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24,900 | 10 | Joan Aiken, daughter of the American writer Conrad Aiken, was born in Rye, Sussex, England, and has written more than sixty books for children, including The Wolves of Willoughby Chase.; Title: The Cuckoo Tree | [
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24,901 | 12 | Large paperback workbook for first grade skill range. May also have flashcard in the back too.; Title: Houghton Mifflin Reading: Practice Book Grade 1.3-1.5 | [
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24,902 | 1 | Anne Hunter grew up in South Florida and now lives with her family inthe hills of rural Vermont where she can hear the crickets, who singwith the frogs, who listen to the distant hoot of an owl.Anne is known for watching the squirrels, listening to the insects andwriting about the natural world around us. She has written and illustrated many childrens books, including Possums Harvest Moon, which reviewers described as "a sensational selection," with illustrations that are "beautifully rendered" and have "a hushed mystery." Visit Anne at annehunterstudio.com.; Title: Possum and the Peeper | [
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24,903 | 5 | Fans of Sherwood Forest and admirers of the book arts will want to see Virginia Lee Burton's design and illustrations for Song of Robin Hood, edited by Anne Malcolmson, music arranged by Grace Castagnetta. First published in 1947 and now reissued, the Caldecott Honor-winning book contains 18 classic ballads of Robin Hood's deeds, set to traditional tunes and arranged with modern musical notations. Burton supplies a lapidary sequence of intricately detailed black-and-white vignettes, one for each stanza of the different ballads; her chapter openers and borders have the delicacy of scrimshaw carvings and the robustness of illuminated manuscripts. (Houghton, $20 128p ages 8-up ISBN 0-618-07186-5; Sept.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Song of Robin Hood | [
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24,904 | 18 | Grade 4-8-A companion volume to Animals on the Trail with Lewis and Clark (Clarion, 2002). An excellent two-page map shows camps and landmarks along the route of the explorers from the (current) Iowa/Illinois/Missouri border north and west to the Pacific Ocean at what is now the Washington/Oregon border. Lewis and Clark led the army expedition to explore and map more than 2000 miles of North America, find a water route across the country, discuss peaceful trade with the Indian tribes, and study and record soil and vegetation along the way. Lewis's knowledge of plants and their medicinal properties and Clark's familiarity with waterway navigation and land surveying led to the overwhelming success of this amazing journey. The explorers filled journals with carefully detailed descriptions of various plant species in their natural settings as well as how they used them as building material, food, and medicines. Patent gives examples that attest to the cleverness and mechanical abilities of the explorers and to the aid they received from the Nez Perce, Mandan, and other tribes. Good-quality, full-color photos and reproductions clearly extend the text. A listing of plant specimens collected and dried by the pair that can be found in the Lewis and Clark Herbarium (Philadelphia), sources for further reading, and a thorough index are appended. The author's knowledge of and keen interest in her subject matter is very evident in this fascinating account that helps bring to life an amazing episode in American history.Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OHCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 5-8. This companion to Patent and Munoz's Animals on the Trail with Lewis and Clark (2002) considers the plants that Lewis and Clark saw along their way and the many that they introduced into the field of botany. Lewis was trained in the identification and preservation of plants before the journey. He wrote about the plants he saw, collected seeds, and pressed and dried hundreds of specimens, some of which can still be seen today. The book also discusses the importance of trees and edible plants to the explorers' success. Excellent color photographs appear on almost every page, spotlighting living examples of individual plants as well as vistas seen along the route. Exceptionally fine clarity, composition, and lighting distinguish these photos. The appendixes include an author's note identifying major research sources and recommending books and Web sites and a herbarium listing 175 surviving specimens and when and where they were collected. Of the many books recently published on the Lewis and Clark expedition, this is one of the most tightly focused, most interesting, and most beautiful. Carolyn PhelanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Plants on the Trail with Lewis and Clark (Lewis & Clark Expedition) | [
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24,905 | 1 | Ah, the dreaded storyteller's block. Whiteblack the penguin, Chief Storyteller of Penguinland's W-O-N-S radio station, has run out of material. "I guess I'll take a vacation and travel," he decides. "Travelers always have lots of stories." And off Whiteblack goes, on the journey of a lifetime. Before the trip is over, this intrepid traveler has been shipwrecked on an iceberg ("I've always wanted to be in an accident"), been shot out of a cannon, acted as midwife to two hatching ostriches, crossed the desert--partway on a camel and the rest on a homemade scooter, and fallen out of an airplane, only to land in a fishnet. With plenty of new stories to share, Whiteblack returns to a hero's welcome in Penguinland.Well-loved for their Curious George stories, Margret and H. A. Rey teamed up on many other picture books over their lifetime together. But little did the reading world know, yet another marvelous book lay fallow in their files for over 60 years. Its discovery, after Margret Rey's death in 1998, is a blessing for the countless fans of this incredible creative pair. Whiteblack is a charming and positive fellow, a worthy model for any world traveler. Margret Rey believed Whiteblack was one of H. A.'s and her best books--and we concur. (Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie CoulterThis buoyant book, as publisher Anita Silvey explains in an afterward, appears in print for the first time, 63 years after its conception by the Reys, who strapped itDalong with Curious GeorgeDonto the back of a bicycle as they peddled out of Paris hours before the Nazi army's invasion. Whiteblack, the Chief Storyteller for Penguinland's radio station, has run out of stories. He decides that traveling will provide him with new material and takes off in a handmade canoe. Though the penguin runs into trouble, he maintains a chipper attitude. When he wrecks his boat on an iceberg, for instance, he wryly observes, "I hate to lose my boat but at least this is a story for my radio show. Besides, I've always wanted to be in an accident." His string of adventures not only provide him fodder for his program, but also fulfill a raft of other dreams (e.g., "Besides, I've always wanted to ride on a camel," he quips when offered a lift across the desert). As resourceful as he is resilient, Whiteblack, in a final heroic act, slips off a fishing boat, dragging behind him a net with "mountains of fish" for his pals; they erect a snow sculpture in his honor ("And since in Penguinland the snow never melts, the monument is still there. You can go yourself and see it"). Matching the droll pitch of the narrative, H.A. Rey's whimsical watercolors stylistically recall those that illustrate the Curious George oeuvre; a decidedly curious penguin, Whiteblack makes a most worthy companion for George. A preponderance of George's sunny yellow lights up many scenes, and the penguin apes human postures and emotions nearly as well as the famous chimp. Readers will reach the last page wishing for a secret cache of sequels. Ages 4-8. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World | [] | Train |
24,906 | 1 | Hansand MargretReycreated many books during their lives together, includingCurious George, one of the most treasured classics of all time, as well as other favorites likeSpottyandPretzel.But it was their rambunctious little monkey who became an instantly recognizable icon. After the Reys escaped Paris by bicycle in 1940 carrying the manuscript for the originalCurious George, the book was published in America in 1941. More than 200 Curious George titles followed, with 75 million books soldworldwide. Curious George has been successfully adapted into a major motion picture and an Emmy-winning television show onPBS.www.curiousgeorge.com.; Title: Curious George Visits the Library | [
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24,907 | 1 | A cricket who feels "small and worthless in the bigness of night" finds his way into a cheery house and onto a Christmas tree, where his song is mistaken by a child for the voice of an angel. Bunting (see also The Bones of Fred McFee, under "Halloween," and One Candle, under "Hanukkah"), relates this affectionate tale in taut prose, and Bush's cricket's-eye-view watercolors seem almost to glow. In the end, as Cricket gazes at his reflection in the face of a shiny angel ornament, he ponders an adult's comment that angels sing "in the voices of crickets," then realizes that "he was small, then. But not worthless." The cricket's progression from the darkness of night to the luminosity of the revelatory scene underscores his growing sense of wonder. Ages 3-7.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.Kindergarten-Grade 2-Feeling "small and worthless in the bigness of night," Cricket sneaks into a home and onto a Christmas tree, where he begins a song. A child thinks he hears the tree's angel and his dad explains that "angels sing in the songs of birds, and frogs and people and crickets." Hearing this, Cricket realizes he's small, "but not worthless," and he rubs his wings together for joy. Masterfully imbuing a brief moment in a tiny insect's life with significance that resonates for readers of any age, Bunting presents a simple yet touching story for holiday sharing. Vivid watercolor illustrations capture the insect's perspective with drama and humor.-S. P. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Christmas Cricket | [
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24,908 | 11 | Bright, bustling illustrations abound in this pictorial peek at Japanese life and customs through the eyes of a Tokyo schoolgirl. Mimiko takes readers on a journey through the calendar year, highlighting each month's important traditions. Takabayashi (Marshmallow Kisses) devotes a two-page spread to each month, filling it with petite, concentrated watercolors (many of them captioned in Japanese and English). Pictures of Mimiko's 10 favorite meals (curry rice and tempura top the list) fill one page, while 20 appealing wagashi cakes for a tea ceremony occupy another. Takabayashi marks the start of school in April with intricate pictures of school uniforms, Japanese notebooks and school lunches. On the facing page, she acquaints readers with Japanese writing and forms a clever border by pictorially showing how 10 kanji characters (Chinese characters used in Japanese writing) evolved from the pictures they represent. Such versatile artwork demonstrates the text's examples throughout the book. Though the busy layout may be visually overwhelming at times, it invites readers to slow down and savor each picture. A glossary of Japanese words and numerals plus some simple phrases conclude this informative volume. From Ichigatsu (January) to Junigatsu (December), Takabayashi accessibly and handsomely gives children a taste of life in Tokyo. Ages 4-8.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.K-Gr 2-Seven-year-old Mimiko leads readers through a year highlighting the festivals, activities, food, and her family's daily routine. The name of each month is written along the left border in phonetic Japanese, English, and Kanji (Chinese characters used in Japanese writing). January begins with oshogatsu, a New Year celebration. The illustration depicts the family having a special meal, and various holiday items. The facing page is about calligraphy, or shodo. The illustration shows mother and daughter practicing their brushwork (January 2nd is said to be perfect for writing), as well as the Japanese zodiac, and a racket used for Japanese badminton, which seems out of place. Other festivals included are setsubun, celebrated the day before the first day of spring (February 3rd); the Bon Festival in July; and school field day (undokai) in October. Readers learn that Valentine's Day is celebrated, and although Christmas is not, Mimiko observes the tradition of decorating a tree. The last page lists the months again, with a pronunciation guide, as well as common words and phrases. This book's gentle, childlike watercolor illustrations capture an array of special and mundane events in one youngster's life. An appealing browsing item rather than fodder for reports.DeAnn Tabuchi, San Anselmo Public Library, CACopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: I Live in Tokyo | [
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24,909 | 2 | Despite their glaring absence from history books, women have been responsible for countless remarkable discoveries, from the X and Y chromosomes to a 3.5 million-year-old hominid skull to the dark matter of the universe. In this compelling, cleverly illustrated tribute to the curious and brilliant women who have changed the world with their findings, readers will meet the NASA program manager who came up with the idea of using a small "microrover" on Mars. They'll also meet the 19th-century Spanish girl who discovered 15,000-year-old cave paintings that cast a new light on Stone Age people. More than a dozen stories reveal the monumental contributions to science and history made by the "fairer sex"; a selected timeline ranging from the 1300s to the present covers even more territory. Although by no means comprehensive, this compilation by Catherine Thimmesh presents a respectful glimpse at the stunning, too-often overlooked accomplishments and revelations of women--and girls--through time. Especially with the stories about 11- and 12-year-old girls, Thimmesh offers inspiration for young readers to rock the world with their own creative discoveries. Illustrator Melissa Sweet uses collage and scraps of notebook to great effect, evoking the painstaking long hours behind each breakthrough. (Ages 8 and older) --Emilie CoulterThe team behind Girls Think of Everything again pairs up for The Sky's the Limit: Stories of Discovery by Women and Girls by Catherine Thimmesh, illus. by Melissa Sweet. The enlightening volume, designed like a scrapbook with collage elements, drawings and photos, places well-known women, such as author Beatrix Potter and behaviorist Jane Goodall, alongside lesser-known figures such as Denise Schmandt-Besserat, who discovered the "roots of writing," and contemporary teens, eighth gra-ders from Spokane, Wash., who in 1997 developed an environmentally sound solution to the local farmers' allergic complications, arising from their annual burning of the bluegrass fields. Back matter includes a list of organizations, Web sites, quotes, bibliography, a timeline of women's discoveries and an index. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Sky's the Limit: Stories of Discovery by Women and Girls | [
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24,910 | 0 | Book; Title: Houghton Mifflin Reading: The Nation's Choice: Little Big Book Grade 1.2 Theme 3 - Hilda Hen's Scary Night | [
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24,911 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 3-An intergenerational story filled with love and affection. A city boy and his mom visit his grandparents' farm. At Nonna's, "There's always time for blueberry pancakes." Instead of riding the apartment elevator, he rides the tractor with Pop-Pop. Here, there's no deli, only "moo cows." The important moment arrives when he and Nonna go out to see the moon. The sky looks different to him, and when he reaches up, it seems as though he can hold the moon in his hands. He tells his grandmother, "At your house, I'm a big boy," and she explains that it's the same sky and that he's a big boy no matter where he is. With its sunny yellow checkerboard cover and endpapers and its palette of warm hues, this cheerful picture book has just the right illustrations to carry it along. The rounded and elongated figures dance across the pages. Many of the objects are no more than splashes of color, but the slow, homey feel of the country and the bustling mood of the city are clearly delineated. Pair this with Edith Hurd's I Dance in My Red Pajamas (HarperCollins, 1982) or Amy Hest's Weekend Girl (Morrow, 1993; o.p.).Jane Marino, Scarsdale Public Library, NYCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreS. In this sunny offering, a young city boy delights in the pleasures of his grandparents' country home and becomes more self-assured along the way. In simple, poetic language, written in the boy's voice, Cohen contrasts Nonna's peaceful, rural house with the boy's city home. At Nonna's, the boy rides a tractor instead of an elevator; waters and cares for flowers outside Nonna's kitchen door instead of buying them; and takes time to make pancakes in the happy, slow mornings. Best of all, Nonna reminds him that he sees the same moon and sky at her house that he sees back home in the city, and that "he's a big boy everywhere." Cohen's text, like Nonna's house, is filled with "happy, laughy words," and lots of hugs, kisses, and reassuring reminders that the boy is strong, capable, and loved, wherever he is. Nakata's stylish, light-filled watercolors extend the carefree, exuberant mood. The boy's father is subtly omitted from the story, and these joyful, matter-of-fact family scenes may have additional appeal to children without a dad at home. Gillian EngbergCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Everything is Different at Nonna's House | [
