Ten years have passed since the events of The Beast Player. Elin and Ialu are married, with a young son, living a quiet, peaceful life when one day Elin is called upon to investigate a matter of great urgency: the fearsome Toda are dying and nobody knows why. As Elin investigates, she uncovers a deadly plot and a brewing invasion. Can she protect her homeland without allowing her beloved beasts to be used as weapons of war, or will she have to compromise her principles to save her family?

Giraffe is bored, as usual. Hed love a friend to share things with. So he writes a letter and sends it as far as possible across the other side of the horizon. There he finds a pen palPenguin. Giraffe knows nothing about penguins and his letters are full of questions. Where is a penguins neck? Can a penguin fly? Penguin answers as best he can. But no one expects what happens when the pen pals come face to face at last. Yours Sincerely, Giraffe is a funny tale of mistaken assumptions and friendship.

Erin's family have an important responsibility: caring for the Toda, fearsome water serpents who form the core of their Lord's army. So when a number of Toda mysteriously die, it is Erin's mother who takes the blame, and the punishment - she is sentenced to death. Before she dies she manages to use an ancient forbidden power to send Erin to safety - leaving her daughter alone, far from home but with the knowledge that both she and her mother are somehow different.

Soon, Erin finds she can talk to both the terrifying Toda and the majestic Royal Beasts, who protect the supreme queen of her realm. This knowledge gives her great power, but it also involves her in deadly plots and political gameplaying that she wants no part of. Can Erin save herself and prevent her beloved beasts from being used as tools of war, or is there no way of avoiding the terrible battles to come?

A comic-style chapter book about sibling rivalry and a child's impulse to run away from home-and come back again! "When my potato-faced baby brother arrived, I realized I needed a new family. No one seemed to mind when I packed my bag. I took a box and used my best handwriting to write 'FREE KID', then waited for some new parents to take me home." Waiting in a box like an abandoned pet and encountering the passersby changes the girl's perspective. At the end of the day, when her parents pretend they need an older sister for their new baby, she is ready to leave her box and go happily back home. This comical twist on sibling rivalry is translated from an enduring Japanese bestseller, now in its 31st edition and at last available in English. This accessible story is perfect for children starting on independent reading and is illustrated in a graphic comic style that captures childlike subversive humour. Ideal for fans of Charles Schulz's Peanuts comic strip. A useful book to teach young children about welcoming a new baby sibling to the family, or exploring playful sibling relationships, through funny and lighthearted storytelling.

A light-as-a-feather story to share with the very young, told in shapes and colours Look! A white butterfly! Flit and flutter through the blue sky. The butterfly comes to rest on a flower, and-pop-the flower opens. Pop! Pop! Pop! All the flowers open: red, blue yellow, pink, orange... Flutter flit through the sky. The butterfly lands on a cat, and ... meeeoow! Let's play! Look, a Butterfly! is a simple, appealing board book told in shapes and colours.

New York Public Library, Top 10 2017 The international bestselling and award-winning illustrated chapter book for ages 6-8. Giraffe, who lives in Africa, is bored as usual. He'd love a friend to share things with. So he writes a letter and sends it as far as possible across the other side of the horizon. There he finds a pen pal--Penguin. But it's hard to imagine someone you've never seen... Giraffe knows nothing about penguins and his letters are full of questions. What does a penguin look like? Where is a penguin's neck? And so the letters begin to fly from horizon to horizon. Emerging readers will love this absurd and funny story about what connects us, and finding friendship in unlikely places. With simple line drawings--including handwritten letters--on every page, this witty and accessible story is a perfect book to start independent readers on a lifetime love of reading. Originally published in Japan where it is a much-loved classic, Yours Sincerely, Giraffe is now a popular success all around the world. "This is a rare book: joyful, ingenuous, playfully earnest" --Kirkus Megumi Iwasa studied graphic design and lives in Tokyo. Jun Takabatake is one of Japan's best-loved children's illustrators. His illustrations have been exhibited throughout the world, and he has won many international awards. Awards - New York Public Library, Top 10, 2017 - Chicago Public Library, Best Fiction for Younger Readers, 2017 - German Youth Literature Prize Winner, 2018 - USBBY Outstanding International Book List, 2018 - 11 Best Books for 4 to 7-year-olds, The Independent, 2016 Praise for Yours Sincerely, Giraffe "With beautifully simple illustrations and a hope-filled ending, it is an ideal introduction to Japanese literature." --The Independent "The combination of short narrative, dialogue, letters, and humorous pen-and-ink drawings is a winning one." --Booklist starred review "A lovely story such as this, presented so well, is the kind of book to set a pre-teen youngster on a lifelong romance with books and literature." --Magpies Magazine "This Japanese import will charm beginning readers who enjoy a bit of witty humor with their animal adventures. The pen-and-ink illustrations are simple yet have a Quentin Blake feel that rounds out the characters and their quirky behaviors." --School Library Journal starred review

Kiyama and his friends Kawabe and Yamashita become fascinated and curious about death when Yamashita's grandmother dies. Hoping to see death firsthand, they spy on an old man who looks like he will die soon. But while they watch the old man, he watches them. Soon their fascination for each other turns into a friendship that will change their lives forever. An ALA Notable Children's Book. A "Boston Globe-Horn Book" Award winner.