A witch who used to be mean but is now merely grumpy is determined to make a bowl of miso soup with clams. But her clams sleep and snore so peacefully, she can't quite bring herself to dump them in the boiling water. Instead, she goes to the marketplace and tries to raise money to take them back to the beach, where they belong. Written and illustrated by Naomi Kojima, the Singing Shijimi Clams is a delicate tale of determination, ingenuity and kindness. Hardcover, 32 pages. Launch date: September 2006.