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24,912 | 15 | Gr 5-9-These unusual creatures of the Sundarbans-a mangrove forest stretching along the Bay of Bengal in India and Bangladesh-really do hunt and eat humans. Montgomery invites readers to journey with her to the region to better understand these elusive animals. "And here you-leave cars behind. You can get to the tigers' forest only by boat." She introduces several knowledgeable residents who describe their experiences. The author also explains many aspects of the rapid loss of the world's tiger population, the little understood behavior of this region's tigers, the lives and beliefs of local people, and the special features of the habitat and its role in supporting a chain of animal life. The largely conjectural knowledge of the tigers is handled carefully, but the lack of immediacy may tax the patience of readers expecting the more dramatic encounter with tigers suggested by the title and cover photo. The mysterious creatures are well concealed by the mangroves, and the few appearing here in handsome photographs are actually in captivity. There are also fine views of other animals, the natural setting, and the people. Montgomery's personal enthusiasm and knowledge extend nicely into the book's informative concluding elements that include fast facts, a glossary of Bengali phrases, a list of related organizations, and comments on the photographs.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, BostonCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Gr. 4-7. The author of the acclaimed Snake Scientist (1999) has spun off this title from her 1995 adult book Spell of the Tiger, but this oversize volume has clearly been written with young people in mind. It immediately captures attention with fresh, engaging writing that turns a scientific study into a page-turning mystery. Montgomery carefully sets the place: a flooded forest called the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve, which runs along the bay dividing India from Bangladesh. The tigers living there, unlike most tigers, prey on people--and most of their victims are men. Montgomery, who took four trips to Sundarbans, first introduces normal tiger behavior, then takes readers right into the heart of the tiger reserve and surrounding areas. She offers the scientists' take as well as the villagers' perspective, concluding that folktales and religious beliefs about the tigers can be just as true as what science has to say. Interestingly, for an oversize, glossy book, the color photographs aren't the drawing card. In fact, tigers are often missing from the sometimes pedestrian photos (no doubt, as Montgomery explains, because the animals are extremely hard to see). It's the text, with as many questions as answers, that excites, as a fascinating topic meets a talented storyteller. Ilene CooperCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Man-Eating Tigers of Sundarbans | [
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24,913 | 1 | Hans and Margret Rey created many books during their lives together, includingCurious George, one of the most treasured classics of all time, as well as other favorites likeSpottyandPretzel.But it was their rambunctious little monkey who became an instantly recognizable icon. After the Reys escaped Paris by bicycle in 1940 carrying the manuscript for the originalCurious George, the book was published in America in 1941. More than 200 Curious George titles followed, with 75 million books soldworldwide. Curious George has been successfully adapted into a major motion picture and an Emmy-winning television show onPBS.; Title: Curious George Visits a Toy Store | [
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24,914 | 2 | In Simon and Molly Plus Hester by Lisa Jahn-Clough, the duo from My Friend and I and Missing Molly are peas in a pod. But the status quo gets overturned when Hester moves in and offers up a lot of new ideas for having fun; Simon soon comes to believe that his best buddy has been wooed away. The happy resolution reassures children that three needn't be a crowd.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Ages 3-5. Thick paints daubed on with childlike simplicity portray best friends Simon and Molly riding a two-wheeler, sharing buttered toast, and playing together everyday-- "until Hester moved in." Hester injects a third person into the friends' well-worn patterns: Hester prefers her toast with cinnamon sugar, and she would rather fly paper airplanes than ride a bike. Crouching alone in a corner of a deeply gray double-page spread, Simon worries: Molly likes Hester better than him. But it turns out to be Molly who melds the three into an inseparable unit; she encourages Simon to teach Hester to ride a two-wheeler, and in exchange, Hester shows Simon how to fold paper airplanes. Then all three enjoy toast with cinnamon sugar. Modeling the best that friendship can be, these three playmates set a fine example of sharing and caring. Ellen MandelCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Simon and Molly Plus Hester | [
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24,915 | 0 | Joan Aiken, daughter of the American writer Conrad Aiken, was born in Rye, Sussex, England, and has written more than sixty books for children, including The Wolves of Willoughby Chase.; Title: The Stolen Lake | [
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24,916 | 0 | Like his Alice Ramsey's Grand Adventure and Ruth Law Thrills a Nation, Don Brown's Far Beyond the Garden Gate: Alexandra David-Neel's Journey to Lhasa charts another innovative woman in a concise picture-book biography. Here, the focus is Parisian-born Alexandra David-Neel's determination to enter the Tibetan capital. A spread of David-Neel crossing a gorge by cable illustrates the lengths to which she goes to become the first Western woman to enter Lhasa, in 1924. Ages 4-8.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 3-5-David-Neel was one of a small group of intrepid women who defied convention to become bold travelers in remote areas of the world. In fact, even as a child, she looked for adventure beyond the confines of her Victorian household. As an opera singer, she traveled to many far-off places, but she eventually married and settled down in Tunis. Her true adventures began in 1911 when, with her husband's blessings, she set out for Asia and was gone for 14 years. Those journeys are the focus of this picture book, which describes her wanderings and her eventual trek to Lhasa, a city never before visited by a European woman. Though the book starts abruptly, it tells a fascinating tale of a person willing to leave her comfortable world behind to pursue her interest in Buddhism, much of the time accompanied by a young servant whom she eventually adopted. David-Neel's vivid quotes are interspersed throughout the story. Although the author's note does not provide sources for them, the bibliography does list two of her books. The beiges, grays, and whites of Brown's palette capture the feeling of the unfamiliar world into which the woman and her companion ventured, but the rag-doll figures are less appealing. Little has been written about this intriguing woman for this audience, so this book will be a welcome addition to most collections.Barbara Scotto, Michael Driscoll School, Brookline, MACopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Far Beyond the Garden Gate: Alexandra David-Neel's Journey to Lhasa | [] | Train |
24,917 | 12 | Student Practice book.; Title: Houghton Mifflin Reading: The Nation's Choice: Practice Book (consumable) Grade 3.1 | [
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24,918 | 1 | "Welcome back, Paddington." School Library JournalDon't miss this revised edition of the classic adventures of Paddington, the bear from Darkest Peru.; Title: Paddington Goes to Town (Paddington Bear) | [
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24,919 | 17 | Gr 3-6-"In the days when the earth was flat and Jerusalem was the center of the world, there was a boy named Ibn Battuta." So begins this introduction to the journeys of this historically important but probably little-known, 14th-century Muslim figure. Born in Morocco and raised as a scholar, he began his 29 years of travel in 1325 when, "At twenty-one, he decided to go to Mecca as a pilgrim." He went on through Africa, across the steppes of Asia, into India and China, and back to Morocco where "he told his story to the Moroccan court secretary Ibn Juzayy, who wrote it down in Arabic." Rumford's simply written adaptation is often surprisingly eloquent. For example, Ibn Battuta comments on his voyage: "Traveling-it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller." "Traveling-it had captured my heart, and now my heart was calling me home." On each page, a portion of the text appears within its own bright white narrow road crossing elegantly bordered illustrations that shine with generous amounts of gold, red, and deep blue. This text also flows into and out of larger frames. The artist adorns many of these illustrations with Arabic and Chinese calligraphy, providing translations for the longer phrases at the end of the book. A few maps are included and they are executed with the same attention to presentation. A glossary of names, places, and important words provides essential information in an accessible format. Simply put, this is a beautifully crafted work that will undoubtedly spark interest and encourage further study.Alicia Eames, New York City Public SchoolsCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta, 1325-1354 | [
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24,920 | 1 | "Throughout, [Paddington] is able, as always, to turn his mishaps into success and come out on top." Booklist -- Review; Title: Paddington On Top : Revised Edition (Paddington Chapter Books) | [
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24,921 | 0 | Caballero wannabes will get a bigger-than-Texas bang out of Griffin and Combs's slangy, twangy debut. Cowboy Sam, the best confidant in Dry Gulch, keeps more secrets under his hat "than fleas on Doc Peeble's hound dog (and that's a whole lot of fleas)." But one day his hat gets so full that it starts popping off his head. While the townspeople worry about what will become of their secrets, Sam tries holding down his hat with horseshoes and a sack of oats, then ties it down with a leather strap and even stands on his head all to no avail. "That hat exploded and blew Sam way up into the air like a wild turkey. All the secrets rocketed into outer space." In the end, there's only one place big enough: Cowboy Sam's heart. The authors embellish this tall tale with a passel of colorful descriptions ("higher than a jackrabbit jumping over a prickly pear cactus") and rhythmic phrases ("He felt more bamboozled than an armadillo without his armor. More dejected than a crawdad without his craw. More lonesome than a Texas ranger without his range"). Wohnoutka's (Counting Sheep) comical acrylic illustrations have a touch of Mark Teague, particularly in their large-as-life perspectives and round, stylized faces, but the palette here is milder, brushed with the soft colors of the Southwest. Rootin'-tootin' boot-scootin' fun, beginning to end. Ages 4-8.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.reS-Gr 2-Cowboy Sam is the well-loved secret keeper for the town of Dry Gulch, TX. He keeps them all right under his 10-gallon hat. But what happens when it has reached its capacity? Sam's solution is to weigh it down with horseshoes, then a huge bag of oats, and tries tying it onto his head with a leather strap. However, it soon becomes obvious that he needs a new place to store the townspeople's private thoughts and observations. Several people offer suggestions but it's Sam who comes up with the answer. The Western landscape and theme are wonderfully captured by Wohnoutka's cartoon representations of the town and its inhabitants. A pleasing, humorous read for young cowboy fans.Shara Alpern, The Free Library of PhiladelphiaCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Cowboy Sam and Those Confounded Secrets | [
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24,922 | 12 | Houghton Mifflin English: Workbook Plus Consumable Level 3; Title: Houghton Mifflin English: Workbook Plus Grade 3 | [
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24,923 | 1 | Following up on their Larry books, in which the Pinkwaters chronicled a polar bear's hankering for blueberry muffins, Irving and Muktuk: Two Bad Bears by Daniel Pinkwater, illus. by Jill Pinkwater, showcases the town of Yellowtooth as it celebrates the New Year with a Blueberry Muffin Festival. Inevitably, shifty-eyed Irving and Muktuk sneak in, costumed as penguins, chefs or "extremely large, hairy blueberry muffins." Officer Bunny is finally driven to ship them to a zoo in Bayonne, N.J., "the muffin capital of the world." Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.reS-Gr 3-Think of this story as a children's version of Northern Exposure with a sweet tooth. Irving and Muktuk are two bumbling polar bears with a craving for blueberry muffins. It is New Year's Eve in the town of Yellowtooth, where the townsfolk arrive on dogsleds, snowshoes, and skis to celebrate the annual Blueberry Muffin Festival. Enter Officer Bunny, who is eager to uphold the law and protect the muffins from the two outlaw bears. Witty text mingles well with the comical illustrations done in felt-tip marker and ink. Children will laugh at the disguises used by these intruders trying to outwit the law. Cleverly written, this story would make a great read-aloud.Karen J. Tannenbaum, Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library, INCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Irving and Muktuk: Two Bad Bears | [
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24,924 | 15 | This well-crafted picture book from an Australian team brings the dry and dusty reaches of the outback straight to American readers. On Sunday, Old Stephen, a white-bearded Aborigine, predicts rain, but it takes all week to arrive. With each day that passes, anticipation builds like the dark clouds on the horizon and everyone struggles to keep cool. On Monday, "The night was so warm Rosie's kids dragged their beds outside to maybe feel some breeze while they slept"; on Tuesday, dogs dig holes for shelter from the heat; and so on. Finally, on Saturday, it happensA"wonderful cool wet RAIN." A minimum of text per spread emulates the patient waiting of the people and animals in Bancroft's intricately patterned illustrations. She represents the earth with stylized swirls of brown and black and creates the billabong from a patchwork of limpid purples and greens. People appear as black silhouettes clothed in bright polka dots and stripes; lizards scamper across the foreground, and in the sky, the sun is an ever-changing orb of concentric circles and dots. Through it all runs the unifying motif of the Rainbow Serpent, an aboriginal symbol of creation closely associated with water and life, flowing in a ribbon of abstract design across the bottom of nearly every page. This evocative picture book saturates the senses as surely as rain does the parched earth. Ages 4-8. (July) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.Kindergarten-Grade 2-The rainbow serpent, an aboriginal symbol of creation in the dreamtime, winds his way across the bottom of the pages in this picture book first published in Australia. When Old Stephen sees the dark clouds spreading in the south, he knows there is a big rain coming. Each weekday passes, however, and the weather remains hot and dry. Readers are introduced to Rosie's kids, the dogs at Roberta's place, children swimming in the billabong-but still there is no rain. On Friday, thick gray clouds echo with thunder. Finally, on Saturday-"Wonderful cool wet RAIN" begins to fall. Using aboriginal motifs and bold graphics, Bancroft utilizes rich colors and thick black lines to good effect. The text is well paced with a perfect rhythm for reading aloud, and the large, clean double-page spreads make for easy viewing.Doris Gebel, Northport-East Northport Public Library, NY Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Big Rain Coming (Rise and Shine) | [
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24,925 | 0 | Houghton Mifflin Reading A Legacy of Literacy Theme Skills Tests Student Book Level 1; Title: Houghton Mifflin Reading: Theme Skills Tests Level 1 | [
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24,926 | 12 | Book by HOUGHTON MIFFLIN; Title: Houghton Mifflin English: Reteaching Workbook Grade 3 | [
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24,927 | 12 | Book by HOUGHTON MIFFLIN; Title: Houghton Mifflin Mathmatics: Student Edition National Level 2 2002 | [] | Train |
24,928 | 12 | Houghton Mifflin Reading A Legacy of Literacy Theme Skills Tests Level 3 Paperback Student Test Booklet; Title: Houghton Mifflin Reading: The Nation's Choice: Theme Skills Tests Level 3 | [
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24,929 | 0 | Jacob would much rather stick around the house in his pajamas and play with his toy train than go shopping with his mother. So he counters her attempts to roust him with a chronic case of the sillies. Asked to put on his trousers, the boy responds, "I can't. I have ants in my pants" and in his mind's eye, he sees a picnic's worth of insects crawling up his legs. The imaginary menagerie occupying Jacob's wardrobe grows: there's a fox in his socks, a goat in his coat and even newts in his boots. The woman's initial chipperness is almost exhausted when she discovers a new snowfall outside, and wisely postpones shopping for a frolic with her son and his pretend partners in procrastination. Mould, a British sculptor making her debut in children's books, unfolds her battle of wills in a series of neatly rendered, slightly cartoonish watercolor and ink vignettes. Much of the book's charm resides in how natural the burgeoning population of clothes-loving animals look in Jacob's house. Ages 3-6.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.reS-Gr 2-On a cold winter morning, Jacob settles down to play with his toy trains in front of a cozy fire. When his mother asks him to get dressed to go shopping, he is reluctant to leave and tries to delay the inevitable. First he insists that there are ants in his pants, but his mother makes him put them on anyway. Next, Jacob finds a fox in his socks, geese in his fleece shirt, a goat in his coat, etc., until he is finally almost ready, and Mum is just about at the end of her patience. When the boy discovers that snow has fallen, he quickly pulls on his hat and mittens and races out the door to play, accompanied by his imaginary menagerie. Mum agrees to cancel the shopping trip and goes back inside to get her hat, which is being occupied by the family cat. The straightforward language, a repeated refrain, and rhyming words make this story fun to read aloud. The appealing watercolor artwork, outlined with black ink, is filled with the details of everyday life. Mould uses muted tones for backgrounds and highlights the characters with brighter hues. Some illustrations show Jacob and his smiling new friends interacting together, while others focus on his mother's growing impatience. Observant viewers will notice that most of the animals the boy conjures up are introduced early on as part of his train set. A clever take on a common battle of the wills between parent and child.Joy Fleishhacker, formerly at School Library JournalCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Ants in My Pants | [
