Penguin is not the typical Antarctic bird. While his riends spend their days doing yoga and meditating, he's planning his great escape in search of adventure. Pirate, on the other hand, wants no part in his vocation’s raucous, adventurous ways, and longs for a simpler life. From the mind of veteran children’s illustrator Patricia Storms comes the tale of how two misfits found each other and, in the process, found the solution to all of their problems. The 32-page book measures 10.5" x 9". Launch date: September 2009.

"Panda-Cutie and YOU... in Los Angeles" for SMART KIDS ONLY! features Panda-Cutie who takes children ages 8 to 16 on a fascinating city tour of Los Angeles. This E-Book on CD-ROM comes in a sturdy cover and is ready for easy download to a PC or laptop. It serves as a unique travel guide for parents who like to make a trip to L.A. with their kids and want to have a preview of what to expect. The program also includes useful information about transportation, parking, admission fees, etc. Features 177 A-4 pages with more than 150 photos of Panda-Cutie strolling around; and even having his picture taken with celebrities such as Paula Abdul, Peter Fonda, Olivia Newton-John, Hector Elizondo, and others.

Author Jean Marzollo and illustrator Laura Regan put to page the real-life story of Pierre the Penguin, an African penguin at the California Academy of Sciences. After Pierre loses his feathers, he is too cold to swim — until aquatic biologist Pam Schaller decides to try a penguin-sized wetsuit. Children will love learning about Pierre the Penguin’s unique tale through the rhyming text and realistic illustrations.
— On The Garden Island, Terri Schlichenmeyer praised the book’s catchy rhymes, gentle teaching and penguin Q&A page. She explained, “Kids who have a problem with teasing will be able to identify with Pierre” and his struggle to fit in without feathers.
— The Lemonade Stand’s Jessica read the inspiring story with her kids several times as soon as they got the book. According to Jessica, Pierre’s story was such a big hit that “it will be in a favorite in our library for a long, long time!”

"Runaway Ralph" is the third installment of Beverly Cleary’s classic tales building on the adventure and excitement of "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" and "Ralph S. Mouse" (both available on DVD from Scholastic Storybook Treasures). Maryn Greenberg at New Video Group told TDmonthly, "Runaway Ralph is a stop-motion animation of a classic tale by beloved author Beverly Cleary." Launch date: April 20, 2010.

Grundel is a little boy who thinks his life is the pits, until he makes a memorable visit to his Nana Loop's farm. Follow him and his trusted Take-Along-Teddy as they both learn the secret to true happiness with this illustrated book and 14" Take Along Teddy. Storm Tussey, Retail Marketing Coordinator at Vermont Teddy Bear Company, told TDmonthly, "This Book and Bear combo is produced in Vermont with a Vermont author, illustrator and publisher." Launch date: July 2010.

Junior paleontologists will delight in the engaging text and cool illustrations of Viewfinder: Fossils. Featuring a unique removable magnifier, readers can take a close-up look at extraordinary photos and eye-popping digital illustrations of the fossils of the Velociraptor, Sauropod and more. Interactive elements include flaps to lift, slider panels and comparative exercises. Silver Dolphin Publicist Julie Serra told TDmonthly, "Kids will explore like never before in this fascinating fossil book!"

“The Money Savvy Kids Club” children’s book series are co-written by financial literacy expert Susan Beacham and bestselling author Lynnette Khalfani-Cox. Through four funny and engaging stories in these smart and creative illustrated picture books, a group of childhood friends learn that there are actually four things you can do with money: Save, Spend, Donate or Invest. Money Savvy Generation Director of Operations and Marketing Melinda Voelcker told TDmonthly, "These books address the challenging topic of money choices, but in a fun and age-appropriate manner that kids can understand and that parents can use to help begin a conversation about money with their kids. Topics include: how to earn money, saving for a goal, what is a donation and how you can donate, what home foreclosure means and compound interest."

The Feelings Storybook is a sensitive and heartfelt book for children of all ages that can act as an assessment tool for emotional growth. This book is interactive and contains 32 pages with full-color illustrations. It is ideal for the developing reader and features a 22-minute companion CD narrated by the author/psychologist, Dr. Alexandra Delis-Abrams.

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.

