“We make a cake, We bake a cake, And send it on its way! “Beloved characters from classic nursery rhymes — everyone from Humpty Dumpty to Little Bo Peep to Old King Cole — collaborate to bake the most perfect, towering, delicious cake . . . and roll it along to its special recipient — the birthday boy or girl! Mark Sperring’s spare but sweet text combined with Jonathan Langley’s bright, timeless artwork make for a fun, read-aloud book that allows readers to pick out their favorite nursery rhyme characters in the illustrations. Ideal for birthdays . . . or any occasion!
Europe
Materials from Europe
I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go To Bed (Charlie And Lola)
Charlie helps Lola get ready for bed, despite the tigers, whales, and other animals that serve as obstacles.
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
“Nothing ever happens here,” the shepherd thinks. But the bored boy knows what would be exciting: He cries that a wolf is after his sheep, and the town’s people come running. How often can that trick work, though?B.G. Hennessy’s retelling of this timeless fable is infused with fanciful whimsy through Boris Kulikov’s hilarious and ingenious illustrations. This tale is sure to leave readers grinning sheepishly.
Tam Lin
A retelling of the old Scottish ballad in which a young girl rescues the human knight Tam Lin from his bondage to the Elfin Queen.
Arthur and the Sword
A retelling of the events that culminated in Arthur’s ascent to the throne depicts his dramatic removal of Uther’s sword from the stone and is accompanied by illustrations made to look like stained glass. Children’s BOMC Alt.
Pirate Treasure Map: A Fairytale Adventure
The creators of FAIRYTALE NEWS mix up favorite tales in a comical quest with a pull-out treasure map.Little Jack Hubbard can’t wait to set sail with Cap’n Horatio Hubbard on a hunt for long-lost treasure. But the ship’s wolfish crew are suspiciously big and bad, and soon Jack is diving into the waves to rescue a valuable treasure map. All seems lost until Jack is saved by the Owl and the Pussycat (in a beautiful pea-green boat) and passes a witch’s gingerbread cottage, where two kids are caught in a culinary plot. . . . With the help of a handy removable map, readers will happily follow Jack’s path to the treasure through a fractured-fairytale land.
The Gingerbread Man
From the moment he jumps out of mother mouse’s oven, the Gingerbread Man is on the run. He is faster than father mouse, faster than the mouse’s children, even faster than the hare. If it weren’t for a certain deep river and a crafty old fox, the naughty Gingerbread Man would still be running. John Rowe’s delightful illustrations makes this old story jump with humor and new life to delight a new generation of readers. Full color.
The Mightiest Heart
Who can resist a story about a dog who so loved his master that he gave up his life? This exquisitely illustrated tale, based on the legend of Llywelyn, a thirteenth-century Welsh prince, and his loyal hound, Gelert, will keep young readers and listeners spellbound. Laurel Long joins the ranks of today’s premier illustrators in her debut, adding incredible power to Lynn Cullen’s spare but emotionally charged text. Each picture is like a precious treasure, revealing painstaking attention to detail, breathtaking color, and characters whose mutual love transcends the pages of this marvelous book. The Mightiest Heart is sure to be one of the best gifts to give young readers this fall. Lynn Cullen, author of several popular middle-grade novels, researched this story in Wales, where a monument to Gelert still stands. Laurel Long makes an outstanding debut as a picture book illustrator.
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
This book retells the folktale about three billy goats who trick a troll that lives under a bridge.
More About Boy: Roald Dahl’s Tales from Childhood
More About Boy is the expanded story of Roald Dahl’s childhood, with his original text augmented by never-before-seen material from behind the scenes, and some of the secrets that were left out.
Starting-point — Papa and Mama — More about Mama — Kindergarten, 1922/3 — A grand time — Llandaff Cathedral School, 1923/5 (age 7/9) — The bicycle and the sweet-shop — The great mouse plot — A life without sweets — Going to Norway — The magic island — A visit to the doctor — The last lap — St. Peter’s, 1925/9 (age 9-13) — First day — Writing home — The matron — Homesickness — A drive in the motor-car — The Maccano chariot — Captain Hardcastle — How I became a writer — Little Ellis and the boil — Goat’s tobacco — Repton and Shell, 1929/36 (age 13/20) — Getting dressed for the big school — Boazers — Painful punishments — The headmaster — Chocolates — Horrid little boys and girls — Corkers — Fagging — That awful cold bath — Games and photography — Goodbye school — P.S — Excerpt from Going solo — A Dahl-tastic quiz.