With her teenage sister’s birthday rapidly approaching, five-year-old Lori, a young Mexican-American girl, sets out to find the perfect gift for Cookie, only to end up with special surprise of her very own.
Birthday
A Birthday Basket for Tia
With the help of her cat, Chica, Cecilia prepares a special gift in honor of her great-aunt’s ninetieth birthday, a celebration basket filled with things to remind Tia of the wonderful moments that she and Cecilia have shared.
My Little Car
Teresa loves to show off her shiny, new, pedal-powered lowrider car from Grandpa, but the toy soon looks old when she neglects it. When it helps her escape from a neighborhood dog, she is reminded of how much she loves it. And her grandpa is just the person to help her fix it up. After all, he’s old, too, but he’s still fun to play with. This shows kids that it’s important to take care of the things (and people) you love.
Mice and Beans
In this tale Rosa Maria spends the week getting ready for her granddaughter’s birthday party and trying to avoid attracting mice–unaware that the mice in her walls are preparing for a party of their own.
Yoon and the Jade Bracelet
Yoon wants a jump rope for her birthday so she can play with the other girls in the school yard. Instead, Yoon’s mother gives her a Korean storybook about a silly girl who is tricked by a tiger. Yoon also receives a jade bracelet that once belonged to her grandmother. The next day at school, a girl offers to teach Yoon how to jump rope, but for a price — she wants to borrow the jade bracelet. When Yoon tries to get her bracelet back, the girl swears it belongs to her. Yoon must use the lessons learned in her storybook and her “Shining Wisdom” to retrieve the precious keepsake.
In this third book featuring Yoon, lush impressionistic dreamscapes evoke a simple and timeless message: it is possible to trick a tiger.
Take a closer look at Yoon and the Jade Bracelet as examined in WOW Review.
The Entomological Tales of Augustus T. Percival: Petronella Saves Nearly Everyone
You would think Petronella’s sixteenth birthday would be cause for celebration. After all, fashionable friends are arriving at her country estate near London, teas are being served, and her coming out party promises to be a resplendent affair. Everything is falling nicely into place, until, suddenly—it isn’t. For Petronella discovers that her guardian, Uncle Augustus T. Percival, has developed a most unVictorian compulsion: He must eat bugs. Worse still, because he is her guardian, Uncle Augustus is to attend her soiree and his current state will most definitely be an embarrassment. During the festivities, when Petronella would much rather be sharing pleasantries with handsome Lord James Sinclair (swoon), important guests are disappearing, kidnapping notes are appearing, many of the clues are insects, and Uncle Augustus is surreptitiously devouring evidence. It’s more than one sixteen-year-old girl should have to deal with. But, truth be told, there is far more yet to come . . .
Big Rabbit’s Bad Mood
Big Rabbit is in a very bad mood, and though he tries to make it go away, nothing he does seems to work.
Sophie Hits Six
As Sophie approaches her sixth birthday, she receives a new pet from her great-aunt Al and makes a new friend who lives on a farm and who just happens to have a new litter of puppies. By the author of Sophie’s Snail.
Melrose and Croc: An Adventure to Remember
Melrose has planned a wonderful birthday for his best friend, Croc: a vacation at a villa right by the ocean. Melrose wants everything to be perfect, especially the gift, so he decides to take a boat out on the sea to catch Croc a birthday fish. But when a blustery storm rolls in, Melrose is in danger. It’s up to his loyal friend Croc to come to the rescue—but can he get there in time?
Little Ballet Star
Tilly is just like a real ballerina. The only thing that could make her day even more thrilling? The chance to shine on stage! This charming story captures the delight and anticipation of attending an actual ballet, and makes a perfect gift for every aspiring ballerina.
Readers are invited to join Tilly for her special birthday treat as she discovers the bustle and excitement behind the scenes at a real ballet performance. From backstage warm-ups, to a trip to the dressing room, to an unexpected wardrobe change—