A squirrel named Micawber loves the paintings he sees through the windows of the nearby art museum. One day he notices an artist copying the old masters, and he decides to do the same — with surprising results. In their second collaboration, best-selling author-illustrator team John Lithgow and C. F. Payne introduce children to the world of art through the eyes — and paint-splattered tail — of a highly creative squirrel. Micawber, a squirrel fascinated by art, leaves a museum with an art student and secretly uses her supplies to make his own paintings.
— Emily Bieritz, manager of The Toy Box in Amherst, Mass., told TDmonthly in a December 2014 interview that Micawber is one of the best-selling books at their store.

Author Lara Bergen and illustrator Betsy Snyder tell the tale of an eco-conscious superhero in this lift-the-flap board book. Kids who read the book will learn that with a little super-imagination, trash can become treasure. Parents can visit publisher Simon and Schuster’s site to download activities and crafts based on the book.
— Bob Walch of Book Loons exclaimed, “This picture book practices what it preaches — it is made from 100% recycled material!” He praised the conscience-raising storyline but cautioned that the recycled paper may cause some flaps to tear easily.
— San Francisco Book Review’s Kaye Cloutman recommended the book as a kid-friendly way to explain what happens to trash and why recycling matters. She added that kids will be attracted to the transformations from trash to treasure achieved by the flaps.

In this story, presented as a 32-page hardcover, a little boy points out all the things his father knows, including the names of clouds and which insects are "buzziest." In rhyming verse, i's written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch. Launch date: April 27, 2010.

This book by Marcie Aboff and Emma Forrester includes space for kids to draw creatively. “This book’s most defining characteristic is that it’s 400 pages, making it a great value,” Director of Publicity Paul Crichton of Simon & Schuster told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 7, 2007.

Written by Jennifer Armstrong and illustrated by David Small, this book follows the crazy series of events set off by a street performer’s pet monkey throwing a banana peel aside one sunny day. Launch date: October 2006.

Twelve-year-old Sumiko feels her life has been made up of two parts: before Pearl Harbor and after it. After the horrific event, Sumiko and her family find themselves being shipped to an internment camp in the desert. Newbery Medal-winning author Cynthia Kadohata explores an important and painful topic through the eyes of a girl who longs to belong. This book received the 2007 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award. Launch date: April 2006.

This 320-page hardcover book – the first-ever authorized sequel to J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan” – is written by award-winning author Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Scott M. Fischer. Set in the 1930s, “Peter Pan in Scarlet” takes readers flying back to Neverland in an adventure filled with tension, danger, and swashbuckling derring-do. Launch date: October 2006.

Taking up where the No. 1 New York Times best-selling serial, “The Spiderwick Chronicles” left off, the Field Guide begins with a thoughtful and informative introduction, progressing through six exhaustive sections featuring 31 faerie species, and culminating with an addendum that includes observations supplied by Jared Grace. It delivers enough information to satisfy even the most demanding faerie enthusiast. Not only will readers learn the habits and habitats of the 14 fantastical creatures, they also will be delighted and astonished by an additional 17 creatures. Also included are dozens of snippets from Arthur Spiderwick’s personal journal as well as cameos from a few series favorites.

Here is the book that started the bugs phenomenon, in mini-form. Inside each bright box are bugs to count from one to 10. Bug fans will laugh and learn as they lift open the boxes and find colorful, comical bugs that pop out, run, eat — and even swim! “How Many Bugs in a Box?” will keep children counting over and over again.
— “Coming out with a mini-edition is a great idea,” said Russell Frazier, Head Honcho at Frazier Books, Cincinnati. “The newest generation gets a chance at this one in a new way.”
— “'How Many Bugs in a Box' always sells well, and I expect the latest version to do the same,” Courtney Vincent-Jardin, owner of Well-Read Books in Baltimore, explained.
— “I expect this to sell well,” commented Manny Braddock, owner of Braddock’s Books in Philadelphia.

Matthew Reinhart's resplendent retelling of “Cinderella” comes to life with intricate pop-ups, foil, ribbons, acetate and amazing dimensional surprises. The stunning transformation of a pumpkin into a magnificent coach, a rat into a coachman, and Cinderella into a beautiful princess is pure magic.
— “Totally awesome,” burbled Catherine Tollman, co-owner of the Sir Read-A-Lot Book Store, St. Louis. “I had to get one for my inner little girl. It’s better than the movie. And I love the movie.”
— “It’s selling well to girls, particularly the younger ones,” reported Edward Bench, manager of Oklahoma City’s Beautiful Readers bookstore.
— “Matthew Reinhart is very talented, and getting better and better with each book,” pointed out the owner of Indianapolis’ Dots And Dashes, Sandy Beckett.

This is a counting book for the younger set that features nighttime animals, including owls, foxes and other denizens of the moonlit times. Release date: June 2006.
— “I’m looking forward to this book,” said Bobbie Wixen, buyer for Too Many Books in Columbus, Ohio. “Counting books always do well.”
— “Simon & Schuster are always bankable,” explained Amanda Weis, owner of Weis Books in Miami.
— “The illustrator, Robin Koontz, is coming out with two books next year, which always bodes well,” remarked Deborah Mullins-Smith, manager of B-Books, Detroit.

Robert Sabuda's dazzling pop-ups illustrate a tale that highlights the wonders of a winter landscape. The paper constructions are amazing: an owl soars off the page; a cave lifts and opens to show a family of foxes concealed within; and a waterfall cascades into a rushing river where a bear darts forward to catch the fish that swim above the water's surface. All of the animals are sculpted out of flat white paper, making them stand out against the more colorful woodsy backdrops.
— “Amazing!” gushed Peggy Wilcox, manager of the children’s section of the Boise, Idaho, Barnes & Noble. “I bought four myself for Christmas presents. They’re rethinking the whole idea of children’s books.”
— “The best seller I have, bar none,” responded Douglas Gronsky, owner of The Book Club in Boston. “It’s so beautiful, no one can resist it, young or old.”
— “[It’s] inspired by Sabuda’s childhood,” explained Donna Walcott, owner of Donna’s Books in Panama City Beach, Fla. “The final scene is the most amazing pop-up I’ve ever seen.”

Inspired by the #1 leading boys' electronics toy brand worldwide, this series combines the humor of Lemony Snicket with the high-tech cool of Mission: Impossible. The Spy Gear series takes place in modern day suburbia and focuses on the adventures of four friends who set out to solve a myriad of mysteries after discovering an abandoned warehouse stocked with surveillance equipment. The first two titles of the series are "The Secret of Stoneship Woods" and "The Massively Multiplayer Mystery."