Fiction

Horton Hears A Who!

Horton, the lovable elephant, tries to protect tiny creatures on a speck of dust. An easy reader with delightful verse and pictures. Full-color illustrations. Ages 4-8.

Format: Hardcover, 58pp. ISBN: 0394800788 Publisher: Random House, Incorporated Pub. Date: May 1976 Recommend Age Range: 4 to 7

Surely among the most lovable of all Dr. Seuss creations, Horton the Elephant represents kindness, trustworthiness, and perseverance--all wrapped up, thank goodness, in a comical and even absurd package. Horton hears a cry for help from a speck of dust, and spends much of the book trying to protect the infinitesimal creatures who live on it from the derision and trickery of other animals, who think their elephant friend has gone quite nutty. But worse is in store: an eagle carries away the clover in which Horton has placed the life-bearing speck, and "let that small clover drop somewhere inside / of a great patch of clovers a hundred miles wide!" Horton wins in the end, after persuading the "Who's" to make as much noise as possible and prove their existence. This classic is not only fun, but a great way to introduce thoughtful children to essentially philosophical questions. How, after all, are we so sure there aren't invisible civilizations floating by on every mote? (Ages 4 to 8) --Richard Farr

Horton Hatches the Egg (Classic Seuss)

It's the talk of the jungle when an elephant hatches an egg. Extravagant nonsense and rollicking verse. Full-color illustrations.

Format: Hardcover, 54pp. ISBN: 039480077x Publisher: Random House, Incorporated Pub. Date: May 1976 Recommend Age Range: 4 to 8

Poor Horton. Dr. Seuss's kindly elephant is persuaded to sit on an egg while its mother, the good-for-nothing bird lazy Maysie, takes a break. Little does Horton know that Maysie is setting off for a permanent vacation in Palm Springs. He waits, and waits, never leaving his precarious branch, even through a freezing winter and a spring that's punctuated by the insults of his friends. ("They taunted. They teased him. They yelled 'How Absurd! Old Horton the Elephant thinks he's a bird!'") Further indignities await, but Horton has the patience of Job--from whose story this one clearly derives--and he is rewarded in the end by the surprise birth of... an elephant-bird. Horton Hatches the Egg contains some of Theodor Geisel's most inspired verse and some of his best-ever illustrations, the dated style of which only accentuates their power and charm. A book no childhood should be without. (Ages 2 to 7) --Richard Farr

There Is a Bird On Your Head! (Elephant and Piggie)

In There is a Bird on Your Head!, Gerald discovers that there is something worse than a bird on your head- two birds on your head! Can Piggie help her best friend?

I Love My Mama

Oliver (I Can Read Book 1)

Oliver has always wanted to be a dancing elephant, but what will he do when he discovers the circus already has enough elephants? Beginning readers will laugh out loud as they follow Oliver's adventures and find out how this elephant of unique charm and talent finally achieves his dream. Now available in full color!

Bonjour, Babar!: The Six Unabridged Classics by the Creator of Babar

Seven decades after Babar was born, the world is still very much in love with the noble elephant. Before his untimely death at age 37, Jean de Brunhoff wrote and illustrated six stories about Babar and his friends and family. In this exquisite gift edition, every one of these stories is included, with not a word or picture left out. From The Story of Babar--in which the elephant is born, loses his mother, runs off to Paris, and returns to be crowned king--through The Travels of Babar, Babar the King, Babar and Zephir, Babar and His Children, and Babar and Father Christmas, the beloved pachyderm's incredible life adventures are chronicled for our reading pleasure. In his introduction, picture book author-illustrator Kevin Henkes writes, "Where else could one find a balloon accident, a deadly poison mushroom, a runaway carriage, an extraordinary flying machine, a snake attack, fire, war, death, birth? These books are full of adventure and fantasy, but they also deal with the stuff of real life. And I'm convinced children long to see both the dark and the light sides of human experience reflected in their books just as much as adults do, perhaps more." Adults who truly wish to share the joys of the classics with the children in their lives could do no better than to present them with this grand collection. (Ages 4 and older) --Emilie Coulter

In 1931 Jean de Brunhoff created Babar, a little elephant who walked out of the jungle and into the hearts of civilized readers the world over. Widely recognized as the father of the picture book, Jean de Brunhoff wrote and illustrated six Babar stories before his early death in 1937. Every word and every picture of these classics is included in this big, inviting gift edition.