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24,930 | 2 | The title refers to the cry of Daniel the elephant, facing his first day at preschool. He sobs and hides behind his mother. But she knows precisely what to do: rather than be a cheerleader for the experience, she calmly and patiently lets Daniel work through his feelings, reassures him that she will always come back and they share their special goodbye. Mollified and fortified, Daniel joins the group. He gleefully spouts water through his trunk at the water table, and "When he looked up, his mother was gone." In both her words and meticulous watercolor illustrations, Zalben painstakingly lays out the arc of the day. Like Daniel's mother, she does not beat the drum for preschool, yet clearly communicates that it's filled with nice new friends and seemingly endless options for fun. She also honestly conveys how Daniel begins to fall apart when he isn't the first to be picked up at day's end. The book concludes with some common-sense preschool adjustment tips from Zalben's editor. Children on the verge of experiencing this milestone should find plenty of reassurance in the steady rhythm of the prose and the tableaux-styled pictures. Ages 2-4. (Aug.) Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.reS-Cozy artwork and a reassuring text make this book a solid choice for quelling those first-day fears. After packing his lunch and his favorite stuffed animal, Daniel and his mother head for preschool. Awed by the big classroom and unfamiliar faces, the youngster does not want his mother to leave. She patiently helps him settle his things into his cubby, holds his hand while he watches the other children play, and promises that she will return for him. With the encouragement of an understanding teacher, Daniel slowly begins to participate in the classroom activities. By day's end, he greets his mother with two pumpkin cookies, a drawing of his friends, and a great big smile. The pen-and-watercolor illustrations feature a cast of colorfully clothed animal characters. Daniel and his mother are elephants, the teacher is a kind-faced dog with long ears, and the other students include a cat and a pig. The scenes are filled with realistic details: shelves piled high with tempting toys, interesting wall charts, and a colorful storytime rug. Zalben depicts an inviting environment and treats Daniel's concerns with understanding and respect, showing readers how feelings of anxious anticipation can be transformed into enthusiasm and contentment. An editor's note provides tips for parents about getting their little ones ready for "the big day." Pair this with Amy Hest's Off to School, Baby Duck (Candlewick, 2001) and Kevin Henkes's Wemberly Worried (Greenwillow, 2000) to take the edge off a difficult new experience.Joy Fleishhacker, formerly at School Library JournalCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Don't Go! | [
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24,931 | 5 | Imagine the bravest, fiercest Norwegian warriors that ever lived, carrying a baby prince across blizzard-wracked mountains to save his life. Picture the babe's mother undergoing a cruel, brutal test to prove her son is indeed the bona fide prince of Norway. A fairy tale? No, this is a true story, based on the account written in 1264 by Sturla Tordsson, about the Middle Ages' most powerful king during what are known as Norway's Golden Years. Norwegian-born author Lise Lunge-Larsen tells the story of this king's miraculous adventure in infancy, while woodcut artist Mary Azarian stunningly depicts the heroism of the birch-bark armored peasant warriors, the Birkebeiners.Mary Azarian was awarded the Caldecott Medal for her lovely woodcut illustrations in Snowflake Bentley. Lunge-Larsen is the award-winning author of The Troll with No Heart in His Body and The Legend of the Lady Slipper. (Ages 4 and older) --Emilie CoulterBased on a 1264 account documenting a true incident in Norwegian history, this engaging narrative opens during a 1206 Christmas Eve gathering at the home of one of the Birkebeiners, a group of brave warriors. A priest knocks on the door, who has in his protection a baby, Prince Hakon, and his mother; a rival band aspires to kill the child (who is heir to the throne) and to declare one of their own king. Soon a handful of Birkebeiners escorts the trio, escaping on skis across tall, stormy mountains. Caldecott winner Azarian's (Snowflake Bentley) finely detailed woodcut illustrations, hand-tinted with watercolors, capture the serene snow-covered landscape as well as the driving snowstorm that impedes the travelers' progress. In direct and compelling prose, Lunge-Larsen recounts how the two Birkebeiners most renowned for their skiing ability forge ahead with the prince, fortuitously happen upon a barn buried under a snowdrift and manage to keep the baby alive by feeding him snow. In a concluding note, the author explains that Hakon became Norway's most powerful king during the Middle Ages and brought peace and prosperity to the country, making this rescue tale all the more gratifying. The stately art, which includes intricate borders framing blocks of text, neatly captures the historical and cultural aspects of this story. Ages 5-9. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Race of the Birkebeiners | [
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24,932 | 12 | Book Details:; Title: Houghton Mifflin Mathematics: Practice Workbook, Level 5 | [
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24,933 | 11 | K-Gr 2-Lester first introduced these characters in Clive Eats Alligators (Houghton, 1986; o.p.), and this book is their sixth adventure together. Here, Ernie is going to live in an area of the Australian Outback for a year, and will write a postcard during each of the area's six seasons. With each postcard comes a little vignette of the boy's new friends engaging in typical activities for that time and place, with one child being showcased at the end of each section. The text is appropriately simple-"Patrick spears a barramundi" needs no embellishment for dramatic effect-and serves primarily to support the illustrations. Lester's watercolor and fine black-line creations are crisp and engaging. They portray happy children having fun and at the same time convey a wealth of information about life in Arnhem Land. This is a nicely designed, informative, and enjoyable addition, perfect for use with multicultural units. An author's note, glossary, and pronunciation guide are included.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Ages 4-7. The gang from Celeste Sails to Spain (1999) and other adventures returns in this entertaining picture book. This time the friends bid farewell to Ernie as he departs for a year's stay in Arnhem Land, an aboriginal reserve in Australia's Northern Territory. Ernie writes each of his six friends a letter describing one of Arnhem Land's six seasons and relating the activities of his new friends. Lester's colorful, snapshot-size illustrations depict the activities, a few familiar (catching frogs and playing football) and many new and different. The ending double-spread shows Ernie's American friends playing Arnhem Land style: "Celeste is a stilt dancer. Clive wears body paint. Rosie makes damper." There isn't a lot of information here, but the book provides bits and pieces about the climate and some aspects of the aboriginal culture. A glossary explains new terms. Lauren PetersonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Ernie Dances to the Didgeridoo: For the Children of Gunbalanya | [
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24,934 | 11 | Ursula Arndt has illustrated a number of popular children's books, including the six holiday titles written by Edna Barth for Clarion. She is now retired and lives in Germany.; Title: Fireworks, Picnics, and Flags: The Story of the Fourth of July Symbols | [
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24,935 | 15 | Grade 2-4-Morrison observes and describes this habitat through the seasons. There are pages with a few short sentences accompanied by a small watercolor vignette as well as double-page scenes with a few paragraphs of text. Notes set in tiny type relate facts about the creatures, plants, or natural processes. Lovely, realistic watercolor paintings illustrate the text; small, detailed pencil drawings and diagrams accompany each note. Diagrams show how some ponds were formed by glacier movement and melting; the life cycles of the frog and caddisfly; how air moisture and mist form; and how a pond gets and loses its water. This lovingly crafted sketchbook has the potential to awaken in readers an awareness of the workings of nature. Read aloud at home or in the classroom, this title will be helpful in preparing for a trip to a pond or as an introduction to a discussion on preservation of the natural world. Barbara Taylor's Pond Life (DK, 1992) combines close-up color photographs and tidbits of information in a two-page introduction to each of eight pond insects and animals. Steve Parker's It's a Frog's Life (Reader's Digest, 1999) describes a year in the life of a frog and other pond denizens in scrapbook format.Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OHCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 3-6. The rain and cold of late winter open this leisurely exploration of events that mark the seasons of a pond. Beginning with the appearance of red-winged blackbirds in early spring, Morrison documents in text and art the myriad plant and animal life that flourishes in and around the waters of a healthy pond, from pond lilies to fish and frogs and muskrats. The detailed watercolor illustrations are evocative and eyecatching. In some spreads, further information is presented in small ink drawings and tiny text tucked in below the main narrative. At times, this creates a disjointed effect, though the information is certainly pertinent. An attractive lesson that will be especially useful where pond ecology is part of the curriculum. Denise WilmsCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Pond | [
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24,936 | 0 | Grade 2-4-The rapid rise and demise of a Nevada gold-mining town is recounted in Siebert's narrative verse and enhanced by Frampton's colorful woodcuts. Each spread features a page of text framed by a detailed border opposite a full-page illustration. Frampton has creatively extended Siebert's rhythmic text by placing desert creatures, including coyotes, lizards, and scorpions, around pages describing the arrival of the first two prospectors in the area in 1904. The art accompanying the lines "Word traveled fast. More people came/-Soon families and their friends arrived./A little town was born and thrived" features people traveling by covered wagon, stage coach, and early automobile, one miner walking and pushing a wheelbarrow filled with tools, and a group riding in on horseback. As the mines grow and the town expands, the pictures of workers become reminiscent of WPA mural art. In many woodcuts, the coyotes, which figure prominently in the poem as bemused onlookers that "watched with laughing eyes" and "knew what coyotes know," gaze heavenward at swirling stars or earthward at humans panning for gold or erecting power lines. When the town's boom years come to an end and the inhabitants move on, the borders feature a landscape littered with broken crockery, discarded mining implements, and ghosts. A wonderful example of a well-crafted picture book.Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. Handsome woodcuts are the highlight of this rhyming story about the boomtown of Rhyolite, which sprang up almost overnight in 1904 after two men discovered gold in southwestern Nevada. The population quickly reached 10,000, then dwindled to almost nothing in a few years, following a financial panic. Frampton's woodcuts, more intricate than much of his previous work, suit the historical tale with their rustic feeling and glowing palette of oranges, browns, and golds. The full-page pictures and attractive borders around the boxed text convey information about the time and place. There's also a nod to multiculturalism, though the characters are, unfortunately, depicted stereotypically: an Asian worker has yellowish skin and a Native American has reddish skin. Siebert's verses bounce listeners from the discovery of gold, through the town's growth that brought a symphony and tennis courts, to a ghost town with crumbling buildings. The iambic tetrameter couplets grow monotonous and occasionally awkward, detracting from the impact of a story that some children will find quite fascinating. Kathleen OdeanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Rhyolite: The True Story of a Ghost Town | [
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24,937 | 13 | In first-timer Weaver's exuberant tale, a quiet cat on an ordinary Saturday gets her moment in the sun. Each day, Alma hides behind the window curtains and practices along with her Italian opera singer owner. Wesson's (Not Just Another Moose) energetic black line and watercolor wash in velvety tones of aqua and scarlet capture the intensity of the Milan streets. From her window, Alma watches a mother fish her son out of a fountain while passersby purchase flowers, bread and other treats from shops along a cobblestone street. How the feline yearns to leave her apartment and experience the Milan outside her window! On opening night of the opera, Madame SoSo contracts laryngitis, and Alma sees her chance. The cat begins singing, and "Madame SoSo had never heard anything so lovely, so beautiful... [a voice] so much like her own!" Readers may guess the denouement, but that doesn't detract from the fun. Wesson's illustrations show the feline tucked into the diva's wig as she takes the stage, then scenes of the inseparable duo as they gallivant about town. Madame cuts a ridiculous figure early in the story, but redeems herself by warmly acknowledging Alma's role in her stage triumph. A delightful star-is-born story. Ages 5-8.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreSchool-Grade 2-Madame SoSo is an opera star who practices every afternoon with the maestro. What the two don't realize is that behind the curtain, Madame's cat is singing along sotto voce. Alma, with her unruly whiskers, frizzed at the tips as if she had stood too close to a flame, loves opera and knows the words to all the songs. When the star develops laryngitis, her caroling cat comes to the rescue. In order to perform without the audience knowing a feline is "Figaroing," the cat hides in Madame SoSo's spire of curls. After Alma saves the day, she attends every opera, on the off chance that her talents will again be required. The softly rendered watercolors, some with a decidedly skewed perspective, admirably tell the tale. Madame's love of flowers is reflected in the patterns of her rug, wallpaper, and clothing, and the illustration of Alma, singing her little heart out with her front paws clenched, is delightful. Children will be charmed to see a cat earn her 15 minutes of fame, even if it's done under wraps.Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WICopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Opera Cat | [
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24,938 | 2 | In this sequel to Aunt Minnie McGranahan, the tidy Kansas spinster takes on a tornado and its effects the same way she earlier took in nine orphaned nieces and nephews with humor, determination, love and top-notch organizational skills. Enlivened by Lewin's characteristically witty, invigorated pen-and-watercolor art, the story affords an enlightening and entertaining look at 1920s Midwestern farm life. Prigger details the family's well-structured and chore-filled life (interesting in itself) and sets the stage for the whirlwind storm that arrives one spring day. Lewin does the twister full justice, picturing it moving through a lemon-colored sky, the wind almost palpable as the children, trying to hold on to each other, struggle toward the root cellar. After the family emerges safely, they find their small home unscathed but turned around: "The front was facing the johnny house, and the back was in the front!" Her can-do disposition intact, Minnie simply decides to make a new front to the house and add another room onto the back for her growing charges, "and Aunt Minnie's kids knew they had a home for as long as they wanted." This heroine and her brood prove once again that they can weather any storm. Ages 4-8. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.reschool-Grade 3--Tornado-prone Kansas is the setting for this affecting sequel to Aunt Minnie McGranahan (Clarion, 1999). Lewin's whimsical watercolors, outlined with fluid black strokes, depict the nine lively orphans in their crowded, but loving home. Minnie runs a tight ship, and the children have learned to drop everything when her old school bell starts clanging. It summons them to safety in the root cellar just as a twister threatens, and when they emerge (Minnie's face in the sunlight, framed by shadows is priceless), the family discovers that the house has been turned around. The front door faces the outhouse! Reversing front and back and adding a "new room on the back of the old front of the little house" solves that problem as well as the space issue. The creativity and strength of the family against the backdrop of disaster makes for a satisfying read. A perfect choice for intimate settings.Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public LibraryCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Aunt Minnie and the Twister | [
