A strangely shaped, plush blue fellow with suspenders is attached to Sophie's family's new couch. It seems like absolutely nothing will remove him, not even a boisterous bagpipe performance--not even the plunger! The family consults with the doctor, who says that he needs to get out more, so the entire family takes the couch and its permanent passenger to the Grand Canyon, the beach, and Washington, DC. Will any of these exotic locales get him off the couch?

Like a hive of energetic bees, multiple pairs of interrelated images race through this crazy, bustling, wordless picture book devoted to the study of opposing vantage-points. Each picture--be it a young girl practicing cello and watching a paper airplane soar outside the window, a penguin biking across a deserted highway, or a chick poking its beak through the page--has a corresponding opposite, or "other side." A combination of sweet, humorous, sad, and slapstick images converge to make up an entertaining roller coaster of mini-experiences. Istvan Banyai's characteristic stylized illustrations consist of B&W graphite/digital imagery.

The acclaimed author of "Black? White? Day? Night?" gives an entirely fresh presentation of the concepts of transformation and creativity in this book with simple die-cuts that magically present change from seed to flower, tadpole to frog, and caterpillar to butterfly.

With two die-cut bites on its side, special endpapers, and a brand-new piece of artwork, this eye-catching edition of Bruel's popular cat tail is sure to be devoured.

A little girl opens an umbrella on a snowy day--and the sun shines out from inside and flowers spring from the frozen ground! Jump ahead to spring, where the magical un-brella provides snow for snow angels and sledding across the green grass. Newcomer Scott Franson's accomplished clever visual storytelling artwork showcases imagination, exploration--and a little bit of magic.

Putting up with a new baby brother is not fair! Mom and Dad do everything for him, while older sister has to manage by herself! But could it be that sometimes being older isn't so bad? A big sister begins to see the ups as well as the downs of having a new sibling.

Clever cutouts in the pages make a simple, original, and utterly beguiling introduction to color. Laura Vaccaro Seeger, whose The Hidden Alphabet dazzled critics and readers alike, introduces young children to color in this unique concept book with die cuts. The opening spread features a big, bright red lemon and the simple text, "Lemons are not RED." When the spread is turned an equally bright yellow lemon appears ("Lemons are YELLOW") across from a luscious red apple ("Apples are RED"). And so it goes, from carrots that are not purple through reindeer that are not white, et al. The book ends with "The moon is not BLACK / The moon is SILVER / The night is BLACK / Good night! And the reader sees a tranquil night landscape and a house with the lights turned out.

If Little Pea doesn't eat all of his sweets, there will be no vegetables for dessert. Children who have trouble swallowing their veggies will love the way this picture book serves up a playful story they can relate to.

Move over, Eloise and Olivia. Make room for SkippyjonJones, a Siamese kittenboy who can't resign himself to being an ordinary cat. Having a time-out in his room, he resorts to his imagination. Taking on the superhero persona of the great Spanish sword fighter Skippito, he has the adventure of his life, and readers are invited along. Zany, wild, and over-the-top, this utterly original book truly begs to be read aloud. With the jiggly, effervescent outlines she used in I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie, the smudgy, tender expressiveness of The Grannyman, and a text worthy of a sitcom, Judith Byron Schachner has created a new cat character for all ages. Ole!

Cat tries out hugs from different animals but finds he likes the hug from his baby brother best of all.

Through harmony and rhythm, resonance and pitch, Ann Rand inspires readers to listen to the tuneful play of her text as it sings off each page. Illustrated with graphic designer Paul Rand's colorful, witty artwork, Sparkle and Spin is a children's classic (now happily available again through Chronicle Books) that reveals to young readers the power and music in the words they use every day.

This picture book depicts the start of a day in China--children are playing, an artist is painting, and people are exercising and meditating. Each page is a snapshot and the final spread collects them all to give a panorama of daily life in China.

Olives, trees, pickles, peas . . . What do they have in common? All of them are green! In her debut picture book, Laurie Rosenwald explores the world of color through humorous poetry and dynamic collages. More than just an introduction to basic colors, this book shows how colors interact and enrich our everyday lives. Clever rhyming text and bold, graphic illustrations are sure to make this book a favorite read-aloud.

Frank was a monster who wanted to dance. So he put on his hat, and his shoes made in France... and opened a jar and put ants in his pants! So begins this monstrously funny, deliciously disgusting, horrifyingly hilarious story of a monster who follows his dream. Keith Graves' wacky illustrations and laugh-out-loud text will tickle the funny bone and leave readers clamoring for an encore.

