Mouse’s friends take turns putting together the pieces that come in a box as a birthday present; but, only Shrew, who takes the time to read the instructions, is able to build something that really works.
Europe
Materials from Europe
Letters (First Steps Board Books)
John Burningham gives toddlers a lively demonstration of the building blocks of learning. Full of spirited fun, this “first step” – LETTERS – is just right for very young children who are on the path to figuring out the world around them.
Jim, Who Ran Away from His Nurse and Was Eaten by a Lion
A treat for fans of ghastly gore and egregious endings. “Contains a Dangerous Beast and a Miserable End,” states a warning on the cover. But if you are strong of heart and like your humor a little on the dark side, jump right into the brilliant collaboration of the Edwardian humorist Hilaire Belloc, dead for the past 57 years, and the very much alive Mini Grey. Grey’s sly illustrations, clever type designs, amazing lift-the-flaps, and a roaring lion pop-up, not to mention her zoo map with hilarious Rules and Byelaws, make this edition of the classic cautionary tale a collectible to savor. Decidedly not a lift-the-flap for babies, it will lift the spirits of anyone with a well-developed sense of humor.
John Burningham’s Abc
Lively full-color illustrations accent a dazzling alphabet book that uses double-page spreads to highlight the upper- and lower-case versions of each letter, in a distinctive concept book first published in 1964.
Count Up: 2
Five Down: 2
Friend, The
Easy-to-read text and drawings describe a young boy’s relationship with his best friend Arthur.
Girl In A Cage
As English armies invade Scotland in 1306, eleven-year-old Princess Marjorie, daughter of the newly crowned Scottish king, Robert the Bruce, is captured by England’s King Edward Longshanks and held in a cage on public display.
Merlin
In flight from the magic visions that plague him, Merlin falls into the hands of the wodewose–wild folk who, according to legend, live in the company of wolves and devour children. But far from being wild, the wodewose are an enormous family of the unwanted, the abandoned, and the homeless. For once Merlin has found a place where an orphan like himself belongs.
This is the third book in the “Young Merlin Trilogy.”
Dragon’s Boy
“In order to gain wisdom, you must learn to read inter linea, between the lines.” Artos doesn’t know who his parents are, just that kindly Sir Ector and Lady Marion took him into their castle when he was a baby. Though Sir Ector raises him as one of his sons, Artos never feels he truly belongs. The other boys of the castle — Cai, Bedvere, and Lancot — make fun of him and never invite him to join in their games. One day, while searching for Sir Ector’s missing brachet hound in the fens around the castle, Artos stumbles across a musty cave in a hill where a very old dragon lives. Though he is afraid, he is drawn to the beast by both the dragon’s knowledge and his promise to teach Artos the game of wisdom. With the dragon’s guidance, Artos begins the slow journey to his destiny-one that he never dreamed could belong to him. Notable 1990 Children’s Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)