An inspiring story about responsibility and young entrepreneurs. A boy and his sister, their love of horses, and an idea—all come together in this delightful and educational story of the entrepreneurial spirit of American youth today.

Everything in life starts out with one idea. A child, a summer on Nantucket Island, and an idea—all come together in this beautifully illustrated and inspiring story of the entrepreneurial spirit of American youth today.

An inspiring story of a boy with a dream who learned skills that would last a lifetime. A boy takes his love of fishing and turns it into an adventure, learning skills that would stay with him forever and turn his passion into profit.

This 14-page, colorful board book contains four fold-out flaps in the quest to find Pete's Potty. Launch date: May 2010.

Suitable for babies 6 months to a year old, this 7" x 7" book features a teddy bear touching his toes, nose, tummy and more. It's a touch-and-feel book with the highlighted body parts in set apart with some kind of fabric or fur. Launch date: May 2010.

Mad Libs combine language education, creative stimulation, and just plain silly fun. Each page asks for a list of words by part of speech, which are then plugged into strategic blanks in a short story on the page following. When distributed throughout the Mad Libs framework, a list of seemingly ordinary words becomes inventive and hilarious.
― Two of 39 retailers who participated in TDmonthly's March 2010 survey of top-selling travel toys said Mad Libs are their best.
— “We sell three Mad Libs a day,” Ava Allen, owner of Be Beep A Toy Store in Columbia, S.C., told TDmonthly in autumn 2010.
— In an April 2013 survey, two out of 12 retailers said that Mad Libs are one of their best-selling travel products.

Be a super detective! Use your Invisible Ink pen to uncover the truth and solve the mysteries. Here are just some of the games you will find inside this book, decode the cryptograms, decipher Krazygrams, and nab the crook in jailbreak.
Each book includes 48 pages of fun and a special pen.
― Out of 39 retailers, four named activity books from Lee Publications as their top-selling travel item in March 2010, reporting sales averaging 24 per month.
― Kristen Dolle, manager of Playthings Toy Shoppe in Louisville, Ky. told TDmonthly in late Spring 2011 that Magic pen books by Lee Publications were a best-selling travel toy.
— In an April 2012 survey about best selling travel toys, Joe Berardoni, owner of Pun's Toys in Bryn Mawr, Pa., told TDmonthly: "As a category, Lee Publication’s Yes & Know books continue to sell out during travel time due to their wide age range and low retail price."
— Want this? As of 05/06/2011, this product was available for purchase at Playthings Toy Shoppe.

This multi-paneled playscape folds into a book for easy portability and, with 21 feet of design on the interior and exterior, offers 42 feet of space for one or more children to enjoy while playing. The pictures are designed to spark a child's imagination and encourage creativity.

“Dear Baby – What I Love About You” is designed to act as a colorful love letter connecting babies and toddlers to the important adults in their lives. The chunky artboard book features 20 pages and includes a “baby yearbook” page to keep a permanent record of who reads the book to the child.
— Simon Barrett of Blogger News Network described “Dear Baby” as “a delightful little picture book that I am sure any grandparent would just love to read to any very young child.” He was particularly impressed by the baby yearbook.
— While reading the book with her daughter, The IE Mommy found her “little one’s eyes were moist from tears.” She said the book became “a sweet reminder of how much I love her.”

Kids can make movable dinosaur action figures with this activity book from Figures in Motion. Kids can move their jaws, clash their teeth and make their powerful legs run as they act out their own dinosaur battles. It includes Allosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus Rex, plus dinosaur facts. This creative learning tool features easy to assemble dinosaurs in pre-colored and colorable versions, using only crayons or colored pencils, scissors, a hole punch and fasteners. Owner of Figures In Motion Cathy Diez-Luckie told TDmonthly, "Dinosaurs on the Move is an engaging, hands-on activity book that will captivate children for hours." Launch date: April 16, 2010.

This fun-filled educational book is written about two Shoulder Buddies, Breezee and Biffle, who plan to go to the School of Smarts. They want to earn their Feathers so they can fly. Readers take a journey with them as they try to help each other discover the Smarts that are right for them. The Book N' Buddy combo comes with the Breezee or Biffle Shoulder Buddy character attached. Shoulder Buddies are unique to their Feather color, so no two are alike. They come with a collectible Shoulder Buddies Coin and a backpack clip. Shoulder Buddies are not recommended for children under 4 years of age. Launch date: Feb. 2010.