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24,939 | 12 | Offering a compendium of laws "that just plain don't make sense," this volume pairs zany illustrations of some "crazy" laws with occasional dry paragraphs devoted to questions like "Why Do We Have Such Crazy Laws?" and "What Is the Oldest Set of Laws Ever Written?" Griego (Christmas Is for Me) uses funky, rainbow-colored letters to emblazon each silly statute across the top of a drawing; his cartoon characters flout the laws as often as they abide by them. Most involve animals: "Trout fishing is against the law if you are sitting on a giraffe's back. (Idaho State Law)"; here the giraffe wears glasses, and a hooked fish says, via voice bubble, "What a day I'm having!" Another scofflaw, a girl wearing a large hair bow, is shown tying a crocodile to a fire hydrant (illegal in Michigan). "What if someone really did tie a crocodile to the fire hydrant in front of your house?" the essay on the next page asks. "Okay, so that probably won't happen, but wise laws like those against stealing, murder, and arson help people live together peacefully." Although first-timer Linz's light-hearted approach may help open up the issue of civic duty, it may also frustrate curious readers as they are left to guess how and when the particular laws here originally made it onto the books. Ages 6-10.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Grade 3-5-This quirky title is filled with hilariously outlandish laws, many dating back to the 1800s and early 1900s. It is impossible to pick the wackiest, since they all qualify as such. In Idaho, "Trout fishing is against the law if you are sitting on a giraffe's back," while in Brooklyn, NY, "Donkeys are not allowed to sleep in bathtubs." Then there's "You must have a doctor's prescription to take a bath" (Boston, MA). Each law is illustrated with an exaggerated cartoon drawing rendered in watercolor, pen, and ink. Every now and then, a page is devoted to answering a question, such as "Why do we have such crazy laws?" or "What is the oldest set of laws ever written?" The last two pages give a brief overview of the government of the United States. This title definitely belongs in libraries everywhere-the quandary lies in the cataloging. To get the attention it deserves, consider placing it in a picture-book-for-older-readers section, rather than in the 340s.Lisa Gangemi Kropp, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NYCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Chickens May Not Cross the Road: and Other Crazy But True Laws | [
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24,940 | 18 | Warren (Orphan Train Rider) here interviews eight orphan train riders concerning their childhood experiences during "the largest children's migration in history" between 1854 and 1929 as part of a "placing out" program run by the Children's Aid Society of New York City. The stories reflect the diversity of the train itself, from Nettie, who discusses how she and her identical twin, Nellie, escaped their first sadistic adoptive mother to find a loving home with an older couple, to Art Smith, whose daydreams of an actress mother were shattered when he discovered he was a baby "left in a basket in Gimbel's Department Store." Many of the profiles include well-chosen details that will tug at readers' heartstrings, such as Sister Justina, who celebrated the wrong birth date for 57 years, or little Ruth, who initially refused to take her arms off the dinner table after years of protecting her food from grabby, hungry orphans. Black-and-white photographs effectively highlight the stories. Though some of the accounts focus too much on adult discoveries, ultimately the anecdotes about these brave and lonely children will keep readers traveling on this train. Ages 9-12.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Gr 4-8-Warren's story of nine-year-old Lee Nailling in Orphan Train Rider (Houghton, 1996) opened a window onto a disturbing period of American history in which children were both victims and heroes. In this follow-up volume, she relates the personal histories of eight men and women-now senior citizens-who were orphaned or abandoned as children and later traveled across the country in trains to meet strangers who would become their new family members. An introductory chapter describes the appalling numbers of homeless children in 19th-century America's large eastern cities and explains how poverty and disease as well as high rates of alcohol and drug addiction contributed to a problem that continued into the 20th century. The personal histories, based on interviews that Warren conducted with her subjects, are rich and compelling and so full of dramatic twists and turns that they could have been conceived by Charles Dickens. Hunger, fear, and isolation are the most common recollections of the men and women who speak from these pages. Fortunately these stories all have happy endings, testimony to the resilience of children and the kindness of strangers. The author also includes information about early social activists such as Charles Loring Brace, who established New York City's Children's Aid Society in 1853. These remarkable stories have enormous human-interest appeal and will provoke serious discussion about just how much life has really changed for children from the last century until today.William McLoughlin, Brookside School, Worthington, OHCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: We Rode the Orphan Trains | [
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24,941 | 11 | In each spread of this paean to the desert, its various treasures among them a toad, coyote, rain dance and wind all get a rhythmic, drum-like phrase, repeated in English and Spanish, plus a soft watercolor rendering. Ages 3-7.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc."Librarians will want to use this title with storytime groups...participants will enjoy pointing out the animals pictures and making appropriate noises." --School Library Journal"A very simple text, with each line...repeated twice in English and Spanish, becomes a rhythmic, lyrical bilingual chant suggesting the onomatopoeic powers of both tongues..." --Kirkus Reviews; Title: Listen to the Desert/Oye Al Desierto | [
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24,942 | 1 | "The plot exploits shy Buster's predicament to the fullest. The dogs featured have very childlike characteristics, and youngsters will find much with which to identify," said PW about this beginning reader. Ages 6-9.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Buster: The Very Shy Dog | [
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24,943 | 14 | Howland (Latkes, Latkes, Good Enough to Eat) makes the story of the Gingerbread Man kosher for Passover in a picture book that improves with repeat readings. Set in an indeterminately old-fashioned community where ladies wear white gloves, hats and fox stoles to go shopping, the story opens as the baker has made a little man out of leftover matzoh dough. Here it is Cousin Tillie, sampling her tender brisket; Auntie Bertha, the shopper; Grandpa Solly, chopping onions for gefilte fish; Miss Axelrod, adding the last matzoh ball to a pot of chicken soup; and a variety of animals who chase after the impish Matzah Man. The storytelling seems attenuated the first time around but all those matzoh-chasers play a role in the satisfying surprise finale. Children will want to return to the beginning to see how neatly Howland sets up her premise. Collage elements (these create the Matzah Man) mingle unobtrusively with almost drab gouaches in the illustrations, which, despite their unprepossessing first impression, are crammed with lively details. Ages 4-7. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.reSchool-Grade 2--In this Passover version of the "Gingerbread Man," a baker makes his last bit of matzah dough into a tiny figure that proceeds to run away, chanting "Hot from the oven I jumped and ran,/So clever and quick, I'm the Matzah Man!" He encounters a variety of people and animals who enter into the cumulative chase, and each time he escapes, until young Mendel Fox convinces him to hide under the matzah cover, where he is broken and eaten by his pursuers. The simple story has a pleasant Jewish flavor, and the gouache, collage, and pencil illustrations are well rendered and amusing. The Matzah Man runs right out of the frames on several pages, and he is constantly in motion, keeping the tale flowing. While the author makes no attempt to explain the holiday, people acquainted with it will find plenty of familiar details, both in the text and in the paintings, including brisket, gefilte fish, and a beautifully set Passover table. Ultimately, this enjoyable tale would be a good addition to libraries looking to beef up their collections for their Jewish patrons.Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CTCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Matzah Man: A Passover Story | [
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24,944 | 1 | Hans and Margret Rey created many books during their lives together, includingCurious George, one of the most treasured classics of all time, as well as other favorites likeSpottyandPretzel.But it was their rambunctious little monkey who became an instantly recognizable icon. After the Reys escaped Paris by bicycle in 1940 carrying the manuscript for the originalCurious George, the book was published in America in 1941. More than 200 Curious George titles followed, with 75 million books soldworldwide. Curious George has been successfully adapted into a major motion picture and an Emmy-winning television show onPBS.; Title: Curious George Rides | [
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24,945 | 6 | PreSchool-Grade 1Using playful and engaging rhymes, a girl shows readers the many different things that she can do with one mitten. After using it to wave a simple "hello" to her brother, she shines a flashlight on it to put on an intricate "shadow showwith shadow shapes/of a mitten whale/and a slow, slow/mitten snail." When she finds the missing mate underneath the cat, the child demonstrates just how much fun two mittens can be, both indoors and out. Done in acrylic gouache, Smith's distinctive illustrations are filled with warm colors and eye-catching patterns. They capture the activities of a busy family on a winter day and provide a backdrop filled with objects that will be familiar to young listeners. Pair this tale with Jan Brett's The Mitten (Putnam, 1989), Ezra Jack Keats's The Snowy Day (Viking, 1962), and Janet Stoeke's A Hat for Minerva Louise (Dutton, 1994) for storytime or laptime winter fun.Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.PreS-Gr. 1. Who knew a mitten could be so much fun? The sunny yellow mitten fits either hand, and the little girl who wears it makes shadow puppets. The mitten can be a hat for a wooden rooster or a bed for a tiny stuffed animal. It's also perfect for giving a sleepy cat a pat. But wait. What's the cat using as a pillow? The other mitten, of course. Now, the girl shows children all the things that can be done wearing two mittens. George's artwork mixes imagination with bounce. The two-page spreads offer an opportunity to extend the action, and George does this in a very effective way. For instance, the family dog, always in on the action, has room to roam across two pages. Ditto the girl's cute little brother, who appears on a spread divided into four strips. Good for story hours, this shows how much enjoyment can be derived from a very simple item. Ilene CooperCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: One Mitten | [
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24,946 | 1 | This splendidly told dog story finds a pair of neighbors one two-legged, the other four-legged mired in loneliness until chance brings them together. Confined by a high wooden fence to a barren back yard, Boy, a small brown, "kind of stinky" dog, is neglected and bored ("There wasn't much to look at; he had looked"). Next door lives elderly Mr. Miller, recently widowed and struggling with his loss ("He knew his wasn't the only broken heart in the world, but it certainly felt like it"). One night Boy digs his way under the fence, and when Mr. Miller discovers him in his yard the following morning seemingly dropped from nowhere, as Boy's tunnel is disguised by the compost pile it's love at first sight. A bath reveals Boy to be white, not brown, and he's allowed to do all manner of new things: come inside, jump on a bed, ride in a car and go for a walk on a leash. It's hard to say who's happier: "You and I are lucky to have found each other, Boy!" says Mr. Miller. The warmth and humor of newcomer Boase's polished prose revitalizes what might otherwise seem a predictable tale, and her sepia pencil drawings underscore the simplicity of her theme. The softly shaded and cross-hatched lines convey the story's innate tenderness. Ages 4-8.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.reSchool-Grade 3-Lucky Boy is an appealing fox terrier who isn't so lucky as the story begins. Neglected by his busy family, Boy (as in "Here, Boy" or "Down, Boy") is bored by his unchanging surroundings. When the little brown dog digs a hole under the fence, he encounters the lonely widower next door, who cleans him up and discovers that he's actually white. The pup lifts the old man's spirits and makes him laugh, thus earning his new name, Lucky Boy. Though he's only escaped next door, the oblivious family doesn't catch on, and are frankly relieved to have gotten rid of him. The author tries to sugarcoat the family's neglectful treatment, indeed, abuse of the animal, and this is too serious an issue to be treated so lightly. Their behavior is never directly confronted or condemned. Boase's expressive pencil illustrations are a delight, and completely capture the nature, joy, and essence of Lucky Boy. The art is reminiscent of Gabrielle Vincent's splendid drawings for A Day, A Dog (Front St., 2000). Unfortunately, even such wonderful pictures and a happy ending cannot compensate for the tale's failures.Robin L. Gibson, Perry County District Library, New Lexington, OHCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Lucky Boy | [
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24,947 | 15 | Grade 5-8-What is it like to seek life elsewhere in the universe? Astrophysicist Dr. Jill Tarter, Director of the Phoenix Project of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) and the woman Carl Sagan based his character Ellie Arroway on in his best-selling novel Contact, does just that. While some of her job involves long hours spent studying the painstakingly detailed output of a radio telescope, her work involves much more. The bulk of the text and the large, dynamic color photographs concentrate on the spectacular radio telescope at Arecibo in Puerto Rico and the work of the scientist and her colleagues at this location. Throughout, Tarter's enthusiasm for her field is clear. There are many books on the current search for life outside Earth, such as Heather Couper and Nigel Henbest's colorful Is Anybody Out There? (DK, 1998) and Kim McDonald's Life in Outer Space (RSVP, 2000). Few focus on the scientists as Jackson does. An exciting, visually awesome look at frontier science.Ann G. Brouse, Steele Memorial Library, Elmira, NYCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.Gr. 4-7. The newest entry in this terrific series takes readers considerably further into the "field" than many of its predecessors, with a profile of Dr. Jill Tarter, astrophysicist and a research leader at the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute. Jackson follows Tarter through one of her semiannual tours to the mammoth radio telescope at Arecibo, Puerto Rico, where the shifts begin at midnight, and receptors sensitive enough to detect the night-light-size transmitter aboard Pioneer 10, seven billion miles out, comb millions of frequencies in tiny portions of the sky for hints of a regular signal. (No luck so far, but stay tuned.) In addition to tracing Tarter's career, which developed from a childhood interest in engineering, Jackson presents the possibility of life on two other bodies in our solar system, and closes with an optimistic look at SETI's future. Bishop's color photos mix views of scientists at work both indoors and outdoors, along with evocative photo montages and lucid diagrams that help to explain what the researchers are looking for, and why. Readers will come away with a clear sense of the lure of this frustrating but exciting endeavor, and with the help of the resources cited at the back of the book, they can not only learn more about it but also participate in it directly. John PetersCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Looking for Life in the Universe | [] | Train |
24,948 | 11 | When Henry gets a bee in his bonnet to build a cabin in the woods, his friends all help out--mostly with advice. Henry, a bear character based on 19th-century writer Henry David Thoreau, hears from his pal Emerson as they raise the beams. "Henry," he says, "your cabin looks too small to eat in!" But, "it's bigger than it looks," says Henry. He shows Emerson a bean patch he has planted behind the cabin. "When it's finished, this will be my dining room," he explains. A sunny spot beside the cabin will be the library, he tells his friend Alcott, and a path curving down to the pond will be the ballroom with a grand stairway.The many devout fans of author D.B. Johnson's award-winning Henry Hikes to Fitchburg will be tickled to see another title featuring the placid, self-contained Henry. Johnson's kaleidoscopic colored-pencil and paint illustrations are as fascinating as Henry's perspectives on what a home can be. As in his first title, Johnson makes quiet allusions to other luminaries of Thoreau's time, including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Bronson Alcott. (Ages 5 and older) --Emilie CoulterThis worthy sequel to Henry Hikes to Fitchburg rewards repeat visits and inspires a joyful respect for nature. Johnson again conjures the practical spirit of Thoreau and venerates simple living. Walden's chapter on "Economy," complete with a budgeted list of building materials, generates the tale of Henry, a patient bear outfitted in a broad-brimmed farm hat and an outdoorsman's warm clothes. In early spring, with heaps of snow melting on the forest floor, Henry diagrams his dream house, a one-room cabin. "He borrow[s] an ax and cut[s] down twelve trees," hews the pine logs into thick posts for the cabin's frame, and constructs his walls from the weathered boards and windows of "an old shed." His thrifty ways and careful measurements indicate his conservationist approach, and his steady progress could inspire a present-day building project. When friends like Emerson and Alcott pronounce the cabin "too small," Henry replies, "It's bigger than it looks." He proudly guides them to a vegetable garden ("This will be my dining room") and a winding path to the pond ("This will be the ballroom"). The conclusion finds Henry happily lolling outdoors in his "library," resting his feet on the windowsill; he gets under his roof only when it rains. Johnson's singular illustrations of the changing seasons exhibit the planed surfaces of cubist paintings. Each scene sparkles as if viewed through multifaceted glass, and eagle-eyed readers will spot New England species like jays, kingfishers, foxes and red squirrels darting around the peripheries. Ages 4-8. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Henry Builds a Cabin (A Henry Book) | [
