This historical fiction/fantasy mash-up explores romance and the afterlife, set during the chaos of the Russion Revolution. Offering an imaginitive explanation for the whereabouts of Princess Anastasia and Prince Alex when the rest of their family was murdered, author Laura Whitcomb creates a world in between worlds where Calder, a Fetch, attends the dying and excorts souls to heaven. This romance with Christian themes escalates when Calder and the young royals are pursued by the malicious Rasputin and a host of lost souls. Ultimately, goodness and love prevail. This book received a Booklist starred review
Simple, fast-paced rhymes and watercolor illustrations tell this story about a group of mice delivering valentines to the other woodland creatures on a snowy day. The adventure escalates when the smallest mouse gets left behind. He's found just in time for a warm Valentine's Day group hug. This book comes in a durable board book format with decorative red foil accents. Written by Bethany Roberts, illustrated by Doug Cushman.
This book explores the everyday life of babies and their families. A multi-cultural cast of characters experiences the joy, exhaustion, and love that plays out during a typical day just being a family. Gentle rhymes and pencil and watercolor illustrations tell this tale that is ultimately about love. In the send-a-story format, you can affix three postage stamps to the book and send it to someone in the mail, no packaging required. Written by Susan Meyers, illustrated by Marla Frazee.
This reasurring tale explores the bond between parent and child. A little fox named Small asks his parent if he will be loved, no matter how gruesome his behavior. As Small's scenarios become increasingly unpleasant, his parent is unwavering in his expression of love for his child. In the send-a-story format, you can affix three postage stamps to the book and send it to someone in the mail, no packaging required. Written by Debi Gliori
Easy rhymes and soft watercolors tell the story of a little lamb's birthday and the surprises he gets from his loved ones throughout the day. The book explores the loving relationship between parent and child and also the natural progression of the day. In the send-a-story format, you can affix three postage stamps to the book and send it to someone in the mail, no packaging required. Written by Joanne Ryder, illustrated by Melissa Sweet.
This book about friendship and love can be sent to friends or relatives in the mail, no packaging needed. Written by Sandol Stoddard Warburg and illustrated by Jacqueline Chwast, this book is unabridged from its original format — but now, you can affix three stamps and drop it in the mail.
Young readers can help Curious George and his friends celebrate with decorating, baking, and card making. Ruby-red foil and fold-out flaps provide interesting textures and colors for children to explore while reading.
In this lovely classic, written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Jane Dyer, parents of shapes and sizes from mouse to human urge their little ones to sleep. Hardcover, 32 pages. — This was a best-selling book in 2010, said Gladys Griffin, owner of the Main Street Toy Shop in Columbus, Ga.
This 48-page paperback written by H.A. Rey tells how little Curious George aids a boy with his paper delivery route and causes quite a bit of trouble. Launch date: August 31, 1973. — Two of 44 specialty retailers name "Curious George" when asked about best-selling books in late 2009, referencing a trend toward classic titles.
After "Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich" (2006), he decides to get married and plan an elegant featuring his favorite monsters and best man Dracula. His bride, only recently dead and revived, must battle her parents' frustration with having to pay for her wedding just days after coughing up the cash for her funeral. In this lushly illustrated and imaginative picture book by Adam Rex, the monsters get to blog, rhyme, appear in classic cartoons, create mayhem and complain about the difficulties of life. And death. Launch date: 2008.
Katsa's extreme skill or "Grace" is the skill of killing — something she's long been carrying out on behalf of her uncle. But meeting Prince Po brings a special friendship into her life, and she comes face to face with a truth about her own skill, as well as an awful secret that could bring destruction to the kingdoms. Launch date: October 2008.
Once called a "musical Dr. Seuss," Jim Copp recorded nine children's albums from 1958 to 1971. These critically acclaimed, clever rhyming stories told through song won Copp many passionate fans. Now his most popular characters — Kate Higgins, Miss Goggins and the gorilla, and Martha Matilda O'Toole — hop, stomp and skip to life on the pages of the "Jim Copp, Will You Tell Me a Story?" picture book illustrated by Lindsay DuPont.T he book comes with a CD featuring three of Jim Copp's original recordings. Hardcover, 56 pages, color. Launch date: September 2008.
