The third book in the General Mills Spoonful of Stories series! Can you imagine hugging a porcupine? Sure, it's easy to picture hugging a bunny or even a billy goat, but where would you begin to try to hug a porcupine? After seeing all his friends hug their favorite animals, one brave boy works up the courage to hug a porcupine, but the porcupine isn't so sure he wants to be hugged! The latest contest winner Laurie Isop and illustrator Gwen Millward aren't afraid to ask the pointed questions!

    It's time for Fred to go to bed . . . but Fred really, really doesn't want to! From hiding up in trees, to splashing in muddy puddles, to hiding behind bookshelves, Fred will do anything to avoid bedtime. He would even rather have a bath than go to bed . . . but all of this running couldn't possibly have possibly made Fred sleepy-could it? Bound to strike a chord with parents and children with their own bedtime distraction techniques, Yasmeen Ismail's hilarious text and cheerful, vivid illustrations will have every reader shouting by the very last page, "Time for Bed, Fred!"

    In a series of conversations with every flower and creature and gust of wind, she says good-bye to summer and welcomes autumn.

    When you give him the sprinkles, he might spill some on the floor. Cleaning up will make him hot, so you'll give him a bathing suit . . .Written in the tradition of the bestselling If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond's If You Give a Cat a Cupcake will show everyone that Cat is where it's at! The If You Give... series is a perennial favorite among children. With its spare, rhythmic text and circular tale, these books are perfect for beginning readers and story time. Sure to inspire giggles and requests to "read it again!"Other favorites in Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond's bestselling series include:If You Give a Dog a DonutIf You Give a Moose a MuffinIf You Give a Mouse a CookieIf You Give a Pig a PancakeIf You Give a Pig a Party

    She wants a cat so much that she sees Kitty everywhere she goes: at the bus stop, in her backyard, in the starry night sky, even in her dreams. From debut children's book illustrator Yasmine Surovec comes a story so adorable that if you don't already love cats you will by the time you're done reading it. In the tradition of iconic preschool books like Where's Spot?, I See Kitty uses bright, bold artwork to appeal to very young readers and charm them for generations to come.

    Time to go!"Hondo will have an adventure.Fabian will stay home.A dog named Hondo and his friend Fred are going to the beach for a day of excitement. Fabian the cat is left behind at home to play with the baby. Who will cause more trouble? And who will have more fun? Peter McCarty's exquisite illustrations and understated wit turn an ordinary day in the lives of two pets into a rare delight.

    His mother reassures him that once he closes his eyes, he will dream of magical places. And when he awakens, she will be right there, waiting for him.Alternating between real-life scenes with the baby tiger and his mother and enchanted dream scenes of sleep's possibilities, Kate Banks's simple, comforting text and Georg Hallensleben's bright, colorful illustrations make this a charming bedtime story for small children.Close Your Eyes is a 2002 New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year and a 2003 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

    Sweet and positive in its message, with bright, beautiful art, this book is sure to be a hit. Perfect for sharing!

    Told in rhyming text, Inside Cat views the world through many windows, watching the birds, squirrels, and people go by--but when the door opens it discovers a whole new view.

    Don’t move a muscle, buster. Stay out of this book or I WILL CHOMP YOU!So says the not-so-fierce inhabitant of I Will Chomp You, a tale of deception, greed…and cake!Jory John and Bob Shea bring a fresh, hilarious twist to a time-tested blueprint as their little monster threatens, reasons and pleads with readers to go no further in the book because he will NOT share his beautiful, delicious cakes. Children will identify with the monster’s high valuation of his possessions, and (importantly) will laugh at the silly measures he takes to protect them.

    Along the way he finds a school full of kids and new things to do—and he even learns to read!"So funny and so original that it promises to be one of the most successful books in this best-selling series." (Publishers Weekly)Sammy the Seal is another hilarious, original story by Syd Hoff, the celebrated author of Danny and the Dinosaur. This Level One I Can Read is perfect for shared reading with a child.

    It was a lovely story with absolutely NO BEARS in it-not a SINGLE BEAR anywhere. Then one day...MORE BEARS! KENN NESBITT is possibly the funniest and most sought-after children's poet writing today. When he's not writing, podcasting, updating his website (poetry4kids.com), or visiting schools sharing his wacky brand of humor with kids across America, Kenn can be found cuddling his collection of stuffed bears. He seriously cannot get enough of bears. Or chickens.TROY CUMMINGS has been drawing goofy animals pretty much nonstop since kindergarten. His illustrations have appeared in newspapers, in magazines, on websites, on frozen fish stick packages, and in hospital waiting rooms. He hibernates in Greencastle, Indiana, with his wife and cubs.

    After all, she's not sweet, she's not cute, and she is just fine on her own! Luckily, there's one little girl at the shelter who knows that sometimes, good dogs act bad when they feel afraid and that extending a little kindness can help even the most wolfish pup at the pound let down her guard.

    It is a bountiful fount of surprises, spreading love far and wide, and growing sweeter as it goes! What better message to give someone you love than one of such joy and happy affection?

    After all, the stuffed bunny must feel lonely and want to return safely to its owner and home! But as Bear diligently searches for the bunny's owner, posting notices high and low, he begins to grow attached to his newfound friend. What will happen when the bunny's owner finally comes forward? Was Bear meant to find Bunny all along? Prolific author/illustrator Salina Yoon's spare text and bright, energetic illustrations bring to life this endearing story celebrating love and friendship in many forms, reminding us that nothing is lost that is not meant to be found.