The virtues of taking a break - and of being thankful - are extolled in the gentle story of a stubborn ox, an impatient farmer, and a day of rest. Long ago, in the hills near Jerusalem, lived a young ox. For six days each week, she and her owner would toil in the fields, and on the seventh day both would rest. Then it came to be that this young ox was sold. For six days, she toiled in her new owner's fields, and on the seventh day the farmer brought out the yoke and plough, expecting to spend another day hard at work. But Shoshi the ox had a different idea. In a warm, friendly narrative and vivid, humorous art, author Caryn Yacowitz and illustrator Kevin Hawkes bring to life a tale drawn from the ancient Jewish stories known as the Midrash, a story as relevant today as it was long ago. It's a tale of encountering other cultures and learning from them, of paying attention to the world around you - sun, breeze, animals, people - and above all, of learning to slow down and take a break.

"Welcome to the Sharemore Hotel," said the porter. "You must be Mr Snore. Let me show you to your room..."

Mr Snore checks into a hotel room, only to discover that the room is already occupied - by a mouse! So the porter moves Mr Snore up a floor to a new room. Alas, that room seems to be occupied by a fuzzy critter, too. Up thirteen floors, one floor at a time, Mr Snore gets moved and moved again until the porter has run out of options for his guest. Why? Because there is absolutely no way anyone should EVER go to the top floor, the 13th floor, in the hope of finding room and rest...

An affectionate storybook tribute to that truly wonderful place: the library.

Miss Merriweather, the head librarian, is very particular about rules in the library. No running allowed. And you must be quiet. But when a lion comes to the library one day, no one is sure what to do. There aren't any rules about lions in the library. And, as it turns out, this lion seems very well suited to library visiting. His big feet are quiet on the library floor. He makes a comfy backrest for the children at story hour. And he never roars in the library, at least not anymore. But when something terrible happens, the lion quickly comes to the rescue in the only way he knows how. Michelle Knudsen's disarming story, illustrated by the matchless Kevin Hawkes in an expressive timeless style, will win over even the most ardent of rule keepers.

"From the Hardcover edition."

An affectionate storybook tribute to that truly wonderful place: the library.

Miss Merriweather, the head librarian, is very particular about rules in the library. No running allowed. And you must be quiet. But when a lion comes to the library one day, no one is sure what to do. There aren't any rules about lions in the library. And, as it turns out, this lion seems very well suited to library visiting. His big feet are quiet on the library floor. He makes a comfy backrest for the children at story hour. And he never roars in the library, at least not anymore. But when something terrible happens, the lion quickly comes to the rescue in the only way he knows how. Michelle Knudsen's disarming story, illustrated by the matchless Kevin Hawkes in an expressive timeless style, will win over even the most ardent of rule keepers.

A gloriously illustrated celebration of individualism from an award-winning author. Wesley's an outcast from the civilization around him - he's not into pizza or football or haircuts. But during the summer holidays, he has a brilliant idea: he'll found a civilization of his own - in the back garden! From this seed a whole world grows and blooms - the extraordinary, imaginative world of Weslandia! Wesley creates his own food, clothing, shelter, games, language even, and gradually wins over the other children.

A lion starts visiting the local library but runs into trouble as he tries to both obey the rules and help his librarian friend.

A wonderful addition to any child's library, this is the multiple award-winning and bestselling picture book about what happens when a lion visits a library. In this international and award-winning bestseller about the joys of discovering the library and making new friends, a lion visits the library for the very first time. The head librarian, Miss Merriweather, is very particular about rules in the library. But when the lion visits, she isn't sure what to do - there aren't any rules about lions in the library! As it turns out, this lion seems very well suited to library visiting. His big feet are quiet on the floor and he makes a comfy backrest for the children at story hour, too. When an emergency happens, however, the lion has a dilemma. Should he come to the rescue in the only way he knows how, even if it means breaking Miss Merriweather's strict rules?

From an imaginative team comes a new holiday myth for all families to enjoy, especially those celebrating both Christmas and Hanukkah. Nate Gadol is a great big spirit with eyes as shiny as golden coins and a smile that is lantern bright. He can make anything last as long as it is needed, like a tiny bit of oil that must stretch for eight nights, a flower that needs to stay fresh to cheer up someone ailing, or a small lump of chocolate that grows to allow the Glaser family to treat their children over the holiday and, during a harsh winter when medicine is needed more than sweets, spurs them to share what little they have with the O’Malleys. In this charming holiday hybrid story, well-known children’s author and editor Arthur A. Levine pairs with award-winning illustrator Kevin Hawkes to offer a mythical, magical take on the way Jewish families came to give and receive gifts over Hanukkah, just as their Christian neighbours do at Christmas, thanks to a loving spirit named Nate Gadol working behind the scenes – together with a certain jolly old soul.