This wonderfully illustrated book includes the words to the famous poem, “Twas the Night before Christmas.” Written by Clement C. Moore in 1822, the poem remains a holiday classic. Parents will enjoy rediscovering it with their kids. Launch date: September 26, 2005. — This book is popular with customers at Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska, according to Operations Manager Susan Miller.
By Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel, this book of letters and newspaper clippings outlines questions that dogs in despair send to an expert canine columnist. Mr. Mutt gives them advice — on sleep, barking, holiday dress-up, etc. — while battling letters from a cat who thinks she’s pure royalty. Launch date: April 2008.
In this hardcover book, mermaids, centaurs, firebirds and other mythological creatures are highlighted through Julie Larios’ poetry and paintings by Julie Paschkis. Various cultures and legends are covered in the end notes. Launch date: April 2008.
This paperback includes nearly 150 pages of poetry and black-and-white illustrations by Douglas Florian, including poems “Digital Dude,” “The Last Piece of Cake” and “Open Mind.” Launch date: April 2008.
Written and illustrated by Marla Frazee, this book follows friends James and Eamon on their comical summer adventures at “Nature Camp,” as they stay at Eamon’s grandparents’ house and — for the most part — enjoy their time indoors. “Frazee’s funny illustrations, at times completely contradictory to the text, capture the very essence of summer freedom and what it means to be a kid,” Associate Director of Publicity Sarah Shealy of Harcourt Children’s Books told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2008.
Once, computer genius Cadel Piggot was going to take over the world. Now he's stuck in foster care. In this sequel to the highly-acclaimed "Evil Genius," the Axis Institute for World Domination has been blown up. Dr. Phineas Darkkon is dead. Prosper English is in jail awaiting trial. And Cadel is a boy without a country, caught in a sea of red tape, mired in foster care — until he is approached by a secret organization of other teen whiz kids whose stated goal is to bring down GenoME, one of Darkkon's pet projects. They offer Cadel a real home and all the technology his heart desires. But can they be trusted? "'Genius Squad' appeals to lovers of mystery and suspense, with compelling characters and a high-energy plot," Associate Director of Publicity Barbara Fisch of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2008.
A spell that gets you land, money, long golden hair, or a date to the prom can't be a curse, can it? A curse just gets you dead. Or does it? In these 10 stunning short stories, boys and girls learn firsthand just what magic spells, enchantments and curses really can do. Launch date: September 2007.
In soothing rhyme, bestselling author Mem Fox explores the sleeping habits of our favorite inhabitants from the world of fairy tales. Vladimir Radunsky fills a dreamy, picturesque landscape with surprising and fun details. Fairies, wizards, goblins and children all find peace under the same bright moon. Launch date: October 2007.
In this book by Kathryn Reiss, 15-year-old Juliana discovers unsettling parallels to her past as she tries to solve a murder mystery in an artists’ colony in England. Launch date: October 2007.
Living in a new town with her widowed father, Evie doesn’t trust in fairy tales and curses, but strange things are happening in Beaumont. Evie meets a boy who says he’s dead, and only the two of them can see and experience the mysterious tree that grows from a seed the boy received as a birthday gift.
In this comical graphic picture book by Adam Rex, a little girl’s visit to the zoo reveals that the animals there want some crazy things — tires, bicycle helmets, paint and corn, to name a few. “Adam Rex is a rising young talent whose most recent book was “Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich,” a New York Times bestseller. His inventive and comic illustrations appeal to adults and children alike,” Associate Director of Publicity Barbara Fisch told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2007.
This hardcover novel by Ursula K. Le Guin is the third in the Annals of the Western Shore series. Young Gav can remember the page of a book after seeing it once, and he sometimes “remembers” future occurrences. As a loyal slave, he must keep these powers secret, but when a terrible tragedy occurs, Gav, blinded by grief, flees the only world he has ever known. And in what becomes a treacherous journey for freedom, his greatest test of all is facing his powers so that he can come to understand himself and finally find a true home. Launch date: September 2007.
