The Pencil

The creators of THE RUNAWAY DINNER and PREVIOUSLY team up to imagine the comical world that comes to life when a lonely pencil starts to draw.

“One day that little pencil made a move, shivered slightly, quivered somewhat . . . and began to draw.”

Welcome back Banjo, the boy from THE RUNAWAY DINNER! Once a pencil draws him, there’s no telling what will come next — a dog, a cat, a chase (of course), and a paintbrush to color in an ever-expanding group of family and friends. But it’s not long before the complaints begin — “This hat looks silly!” “My ears are too big!” — until the poor pencil has no choice but to draw . . . an eraser. Oh no! In the hands of Allan Ahlberg and Bruce Ingman, can anything but havoc and hilarity ensue?

Guess What I Found In Dragon Wood

In this twist on the “boy finds lost pet” tale, a young dragon discovers a Benjamin in Dragonwood. The dragon takes the boy home, to school and the playground. The Benjamin is a fascinating creature. He doesn’t have claws or scales and can’t even fly. When the Benjamin gets homesick, the dragon decides to help him get home. How will the other Benjamins react to finding a dragon in their world?

A Gift

Amy receives a gift just in time for Chinese New Year, the most important holiday in the Chinese culture. At this time of year, it’s tradition to spend time with friends and family. Since Amy’s aunt and uncles live in China and are unable to make a New Year visit, they have sent their niece a special gift.

The Last Gold Diggers

In this sequel to “The Last Polar Bears”, Grandfather and his demanding, but delightful, dog Roo journey to Australia in search of Uncle Vincent, last heard of prospecting for gold. Their adventures are told in letters sent back to Grandfather’s grandchild.

Afghan Dreams: Young Voices of Afghanistan

This story introduces readers to children living in Kabul and in rural Afghan villages through photographic portraits and brief narrative profiles that offer a glimpse of their lives and dreams.

Stanley At Sea

Stanley’s thrown his party — and braved his wild ride. Now Stanley and his pals embark on an adventure that makes sea-dogs of them all! It’s picnic time in the park — but not for Stanley. He knows he’s not supposed to beg, but his people are always eating. And Stanley is always hungry! After he’s told to “get,” Stanley wanders down by the river where he runs into Alice, Nutsy and Gassy Jack. Soon their keen noses lead them to a delicious treat on a small boat with no people in sight. When the boat’s mooring comes loose, they float away with the current down the river, under a bridge and then out to sea! It’s a scary new world where the sky stretches in every direction and big waves crash. The dogs know that when you’re Outside, sooner or later you always come to a fence. When suddenly through the mist they see what looks like a very tall fence, they know they’ve come to the End of Outside! But what kind of fence is this?

Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach

Scaredy Squirrel doesn’t like crowds so he doesn’t go to the beach, he builds his own. However, something is missing so he needs to go to the real beach and retrieve it.

Footprints in the Snow

Wolf is feeling offended and indignant: All the wolves he’s ever read about are nasty, scary, and greedy! To set the record straight he decides to write a story about a nice wolf. But will his wolfish instincts get the better of him after all?  Author/illustrator Mei Matsuoka’s simple yet sophisticated art imbues Wolf’s story of searching for a friend with wry humor and subtle wit.

Scottish Alphabet

Across the lush, emerald green mountains and through the alphabet, the ABCs of Scotland are explored in beautiful rhyme, imagery, and history. A stands for Saint Andrew’s Day, named for the brother of St. Peter and the patron saint of Scotland. I is for Iona, the ancient burial ground and abbey that holds the remains of early kings of Scotland, such as Macbeth and Donald II.

 

Sir Lofty and Sir Tubb

When two neighboring kingdoms argue over a beautiful flower it turns into war. The couples learn to share and bring peace to their lands.