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24,949 | 1 | As in his Nursery Crimes, Geisert once again zeroes in on a small Midwestern town inhabited by a group of pigs to tell an offbeat tale of how cooperation and resourcefulness can overcome deceit. Accompanied by hilariously deadpan etchings, the narrative follows a group of young pigs who use ropes, pulleys, a magnifying glass and some dynamite to reclaim their town's pride and joy, the titular ball of string. Bursting from the public gazebo in which it is housed in Rumpus Ridge, Wis., the string has been collected by generations of the town's youngsters. When it washes downriver in a flood one day, the pigs in the next town seize their chance. An aerial view shows Cornwall's town square, with its brick storefronts and miners' shacks, all laced with fine, spiderweb-like lines: the townsfolk have to dry out the string before they can display it. Half the fun lies in the poker-face text ("At noon, the Cornwallians were going to dedicate their ill-gotten ball of string"); the other half lies in the detailed illustrations of the Rumpus Ridge piglets as they build a sluice and water wheel and "[fashion] a windmill" to regain their prized possession. Any reader who has ever tried to rig up a bucket of water over a doorway will revel in Geisert's tongue-in-cheek delivery as well as the good guys' ingenuity and sweet revenge. Ages 4-8.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Kindergarten-Grade 2-This decidedly unusual picture book has an old-fashioned feel. The illustrations look almost like etchings or engravings, while the small-town setting showcases scenes of a simpler time. Geisert's quirky story focuses on the opportunistic theft of Rumpus Ridge, Wisconsin's claim to fame-a giant ball of string housed in a downtown gazebo, and the clever efforts of that community's children to retrieve their treasure from the Cornwallians, when it washes downstream in a flood. The story flows well, with a certain inevitability, though the vocabulary can be challenging at times. Geisert uses a mixture of full spreads and smaller vignettes to illustrate his tale. These pictures both illuminate the actions described and give careful observers a preview of upcoming events. At times, however, the details are rather small and difficult to discern. The events described are (obviously intentionally) quite peculiar and Geisert's sense of humor is extremely dry. While fans of Edward Gorey's offbeat tales might enjoy this absurd adventure, it's unlikely that a great many young children will be drawn to this low-key saga of string lost and found.Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PACopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Giant Ball of String | [
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24,950 | 2 | A big dog comes to visit in Little Dog and Duncan by Kristine O'Connell George, illus. by June Otani. This companion volume to Little Dog Poems chronicles what happens when the titular pups share quarters, with poems like "Mud," "Homesick" and "No Fair!" Otani's bare bones watercolors portray the girl narrator and the goings-on about the house. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.reSchool-Grade 3--The star of Little Dog Poems (Clarion, 1999) discovers the give and take of friendship when an enormous Irish wolfhound comes to spend the night. A series of simply worded, evocatively illustrated poems tell an inviting tale of two canines, one gigantic and one petite, as they enthusiastically greet one another, carefully work out territorial issues, roughhouse, and vie for the attention of Little Dog's young owner. In the end, Little Dog is sad to see Duncan go home, and finds reassurance in the arms of the little girl. George has a real knack for choosing ordinary moments and describing them in accessible yet lyrical language, transforming the mundane into the magical. The poems have been pared down and polished to perfection; although written in free verse, they have the elegance and quiet eloquence of haiku. Otani's watercolor paintings are filled with personality and charm. The use of white space or very understated backgrounds keeps the focus on the interaction between the characters, whose expressions and body language echo the emotional nuances of each selection. Glowing with warmth and gentle humor, this book makes a great choice for reading aloud, or for quiet sharing while children are snuggled up with their favorite pet or stuffed pooch.Joy Fleishhacker, formerly at School Library JournalCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Little Dog and Duncan (Claudia Lewis Poetry Award) | [
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24,951 | 15 | Grade 3-7-A stimulating text and vibrant, full-color photographs entice readers on this trip down the Amazon to meet these freshwater rain-forest creatures. Written in second person and in a light, conversational tone, the narrative evokes a magical environment as readers accompany the author and a guide on a voyage to investigate these little-known animals. Different physically and behaviorally from the more common bottle-nosed variety, pink dolphins are hard to observe as they swim low and never leap out of the water. As the adventure proceeds, readers encounter all kinds of plant and animal life, meet a couple of scientists, and learn how observation leads to understanding. They see how children in this part of the world live, hear a folktale about an encantado, travel back through time to discover the animal's ancient origins, and glimpse the future of the Amazon as the forests are destroyed. Spanish and Portuguese words and phrases are occasionally integrated into the text. Hand-drawn colorful maps and a time line illustrate habitat and history, and there are a wealth of features at the back, including an annotated list for further reading, information on making a similar trip, statistics, odd facts, and unsolved mysteries. The author's sense of wonder at this spectacular environment and this unusual animal is infectious and makes for a nonfiction title that inspires as it informs.Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library System, FLCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Gr. 5-8. Naturalist Montgomery traveled to South America to satisfy her curiosity about the mysterious pink dolphins called encantado, or "enchanted." She met with locals and experts to gather information, and she made several valiant efforts to locate the encantado herself. In the end, however, the creatures remained elusive. (In fact, the only clear photos of an encantado are of a dolphin in a Pittsburgh zoo.) So, instead of a traditional animal study, children are treated to a captivating travelogue, complete with numerous color photos of the people and places that incorporates political, environmental, and zoological aspects of the region. The transition from topic to topic may be a challenge for some readers, and some will find Montgomery's use of the second person odd ("Your canoe is stuck in the treetops! Bet you didn't think that would be a problem when you left the United States"). But children with a taste for adventure will enjoy this enthusiastic field trip to the rainforest and chance meetings with everything from cute monkeys to stinging black ants. Randy MeyerCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Encantado: Pink Dolphin of the Amazon | [
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24,952 | 2 | Jacobson (Moon Sandwich Mom) creates in third-grader Winnie a resourceful heroine who knows her own mind. As the novel opens, Winnie makes peanut butter and banana sandwiches: "It was Winnie's job to make a healthy lunch for herself and her father. She took her job very seriously." Though her mother died soon after Winnie was born, she and her father speak easily and openly about her mother. In addition to a supportive father, she has two best friends, Vanessa and Zoe. But when the two girls want to join ballet classes on Tuesday afternoons, the threesome's usual library-going day, Winnie is crestfallen; she "danced like a goose with something stuck in her throat." The author demonstrates her intimate knowledge of elementary school dynamics. At a sleepover, "the three friends lay on their backs. It was easier to be truthful this way." Jacobson conveys Winnie's hurt feelings as a stronger bond inevitably forms between the two aspiring dancers, leaving Winnie out. But her brief stint on the periphery also presents Winnie with a rare opportunity to see another side of her father. This uplifting tale speaks to the emerging independence of all grade-schoolers. Ages 7-10.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Gr 3-5-Three eight-year-old best friends do everything together, and always wear an identical article of clothing. Excited about taking an after-school ballet class, Vanessa and Zoe convince a reluctant Winnie to participate. After several lessons, the dance teacher points out to the other students how inept Winnie is and the child drops out of the group, which strains her relationship with her two pals. Finally, she misses them so much that she decides to try ballet again. With help from her sensitive, caring father, the girl becomes an expert at grand jets. She also comes to realize that people can have different interests and still be good friends. Geis's uncomplicated pencil drawings capture the girls' energy and personalities. The characterizations, simple vocabulary, large-sized type, and pages with lots of white space make this a good title for those who are just beginning to read chapter books.Elaine Lesh Morgan, Multnomah County Library, Portland, ORCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Winnie Dancing on Her Own | [
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24,953 | 2 | The characters introduced in Project Wheels and Egg-Drop Blues return in Jacqueline Turner Banks's A Day for Vincent Chin and Me. This time, sixth-grader Tommy narrates the events as his mother organizes the Asian-American community to draw attention to the death of the Chinese-American man whom his murderers blamed for Detroit's declining car sales and soaring unemployment.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Gr 4-6-Another sequel to Project Wheels (Houghton, 1993) involving a racially mixed group of sixth-grade friends living in Kentucky. Japanese-American Tommy saves his sister's deaf friend from being hit by a speeding car. The incident spurs the boy and his friends to try and build a speed bump to deter further accidents. His quest coincides with a rally his mother is planning to fight racism. The Vincent Chin of the title was a Chinese American who was beaten to death in 1982 by disgruntled Detroit auto workers, who blamed Japan for the decline in the auto industry and mistook the victim for Japanese. Tommy attempts to fit in and not be distinguished by his Asian heritage, and tries to be proud of who he is. In the end, he manages to find balance and realizes that the struggle his mother is fighting is similar to his own. The book ends with a note from the author about the real Vincent Chin and a time line of the trials resulting from his murder. The crisp writing and active plot will draw readers in.DeAnn Tabuchi, San Anselmo Public Library, CACopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: A Day for Vincent Chin and Me | [
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24,954 | 2 | Stephanie Greene is the author of many books for young readers, including the popular Owen Foote books. Ms. Greene lives in Chapel Hill, N.C. Her website is www.stephaniegreenebooks.com.; Title: Owen Foote, Second Grade Strongman | [
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24,955 | 5 | Graduates of Nursery Tales from Around the World by Judy Sierra, illus. by Stefano Vitale, will appreciate the fine sequel, Can You Guess My Name?: Traditional Tales Around the World. Sierra's division of these 15 impeccably researched tales into five categories, such as "Can You Guess My Name?: Tales Like `Rumpelstiltskin,' " demonstrate common elements that link the globe-spanning stories; they subtly echo each other without overlapping. Vitale honors each tale's country of origin with his stunning oil-on-wood illustration style, painting blue-faced Sri Lankan ogresses and poised Swedish princesses with equal aplomb. Ages 7-up.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 3-6-Familiar themes, characters, and plots appear in the folklore of cultures around the world, reflecting the commonality of the human experience. Sierra has organized 15 of these tales into 5 categories of stories that resemble "The Three Pigs," "The Bremen Town Musicians," "Rumpelstiltskin," "The Frog Prince," and "Hansel and Gretel." Each section is fascinating for both the similarities among the tales, and the differences, highlighted in a brief introduction. The author explains, for example, that stories like "The Three Pigs" were exclusively European or from European colonies because "The idea of moving far from home and living on one's own- was once unthinkable in most parts of the world." Each of the three stories in the "Hansel and Gretel" section, from France, Sri Lanka, and South Africa, is terrifying, involving children escaping from a cannibalistic monster. Fortunately, although each creature is huge, it is dull-witted. All of the selections have dramatic dialogue and repetitive phrases and refrains, and are easy to learn. The author's extensive notes list sources and "tale type" numbers based on the classification system developed by folklorists. Vitale's engaging folk illustrations are painted on wood. Borders incorporate culture-specific motifs and designs, and full-page art throughout gives compelling visual appeal. This collection provides a fascinating experience with comparative literature, one that can open doors to other cultures. A must purchase for most collections.Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WICopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Can You Guess My Name?: Traditional Tales Around the World | [] | Validation |
24,956 | 11 | PreSchool-Grade 2-Taky the Penguin is noticeably different from his fellow birds. Where they are graceful, elegant, courteous, and adorable, Taky is disheveled, frumpy, clumsy, and exuberant. One would think that this would lead to all sorts of problems, but it doesn't. Instead, while his elegant peers quake behind an ice floe, Tacky exhibits all of his boisterous, strange behavior and scares away some hunters. Sometimes, different is good. First published in English in 1990, this popular character appears in several other Houghton Mifflin titles (e.g., Three Cheers for Taky, 1996, Taky in Trouble, 1998 and most recently Taky and the Emperor, 2000), which have not yet been translated into Spanish. Recommended for public libraries and bookstores. MOB Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.Lynn Munsinger has illustrated more than ninety books for children, many written by her frequent collaborator, Helen Lester. She lives in Vermont.Helen Lester has written many hilarious and popular picture books, including the Tacky the Penguin series and Hooway for Wodney Wat. She lives in New York. www.helenlester.com; Title: El Pinguino Taky (Tacky the Penguin) | [
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24,957 | 11 | "The lively text communicates both the meticulous measurements required in this kind of work and the thrill of new discoveries." SLJ, starred School Library Journal, Starred"A stellar example of how good such books can be." --Booklist, starred Booklist, ALA, Starred ReviewEach spring, 18,000 red-sided garter snakes emerge en masse from three underground dens in Manitoba, Canada, where they have spent the winter stacked on top of one another like cordwood. As the snakes spill out of the dens, Earthwatch volunteers and students gather them up and stuff them in pillowcases bought in bulk at the Salvation Army. The captured snakes then participate in a day's behavioral experiments directed by Bob Mason, a zoologist at Oregon State University. (In 1989 Mason identified the pheromone, or scent, that draws the male to the female garter snake.) The snakes might interact in colorful "arenas" that look like upended box kites or attempt to follow a path marked with scent through a maze. Mason is trying to figure out why female snakes prefer bigger males and how the snakes find their way to the marsh twenty miles away from the dens....A solid introduction to the ethos of experimental science as seen by a genial scientist with a research topic whose kid appeal is hard to beat.Horn BookNic Bishop, who holds a doctorate in the biological sciences, is the photographer of many acclaimed books for children. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.Visit his website at: nicbishop.com  ; Title: The Snake Scientist (Scientists in the Field Series) | [
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24,958 | 2 | In this wry sendup of horror cliches, an affable pig has car trouble in wolf country one dark and stormy Halloween. When he approaches a gloomy mansion for help, a diabolical scientist turns him into a giant. "You're huge, and I'm in complete control of your mind!" Dr. Vermin cackles. "But this was where the evil doctor was wrong." The hero foils Vermin and even overcomes his dread of wolves. Egan (A Mile from Ellington Station) sets a satiric tone with nuanced understatement. His earthy palette exudes firelit warmth, and his pliant, pillowy forms soften the spookiness. Ages 4-8.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreSchool-Grade 3-Sheldon, a porcine short-order cook, is driving along looking for work on his least favorite night of the year (Halloween) when his car breaks down. Then a loud clap and a distant howling in the dark woods terrify him, as he has a distinct fear of both thunder and wolves. And so begins the rollicking romp through the mansion of the evil Dr. Vermin, who captures Sheldon, turning him into a pig monster four times his original size. When the mad scientist realizes that he doesn't have control of his victim's mind, he kicks him out, and Sheldon runs next door for help, only to find two kindly humans who, he learns, are really wolves on whom Dr. Vermin has experimented. The pig admirably faces all of his fears, saving the day (or night, in this case) and securing a job in the process-cooking for the wolf couple. Egan's not-at-all-frightening artwork is full of amusing details, from the expressions of the evil doctor and terrified pig to the wolves in human form. Young children will enjoy the muted artwork as much as they will appreciate this super silly, slightly scary story.Lisa Gangemi Kropp, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NYCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Experiments of Dr. Vermin | [
