General

A Time to Keep: The Tasha Tudor Book of Holidays

There were homemade valentines and Easter eggs, Fourth of July picnics and family birthdays. Thanksgiving brought visits from relatives -- so many, the children had to sleep in the barn! And finally there was Christmas, the best of all "times to keep," with handmade presents, an Advent calendar, and a "beautiful tree in a shine of candles."

Month by month, Tasha Tudor's delicate illustrations bring to life the holidays of an earlier time. A warm-hearted celebration of family and tradition, this treasury of "times to keep" will be cherished and enjoyed all year long.

If You Give a Pig a Party (If You Give...)

If you give a pig a party,she's going to ask for someballoons. When you give her the balloons, she'll want to decorate the house. When she's finished, she'll put on her favorite dress. Then she'll call all her friends -- Mouse, Moose, and more.

The little pig from If You Give a Pig a Pancake is back, and this time she wants to throw a great big party! Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond have created another winning story for this beloved character in the tradition of the best-selling If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

Curious George Complete Adventures Deluxe Book and CD Gift Set

This handsome gift set includes the top-selling The Complete
Adventures of Curious George plus an unabridged audio collection.
Featuring not only all seven original Curious George stories (Curious
George, Curious George Flies a Kite, Curious George Gets a Medal,
Curious George Goes to the Hospital, Curious George Rides a Bike,
Curious George Takes a Job, and Curious George Learns the
Alphabet), the special collector's edition also includes a bonus photo
album of the Reys, an introduction by Leonard Marcus, and an essay
by Dee Jones. The book is packaged with five CDs that include audio
recordings of the stories, available with and without turn signals, for
three and a half hours of entertainment. CDs are packaged in
reusable paper slipcase.

A Box of Treats: Five Little Picture Books about Lilly and Her Friends

Five little picture books about Lilly and her friends to share all year long.

I'm in Charge of Celebrations (Aladdin Picture Books)

From the highly acclaimed team of Byrd Baylor and Peter Parnall comes the story of a girl who shares her love for desert life as she tells of treasured experiences like dancing in the wind on Dust Devil Day or sleeping outside on a hot summer night during The Time of the Falling Stars. Baylor's radiant prose-poem and Parnall's exquisite illustrations combine to create a joyous celebration of the human spirit.

Yay, You! : Moving Out, Moving Up, Moving On

On the occasion of her son's graduation from high school, Sandra Boynton, the well-loved creator of books and cards featuring hippos, dinosaurs, and sheep, has written a celebratory book for "onwardly mobile" readers. Everyone on the planet will compare this title to Dr. Seuss's Oh, the Places You'll Go, and we will, too. Yes, they're both delightful, silly picture books with vaguely unidentifiable critters as the emcees, rejoicing in the reader's recent graduation or other success. Festive exclamation points abound, along with rhyming, and alternating cheering and questioning ("Now what will you do?"). But Sandra Boynton is Sandra Boynton, and Dr. Seuss is Dr. Seuss, and ne'er the twain shall meet. Boynton's more contemporary text and illustrations feature a cow doing yoga ("OOM") and a headphone-clad fellow listening to "great rock-and-roll," among her other trademark characters flying away under balloons, partaking of chocolate, and scrambling up mountains. A box on the first page with "CONGRATULATIONS" across the top and "To" and "From" below make it perfectly clear that this is a book for giving. Behind all the goofy faces and simple rhymes is a very real, very sweet sentiment of pride and support that any loving friend or family member will be glad to share with that special successful person, young or old. Boynton's style can be recognized a mile away in such classics as Dinos to Go, Hippos Go Berserk!, and Moo, Baa, La La La!. (All ages) --Emilie Coulter

Moving Out, Moving Up, Moving On

For new graduates, or for anyone facing imminent change, here is profound insight, bold inspiration, and truly ensloxifying advice. Also an occasional hippo. No wombats.

What's more, Yay,You! will not overstress the weary mind. It's nice and short, with lots of pictures, no chapters, no index, no graphs, no study questions, and not a single Suggestion for Further Reading.

Portable, colorful, and low in saturated fats, this is truly the perfect gift for that special onwardly-mobile someone.

There are so many choices. The world is immense. Take a good look around and decide what makes sense...

My Weird School #16: Ms. Coco Is Loco! (My Weird School)

It's Poetry Month! And Ms. Coco, who runs the gifted and talented program, is poetry crazy! She cries when she sees a sunset! She thinks boys should have feelings! She talks in rhyme! All the time! Will A.J.'s life ever be normal again?

Flower Fairies Magical Moonlight Feast (Flower Fairies Friends)

In this beautiful new addition to the Flower Fairies Friends series, the fairies are planning a last-minute midnight feast, but thereÂ’s one problem. How will the guests find their way through the forest? Turn the pages of this lavish picture book and discover beautiful newly commissioned artwork and sweet little pop-ups on every page. Flip to the final spread and prepare to be amazed by a fantastic pop-up scene with built-in dancing lights.

Around the Year

Two-time Caldecott honor artist Tasha Tudor invites readers to celebrate the many joys of family life throughout the year. Although her verses and quaint ink and watercolor illustrations depict Tudor's signature idyllic New England scenes, her embrace of fundamentals such as friendship, togetherness, and fun are universal. From January to December, each month is marked by four pages of illustrations (black and white spreads alternating with earthy watercolors) with a short verse: "March promises / the hope of spring, / In swampy places peepers sing." Tudor's gentle humor comes through in such images as October's drawing of three children running from a graveyard as a be-sheeted child flails in a ghostly manner while others crouch, giggling behind the stones. First published in 1957, this reprint of Tasha Tudor's old-fashioned yet timeless classic will be cherished year-round by a whole new generation of readers. (Ages 3 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

Everyone loves a celebration, and renowned illustrator Tasha Tudor offers one for every month in this enchanting treasury of seasons. Come enter a world where sledding excursions melt into summer picnics, and autumn fairs beckon Christmas cheer. A book to be enjoyed around the year!

Sweet Sixteen Princess (Princess Diaries, Vol. 7 1/2) (Princess Diaries)

Sixteen is the magic number

Mia doesn't always have the best luck with parties, so even though it's her sweet sixteenth, she doesn't want a birthday bash. As usual, Grandmère has other ideas, and thinks a reality TV special is just the thing in order to celebrate royally. The whole scheme smacks of Lilly's doing -- Lilly, whose own TV show is still only limited to local cable viewers.

Will Mia be able to stop Grandmère's plan? Will her friends ever forgive her if she does stop it, since it involves all of them taking the royal jet to Genovia for an extravaganza the likes of which would turn even Paris Hilton green with envy? Why can't Mia get what she really wants: an evening alone with Michael?

With a little luck, this sweet sixteen princess might just get her wish -- a birthday that's royally romantic.