From Nick Capodice & Hannah McCarthy, the hosts of New Hampshire Public Radio's Civics 101, and New Yorker cartoonist Tom Toro, A User's Guide to Democracy is a lively crash course in everything you should know about how the US government works. Do you know what the Secretary of Defense does all day? Are you sure you know the difference between the House and the Senate? Have you been pretending you know what Federalism is for the last 20 years? Don't worry--you're not alone. The American government and its processes can be dizzyingly complex and obscure. Until now. Within this book are the keys to knowing what you're talking about when you argue politics with the uncle you only see at Thanksgiving. It's the book that sits on your desk for quick reference when the nightly news boggles your mind. This approachable and informative guide gives you the lowdown on everything from the three branches of government, to what you can actually do to make your vote count, to how our founding documents affect our daily lives. Now is the time to finally understand who does what, how they do it, and the best way to get them to listen to you.

The title says it all: this fun debut is a comedic take on potty training with a clever message at the end. Two children bring home a pet porcupine, but they can only keep her if she's house-trained! After a whirlwind of increasingly zany approaches, the kids learn that sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to ask nicely. While the 'How To' concept is not new in the picture book genre, the porcupine and potty-training mash-up is fresh and funny, and the popularity of these books does not seem to be waning. Tom's spare, dry writing style, strong sense of composition, and expressive artwork with sly details suggest he is a talent to grow; his charming style gives him great commercial appeal, while his clever voice and sophisticated style will make him appealing to the indie markets as well.

You think YOU'RE anxious about the first day of school? Imagine how your backpack feels! In this hilarious yet reassuring back-to-school picture book, a backpack deals with first-day-of-school nerves and feeling out of place. Filled with crowded hallways, lonely cafeteria tables, toilet stalls, and the signature existential angst of Simon Rich, this fun read-aloud will have kids braving classrooms with a smile (and maybe taking better care of their trusty backpacks...).

And so begins a hilarious dip into the choppy waters of a nightly ritual that parents and children alike often dread. Filled with soapsuds, rubber duckies, and existential angst, Simon Rich's debut picture book is a splashy tale of cleanliness-and survival. This irreverent read-aloud treat about facing fear and embracing adventure might just change the way you see bath time (and your bathroom) forever.