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24,959 | 2 | An ultra-spoiled royal receives a pet parrot for her birthday; the parrot is so appalled by the girl's greediness that it refuses to speak to her. "There may be no one more adroit at wryly depicting childish petulance than Munsinger, while Lester's storytelling calls to mind the dry wit of a Thurber," said PW. Ages 4-8. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc."Munsinger's vibrant, expressive watercolors give both bird and human so much vigor and personality it will be hard to keep from laughing out loud." Booklist, ALA; Title: Princess Penelope's Parrot | [
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24,960 | 1 | "The moon is big. The moon is bright. A frog bar-rums on a quiet night." But the moonlit woods are actually far from idyllic. With each succeeding spread, Singer (Didi and Daddy on the Promenade) and Manders (Dirt Boy) add cumulatively larger groups of audibly antsy, comically exaggerated animals. "Somebody's got an appetite!" observes a narrator, as the gouaches reveal guilty-looking raccoons chowing down on garbage. These scavengers join a tally of critters ("Six raccoons churr-rurr, Five coyotes rowl-yowl, Four fish whap-slap, Three geese honk-honk, Two owls whoo-hoo," plus the original frog) while the animals' attention moves from general noise-making to approaching a dark tent. The species' convergence triggers a slapstick wildlife melee, which in turn provokes the appearance of "10 sleepy campers" and one very bright flashlight. Singer expertly builds her bumptious population to what should be a boffo finish, but the book ends on a weak note: "What a NOISY night!" Manders initially conveys the magic semi-stillness of a night outdoors; as the landscape gradually becomes standing room only, the rich, darker hues become a wonderful visual foil for the burgeoning, goofy critters who get carried away by just doing what comes naturally. Ages 2-6.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.reSchool-Grade 3--This fantastic counting book will strike a chord with young children and has all the right stuff to become an interactive storytime classic when used with small groups. It begins with a full yellow moon and a frog, and ends with a cacophony of rowdy, rambunctious activity during a night that's anything but quiet. The audience-participation options are almost limitless-the book could work performed as a round, in sequence with a gradually climbing crescendo, with stick puppets, or children could simply chime in whenever onomatopoeia is required. The illustrations are laugh-out-loud funny; Manders's owls don't just hoot, they really get into the action. So do his raccoons, fish, coyotes, and finally his tent full of campers. At last everybody scatters in a frantic, explosive display, leaving the dust to settle against the backdrop of a blue-black, tranquil night. The simple text rhymes nicely and boasts a wonderfully rhythmic cadence. (However, "The grass is white," to rhyme with "night," features green grass in the illustration.) Children will enjoy this delightful picture book for more than the racket it produces. Then again, any opportunity to create a din is always welcome. Buy several copies, and be sure to tuck one away on the storytime shelf.Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SCCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Quiet Night | [
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24,961 | 0 | Gathering four timeless tales with pictures by Caldecott Honor artist Paul Galdone into one handsomely designed volume, Nursery Classics: A Galdone Treasury shows off the illustrator's wit, whimsy and masterful use of detail. In "The Three Little Pigs," the precocious porkers turn the tables on the leering wolf; the opening pages of "The Three Bears" show the main characters smiling knowingly at the reader, while the "Little Wee Bear" holds his teddy close. An introduction by Leonard S. Marcus offers a glimpse into Galdone's personal history and artistic style.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Gathering four timeless tales with pictures by Caldecott Honor artist Paul Galdone into one handsomely designed volume, Nursery Classics: A Galdone Treasury shows off the illustrator's wit, whimsy and masterful use of detail. . . . An introduction by Leonard S. Marcus offers a glimpse into Galdone's personal history and artistic style. -- Review; Title: Nursery Classics: A Galdone Treasury | [
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24,962 | 18 | Behind the world's first manned flight were Orville and Wilbur Wright, two brothers with a dream and the determination to carry it out. In this rather dry biography, Old (The Wright Brothers: Inventors of the Airplane, for older readers) draws on a wealth of historical and personal facts (the brothers wore business suits during their beachside experiments; they lived at home and never married). She recounts the Wrights' childhood fascination with flying ("Many a night [Orville] lay in his bed in Dayton, Ohio, imagining what it would be like to swoop through the sky"), their experiments with kites and gliders, and the events of December 1903, when they flew four short flights off the dunes of Kitty Hawk, N.C. Clearly written passages explain how the brothers drew on their personal strengths Orville was the idea man, Wilbur the problem-solver to overcome such knotty scientific obstacles as air pressure (they built a wind tunnel in a washtub). The exhaustive details are well supported by Parker's (Cold Feet) sophisticated ink-and-wash illustrations, which resemble the fast, loose sketches of a scientific notebook and retain a suitably airy feel. His drawings of the brothers' Kitty Hawk attempts soar off the page and prove more inspiring than the academic tone of the writing. For young history and flying buffs, this book capably delivers the facts, then sends imaginations into flight on the wings of the illustrations. Ages 7-11.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Grade 3-5-Some may question whether anyone needs another book on the Wright brothers. What is there new to say? Many biographies sufficiently document their trials, errors, and successes. And like Russell Freedman's The Wright Brothers (Holiday, 1991), they benefit from careful research; the brothers themselves took and left copious notes and photographs. The advantage of this presentation is its style and accessibility and the story it tells of two brothers (alike in goals, different in personalities) who had ideas and kept at them, whose parents nurtured those ideas, that creativity, and critical thinking. Old takes readers along with a chronological approach and stops after the first heavier-than-air manned flight. She relates how two bicycle repairmen solved the problems that leading scientists of the time had been unable to master. She carefully and almost effortlessly helps youngsters to understand the steps: wind resistance, drag, the need for rounded front edges on a propeller, more accurate air-pressure tables. But her story ultimately shows how the brothers worked together-almost in tandem-like the bicycle wheels in their shop, and how each man's strengths complemented the other's. Parker's characteristic watercolors do more than inform Old's straightforward story. They help to set an inventive tone-a kind of experimental fluidity that floats through the book-as if something might be going to happen. And for young readers, something indeed does.Harriett Fargnoli, Great Neck Library, NYCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: To Fly: The Story of the Wright Brothers | [
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24,963 | 12 | Language of Literature Grade 6 Vocabulary and Spelling Book; Title: McDougal Littell: Vocabulary and Spelling Book, Grade 6 | [
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24,964 | 2 | Grades 4-6--This fifth in the series continues to recount the rivalry between the girls, the Tattletales, and the boys, the Copycats, of Miss Earth's class in rural Vermont. It's an eventful spring for them, with a bullying new student, Thud Tweed; a Spring Egg Hunt; and three genetically altered eggs that hatch fire-breathing chicks. A company called Geneworks is attempting to reverse evolution to create a large, unquestioning workforce that can be rented out at great gain. While seven of the genetically altered eggs, tucked in a briefcase, are en route to researchers at Dartmouth College, a member of Mother Nature's Avengers steals the briefcase just before his motorcycle is struck by lightning. Unbeknownst to anyone, three of the eggs survive, and they are discovered by three of Miss Earth's students during the egg hunt, a competitive fund-raiser for a new fire engine. Miss Earth's class wins, but then is disqualified for lying and cheating. To redeem themselves, the students join together to raise money by putting on a concert by wildly popular country-and-western singer Petunia Whiner, who just happens to be Thud's mother. There is nothing subtle here; silly puns and slapstick humor carry this broad farce. Maguire captures the social politics of middle schoolers, and conveys the message that cooperation, rather than cliques, solves problems. Of the three chicks, one dies, but two remain, one in captivity and one on the loose in the wild. Will they turn up in the next Hamlet Chronicle? Fans of the series will be anxiously anticipating the next delightful romp.Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, MECopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Gr. 3-7. The author of Four Stupid Cupids (2000) returns to the Hamlet Chronicles series with a new book that finds Miss Earth's class participating in the annual spring egg hunt. Naturally, the rival Tattletales (girls) and Copycats (boys) are each determined to win, but the group dynamics change when a swaggering bully named Thud Tweed joins the class. At the same time, three genetically altered eggs are brought into town, and former club members Lois and Salim join Thud in secretly caring for them. Maguire offers plenty of humor, intrigue, quirky characterization, and surprise twists to please young readers, as well as some serious commentary just beneath the surface story: What is it like to be shunned by a group? Which is more important--nature or nurture (Are rotten eggs born or do they develop as a result of their environment)? Both newcomers to the series and long-time fans will enjoy this book and look forward to upcoming installments. Kay WeismanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Three Rotten Eggs (Hamlet Chronicles) | [
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24,965 | 14 | Eve Bunting has writtenover two hundredbooks for children, including the Caldecott Medal-winning Smoky Night, illustrated by David Diaz, The Wall, Fly Away Home, and Train to Somewhere. She lives in Southern California.; Title: The Pumpkin Fair | [
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24,966 | 2 | General Pinch successfully squelches any attempts at joy-making on Liberty Street until the Araboolies arrive. "The many-sided satire on fascism is wordy and repetitive," said PW. "But the messages of freedom, individualism and tolerance are strong." Ages 4-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: To the Tub (Green Light Reader - Level 1) | [
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24,967 | 0 | Who needs billy goats and a troll? The Hassetts (Cat Up a Tree) do just fine without those traditional characters as they infuse the popular folktale with some fresh faces and a zippy sense of fun. When the three silly Grubb sisters sized "small, medium and extra large" miss the bus, they're forced to walk, well, "skippity-skip-skip" to school. Their path to higher learning takes the girls over a bridge under which truant, cranky Ugly-Boy Bobby lurks ("Who's that skipping on my bridge?" he says; the sisters' reply corresponds to their size, " `It is little me,' squeaked the smallest of the three"). Ugly-Boy Bobby tries to grab each Grubb girl's lunch, without luck, until the biggest Grubb makes him a truly lip-smacking offer that will change him forever. The clever collaborators behind this effort clearly express a childlike glee in their eclectic imagery (jelly donuts, a jump rope, a playful pup on each spread) and quick-paced text. Staying true to the genre, the girls' polite tone and resourceful actions win out. And all along, Ugly-Boy Bobby's benign threats and the skewed perspectives from under and atop the bridge keep the humor here afloat. Creamy-hued scenes of a grassy countryside evoke the story's timeless appeal while bright contemporary details (the school bus, backpacks, a lined roadway) offer kids some contemporary points of reference. Ages 4-8.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.PreSchool-Grade 3-A clever, funny takeoff on the "Three Billy Goats Gruff." Three sisters who miss the bus to school must cross the bridge under which Ugly-Boy Bobby resides, eating bugs and wallowing in the mud. As they cross, "skippity-skip-skip," he demands their jelly donuts, but the first silly girl only has one, the second, just six. It is the third sister who has the most, of course, and the fun is in the solution. There's no violence here; the extra-large girl puckers up her extra-large-sized lips and says, "You may have my dozen jelly-donuts- But first I will plant a dozen mushy kisses on your little-boy nose." That gets him running, all the way to school, and he hasn't missed a day since. The book ends, "Spink! Spank! Spinach! This story is finished." The weird and rollicking illustrations add dimension to the text. Colors are muted, becoming more so as rain falls and the conflict builds amid the flat olive green of the hills and trees; there's playful invention, too, and the spreads have a sense of movement and energy. The characters are squat, almost clownlike, with round faces, beady eyes, and painted-on lips; poor Bobby is truly ugly. This title is grounded in tradition but makes a strong statement all its own.Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MICopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The Three Silly Girls Grubb | [
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24,968 | 1 | Grade 5-10-Superb color photos abound in this spectacular series addition. Readers follow the career of Sam Marshall, tarantula scientist extraordinaire, from his "Spider Lab" at Hiram College in Ohio to the rain forests of French Guiana as he hunts for, finds, and studies the creatures he loves so well. The conversational text contains as much spider lore as scientific investigation and provides a cheerful look at a dedicated scientist. (The fact that he did not do well in school may encourage those late bloomers who have not yet found their passion in life or believe it to be far beyond their academic grasp.) Informative, yes, but even more important, this is a vivid look at an enthusiastic scientist energetically and happily at work, both in the field and in the lab, questioning, examining, testing, and making connections. A treat, even for arachnophobes.Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NYCopyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 4-7. Montgomery and Bishop, who worked together on Snake Scientist (1999), team up once again to deliver another fascinating slice of the natural world. This time they venture to the French Guiana rain forest, where they follow arachnologist Sam Marshall on his quest for his favorite quarry: tarantulas. Enthusiasm for the subject and respect for both Marshall and his eight-legged subjects come through on every page of the clear, informative, and even occasionally humorous text. Bishop's full-color photos, which concentrate on detail, not scale, are amazing--Marshall coaxing an elusive tarantula into the open or bringing readers literally face-to-face with a hairy spider. The section on students' research seems tacked on, but it adds an interesting sidelight to the book, which is longer and richer in both text and illustrations than others in the Scientists in the Field series. Readers will come away armed with facts about spiders in general and tarantulas in particular, but even more important, they'll have a clear understanding of how the answers derived from research become the roots of new, intriguing questions. Stephanie ZvirinCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Tarantula Scientist (Scientists in the Field Series) | [
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24,969 | 0 | In signature style, Melanie Walsh (Do Monkeys Tweet?, etc.) continues her exploration of the animal kingdom in My Beak, Your Beak. "Dachshunds are long with little legs./ Dalmatians are tall and spotty. But/ they both love chasing sticks!" My Nose, Your Nose spotlights an array of people ("Arthur's hair is brown and straight./ Kit's hair is black and spiky. But.../ they both don't like shampoo!"). Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.Reviewed with Melanie Walsh's My Beak, Your Beak.PreS. Vibrant colors and simple shapes will attract toddlers to these two appealing titles about similarities and differences. My Beak uses animal contrasts: "Dachshunds are long with little legs. Dalmations are tall and spotty. But . . . they both love chasing sticks." My Nose shows a cast of multiethnic children: "Arthur's hair is brown and straight. Kit's hair is black and spikey. But . . . they both don't like shampoo." Little ones will enjoy the way the rhythmic texts pause on the dramatic But before the next page reveals how the animals and children are the same. It's Walsh's bold, simple paintings that will draw the most attention. Friendly, saturated hues--acid yellows, chocolate browns, and rich peaches--color the large, uncluttered spreads comprising basic shapes and minimal, childlike details. A bedtime message closes both titles. Suggest this to fans of Todd Parr's books. Gillian EngbergCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: My Nose, Your Nose | [