A droll biography reveals the high notes--and the low notes--in the life of the world's foremost composer of Baroque music.
This is not your usual picture book biography. Nor was George Frideric Handel your everyday eighteenth-century composer. This witty and yet rigorously researched and accessible biography captures Handel's essential spirit--from a child who smuggled a clavichord into the attic to play music against his father's orders to a young man who imported forty-five pounds of mountain snow to chill wine for a gala--as well as his remarkable, enduring musical triumphs. But M. T. Anderson also shows Handel's struggles and chronicles the illness, ill fortune, and despair that led to his greatest achievement, the Messiah. With impeccable detail and a wink at the reader, Kevin Hawkes illustrates the singular story of Handel and the music through which he lives on.

When the kindly old aunts decide that they need help caring for creatures who live on their hidden island, they know that adults can't be trusted. What they need are a few special children who can keep a secret-a secret as big as a magical island. And what better way to get children who can keep really big secrets, than to kidnap them! (After all, some children just plain need to be kidnapped.) Don't miss this wildly inventive and funny read from master storyteller Eva Ibbotson.

WESLANDIA honors the misfits--and the creators--among us.
Enter the witty, intriguing world of Weslandia Now that school is over, Wesley needs a summer project. He's learned that each civilization needs a staple food crop, so he decides to sow a garden and start his own - civilization, that is. He turns over a plot of earth, and plants begin to grow. They soon tower above him and bear a curious-looking fruit. As Wesley experiments, he finds that the plant will provide food, clothing, shelter, and even recreation. It isn't long before his neighbors and classmates develop more than an idle curiosity about Wesley - and exactly how he is spending his summer vacation.

It's hard to be Velma, the littlest Gratch, entering the first grade. That's because everyone has marvelous memories of her two older sisters, who were practically perfect first graders. Poor Velma--people can barely remember her name. But all that changes on a class trip to the magnificent Butterfly Conservatory--a place neither of her sisters has ever been. When a monarch roosts on Velma's finger and won't budge for days . . . well, no one will forget Velma ever again. Acclaimed and bestselling illustrator Kevin Hawkes and author Alan Madison celebrate everything butterfly--from migration to metamorphosis. Watch as Velma Gratch metamorphosizes from a timid first grader into a confident young scientist

“I Was a Rat!” So insists a scruffy boy named Roger. Maybe it’s true. But what is he now? A terrifying monster running wild in the sewers? The Daily Scourge is sure of it. A victim of “Rodent Delusion”? The hospital nurse says yes. A lucrative fairground freak? He is to Mr. Tapscrew. A champion wriggler and a budding thief? That’s what Billy thinks. Or just an ordinary small boy, though a little ratty in his habits? Only three people believe this version of the story. And it may take a royal intervention—and a bit of magic—to convince the rest of the world.

Set against the backdrop of a Royal Wedding—and a playful parody of the press, I Was a Rat! is a magical weaving of humor, fairy tale, and adventure.

A madcap encore to the There's a Dinosaur on the 13th Floor, starring the ever-proper Mr Snore. Mr Snore returns to the wacky Sharemore Hotel to play his violin at a fancy wedding. As he waits for the ceremony to begin, he notices a certain uninvited guest ogling the towering wedding cake. It's hard to tell who's a guest and who's a pest, but Mr Snore is going to do his heroic best to save the cake from sure disaster!

Absolutely nothing exciting happens in Maine . . . nothing, that is, except for the birth of one giant baby. "That's one wicked big toddlah you got there!" exclaims Uncle Bert . . . and so Toddie is named.
Toddie's a baby just like any other . . . sort of. The thing is, he's big--"really "big. That means really big diapers, really big teeth, really big "everything." From new booties that wear out the knitter to a bath in the ocean (it's fun to play with boats!), Toddie goes through all the stages of baby's first year . . . it's just a little different for Toddie.
Kids will laugh out loud as they see Toddie get into more and more trouble. . . it's time for giant laughs all around!

"From the Hardcover edition."