The polar bear is known by many names in different languages--White Bear, Ice Bear, Sea Bear. It is Sailor of the Icebergs, Whale's Curse, Seal's Dread. It is the animal deserving of great respect, the Ever-wandering One, the Master of Helping Spirits, Grandfather, or God's Dog. Whatever its name, what is certain is that this majestic, Arctic animal is threatened by extinction and in need of human protection before it disappears from our world forever.

Authored by none other than the former US Children's Poet Laureate, J. Patrick Lewis, this collection of animal-focused jokes and riddles will keep kids reading, rhyming, and laughing like a hyena. The Just Joking series has wowed the kid crowd, and now Just Joking: Animal Riddles delivers 150 hilarious and puzzling riddles all about animals, guaranteed to tickle the funny bone of kids everywhere!

Thirteen classic poems by poets such as Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, Emily Dickinson, and David McCord are paired with parodies that honor and play off of the original poems in a range of ways. For example, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is paired with "Stopping by Fridge on a Hungry Evening" to hilarious effect, whereas the combination of Emily Dickinson's "'Hope' is the thing with feathers" with Lewis's "'Grief' is the thing with tissues" is profound, and both David McCord's "This Is My Rock" and Lewis's "This Is My Tree" hum with a sense of wonder. This playful introduction to classics will inspire imagination and wonder even as it tickles funny bones.

Who is making all this mischief? It's not the puppy! Short rhyming lines in this board book pose a toddler-appropriate whodunit and expressive art shows the true culprits. Little ones will chime on the repeated title refrain and will delight in the surprise ending--when of course--it finally IS the puppy.

Know some twins, or expecting to? This twinspired collection pairs poems and pictures in a lighthearted salute to the many twins among us.
Old twins, new twins, famous twins, not-at-all-alike twins, side-byside twins, let's play twins, not-yet twins, mirror twins -- all kinds of twins -- come together in a collection of original poems by two of our most celebrated authors for young people: J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen. From a wave and a wink to a twin switcheroo, from a rocket to the moon to the old woman who lived in a shoe, these poems and mini facts, whimsically illustrated by Sophie Blackall, will leave even singletons with a twinkle in their eyes. Here is the perfect book to share with the twins in your life -- and everyone who loves them.

It's all about us! Join former U.S. Children's Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis on a lyrical journey through the United States to experience the wonders of America's people and places via 200+ inspiring poems and stunning photographs. Celebrate the gift of language and the vibrant culture of the United States with this collection of classic and never-before-published poetry. Poems are arranged by region, from coast to coast, and among them you'll find works by Langston Hughes, Dorothy Parker, Robert Frost, Naomi Shihab Nye, Walt Whitman, and more. From the familiar to the surprising, subjects include people, places, landmarks, monuments, nature, and celebrations. Designed for family sharing, but geared to younger readers, this beautifully illustrated treasury is a must-have for the family bookshelf.

"Make the Earth your companion. Walk lightly on it, as other creatures do." With this powerfully reverent refrain, readers are reminded to treat the world around us with the respect it deserves and the care it needs. Mountains, lakes, rivers, grasslands, forests, deserts--even the sky above--all of our natural environs have some message to impart, if we will but listen. Picturesque illustrations imbue the images with mysticism, making visual connections to not only the words themselves but to the feelings of wonder they evoke.