“The Ape at Exit 8” is Ivan, a mighty Silverback Gorilla, who lives in a circus-themed shopping mall. Based on a true story, but told in Ivan’s own voice using simple language and short chapters, this is a story about friendship, compassion for animals, the... Read More

At the hands-on new Zoo School, where the motto is, "Let the animals be your textbooks," the student desks are actually fish-filled aquariums. The students include Ursula, who wants everything to be just like it was at her old school; Kitty, who knows a lot about animals and can't wait... Read More

Kids may have met Binky earlier in Binky in Space, when this tubby hind-leg walking black and white kitty built a rocket ship in his litter box.  Now,.he’s an official certified space cat, and his relentless pursuit of aliens (wasps) leads to his falling out of a first... Read More

Most of the time, John Midas was a nice, well-behaved boy. In fact, he only had one fault, but it was a big one. He was candy mad. He devoured it every day, never shared it, and spent all of his money to buy more. In this modern-day cautionary tale,... Read More

Five giant sisters from the Granite State of New Hampshire each have a special talent: Jade can twist a river in her hands, Em whittles wood, Golda is handy with string, Ruby is as strong as a bear, and Beryl is the finest stonecutter. After Beryl carves a whole new... Read More

After flipping a pancake atop Henry's head, Grandpa spurred to tell his grandkids a story about the town of Chewandswallow. "The only thing that was really different about Chewandswallow was its weather. It came three times a day, at breakfast, lunch, and dinner." In the ensuing illustrations, the citizens of... Read More

"Mrs. Jane Tabby could not explain why all four of her children had wings." So starts the first of four magical little books about cat siblings Thelma, Roger, James, and Harriet. The four live with their mother in a terrible neighborhood, filled with rubbish, hungry dogs, fierce rats, and too... Read More

Retold by a master storyteller who recalls each story from her North Carolina childhood, these five crackling traditional African American folktales about the crafty trickster Bruh Rabbit and his animal pals and rivals will get your listeners thumping their chairs with laughter. Bruh Fox believes there are roasted chicken legs... Read More

If you think Cesar Millan, TV’s Dog Whisperer, gives good advice, wait’ll you meet Mr. Mutt, a certified Canine Counselor. Desperate and beaten down dogs send heartfelt letters and attached photos to Mr. Mutt, a bespectacled and solemn-faced brown dog, and he responds with practical dog-centric advice. “And remember, you... Read More

What do you get when a bear walks through your vegetable garden?SQUASH.  Of course!  Bear wants to be a stand-up comic and tell jokes that make his friends laugh. And he’s got a million of ‘em.  Bear has a plan, too. He writes his jokes, practices them in front... Read More

Graphic novels are the in thing now. Here's an instantly appealing graphic picture book, in the classic style of the Captain Marvel or Superman comics some of us inhaled when we were growing up. Illustrated in glorious glossy ink and brush illustrations—just like the comics, only on better paper—the story... Read More

Babymouse: Queen of the World. Babymouse connives to gets herself invited to a sleepover at the house of her arch nemesis, a popular cat named Felicia Furrypaws, but ultimately realizes she far prefers to hang out with her faithful friend, Wilson Weasel.So far, there are nine un-put-down-able graphic... Read More

You think you have a problem pet that rules your roost? Get a load of this quintessential bad kitty, a sleek, black, rowdy ruffian who is none too happy about getting a bath. OK, that’s an understatement. Usually, Kitty licks herself clean, though we see her going overboard here, licking... Read More

Franny K. Stein, Little Girl Mad Scientist, the only one in her otherwise normal family interested in mad science, comes up with a winning invention for the school Science Fair project: a Time Warp Dessert Plate that allows her to have her cake and eat it too. Unfortunately, at the... Read More

Taking bits and pieces of plot and descriptions from 17 different versions of the Cinderella story worldwide, Newbery Medal winner Paul Fleischman (Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices; HarperCollins, 1988) offers up a composite story, a melting pot of Cinderellas. The busy paneled paintings look like folk art... Read More

Though their first encounter ends with a heated argument when Lizard accuses Snake of blocking his path with her tail, they soon realize they like each other a lot. Through 15 delightful short stories, rich with dialogue and illustrated with diminutive pen and ink and watercolors on every other page,... Read More

Inside the backpack, where it’s dark and smells like a wet bathing suit, Lumphy the buffalo feels cramped, StingRay is trying to think calming thoughts, and Plastic is humming, which she does when she’s feeling nervous. Where is the Little Girl with the blue barrette taking them? StingRay worries that... Read More