While on a dangerous quest which requires her to take the form of different wild animals, a selfish young girl learns about compassion and generosity.
Animals
Ophelia
As Ophelia rushes to comfort her friend Kevin, who is suffering from butterflies in the stomach, she meets up with various friends who misunderstand the problem, each one adding a new ailment and cure to the growing list.
Aesop’s Fables
Brad Sneed brings his zany and creative talents to the world of Aesop. In his signature style of tricky perspectives, amusing exaggerations, and rich, delicate watercolors, his animal characters are beautifully realistic and yet humorously human, as they mimic a wide range of human feelings . . . and foibles. The stories of Aesop have been told and retold over the centuries; in his lively adaptation Brad Sneed updates the language and infuses these fifteen stories with a sense of humor that children will enthusiastically enjoy. And once again, as in his popular alphabet book Picture a Letter, Brad has included a wordless bonus for sharp-eyed readers of all ages-a sixteenth tale told only in pictures is hidden somewhere between the covers.
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
Hamelin town has a plague of rats, and if something isn’t done soon, everyone will starve. The people vow to give up everything to rid the town of the rats. And so the help of the Pied Piper is enlisted to dispose of the nasty pests. He plays a sweet tune and the rats, dancing, follow the music to their end. But when the townsfolk refuse to pay the Piper, he takes up his flute and plays an even sweeter tune. This time, it’s the town’s children who follow.
The Jungle Grapevine
In his children’s book debut, fine artist Alex Beard brings to life an African savanna filled with humor and misunderstandings. When Bird mixes up something Turtle says, he accidentally starts a rumor about the watering hole drying up. One misunderstanding leads to another, with animals making their own hilarious assumptions. No one is hearing anything right, and soon the animals are in an uproar from one end of the jungle to the other. Elephant is trumpeting, Croc is snapping, and the Flamingos are fleeing! Beard’s story will have every child wondering if peace can ever be restored in the animal kingdom.
Muktar and the Camels
Muktar lives in an orphanage on the border of Kenya and Somalia. He daydreams about his old life with his family and especially tending to camels. One day, visitors arrive bearing books, and Muktar’s friend Ismail is excited; so is Muktar, but for a different reason—the visitors are riding on camels. Muktar quickly discovers that one of the animals is injured and realizes this is his chance to prove himself. If there is anything Muktar knows, it is camels. Through the eyes of an endearing protagonist whose love and respect for animals shines, this beautifully told story introduces young readers to another part of the world and way of life.
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.
Chief Rhino To The Rescue! (Whoops-A-Daisy World)
Chief Rhino is the bravest person in Whoops-a-Daisy World, so when he sees the flicker of flames in a window, he knows he must race to the rescue. If anyone can save the day, Chief Rhino can! In this new adventure from Whoops-a-Daisy World, children can spot their old friends from Doctor Meow’s Big Emergency in the background and make new friends, too. Sam Lloyd’s humorous, brightly colored art is thoroughly kid-friendly and will appeal to fans of Curious George and Richard Scarry’s Busytown books.
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.
A Ring Of Tricksters : Animal Tales From America, The West Indies, And Africa
Newbery Medalist Virginia Hamilton and National Book Award-winner Barry Moser join forces to tell 11 humorous trickster tales from the story ring of the slave trade. Following the migration of stories during the Plantation Era, Hamilton presents readers with a fascinating history of the first African Americans and the wonderful stories they brought with them to the West Indies and America.