Within moments, the dog is confident he has spotted the thief -- a tiny blue bug, working on a carrot top. "Stop, thief!" Max cries as the bug flies away. Undaunted, Max chases after the bug, from the carrots to the berries to the beans and the cherries, until, eventually, Max watches in satisfaction as the bug flies away over the farm fence. What Max totally misunderstands in his enthusiasm, however -- and what youngsters will figure out right away -- is that the tiny blue bug isn't the thief at all. The real thieves are hiding in plain sight, right under his nose! Author Heather Tekavec has created a perfect storytime choice in this fun and funny picture book, as the kid appeal of being "in the know" while the lovable dog remains clueless will surely invite repeated readings. This story provides an excellent opportunity for discussions about jumping to conclusions and blaming others, or even about life on a farm. It also offers terrific lessons for building early literacy skills, such as moving beyond what is strictly presented in the text and critically thinking about what can be observed in the exuberant and friendly artwork by illustrator Pierre Pratt.

    Big trouble. Max has accidentally smashed an heirloom vase: the only treasure her great-great-great-great-great-great-grandma managed to save when her houseboat sank 234 years ago. Max can come clean—or, she can build a time machine! If she travels to the past and smashes the vase then, there will be nothing for her to break in the future. Brilliant!In the time machine—surprisingly easy to construct—Max and Boomer bump around to the past and the future, tangle the string of time, and crash into the ancestral houseboat, promptly sinking it. And in the past, the vase remains intact. Disheartened, Max and Boomer return to the moment just before their adventure began, to warn themselves NOT to build a time machine. Duly warned, Max tosses a Frisbee for Boomer, directly in the direction of the vase…

    She imagines the flowers that she'll braid into his beautiful pink mane, and she even picks the perfect name for him: Sparkle. But when Sparkle arrives, his ears are too long, his horn is too short, he smells funny--and oh, he has fleas. Lucy isn't pleased, but in the end she warms up to Sparkle and realizes that even though he wasn't exactly the unicorn she wanted, he might be just the one she needs.

    And when the baby finally hatches? He's too little to play! He mostly screeches, eats, burps, sleeps, and poops. He doesn't even know he's a dinosaur! That's where you come in. You can teach the baby just about everything--from peek-a-boo to roaring to table manners to bedtime. Growing a dinosaur is a big job, but you're perfect for it. Why? Because one thing your baby brother wants more than anything . . . is to be just like you.With silly kid-humor and sincere, moving moments, this new-sibling book is a perfect combination of funny, reassuring, and truly useful. It captures the excitement and joy of getting to guide a little brother or sister through life, and uses big laughs, great surprises, and gentle lessons to empower kids in how to be a great sibling and role-model to littler ones. Great for family reading and reading aloud.

    . . a new friend, a fellow mischief-maker, a protector, and a dreamer.Through all the many ups and downs of a little girl’s childhood, Bear is there to provide love and support. Until it is time to say goodbye . . . and hello again.

    She gets the chance to prove herself and find what she's good at when puppy Ooh-la-la goes missing.

    She doesn't? Try the fire department!With each page turn, this situation—relatable to any family—grows stickier and more desperate.• A wonderful blend of light wordplay, zany humor, and a timeless topic• Perfect for fans of The Day the Crayons Quit and If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, Don't!• Great gift for parents, grandparents, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and educators who are looking for a funny, relatable tale to read out loud• Add it the the shelf with books like We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins, The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt, and The Bad Seed by Jory John.

    Join a nervous boy and his enthusiastic older brother as they navigate the highs and lows of a first day at school . . . except this school is a big top, and the teacher is named Miss Stupendous, and the cafeteria can be a zoo, literally! It turns out, school isn't so scary when you can let off steam during recess (on a steam train) and walk on stilts to all of your classes. With a bit of help from family and some new friends, you'll make it to the top of the class in no time! This charming take on school readiness will delight new school-goers and take a bit of the fear out of those first-day jitters.

    Watson and Mrs. Watson live ordinary lives. Sometimes their lives feel a bit too ordinary. Sometimes they wish something different would happen. And one day it does, when someone unpredictable finds her way to their front door. In a delightful origin story for the star of the Mercy Watson series, a tiny piglet brings love (and chaos) to Deckawoo Drive — and the Watsons’ lives will never be the same.

    From running in the halls to chewing gum in class, David's high-energy antics fill each schoolday with trouble—and are sure to bring a smile to even the best-behaved reader.

    He belonged to no one.And once there was a wisp of a girl named Lia. . . .The dog who belonged to no one spent his days quite alone. . . . He longed for a friend.No one takes notice of a small dog with crooked ears who doesn’t have a home. He explores the narrow streets and wide boulevards every day, while across town a little girl named Lia pedals on her bicycle alone, delivering breads and cakes. Both dream of finding a friend, until fate brings them together.With lyrical text by New York Times bestselling author Amy Hest and tender watercolors by illustrator Amy Bates, The Dog Who Belonged to No One introduces readers to two timeless characters who will touch hearts as they discover how they belong to each other.

    One of the swans invites the boy and dog for a ride. They climb on its back and sail into a stunningly beautiful landscape, dotted with wildflowers, spoonbills and ibises. Foxes, rabbits and deer appear in this paradise, then butterflies and even bigger, more beautiful flowers. The boy unleashes his dog on shore, and the dog bounds off to play.Now the boy wraps his arms around the swan’s neck — he has a new friend. But when he puts the leash on the swan, the sky turns stormy gray, the water becomes turbulent, and the other swans fly away. Both the boy and swan are miserable, until the boy realizes he must free his friend. When he drops the leash into the pond, warm color fills their world and they return to where the boy’s dog happily awaits him.Geraldo Valério, a master of wordless picture books, explores the nature of true friendship and love in his newest creation.

    One day, he sees another panda and wants to make friends, but he doesn't know how to do it. He watches the flamingos make friends by dancing together, so he tries dancing-but that doesn't work. Then he sees lemurs bouncing and leaping together, so he tries bouncing and leaping-that doesn't work, either. Will he ever figure out a way to make a friend?

    The surprise ending will have children laughing and asking for the story to be read again and again.

    When one young penguin realizes his hair is all the wrong colors, how far will he go to stop the stares?Spike the Penguin wishes he wasn’t different. Even though his parents tell him his bright red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple mohawk is beautiful, he still wants to hide his head under his flippers. Determined to find a way to be like everyone else, the sad little guy sets out on an Antarctic adventure!Diving deep into the ocean to seek a solution, Spike tries out seashell hats, squid-ink dye jobs, and a seal hair salon. But when no one can make him look just right, he fears he’ll never be happy… until his friends share something unexpected.Can this little penguin learn to appreciate his perfectly awesome plumage?Spike, The Penguin With Rainbow Hair is a heartwarming children’s picture book written in playful rhyme that shares a great message about self acceptance.