The Storyteller

Long, long ago, like a pearl around a grain of sand, the Kingdom of Morocco formed at the edge of the great, dry Sahara. It had fountains of cool, refreshing water to quench the thirst of the desert, and storytellers to bring the people together.

But as the kingdom grew, the people forgot the dangers of the desert, and they forgot about the storytellers, too. All but one young boy, who came to the Great Square for a drink and found something that quenched his thirst even better: wonderful stories. As he listened to the last storyteller recount the Endless Drought, and the Glorious Blue Water Bird, he discovered the power of a tale well told.

The Big Monster Snorey Book

The sleeping monsters are making an awful lot of noise — snoring and grumbling, tapping and chattering. After such a long sleep, what happens if they wake up feeling hungry? Any little monsters around better watch out! With masses of monsters to spot and an awesome onomatopoeic text, children will ask for this hilarious, inventive book over and over again. While the text introduces readers to a cast of curious characters, including knobbly-kneed Norris, Flora the fussy fidget, and snotty Stanley, the illustrations suggest that something pretty monstrous might be going on.

Nadia

Nadia Comaneci was a feisty and fearless little girl who went from climbing trees in the forests of Romania to swinging into history at the 1976 Olympic Games, where she received an unprecedented seven perfect scores in gymnastics. But as readers will see in this first-ever illustrated picture book about Nadia’s journey to Olympic gold, the road from small-town girl to world-class athlete was full of many imperfect moments.

Platypus

This new edition to the Nature Storybooks series is about one of Australia’s most puzzling and unique animals – the platypus. Platypus leaves his burrow in the riverbank and dives into the cool green pool. It is dusk and he is hungry. Platypus is always busy, always moving, looking for his next meal. Follow platypus as he plays, swims, dives and scurries around his riverbank home.

Prairie Dog Song

Cumulative text based on an old folksong alternating with additional scientific information explores the role of prairie dogs, a keystone species in North America’s grasslands, and conservation efforts to restore the balance of plants and animals of the Janos, Mexico, prairie dog complex. Backmatter includes timeline, photographs, music, prairie dog facts, glossary, and authors’ sources.