Pookie and Tushka Find a Little Piano takes children to magical lands atop the world in a tender tale where a frozen little piano arrives to the shores of Icelands, bringing Pookie the penguin and Tushka the polar bear fun, excitement, and a heartwarming lesson about the essence of friendship. The forty-page, full color hardcover with jacket includes four pages of educational content and a CD-ROM with games, songs, and other educational content. Launch date: July 28, 2003.
Awards:
Winner of the "BEST NEW CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD" at the 2005 Parent to Parent Awards.
Winner of the "OUTSTANDING PRODUCT AWARD" at the 2005 iParenting Media Awards.
Winner of the "SEAL OF EXCELLENCE AWARD" (Storybook with Characters category) at the 2005 Top Creative Toy Awards.
Winner of the "ADDING WISDOM AWARD" at the 2005 Parent to Parent Awards.
Finalist Award for "BEST FIRST CHILDREN'S BOOK" at the 2004 PMA Benjamin Franklin Awards.
Honorable Mention for "BOOK OF THE YEAR" at the 2003 DIY Book Festival.

"Here Comes The Blobbies" introduces children to the fantastic world of the Blobbies and their first adventure, where a mystical gate has opened and the evil Hexacones are unleashed upon Blobbieworld. Blobbieworld is a land where these pleasant, shape-changing space creatures live and play. The seven youngest Blobbies, named for the colors of the rainbow, learn how to blobbiemorph into triangles, hexagons, cubes, pyramids, and other shapes while being forced to escape to a strange planet called Earth, where they must learn to use these shape-changing abilities to defeat the invaders and reclaim their world. The forty-page, full color hardcover with jacket includes a CD-ROM with games, songs, and educational content, as well as a Blobbie Color Personality Chart. Launch date: July 28, 2003.
Awards:
Winner of the "10 BEST TOYS FOR 2005 AWARD" by Dr. Toy.
Winner of the "100 BEST CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS FOR 2005 AWARD" by Dr. Toy.
Winner of the "TOY OF THE YEAR AWARD" (Storybook with Characters category) at the 2005 Top Creative Toy Awards.
Winner of the "ADDING WISDOM AWARD" at the 2005 Parent to Parent Awards.
Finalist Award for "CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD" at the 2004 Foreword Magazine Awards.
Finalist Award for "CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD" at the 2004 Writers Notes Book Awards.

"101 Things Everyone Should Know About Math!" uses an accessible question-and-answer approach to explore key concepts in math while making connections to everyday life: sports, hobbies, food, music, travel, etc. It is the second book in its series, following the NSTA recommended "101 Things Everyone Should Know About Science."  "'101 Things Everyone Should Know About Math' is a fun and entertaining way to link mathematics to everyday life. Kids learn that math really does help solve real-world problems," Dia Michels, Owner of Science, Naturally! told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2010.

"One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Math!" is authored by the same father-daughter team that introduced the award-winning, NSTA recommended, "One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Science!" Co-authored by a high-school girl, this title is a great way to encourage girls to excel in math. Readers will learn much and have fun as they use their logic and their mathematical know-how to solve the various "mysteries" presented in this book. "'One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Math!' skillfully meshes humor and excitement with challenging real world problems and allows young mathematicians to hone their sleuthing skills," Dia Michels, Owner of Science, Naturally! told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2010.

In Dinotrux, writer and illustrator Chris Gall tells the story of ancient times when ferocious half-dinosaur, half-truck creatures known as Dinotrux roamed the earth. Pushing and crushing, mixing and roaring, the Dinotrux are illustrated in monstrous detail through 32 pages.

— Travis Jonker of 100 Scope Notes found the book irresistible, explaining, “The premise that hybrid dinosaur/trucks used to rule the earth ignites curiosity, while the brief, expressive text all but demands repeat reading.”
— Elizabeth Bird from the School Library Journal absolutely loved the book. She found it to reflect a cheekiness and creativity that appeals to both kids and parents.
— Common Sense Media’s Patricia Tauzer said Dinotrux “will thrill any kid who loves trucks and dinosaurs.” She described the book as being “jam-packed with action” but cautioned that it is not educational; in fact, the Flintstones-style anachronisms may leave kids confused.