Oliver the tortoise has had his human, Ike, for a very, very long time now. In fact, they're the same age--80 years old--and practically twins. They both enjoy the slowness of the garden, cool water from the hose on a hot day, and a nice slice of honeydew melon. But when Ike stops visiting the garden, Oliver wonders why his pet has left him so soon. So he makes the long journey to see his mother ten gardens away--she will certainly have the answer. This tender story from the author and ill...

A group of adventurous mice decides the family buffet is the perfect way to celebrate the holidays, as long as they can avoid the family cat.'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a . . . Oops! As it turns out, one house has a lot of activity this Christmas holiday! A quartet of mice is wide awake and looking for some tasty treats. When what to their wondering eyes should appear, but a mouthwater...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • P.J. Funnybunny from the classic Beginner Book It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny coaches his little sister, Honey Bunny, at T-ball in a story that celebrates family ties and is perfect for Eastertime and gift-giving all year long!Honey Bunny Funnybunny LOVES baseball, but is too little to play. So big brother P.J. teaches her T-ball! From warming up to throwing and catching to hitting the ball and running the bases, P.J. and ...

Topanga the dog gets blamed for everything, but she's here to tell you that the only reason the household works at all is because she's the one in charge. Topanga wakes the family up, takes Big Guy for a run, gets the kids off to school on time, and chases off that trouble-making raccoon. And that's not all! Will Topanga's family ever realize what a giant role she plays in their lives? Maybe not before it's time for her to go back to bed, she has another big day tomorrow after all. From th...

This early reader in verse entertains with silly dogs getting up to some Halloween hijinks.The crazy dogs from Joan Holub’s Step 2 reader Shampoodle are back and as spirited as ever! There’s a puppy party in the backyard, but the scaredy-dogs skedaddle when "ghosts" and "ghouls" begin to arrive. What should these pups do? Don costumes and join the Halloween parade!Step 2 Readers use basic vocabulary and short sentences to tell simple stories. For c...

A little girl is shopping in a grocery store when—surprise!—she meets a dinosaur. Don't worry. The dinosaur is very friendly. She's polite, too. In this funny story, told in lilting read-aloud rhyme, the girl has numerous opportunities to be helpful to the clumsy shopping dino and demonstrate when to say "thank you," "excuse me," "I'm sorry," "You're welcome," and other niceties of life. Tim Bowers's whimsical illustrations bring an extra dimension of fun to Judy Sierra's hilarious picture...

It's picture day at the dog park. But before the first photo can be taken, an exuberant pack of pups needs a bit of grooming. So they’re off to Shampoodle, the local pet salon, where the eager dogs simply cannot sit still. And when some curious cats stop by, things go from messy to mayhem. Shampoodle is perfect for animal lovers and children who are just starting to read on their own, taking their cues from lively art and bubbly, rhymed text.Step 2 Readers use basic vocabu...

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • In this sweet, funny sequel to the classic Beginner Book It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny, P.J. Funnybunny discovers that being who you are is the best! Perfect for Easter or gift-giving all year round!P.J. Funnybunny is not having a good day. His mom won't let him eat ice cream for breakfast. She won't let him hang upside down from a tree. She won't even let him watch a scary movie! P.J. visits Potts Pig, whose mom lets them do all those ...

It’s Buddy’s bedtime, but there’s just one problem—he’s decided that he’s a robot! His accommodating parents must now “power down” their little machine step by step, from his toes to his tushy. Tim Bowers’s bubbly illustrations capture Buddy’s energy and imagination, and parents and kids will enjoy adopting this new bedtime ritual into their own routines.

Meet Rappy the Raptor, a velociraptor who speaks in rhymes all of the time, whether it's morning or noon, October or June. Now, how did it happen that he started rappin'? Well, here's Rappy's story in all its glory!New York Times bestselling author Dan Gutman and New York Times bestselling artist Tim Bowers team up for a funny, warm story that is sure to have readers snapping their fingers and tapping their toes! Parents and kids alike will love bopping along as Rappy learns to emb...

Everybody knows your typical dragon breathes fire.But when Crispin tries to breathe fire on his seventh birthday, fire doesn't come out—only whipped cream! Each time Crispin tries to breathe fire, he ends up withBand-Aidsmarshmallowsteddy bears?Crispin wonders if he’ll ever find his inner fire. But when a family emergency breaks out, it takes a little dragon with not-so-typical abilities to save the day.With wry humor and whimsical illustrati...

Cy Young award winner R.A. Dickey creates a funny anti-bullying picture book with an adorable baseball character that kids will loveNed the baseball is very nervous on his first day of school. Everyone else seems to know where they belong, but not Ned. He isn't a fastball or a slider, and the Foul Ball gang makes fun of him for the way he wobbles. When they do something particularly dastardly to another student, it's up to Ned to come to the rescue with his unique ...