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24,970 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 2-In this imaginative bedtime story, a little boy is putting his toy cars, trucks, train, and plane away for the night. As he guides the train along the windowsill one last time, a real one "thunders down the line" and quietly comes to rest. He brings his vehicles into safe quarters just as the neighborhood autos arrive at their carports. On the final page, the child sleeps in his bed, cradling a red toy car, his engine spent. Told in rhyme, the story is as smooth and easy as a familiar lullaby: "Wheels on runway in a rush./Grinding. Stopping. Resting./Hush." Iwai's acrylic, full-page spreads match the quiet text. Dominant colors reflect the shifting light, so that the pinks and oranges of the early pages give way to deeper purples and blues by book's end. The perspective changes not only from the boy's room to the outside world, but also from the scale of his playthings to the objects beyond. Children will relate to this depiction of this end-of-day ritual, and the book is sure to appeal to kids who love big rigs.Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WICopyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.PreS. In her first picture book, Mortensen tells a very simple, rhyming goodnight story for toddler truck-and-engine lovers who must turn off their toy motors, switch off their lights, and go to sleep. The few words and Iwai's big, dramatic, double-page acrylic paintings connect the child's play on his bedroom floor with the exciting, cars, rigs, fire engines, and jet planes that roar outside his window. Both the real machines and the toys must stop and "park" in the "almost dark." The unforced rhyme beautifully expresses both the rush of the wheels and then the hush as they come "Grinding. Stopping. Resting." Like the big rigs coming into the truck stop, the boy rolls off to bed. His sister kisses him good night, and he falls asleep with a truck in his hand. Pair this with Margaret Wise Brown's classic Good Night, Moon. Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Good Night Engines | [
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24,971 | 2 | Grade 4-7-Middle school, with all its trials, tribulations, and triumphs, is portrayed humorously and poignantly through the eyes of one girl. Some of the more mundane topics include a locker that won't open, being late to homeroom, carrying around a large piece of wood as a hall pass, and deciding where to sit in the lunchroom. The book also delves into significant issues, from making new friends and a first crush to teasing, gossip, and a bully who may not be so tough after all. The selections are short, mostly filling less than a page, and get to the heart of the matter quickly. The emotions range from confusion, loneliness, and fear to being nervous and tongue-tied. Amid all the angst and trauma are light moments of "chaperones/(someone else's parents!)/bobbing offbeat" at the school dance or a troublesome musical instrument, "after much practice/flute still suffers severe case/of laryngitis." Students will relate to this voice navigating "upstream," while they try to find their own place in the middle-school wilderness.Kristen Oravec, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Strongsville, OHCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.Gr. 5-8. These tiny poems--rhymed, free verse, haiku, even an acrostic--cover the first year of junior high--sixth, seventh, and eighth grade. The unnamed female narrator sees the first "jigsaw year" as refitting and recombining old friends and new, old ideas and new. In "Is It Monday Again?" she decries dividing the week into "seven square pieces / (five for school, two for me)" and in "Lunch Survey" the myriad variants on "peanut butter and" are trumped by Zach's sushi. The mysteries of lockers and uncontrolled giggling are plumbed; as is the rapture of the boy you like liking you back: "I am shining / from the inside out." There's a running thread about practicing the flute until at last she can make something like music. Sweet and on key. Illustrations unseen. GraceAnne DeCandidoCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Swimming Upstream: Middle School Poems | [
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24,972 | 11 | Hans and Margret Rey created many books during their lives together, includingCurious George, one of the most treasured classics of all time, as well as other favorites likeSpottyandPretzel.But it was their rambunctious little monkey who became an instantly recognizable icon. After the Reys escaped Paris by bicycle in 1940 carrying the manuscript for the originalCurious George, the book was published in America in 1941. More than 200 Curious George titles followed, with 75 million books soldworldwide. Curious George has been successfully adapted into a major motion picture and an Emmy-winning television show onPBS.; Title: Curious George in the Big City | [
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24,973 | 12 | 2nd grade reader, theams 4 (Amazing Animals), theme 5 (Family time), and theme 6 (Talent show). Student edition; Title: Reading: California : Delights (Houghton Mifflin Reading Nations Choice) | [
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24,974 | 12 | Houghton Mifflin Reading: Adventures, Level 2.1; Title: Houghton Mifflin Reading: Adventures, Level 2.1 | [
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24,975 | 12 | Houghton Mifflin Reading California: Student Anthology Theme 2 Grade 1 Let's Be Friends 2003 (Houghton Mifflin Reading the Nations Choice); Title: Houghton Mifflin Reading: Student Anthology Theme 2 Grade 1 Let's Be Friends 2003 | [
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24,976 | 11 | Children from countries on each continent explain what they do when they lose a tooth, including throwing their teeth on the roof. PW called this volume "an eye-opener for young Americans who may have assumed that the Tooth Fairy holds a worldwide visa." Ages 4-8.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World | [
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24,977 | 2 | Elinor J. Pinczes and Randall Enos (Inchworm and a Half) also add another mathematically inspired title to the equation with My Full Moon Is Square. Here, fireflies band together to form a froggy nightlight so the fellow can read: "Their total of four was the smallest of squares./ 'How kind,' said the frog to the two daring pairs". Enos's linocuts of the ever-growing luminous square adds comedy to the pondlife scenes. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 1-3-A bullfrog who lives at Peekaboo Pond has just finished a Learn-to-Read course. He has been practicing aloud each evening by moonlight, much to the delight of some fireflies, who listen from a safe distance. When the moon is obscured by clouds, the fireflies provide the necessary illumination by lining up in a series of squares (hence the title) until they reach the proper intensity, starting with two squares and working their way up to 10 squares or 100 lights. Pinczes successfully presents a basic math concept with clarity. However, the rhyme scheme is often jerky and Enos's linocuts feature unappealing, murky greens and browns. While this title may be serviceable for teachers wishing to introduce this particular concept, it is unlikely to attract an independent audience.Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: My Full Moon is Square | [
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24,978 | 2 | PreS-Gr 3-An unnamed child tells of the glorious day with "beastie" cousins at a family reunion, "running with hearts hungry for hugs and tummies hungry for treats." Politeness is thrown to the wind as the cousins make themselves at home, bursting through doors and leaping into the creek, playing wild games, and annoying older siblings. They spit watermelon seeds and grab at fireflies, until they finally sleep wherever they happen to fall in the relative-packed house. Crum's text is energetically lyrical: "We are drummers of song and magicians of laughter./Our hair, spiked with mud,/proclaims us astounding." Catrow's warts-and-all illustration style is especially fitting here; those squint-eyed mugs are just right on cousins shaking their fannies and throwing underwear out of the windows with wild abandon. Author and illustrator together have captured the manic energy of cousins unleashed.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Oh, we are rowdy ogres. When cousinsor beastiesget together at the family reunion, its absolute chaos. Family members arrive, and there are hugs and hellos all around. But there is also mud to roll in and adventures to be had, so the kids are off and running. Moving en masse like a swarm of bugs, the dozens of cousins rule the roost, noisily leaving behind a path of destruction. Theres also food, piled high on the picnic table, and watermelon seeds to spit. Crums high-energy verse captures the pure, unadulterated joy of cousins convened, who can run free and uninhibited, finally dropping like flies at the end of the day. And Catrow sure captures the quirky crew. In his signature style, there are also roly-poly, pinched-cheek grandmas; babies in sagging diapers; and, of course, a dog, thrilled to be along for the ride. Its an exuberant and comfortable time with family, and many kids will relate. A spirited read-aloud for summertime fun, to be paired with Cynthia Rylants The Relatives Came (1985). Preschool-Grade 2. --Ann Kelley; Title: Dozens of Cousins | [
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24,979 | 12 | Houghton Mifflin Reading California: Student Anthology Theme 4 Grade 1 Treasures 2003; Title: Houghton Mifflin Reading: Student Anthology Theme 4 Grade 1 Treasures 2003 | [
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24,980 | 12 | Book by HOUGHTON MIFFLIN; Title: Houghton Mifflin Reading: Student Anthology Theme 1 Grade 1 Here We Go 2003 | [
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24,981 | 16 | "The porcine stars of Pigs from 1 to 10 teach kids to do as the Romans do in this numerical excursion," said PW in a starred review. "Geisert's detailed etchings reward extended perusal. A great lesson in Roman numerals, this book scores a certain X." Ages 4-8.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.; Title: Roman Numerals I to MM: Liber De Difficillimo Computando Numerum | [
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24,982 | 12 | Book by HOUGHTON MIFFLIN; Title: Houghton Mifflin Reading: Student Anthology Theme 5 Grade 1 Wonders 2003 | [
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24,983 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 3-This underwhelming sequel to Toestomper and the Caterpillars (Houghton, 1999) continues the tale of a fuzzy woodland creature and the 11 baby caterpillars that he cares for. They live together in a hut outside Littletown, where he takes them for walks, plays with them, and protects them. Then one day, to Toestomper's great confusion, the caterpillars cover "themselves with strange blankets" and go to sleep. Eventually they emerge as mischievous butterflies that like to fly into other creatures. When a lumbering hippopotamus besieges Littletown, the bad butterflies "zoom" him and end up in his mouth. Their wings tickle his throat, he sneezes them out and flees the town, and everyone is saved. Collicott's weak plot is undermined by even weaker characterization and overly precious dialogue. The thin text and serviceable illustrations do nothing to explain Toestomper or his predicament. Curious or confused readers may seek out the previous book for clarification, but they won't find it there either.Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SCCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Toestomper and the Bad Butterflies | [
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24,984 | 12 | Large paperback workbook.; Title: Houghton Mifflin Reading--Practice Book: Levels 1.3-1.5 | [
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24,985 | 2 | Grade 2-5-Orville, an ugly, homeless dog that has just about given up on life, is discovered one morning by a farmer and his wife who decide he will make a good watchdog. After they clean him up, they realize he is bigger and wilder than they thought, so he is chained to the barn and left alone to keep the rats away. He barks to let the world know just how miserable he feels, but the more he barks, the more the farmer stays away. Just when it is decided that Orville must go to the pound, a young woman who works nights in a factory moves into the small house across the road, and Orville falls in love. After watching Sally's comings and goings, he devises a plan, struggles free of his chain, and quietly enters her house while she is sleeping. Finally gaining acceptance, Orville moves in with Sally and finds the perfect home. Poignant and sweet, the narrative reads like a country-and-western song about sorrow and loneliness: "-he would wonder what had ever become of his mother, or the brother he had loved the best. And then it would be time to start barking." Parker's signature watercolor-and-ink illustrations are sketchy and imprecise. He takes liberties with the size and shape of Orville as well as with Sally's living room. The effect is more impressionistic than realistic, but allows the text to shine. Readers who have ever loved a homely pet or felt the pain of being misunderstood will identify with Orville.Wendy Woodfill, Hennepin County Library, Minnetonka, MNCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.K-Gr. 3. Kimmel, who wrote the adult memoir A Girl Named Zippy (2001), and Parker, who illustrated the Sibert Honor Book Action Jackson (2002), tell a tender story of a stray dog who finds a home in a small farm community and helps those who care for him to break through their loneliness. The text is much longer than in most picture books, but the words are quiet and immediate, and they work beautifully with the relaxed, eloquent watercolor-and-ink pictures that are always true to the viewpoint of the ugly, unwanted mutt. The farmer gives Orville rough shelter, but insists that the dog is too big and wild to run free, and chains him to the barn. After Orville sees a desperate young woman move in across the road, he breaks his chain to lie near her bed as she sleeps, and he is nearly sent to the pound. Of course, there's a happy ending, but everything is understated, and children will recognize the sadness and anger as well as the yearning and the powerful bond. Hazel RochmanCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Orville: A Dog Story (Bccb Blue Ribbon Fiction Books (Awards)) | [
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24,986 | 2 | This tender, ebullient picture book tracks a quartet of parents in North America and a quartet of baby girls in China as everyone prepares for the "special day" they meet. Okimoto (the daughter of an adoptee) and Aoki (the mother of an adoptee) effectively contrast the flurry of excited activity on one side of the world ("In Toronto, Howard Suzuki sang in the shower while Jessica dried her hair") with the peacefully slumbering babies on the other ("Li Shen snuggled on her side. Qian Ye slept curled in a ball"). Readers get a peek at the mechanics of international adoption (including the long plane trip and bus ride to the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou) and the emotions of the prospective parents (the government waiting room was "as silent as still water." But their hearts "thumped like drums and fluttered like the wings of a bird"). Set against clean white backdrops, So's (Tasty Baby Belly Buttons) expressive watercolors bloom like spring flowers. The parents emerge as distinct individuals, each exuding a unique energy-an impressive feat given the economy of line with which the artist articulates each impressionistic illustration. With its matter-of-fact mix of parents that include two married couples, a lesbian couple and a single mother, the book's understated message-that families come in all shapes and sizes, and are bound together by love-comes through loudly and clearly. Ages 5-8.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.Kindergarten-Grade 3-Lovely Asian-inspired watercolors and an engaging text tell the story of four baby girls from a Chinese orphanage and the families who adopt them. First readers meet the North American families, including a single mother and another consisting of two female partners. They anxiously make the trip halfway around the world to the Chinese city of Guangzhou where they become acquainted at the White Swan Hotel. Juxtaposed against the excited, expectant parents are portraits of darling, slumbering babies. The prospective moms and dads are shown waiting anxiously in a room of the orphanage before they finally meet their children. Then they must negotiate the bureaucracy of foreign adoptions before going home. The four families keep in touch after their homecoming, especially during Chinese New Year. An afterword describes the real-life parallel experience of the coauthor. Though slightly longer, this title compares favorably to both Rose Lewis's I Love You Like Crazy Cakes (Little, Brown, 2000) and Stephen Molnar-Fenton's An Mei's Strange and Wondrous Journey (DK Ink, 1998; o.p.). There is no pronunciation guide for the Chinese words and phrases. Despite this quibble, this charming offering successfully joins the growing collection of literature about adoption.Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: The White Swan Express: A Story About Adoption | [
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24,987 | 12 | Book by HOUGHTON MIFFLIN; Title: Rewards: Level 3.1 (Houghton Mifflin Reading California) | [
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24,988 | 12 | Practice Book: Level 2.2 (Houghton Mifflin. Reading); Title: Practice Book: Level 2.2 (Houghton Mifflin. Reading) | [