Laura Vaccaro Seeger's highly praised concept books have introduced children to colors, opposites, emotions, and the alphabet. Now she guides children on the first steps to reading with three sweet, funny stories about a stuffed bear and a frisky dachshund who happen to be best friends. Simple, engaging texts and bright, colorful pictures make this a perfect book for emergent readers to read by themselves or to share with friends. And in Dog and Bear, readers will discover two chaming characters, ready to take their place on the shelves next to Henry and Mudge, Frog and Toad, and George and Martha.

Meet Posey. She wears pink clothes, has a pink room, rides a pink bike, and prefers pink desserts. Everything in her pink world is just the way she likes it . . . but what if another color catches her eye? With adorable anime-like illustrations from Yukiko Kido, this book is sure to strike a chord with opinionated little girls and their parents.

I have a dog. Nothing exotic or special, just an ordinary dog. In fact, I always thought he was a boring dog. What I mean is, he can fetch, roll over, and shake hands, but mostly he sleeps and eats. Or so the little boy in this story thinks, until one morning when he opens the door a little early and sees his dog jump out of a limousine. That night he decides to follow his dog, and that's when the fun starts. Before he knows it, he has entered the little known world of doggy glamour. His dog, distinctly reminiscent of Humphrey Bogart, treats him to a nighttime adventure where he learns where dogs go to relax and sees what they do while their masters are fast asleep. A terrific read aloud, Nina Laden's story will have everyone captivated by the coolest dog around.

"Trucks bring ice cream. Trucks bring blocks, books and bulldozers, dolls and socks." Through mountains and flatlands, past deserts and towns, the trucks are rolling! With its rhyming text and bold illustrations, "Trucks Roll!" invites kids along on a day in a trucker's life and shows that many things we enjoy depend on the trucker's work.

A father-and-son team has created a delightful tale celebrating the relationship of an unlikely twosome who manage to find the strength in their partnership. On the surface, Bob the caterpillar and Otto the earthworm are bosom buddies, playing together and digging in the ground as though they were the same species. But when instincts propel them to change their routine, the two find themselves on completely different paths. Says Otto, "Life is good just where we are. Why would you want to go up there?""Because it's important," said Bob. And up the tree he went." Nick Bruel (Bad Kitty) lets readers see the simultaneous changes taking place via a split-screen format, which aptly contrasts their different work styles. An accessible introduction to the processes of nature, as well as a fitting tribute to enduring friendship.

From the weird and wonderful imagination of an amazing new artist comes an alphabet book like no other. Kids will delight in discovering animals from A to Z living together in an old Victorian mansion. They’ll meet an elephant in the ballroom playing with a model train, an octopus hanging from the foyer chandelier — and even a zebra enjoying a soak in the bathtub!

Using watercolours and coloured pencils, Wallace Edwards has created a bizarre and luxurious world, rich in texture and detail. An engaging mix of art and alphabet book, Alphabeasts provides the basis for hours of animated discussion and quiet contemplation.

In his first book for children, the renowned graphic designer combines bold, dynamic illustrations with a simple story that celebrates the imagination and the art of looking at the world in one's own way.

Kittys best friend and playmate Puppy stars in this zany companion to "Bad Kitty," in which Bruel combines the alphabet, a counting game, a whirlwind geography course, and a screamingly funny story.

Penguins sliding on their tummies and swimming in the sea! Penguins cuddling for warmth and hiding in the shade! A wide variety of these irresistibly charming animals from climates warm and cold dance across the pages of "Penguins, Penguins, Everywhere!" Award-winning author and artist Bob Barner combines colorful collage images and whimsical verse to make this a funny, bouncy, informative introduction to the world of penguins. The simple text makes this book perfect for the youngest readers, but the array of penguin facts including the "Penguin Parade" with information on all 17 penguin species makes it an ideal choice for older readers as well.

Rex, a tiny chameleon, is the class pet. Every day someone gets to take him home, along with a notebook for recording his adventures. How cool is that? But what' s really cool about Rex-- the book-- is that those exploits are depicted as though each classmate has actually done the artwork. In the course of 32 pages, Rex manages to go for a swim, fall out of a window, and get dressed up as Malibu Barbie. And at the end, readers are encouraged to invent their own adventures with Rex. . . .How cool is that?

Latkes are potato pancakes served at Hanukkah, and Lemony Snicket is an alleged children's author. For the first time in literary history, these two elements are combined in one book. A particularly irate latke is the star of The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming, but many other holiday icons appear and even speak: flashing colored lights, cane-shaped candy, a pine tree. Santa Claus is briefly discussed as well. The ending is happy, at least for some. People who are interested in any or all of these things will find this book so enjoyable it will feel as though Hanukkah were being celebrated for several years, rather than eight nights.