Bedtime

The text in Caldecott medalist Peggy Rathman’s latest book tells a simple story. Father begins counting down to bedtime, and his son does his best to get ready. He takes his bath, puts on his pj’s, and brushes his teeth. But this is not a typical evening. The boy’s computer-literate hamster has created a Web site that invites virtually every hamster on the planet to come take a “bedtime tour” of the house. As more and more hamsters arrive, the boy’s nightly bedtime ritual turns into a fun-filled circus.

A youngster gets a memorable bedtime send-off with Grandma, Dad, and even the family cat teaming up to provide old-fashioned tender loving care just when he needs it most. This endearing read-aloud, with bright, pattern-filled art and a countdown of kisses from ten to one, gently invites preschoolers to practice their numbers.

Curious George and the man with the yellow hat visit the zoo. A hungry Curious George snatches a pail of bananas from the zoo keeper. Though he shouldn’t have taken the bananas, George soon changes the zookeeper’s shouts to praise with his clever, helpful ways.

Doggone fun for toddlers! In Matthew Van Fleet’s captivating new multiconcept book, twenty breeds of capering canines demonstrate action words, opposites, synonyms, and more. Cleverly designed pull tabs and flaps plus ten pettable textures provide interactive treats that will have toddlers arfing along from start to surprising finish. Bow-WOW!

Children will anticipate that something goofy is coming by a glance at the cover art: a duck in a soup pot balancing a lid on his head. Urbanovic has created a funny story in which Max’s friends mistakenly believe that he is in the soup pot. Their attempts to save him ruin his meticulously prepared soup (”‘AHHHHH! It’s his head!’ said Bebe. ‘Silly! It’s only a potato!’ Brody replied. ‘EYEBALLS! His eyeballs!’ said Bebe. ‘Guys, it’s only tiny onions!’ said Brody”), but reinforce the value of friendship. The softly outlined watercolor illustrations feature a loose style that gives freshness and energy to each scene. Children will laugh out loud at the antics in this story, which blends so cohesively with the large pictures.

In this inventive take on the traditional Cinderella tale, Fanny Agnes is a sturdy farm girl with a big dream. Someday, she believes, she will marry a prince. When the town mayor announces he is throwing a grand ball, Fanny is convinced her time has come. She puts on her best calico dress and goes out to the garden so that she’ll be ready when her fairy godmother arrives. As the seconds tick by, Fanny waits and waits. Finally, she hears a voice. It isn’t her fairy godmother-but it is someone who will change her life forever.

As soon as they say good night to Mama, the five little monkeys start to jump on their bed. But trouble lies ahead as, one by one, they fall off and hurt themselves.

What does an elephant do? It stomps its foot. Can you? From the creator of such beloved classics as The Grouchy Ladybug and The Mixed-Up Chameleon comes this interactive story that invites kids to imitate animal movements. Watching giraffes bend their necks or monkeys wave their arms is fun, but nothing could be better than joining in. From their heads down to their toes, kids will be wriggling, jiggling, and giggling as they try to keep up with these animals!Alligators wiggle, elephants stop, gorillas thump, and giraffes bend. Can you do it? ‘ I can do it!’ is the confidence-building message of this fun-filled interactive picture book. A variety of familiar animals invite young children to copy their antics, and as they play, they will learn such important skills as careful listening, focusing attention, and following instructions. Just as alphabet books introduce the very young child to letters and simple words, From Head to Toe introduces the basic body parts and simple body movements. And in the same way that children progress from understanding simple words to reading and writing sentences and stories, so they will progress from simple body movements to dancing, gymnastics, and other sports and activities, with confidence and pleasure.