Ida is right there. Always.Then one sad day, Gus learns that Ida is very sick, and she isn’t going to get better. The friends help each other face the difficult news with whispers, sniffles, cuddles, and even laughs. Slowly Gus realizes that even after Ida is gone, she will still be with him—through the sounds of their city, and the memories that live in their favorite spots.Ida, Always is inspired by a real bear friendship.

    Now she is lost and wandering. Waiting for a rescue signal from her mother, she fails to make friends with the strange creatures she encounters. Rabbits don't seem to understand her; windblown leaves won't stay still to listen. But at last, on a school playground, Beegu discovers a group of fantastic companions who are happy to let her join their games . . . until a grownup creature spoils the fun.Beegu's spirits are sinking lower than ever just as the mother ship arrives, in this simple, bittersweet picture book that shows us our world through the three eyes of an innocent outsider with the help of stylish art and a wry, understated text.

       With just three or four words per page, this story follows a baby owl one night as he leaves the safety of his nest (Home/Mama/Brother/Sister) and explores the starry world around him (Soar/Glide/Swoop/Swoosh). Inspired by reverso poetry, the words reverse in the middle when the baby owl is startled upon seeing his reflection in the pond (Owl/Sees/Owl). Afraid of it, little owl takes off toward home, soaring over farms and forests (Swoosh/Swoop/Glide/Soar) until he is finally safely home again (Sister/Brother/Mama/Home).

    Everything that normal cats do is hard for her: She can’t get her square paw into mouse holes, she can’t wear her favorite circle skirt, and all of her friends are round! Eula is sad until her two best friends show her just how well a square cat can fit into a round world. Debut author/illustrator Elizabeth Schoonmaker applies her dry wit to the topic of fitting in, and the spare text and appealing trim size of Square Cat make it ideal for repeated readings.

    So, when a new egg arrives via the endangered species van, the 'roo jumps at the chance to take care of it, even when no one else wants it. Soon, out comes a penguin and all the animals chip in to help because, as the tree kangaroo says, "Penguins eat fishes."  Told in Judy Sierra's classic rollicking rhyme, and paired with Marc Brown's breathtaking folk-art style paintings, Wild About You! is another delightful collaboration from this New York Times bestselling duo that fans of Wild About Books and ZooZical will want to adopt for their own book collections.

    Help Skunk solve the mystery as he asks each of his animal friends, Mouse, Raven, Squirrel, Rabbit, Turtle, Raccoon, Snake, Beaver, and Frog, who took the cookie from the cookie jar?

    Snead & Erin Stead’s Bear Has a Story to Tell.   When Bear wakes up one spring, he goes in search of a new home. And he thinks he’s found the perfect place. Unfortunately, things are a bit . . . snug. Can five little ducks find room for one big bear in their home—and in their hearts? Ciara Gavin’s luminous picture-book debut explores the unconditional love of families in all their colors, shapes, and sizes.

    There he plays peek-a-boo; sings the rolly song, the happy song, and the name song; plays with animals; and meets new friends.The Baby Time activities featured in Leo Loves Baby Time will be familiar to children and parents and are presented in bright, vibrant colors that will draw the attention of the youngest readers.

    Perhaps if he hops in his car — toot, toot, zoom! — he will fi nd a friend on the other side of the mountain! On the road — SCREECH! — he meets Goat, who kindly offers to help. And that, says Pierre, is exactly the sort of thing his friend will do when he finds him! Up, up they zoom, collecting an amiable Sheep and Bear along the way. Will the car make it to the top? Will it get safely down? Will Pierre ever find a friend? Phyllis Root’s wry, cumulative story revs readers up with BIG sound words, while Matthew Cordell's energetic illustrations and a fun, dynamic design keep them happily strapped in for the ride.

    Robin sings in her nest. Babies fly back to her, ready to rest. The moon’s almost here. There’s no time to play. Mama sheep hurries; Sun’s going away. Nighttime is approaching as each animal readies itself for bed in this lyrical picture book text by Patricia MacLachlan. In striking paintings with a calming palette, Tomie dePaola imagines the scene through the eyes of mime Pierrot and his child.

    Bernard snores…LOUDLY! So loudly that he keeps all of the otters awake during naptime. So loudly that Grumpy Giles tells Bernard to move his snoring somewhere else!Sad and lonely, Bernard tries sleeping in new places far away from the other otters: in a lake, in puddles, in a fountain. But no matter where he tries to nap, somebody complains. He just wants to hear two words: "Good night!"

    An adorable cat muses about the what-ifs in life: What if he had slept late that one special morning? What if he’d missed his train on that fateful day? Then he might never have met his favorite person in the world, and his entire life would be different! Two friends delight in the incredible power of serendipity in this charming tale. Illustrated by the bestselling Peter H. Reynolds, You and Me is the ultimate gift for the closest of friends on Valentine’s Day or any day of the year.

    Young readers will delight in spotting all the hiding places as they follow along with Bunny.

    My heart is a slide. My heart can be closed...or opened up wide.Some days your heart is a puddle or a fence to keep the world out. But some days it is wide open to the love that surrounds you.

    A triumph of simplicity in words and pictures, it is impossible not to be moved by this story about a little girl with a big personality, and her long-suffering, much-loved dog.