This soon-to-be-classic picture book centers on a large, adoring family with a new baby to love. Rhyming couplets describe different scenes, each built around the simple human gesture of “reaching.” A new mother reaches up to hold her laughing baby aloft. Dad reaches over to tickle Baby’s toes as the family lounges on a picnic quilt. Grandparents, cousins and other family members reach out to play and cuddle with the growing child. The little one also gets to “reach,” using his arms and hands to explore the wonderful world around him as he grows from a baby into a curious toddler. It’s only a matter of time (Mom realizes wistfully) before he’s “reaching” for the stars.
Author: Book Importer
The Sign of the Black Rock
Welcome to the World
Plenty of books tell parents what’s in store when a new baby arrives. But this one lets a new baby in on what he or she might expect. Styled as a sweet and simple letter to a newborn, this picture book introduces Baby to several first-year splendors, such as feeling warm sunlight, watching the movements of clouds, hearing birdsong and experiencing a loving embrace.
Double or Nothing
Kip is smart, but bored. When he needs a rush, he doesn’t go for drugs or alcohol–just the pure adrenaline hit that accompanies even the smallest bet. But when Kip meets a big-time gambler who introduces him to a high-stakes game, his life takes a dramatic turn. An engaging guy who creates a web of lies, Kip lays down the bets and takes readers on a roller-coaster ride.
Ella May and the Wishing Stone
One day, Ella May finds a stone that has a line going all-all-all the way around it. Surely a stone this special must grant wishes, she decides. Soon she is busy making wishes and bragging about them. When her friends want to share the fun, Ella May objects. But she soon learns that keeping the stone for herself is a sure way to lose friends. By using her imagination – much more powerful than any stone – she is able to grant everybody’s wishes, including her own.
Juba This, Juba That
Traditional “juba” rhythms have a long history. They originated in Nigeria as hand-clapping games. People who were brought to the New World as slaves fought hard to keep their culture alive against terrible odds. They transformed “juba” rhythms into work songs that were passed down orally.
Black Dog Dream Dog
When Sam finds a big black dog in her back yard she wants to keep him, but her mother can’t find out so Sam hides him in the shed. Meanwhile, Stella wakes up in a strange room to find that she’s had a stroke. She can’t move and she can’t talk, so how can she ask what happened to her dog?
Munsch at Play Act 2: Eight More Stage Adaptations
This book presents simple stage adaptations, suitable for school use, of eight stories along with staging suggestions and ideas for easily obtainable sets, props, and costumes.
Nini
No Pets Allowed
When Matthew moves to Vancouver with his mother, he’s not able to bring along his dog Lucky, because the apartment building he is moving into does not allow dogs. But when Matthew’s imaginary dog scares off a burglar, all the tenants argue that Lucky should be allowed to come live there.