabook who has no one to read him a bedtime story. All turns out well when the books are returned and the animals take turns reading bedtime stories to the Snatchabook.

    They know a lot about putting kids to bed, but nothing about putting monsters to bed. It’s not their fault; they’re just not good at it. Read this book instead. It will tell you what to feed your monster before bed (it’s not warm milk), and what to sing to your monster (it’s not a soothing lullaby), and what to read to your monster to send him off to dreamland in no time (the scarier, the better).

    Here's what Otter has to say about her book: "Hi! I am Otter, and this is a book about me and my best friends, Otter Keeper and Teddy. And it's about the fun and messy (and little bit scary) adventure we had one day when Otter Keeper was at work. I hope you like the story! (And if you don't, it's probably Teddy's fault.)"Otter's utterly winning voice and Sam Garton's classic yet fresh artwork combine to create a truly hilarious and unforgettable friendship story.

    Larf, you see, is a sasquatch, the only sasquatch in the world (or so it seems). He has a very pleasant, and very private, life in the woods, where on any given day he might be found jogging, gardening or walking Eric, his pet bunny. But everything changes one morning when Larf discovers that another sasquatch is scheduled to make an appearance in the nearby city of Hunderfitz. What?! That must mean he's not the only sasquatch in the world! Excited by the prospect of having a friend to share hair grooming tips with (and let's face it, teeter-tottering alone is no fun), Larf disguises himself as a city slicker and heads for Hunderfitz --- where he's in for a couple enormous surprises. Ashley Spires once again shows her chops for creating irresistible, quirky characters and laugh-aloud stories and illustrations. Readers with little feet and big feet will fall head over heels for Larf.