Cinderella

Cinderella’s evil stepmother makes her cook and clean and dust and sweep until her arms ache and her head spins. But with a tap of her fairy godmother’s wand, the kind, mistreated beauty becomes a shimmering vision worthy of a prince.

Little Old Ladies

Don’t be fooled by the pillbox hats, pearl necklaces, or support hose. Ignore the walkers, hearing aids, and false teeth. Little old ladies are people to be reckoned with and lead far more exciting lives than we could ever imagine. To benefit from these wonderful women, all you have to do is listen. In this quirky, uproarious picture book, Franziska Kalch uncovers the secrets of this often misunderstood population. You won’t find these old ladies feeding the ducks at the pond or walking at the local mall. Instead, look for them at the trendiest dance clubs or basking by the pool. They have so many experiences and ideas to share. We just have to ask.

The Swineherd

Lisbeth Zwerger, winner of the 1990 Hans Christian Andersen Medal, brings her distinctive talent to this classic Andersen fairy tale of a foolish Prince who seeks to marry the Emperor’s daughter, and the even more foolish Princess who fails to recognize his true worth. When the Princess refuses him, he disguises himself as a swineherd and plays her favorite songs. By the time she warms up to him it’s too late; he reveals his true identity and leaves her all alone.

Nikolai, The Only Bear

There are one hundred orphans at the Russian orphanage, but Nikolai is the only bear. He growls when he speaks and claws the air when he plays. “Play nice, Nikolai,” the keepers say. No one wants to take Nikolai home. Until one day, when a fur-faced man and a smooth-faced woman come to visit from America. They growl with him and play with him, and sing songs that make him feel soft-bearish. And when it’s time for them to go home, Nikolai knows that he has found the right family at last.

There Are Cats In This Book

Open the covers of this extraordinarily inventive, interactive book to find that the cats inside are ready to play — in very surprising ways.There they are, purring under a blanket. But not for long! Three sprightly cats named Tiny, Moonpie, and Andre are eager to involve you in their games, whether it’s tossing a ball of yarn (oof!), lifting flaps to find them in boxes (comfy), or getting caught in a pillow fight (biff!). As their antics get wilder still, they’ll need a kind soul to blow on the page to dry them off! With an irresistible story that directly engages the reader, this book’s clever design and bright, gestural illustrations make for cat-tastic lift-the-flap fun.

Love, Splat

It’s Valentine’s Day and Splat has a special valentine for a certain someone in his class. Her name is Kitten, and Splat likes her even more than fish sticks and ice cream. But Kitten doesn’t seem to like him at all—she always ties his tail and pokes his belly when she sees him. And then there’s Splat’s rival, Spike, who also likes Kitten. Will Splat’s heartfelt valentine win Kitten’s paw in the end? In this funny follow-up to Splat the Cat, Rob Scotton captures the highs and lows of a first crush with humor and understanding.

The Monster Who Ate Darkness

Best-selling Taiwanese illustrator Jimmy Liao teams up with renowned British author Joyce Dunbar to present a fantastical, heartwarming tale.Why can’t Jo-Jo go to sleep? He doesn”t like the darkness under the bed — a monster might be hiding there. And one is! It’s a tiny speck of a monster with a huge appetite for darkness, gobbling it up under the bed, in every nook and cranny, and in the wide world outside, growing bigger with every bite. Soon there is no darkness left anywhere, from the earth to the stars. All the world is light, but the monster still has an empty feeling inside. Only a sleepless boy will help him be fulfilled at last.

The Baby In The Hat

A simple, singsong text and child-friendly illustrations tell an amusing tale of a baby saved and an adventurous hero born. When you’ve caught a baby in a hat, what else is there to do but to sail all over the world and return, with treasure in your trunk, to fall in love?Once again, the inimitable Allan Ahlberg offers a tale full of energy and fun. Paired with André Amstutz’s charming illustrations, this is a story sure to be read over and over again. And it’s all true.

My Secret War Diary, by Flossie Albright: My History of the Second World War 1939-1945

When nine-year-old Flossie starts her diary and scrapbook on July 27, 1939, her mother has already died and her father has just joined the Dorsetshire Regiment. The Second World War ends for Flossie on August 14, 1945, when her father comes home.

The Aliens Are Coming!

Kids’ favorite Colin McNaughton returns with another wild and wacky extraterrestrial tale, suitably featured in a planet-shaped book.”They come from planets near and far — Some big, some small, some quite bizarre.”Moving at the speed of light and looking for a fight, the aliens are back — but this time they’re coming to Earth to conquer the human race! With his zany rhymes and sidesplitting illustrations, the creator of Captain Abdul knows how to keep kids in stitches — especially when they peer into a mirror board and discover that Earth has a surprising secret weapon.