But of course the rain doesn’t stop just because a king orders it, and tired eyelids can be much stronger than a king’s will. The king sees that his power has limits; the world is diverse and much of it operates under its own rules.

    Based on the wonderfully atmospheric and dramatic Cornish tale of Old Tom, the fisherman, and his cat Mowzer, who braved the wrath of the Great Storm-Cat to save their village.

    That is until the source of all things joyous, the Mystical Crystals of Life, are stolen!Five heroes -- a fairy, a unicorn, a faun, a gnome, and a talking mushroom -- have been summoned by wise Old Oak to retrieve the Crystals, but the epic quest won't be easy. They must first battle through frozen lands, navigate past scary dungeons, and encounter terrifying creatures along the way. Will these heroes save the day? It's hard to say!With so much to laugh at and explore, lovers of silliness, adventure, and all things magical won't be able to get enough of Super Happy Magic Forest!

     At last, the master Says, "That's hard to explain." And That is all she says.This unsatisfying answer sets Wabi Sabi on a journey to uncover the meaning of her name, and on the way discovers what wabi sabi is: a Japanese philosophy of seeing beauty in simplicity, the ordinary, and the imperfect. Using spare text and haiku, Mark Reibstein weaves an extraordinary story about finding real beauty in unexpected places. Caldecott Medal-winning artist Ed Young complements the lyrical text with breathtaking collages. Together, they illustrate the unique world view that is wabi sabi. A New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book for 2008!

    When Duck finds an egg of his own he's delighted; it's the most beautiful egg in the world! But all the other birds think it's a very odd egg indeed and everyone's in for a big surprise when the egg hatches!

    First they have their baby at the zoo, not in a hospital. Then, they accidentally bring home an baby alligator instead! After it bites everyone on the nose, they return to the zoo and come back with a baby seal! Kristen sees that she will have to solve this problem herself. She bikes to the zoo and finds their baby with . . . a gorilla mommy. When the baby bites the gorilla on the nose, Kristen sees her chance--and takes home her new baby brother!

    Everyone will think you’re reading. Are you ready? Let’s get started…

    But they forget all about the tiniest, quietest creature on the farm—the ladybug. She has a plan of her own. Julia Donaldson turns her literary expertise to a farm setting, and comes up with a rollicking barnyard mystery. Lydia Monks' colorful collage illustrations go perfectly with the story for a winning combination. Readers will quack, neigh, moo, and cheer for the ladybug all the way through! What the Ladybug Heard is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

    They make books together in the world's coolest treehouse! They've got loads of different storeys in their home in the sky: you can find a marshmallow machine, the world's most powerful whirlpool, a penguin ice-skating rink, a tank full of sharks and a human pinball machine, among many other things. But none of these help them agree on their special story for World Book Day – and it's not just Mr Big Nose keeping an eye on them now, but the story police too!Terry's Dumb Dot Story is a special World Book Day Treehouse adventure from Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton, told through a combination of laugh-out-loud text and fantastic cartoon-style illustrations.Well, what are you waiting for? Come on up!

    (Some estimate 20 million children a year host them.) Oh the shame and humiliation of having bugs in your hair! But if you go to school, or have play dates, chances are good you might meet them someday. Maybe you already have! Lucky for you, the unwelcome bugs in this story are so funny you will be laughing aloud--even when Mom attacks them with battle-tested anti-lice weapons.Shannon peppers his hilarious scenes with fun, "nitpicking" facts about these "lousy" critters and pokes fun at common denial: "It's probably ash from that volcano in Pogo Pogo."Soon the party's over--Bye bye, Little Nasties! Once again Shannon has created a fresh, highly entertaining read-aloud classic that begs to be read again and again.

    Putting it in his pocket, he forgets about it entirely. But the little line has other ideas . . .Enter the magical, creative world of the renowned French artist, Serge Bloch, where anything can happen, and the discovery of an ordinary little line can result in the most marvelous adventure. Coming to life, the little line becomes majestic mountains, wings to fly with, a circus full of animals, flowers, a perilous tightrope, and that’s only the beginning! With this classic story about an artist’s becoming, children will be inspired to create their own drawings, taking simple lines and transforming them into endless possibilities.

    The radically different perspectives give a fascinating depth to this simple story which explores many of the author’s key themes, such as alienation, friendship and the bizarre amid the mundane.

    With over 150 illustrations and text told entirely in dialogue, Briggs' original and provocative story tells what happens when a seven-inch man appears at the home of a young boy, and the boy is compelled to become a father to the man. Full color.

    This satisfying, perfectly executed picture book has something to say to readers of all stripes and all ages.This title has Common Core connections.

    But what they both leave behind is far bigger than the other people in the town could have ever imagined. Delicate artwork compliments messages of acceptance, tolerance, and love in this moving story.