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24,989 | 2 | Kindergarten-Grade 4A girl in modern Jamaica recounts her feelings during the all-night "sit-up"a kind of waketo honor her grandmother who has died. Nervous about sharing her memories in front of everyone who has gathered in her family's yard to share food and favorite stories about and for the deceased, Sareen is comforted and encouraged by her twin brother and parents; in the end, she gathers her courage and tells, through her tears, about Nana's love of mangoes and joy in life, which prompt stories of her sometimes-comical efforts to find the sweetest mango for her sick grandmother. Delighted that she's been able to take part in the ceremony, Sareen joins in the culminating sunrise dance. Rich, naturalistic, full-color oil paintings fill the pages. They reflect emotions well, succeeding most often in their close-up, almost portraitlike faces. The art is less effective in stiff, more distant action or group scenes. The people are seen from a variety of perspectives under dark, midnight-blue tropical skies. The stories-within-the-story are framed in orange, helping to clarify time and action. An author's note explains a bit of the country's history, food, and folklore about death. The genuine emotion, details of life, and focus on the value of storytelling make this a useful addition.Nancy Palmer, The Little School, Bellevue, WA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.PreS-Gr. 2. During a Jamaican "sit-up," mourners spend a night telling stories, singing, and dancing in honor of a recently deceased loved one. At the sit-up for her grandmother, Nana, Sareen enjoys the food, games, and shared recollections, but she's terrified of speaking. Finally she finds the courage to tell moving stories about Nana and even joyfully leads a dance. Velasquez's arresting paintings bring the dramatic Jamaican setting, the -anecdotes (cleverly illustrated in insets), and the expressive characters to life, as Jamaican-born Hanson clearly describes the cultural particulars and connections to African history. It will be Sareen's feelings of grief and love, however, that children will connect with, as well as her fear of speaking aloud: "I really want to tell my stories . . . but I'm also afraid I'll burst into tears." Like James Howe's Kaddish for Grandpa in Jesus' Name Amen, a booklist 2004 Editors' Choice, this is a powerful story about a young person's initiation into wake customs and her own personal goodbye to a beloved grandparent. An author's note concludes. Gillian EngbergCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: A Season for Mangoes | [
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24,990 | 12 | Book by HOUGHTON MIFFLIN; Title: Houghton Mifflin Reading: Student Anthology Theme 2 Grade 3 Horizons 2003 | [
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24,991 | 2 | Grabbing the audience's attention with stunning cut- and torn-paper collage illustrations, Jenkins (The Top of the World) illuminates another corner of the science world in this cogent introduction to evolution. Here, he traces the planet's history from its fiery beginnings billions of years ago through the emergence of the first bacteria, development of such organisms as jellyfish, ferns, dinosaurs, mammals and birds, on up to humans. Posing and answering questions ("Why have so many different forms of life developed on the earth?"), Jenkins ably presents such concepts as mutation, extinction and Darwin's theory of "survival of the fittest." The information spans an impressive range; Jenkins organizes and presents it with a clarity that demonstrates his mindfulness of the audience. Spacious white backdrops allow the vigorously lifelike collage images to spring to the fore. Bright-eyed frogs appear ready to jump off the pages; a shark swims menacingly toward readers; a wooly mammoth looks soft enough to pet. Science at its most inviting. Ages 6-10. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.Grade 3-6-Jenkins's trademark watercolor cut-paper collages, a large format, and the careful use of both an oversized and small font are definite lures into this handsome exploration of the basics of evolution. The author has taken on the formidable task of investigating the scientific theories explaining the innumerable branchings, proliferations, and extinctions of life on planet Earth. His lucid text presents a terse chronology of life from its earliest beginnings as one-celled bacteria in the primordial ocean to the appearance of modern man. He then explains how scientists were persuaded that animal/plant classifications and geological/fossil records provided proof that animals and plants had not remained unchanged since a single moment of creation, and discusses how Charles Darwin's investigations in the Galpagos resulted in his formulation of the theory of evolution. The discussion also includes natural selection, variation and mutation, and how these processes can produce new species and some of the possible causes of extinctions. The final graphic diagram compares Earth's 4 billion-year history with a 24-hour day, showing modern man popping into the scene at 11:59:58 p.m. Larger and more eye-catching than Joanna Cole's Evolution (Crowell, 1987; o.p.), and far simpler than Stephen Webster's The Kingfisher Book of Evolution (Kingfisher, 2000), Life on Earth is a polished exposition of a difficult, often controversial scientific concept. Substantial, despite its picture-book appearance.Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NYCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.; Title: Life on Earth: The Story of Evolution | [
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24,992 | 15 | Book by HOUGHTON MIFFLIN; Title: Houghton Mifflin Discovery Works: Student Edition Level 3 2003 | [
24922
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24,993 | 0 | Starred Review. Grade 1-4In her introduction to this collection of magical tales, Lunge-Larsen traces the history of those "beings whose presence we feel but whom we cannot see." She explains that, like humans, "Some are kind and gentle; some are quick to anger and resentment," but all are hidden away. They are most likely to show themselves during "in-between" times, appearing at Midsummer Night's Eve or the winter solstice, or during the transitions from dusk to night and from dawn to day. Focusing on tales from northern Europe, the book is divided into sections on flower fairies, gnomes, hill folk, elves, dwarves, water horses, river sprites, and selkies. Each chapter begins with an overview and contains one or two brief stories. Genial asides appear in the margins and further elucidate each magical creature. The author draws on a rich tradition of legends and myths, retelling them in an accessible manner that will captivate readers. Handsome scratchboard illustrations decorate the pages with stylized figures and landscapes. The vivid hues and interesting textures make an eye-catching combination. Descriptive borders herald each section and highlight motifs related to its subject (e.g., the paragraphs on dwarves are framed by anvils, pick axes, shovels, etc.). A source note puts the tales in perspective.Harriett Fargnoli, Great Neck Library, NY Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Gr. 3-5, younger for reading aloud. Professional storyteller and educator Lunge-Larsen presents eight short tales, retold or invented, featuring the magical creatures that lurk just out of sight. Drawing inspiration from northern European folklore and fragmentary family anecdotes, she explains parsley's bitter taste as the spit of angry Flower Fairies and crafts encounters with a dangerous Water Horse, a dwarf king who repays a poor man's act of kindness with a never-emptied purse, and more. A version of "The Selkie Wife," which is close to its traditional antecedents, seems to want source notes, but there's really enough new material here that the lack of notes is forgivable--and the author does append a bibliography of relevant collections and reference works. Using jewel-tone colors and a scratchboard technique, Krommes provides handsome borders and stylized full-page illustrations that give this gathering a suitably folktale feel. John PetersCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Hidden Folk: Stories of Fairies, Dwarves, Selkies, and Other Secret Beings | [
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24,994 | 15 | Will be shipped from US. Used books may not include companion materials, may have some shelf wear, may contain highlighting/notes, may not include CDs or access codes. 100% money back guarantee.; Title: Houghton Mifflin Discovery Works: Student Edition Level 4 2003 | [
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24,995 | 12 | 2002 McDougal Littell Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Book Grade Six (P) ***Contents: *Teaching, *More Practice, & *Application ***ISBN-13: 9780618153688 ***Pages: 195; Title: Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Book: Teaching More Practice Application, Grade 6 | [
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24,996 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 3–Children who have had bad dreams (or parents who have struggled to explain them away) will find solace and a solution in this story. A girl describes how, after a cuddly bedtime ritual with Mom, she and her sister drift off to sleep. When she has visions of scary sea monsters, her older, wiser, and very patient sibling decides that it's time to relay The Secret that their mother had shared with her under similar circumstances: one has the power to reinvent one's dreams. Scary turns to silly and all is well until the older girl is invited to a sleepover and the narrator is frightened at the prospect of spending a night alone. Big sister comes through once again: she leaves a Dream Jar covered in blue paper and glow-in-the-dark stars and filled with ideas guaranteed to transform any nightmare. The predominantly blue palette is rendered in pencil and acrylic and manipulated in Photoshop. The text surrounding the nymphlike duo is occasionally hand lettered and/or appears in color. The overall design, including sketchy thought bubbles, irregularly shaped panels, and dynamic spreads, exudes the vitality, energy, and whimsy of a creative and sensitive family. A refreshing departure from the usual nocturnal sibling shenanigans and parental platitudes, this tale is perfect for bedtime, storytime, or anytime. Pair it with Jane Kurtz's In the Small, Small Night (Greenwillow, 2005) for a look at sisterly love.–Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.PreS-Gr. 2. This delightful, fresh approach to helping children cope with bad dreams will be welcomed by parents and kids alike. Two sisters share a bedroom, and when the younger one has bad dreams, the older one tells her a secret: imagine that those scary monsters in your dream are really silly monsters. It works, and nighttimes are fine until Big Sister is invited to a sleepover. To alleviate the younger girl's fears, the older sister leaves a Dream Jar filled with tiny rolls of paper. When a bad dream starts, the child opens one of the Dreamy Dream scrolls and finds a message that helps change her nightmare into a "fabulously fun dreamy dream." The pencil, acrylic, and computer-enhanced illustrations give the story its zing. The whimsical, wispy pictures generate fun, while the first-person text, set down in a variety of playful typefaces, underscores the sibling relationship: "Now I can sleep, my sister saved me." For a different take on the subject, see Waechter's Rosie and the Nightmares (p.57) and Durango's Dream Hop (p.53). Julie CumminsCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: The Dream Jar | [
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24,997 | 2 | PreSchool-Grade 4-In this lyrical offering, the harvest moon rises on a quiet neighborhood and bathes the silent streets in brilliant lunar light. It illuminates corn and wheat fields, inspires luna moths to perform ballet in the crisp air, and casts a silver shadow on the red and orange autumn trees. A young girl and her cat play hide-and-seek by its light, a pilot flies her plane in near-daytime brightness, and a night watchman wonders if he'll need his flashlight. As morning nears, the moon sets in daylight and the child and her cat bid it goodnight. Fletcher's poetic prose makes use of gentle tempo and internal rhyme. Imaginative metaphors add to the text; as the moon sets, it sprinkles "silver coins like a careless millionaire." Careful use of second-person narrative draws readers into the text. Kiesler's luminous oil paintings portray the luscious moon glow, and a refrained use of brush stroke captures the mystery of nighttime when the familiar world becomes exotic, dazzling, and alive with nocturnal life. Warm hues evoke homey, autumn scenes. Hello, Harvest Moon helps usher in the season and encourages readers to connect with people throughout the ages who have marveled at the glorious sight.Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WICopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.K-Gr. 3. Impressionistic oil paintings evoke the feel of a crisp fall night in this ode to the harvest moon. Descriptive text introduces the huge, orange moon as it rises above the cornfields, and describes its effect on a little girl woken from sleep, a night watchman as he gets ready to go to work, and on nature itself. Moonflowers bloom, "though only night creatures will see them." Even though night is the focus here, the pace is anything but somnolent; readers will be awakened to a new world of activity that begins only when the moon rises. The overall effect is peaceful rather than frenetic, however; the dark beauty of the illustrations captures the magic of nighttime: a deep blue sky contrasting with the bright moon and stars; the little girl's cat pouncing on something invisible nearby; the harbor's dark water blending with the sky. Pair this with Julian Scheer's By the Light of the Captured Moon (2000) for before-bed reads that focus on nighttime instead of bedtime for a change. Diane FooteCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Hello, Harvest Moon | [
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24,998 | 2 | As with Newman's The Boy Who Cried Fabulous (reviewed April 12), the author here introduces a protagonist with interests that buck societal stereotypes. Ruthie and her grandmother spend lots of time together, buying Ruthie's favorite foods, checking out her favorite books and playing on her favorite swing set. But with each outing, Ruthie longingly observes the neighbor boy, Brian, playing with his noisy vehicles. " 'Do you have a train to play with at your house, Nana?'... 'No,' says Nana, 'but I have some beautiful dolls waiting at home for you.' " While Nana encourages tea parties and flower painting, Ruthie prefers the roar of toy motorcycles and fire engines. Moore (I Love You, Stinky Face) balances the enjoyable times the pair shares (as in a vignette of their playdate at the park) with the slight disappointment Ruthie feels when her preferences don't mesh with Nana's. The vibrant watercolors pack in plenty of detail and the cheery hues of the busy spreads echo Ruthie's sunny optimism, as do her short, curly red locks. Nana eventually learns to let her granddaughter be her guide into more boisterous play, though readers may feel that the ending goes too far when Nana gets carried away with Brian's trains herself. Young and old will likely appreciate both protagonists' points of view. Ages 4-8. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.PreSchool-Grade 2–Ruthie is visiting her grandmother for a few days. Coming back from the grocery store, they pass a young neighbor, Brian, playing with a fire truck. Ruthie hopes that Nana has a truck like that at her house but she doesn't, and the woman suggests that they play with dolls instead. Before long, the girl has an imaginary fire going and turns a cardboard box into a pretend truck. The next day, Brian is playing with a train set. Ruthie is not interested in putting on a fashion show with dress-up clothes, so she creates a train out of chairs. So it goes until Nana asks her what she'd like to do, and Ruthie asks to visit Brian. They play with all sorts of transportation toys and when Nana arrives to pick up her granddaughter, she joins in the fun. The next day, the two visit the toy store to buy a fire engine and a train. Moore's realistic illustrations, done in watercolor, are pleasant enough, but they cannot carry this predictable story. Old favorites, such as Charlotte Zolotow's William's Doll (HarperCollins, 1972), do a better job of addressing issues of male-female role expectations.–Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Title: A Fire Engine for Ruthie | [
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24,999 | 3 | PreSchool-Grade 2-A blue man with an elephant nose takes readers on a nickel guided tour through Tippintown, "food included." Each spread's rhyme, presented on the left, is followed by a one-line, droll coda on the right: "We begin at the famous Amelia statue,/here in Tippin Square./As most of you know,/Miss Amelia Tippin/invented the folding chair./Then she became an astronaut,/now she's a millionaire"-"I think that's her over there." The lilt and tone of this nonsense verse can't help but recall Edward Lear. Brown is similarly quirky and irreverent, a satirist without insult. Cross-references abound, from framed images from Brown's other titles, hanging in the Tippin Museum of Art, to repeated design motifs. The tour finishes in the museum's souvenir store stocked with items depicted throughout the book, prompting readers to remember and recap. Brown's distinctive watercolors, in the same hip palette as his Dutch Sneakers and Flea Keepers (Houghton, 2000), adopt a flat folk-art form but then tickle it under the chin with insane details, characters defined by ultramodern styles, and fantasy elements. The wackiness and offbeat sophistication push the art from just plain goofy to meaningfully eccentric. A gleeful book for solo or shared reading.Liza Graybill, Worcester Public Library, MACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.K-Gr. 3. Welcome to Tippintown, where everything is a little bit weird--starting with the tour guide, who has a blue face and an elephant's trunk for a nose. But you haven't seen anything yet: consider the rare Assortment Tree (its "blossoms smell like candy corn and rutabaga tea") or the game-playing gargoyles. If this seems like a fantasy land, the proof arrives at the inevitable souvenir shop, where "everything is absolutely free!" Free? What an imagination Brown has! His often metrically challenged rhyming text doesn't tell much of a story, but it does provide a whimsical launching pad for his double-page pictures, which, though occasionally a wee bit too evocative of Maira Kalman, are, nevertheless, diverting in their offer of a pleasant excursion for the imagination. Michael CartCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved; Title: Tippintown: A Guided Tour | [
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