I Am Invited to a Party! (Elephant and Piggie)

Best-selling picture book creator Mo Willems continues hischarming Elephant and Piggie first reader series. The books feature two lovable and funny characters: an optimistic (andsometimes reckless) pig and a cautious, pessimistic elephant.Children whosat on their parents' laps to have Pigeon read to them will eagerly takethe plunge with these books to start reading on their own.Each book hasbeen vetted by an early learning specialist.These sweet and surprisingstories are a much-needed breath of fresh air in the early reader arena.In I Am Invited to a Party!Piggie is invited to her first party.Shedoesn't know what to wear, though, so she asks her best friend Elephant forhelp.Elephant's advice is odd to say the least, so Piggie will try on allsorts of zany outfits before finally arriving at the party for a hilarioussurprise.

Horton Hears a Who Pop-up!

This pop-up adaptation of the popular Seuss story is published in conjunction with the release of the long-awaited animated feature film Horton Hears a Who! Unlike other pop-up adaptations that use text abridgments, this book contains the complete text of Horton Hears a Who! David A. Carter has skillfully followed Seuss’s signature pacing by alternating five big, blow-out pop-ups with 11 booklets, pull tabs galore, and many special effects. In all, ten glorious spreads bring this classic to life in magnificent full color. Also available in a deluxe limited edition with a special pop-up, a full-cloth binding and full-cloth slipcase, signed and numbered by David A. Carter.

Uncle Elephant (I Can Read Book 2)

While his mother and father are away, a little elephant goes to visit his uncle. And what a time they have! Uncle Elephant makes wishes come true, tells amazing stories, and trumpets the dawn. The visit is perfect, except for one thing-it ends much too soon.

The Story of Babar (Babar Books (Random House))

The Story of Babar--the early adventures of the enduring, endearing elephant--was written in 1931 by French writer Jean de Brunhoff (1899-1937). Since then, it has been translated into at least 12 languages. It's amazing how much can happen to one little elephant in the course of one little book: Babar loses his mother to a hunter, wanders into the city, gets a new wardrobe, becomes the hit of high society, marries his cousin Céleste (totally acceptable in contemporary Elephantine society), and is crowned King of the Elephants.

The Story of Babar is essentially the tale of a country boy who comes to the city and, while there, comes of age. In the end, he returns home to share his knowledge and experiences with family and friends. The beautiful, delightfully detailed illustrations--de Brunhoff was a painter by trade--never fail to amuse. (Although none of the characters seem to notice, the sight of Babar in a suit leaning against the mantel while he regales his audience with tales of the jungle is plainly hilarious.) All of the Babar books are notable for their ability to tell larger stories with simplicity and style, and The Story of Babar is no exception. Potentially troubling moments--the death of Babar's mother, for example--are handled with taste, emphasizing Babar's unique gift for uncovering a silver lining in the most persistent of clouds. (Ages 4 to 8, though the cursive writing makes it best for reading aloud.)

The classic first story about literature’s most beloved pachyderm. After his mother is killed by a hunter, Babar avoids capture by escaping to the city, where he is befriended by the kindly Old Lady. He becomes educated and cultured and, upon his return to the great forest, is crowned King of the Elephants. Translated from Jean de Brunhoff's original French, the adventures of the world's most popular elephant and his friends have enchanted an three generations. Delightfully amusing illustrations make this short collection of classic Babar tales a book to treasure for children young and old.