The Sign of the Black Rock

Young readers (and adults, too) will feel transported by the clever, intricate plotline and superb, sweeping illustrations of this second title in the Three Thieves series. The action resumes as our three goodhearted fugitives stop at a roadside inn during a ferocious thunderstorm. Narrow escapes ensue as Grig, the scheming and selfish innkeeper, endeavors to capture the trio and secure a reward from the Queen. Tensions mount further as the Queen’s Dragons arrive at the tavern, hot on the trail of the fugitives and immediately suspicious of the smarmy Grig. Will Grig get his due? Will the fugitives escape? And why hasn’t Grig’s gentle wife spoken a word in ten years? You can bet she’s got a secret.

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.

Binky Under Pressure

In Binky’s third adventure, our intrepid, sometimes accident-prone hero is shaken out of his routine when he’s forced to contend with Gracie, a dainty striped foster kitty who comes to live at Binky’s space station (aka his home at 42 Sentinel Parkway). Binky instantly resents the new arrival, whose cute face and perfect manners are downright annoying. Indeed, Gracie seems too perfect. So Binky decides to do some undercover investigating and discovers a shocking truth about the family guest. Soon Binky is thrust full-throttle into a situation that puts all his Space Cat skills to the ultimate test!

Biomimicry: Inventions Inspired by Nature

Biomimicry examines the extraordinary innovations of the natural world and the human inventions they have inspired. Readers will learn about marvels such as high-performance swimsuits modeled after sharkskin and the sleek front ends of Japanese bullet trains based on the long, streamlined beak of the kingfisher. There’s also plenty about what glimmers on the horizon: A Brazilian beetle may be key to developing computers that run on light, and the gecko’s humble foot may hold the secret to revolutionizing the way surgical wounds are closed. Best of all, nature’s inventions are lean, green machines that are self-sustaining and generate zero waste — yet another cue humans are taking from the natural world.

Kitten’s Winter

Winter comes to Kitten’s world, and the little calico leaves her cozy home for an afternoon of exploration and discovery. Kitten learns that even on a frosty day, animal life flourishes: a squirrel forages, an otter goes fishing and a woodpecker taps the side of a bare-limbed tree. At the same time, readers discover that for many animals, winter is a time of rest. Softly, Kitten treads past a burrowing turtle, a napping beaver and a hibernating bear. Told in rhyming couplets, Kitten’s Winter is a perfect introduction to animal behavior and habitats.

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.