October 2012 New Specialty Toys — Books

Everywhere in the world, there are poems and songs especially for children—rhymes that are sung from generation to generation and never forgotten. In Japan, nursery rhymes speak of nature, of everyday joys and of Japan's own special culture. In Japanese Nursery Rhymes fifteen well-loved verses are colorfully presented in a format that makes language learning easier. The included audio CD features kids singing in both Japanese and English.

A modern-day kid-friendly almanac that makes every ordinary day an Amazing Almanac Day. Parents and children will love learning about the educational facts with a traditional trusted companion feel. Launch date: December 2011.
Awards: 2012 Seal of Excellence from Creative Child Magazine

Meet a beastly boy with a dastardly plan that could ruin Christmas! Bradley Bartleby is bad. Very bad. To avoid Bradley's wrath, his wealthy parents buy him whatever he wants. All the adults in Bradley's life are running scared—except for Santa Claus, who refuses to give him anything but socks. But Bradley vows to get what he deserves. If Santa won't give him the gifts he wants, Bradley will just have to steal them...Launch date: October 2012.
Awards: 2012 Publishers Weekly, starred review; 2012 Kirkus Reviews, starred review.

Winner of Dr. Toys 100 Best Childrens Products of 2012 and 10 Best High-Tech Products of 2012, as well as a Preferred Choice Award by Creative Child Magazine, this new children's book is built around The Global Game Changers, a fictional team of superheroes whose leader, Global Girl, and her sidekick, Little Big-Heart, and their trust dog Pixel, recruit real-life kids to help change the world for the better by doing good things for others without expecting anything in return. At the end of The Global Game Changers book there is a call to action for the reader to be inspired to join the Alliance by visiting The Global Game Changers interactive web community where they can share their Ignite Good! stories, learn how to utilize their talents to affect things they are passionate about, have fun, and be empowered to help make a difference in the world. Launch date: July 15, 2012.

On Charley’s first night, Henry carries his new puppy in his old baby blanket all the way to his house. He shows Charley every room, saying, "This is home, Charley." He says that a lot so that Charley will know that he is home. Henry’s parents are very clear about who will be walking and feeding Charley (Henry will, and he can’t wait). They are also very clear about where Charley will be sleeping: Charley will be sleeping in the kitchen. But when the crying starts in the middle of the night, Henry knows right away that it’s Charley! And it looks like his parents’ idea about where Charley is going to sleep may have to change. With warmth, humor, and endearing simplicity, Amy Hest tells a tale familiar to everyone who has loved a puppy, while Helen Oxenbury renders each tender gesture and charming detail in a beauty of a book that children will be eager to take home. Launch date: October 2012.

There is not a whisper when Louis de Rougemont steps onto the stage to recount his astonishing experiences on the sea and in lands far away. It is a breathtaking tale of catastrophe and miraculous events. A monster with enormous tentacles! A sea turtle big enough to ride! Fish raining from the sky! Cannibals! But critics say he is an imposter with a gift for spinning yarns. Are Louis’s tales true? Or is he the greatest liar on Earth? Bold, whimsical artwork brings to life the tale of an early-twentieth-century man who held audiences rapt while his critics dubbed him a hoaxer of the highest degree. A fun slice of history sure to inspire a lively discussion of truth, fabrication, and the gray areas in-between. Launch date: October 2012.

Zephyr is a girl who loves airplanes. She draws pictures of them, makes them out of paper, builds them out of junk, and hopes one day to fly one of her own. But when Gramma, Daddy, and Mom are too busy to play airplane with her, Zephyr’s excess enthusiasm gets her sent to her room -- where she discovers a secret door that leads to the most wondrous place she’s ever seen! Lovers of flying machines and gadgets, along with adventurers of all kinds, will be buoyed by this lighthearted tale of a little girl who finds her wings. Launch date: October 2012.

Oliver is different. He enjoys his solitude. He likes playing with his friends, who are puppets, stuffed animals, and other toys. With his rich imagination, Oliver’s day is never dull. There are bridges to cross, sharks to fight, and treasures to find! But maybe toys don’t always give a boy everything he needs. Maybe he needs another kind of companion. Will Oliver discover a way to be, well, different? When his tennis ball rolls across the lawn into the yard of the girl next door, he just might be surprised. Launch date: October 2012.

Potty Training Little Ones is geared towards making potty time fun for children. The book walks through each step of potty training. From the time the child is introduced to the potty to the time he or she is ready to go and make it part of their routine. This fun and colorful book also motivates kids by providing coloring pages for each activity - choosing a potty, going for the first time and washing hands.
Awards: National Parenting Seal of Approval 2012

When Molly shares a secret with Olive, the urge to tell is just too great. Olive tells Joe who tells Matt who tells Lola. But Lola is best friends with Molly. Uh-oh, the secret is out, and Olive is in for it. Launch date: August 2012.

In a time of post-Revolutionary fervor in Richmond, Virginia, an imposing twenty-four-year-old slave named Gabriel, known for his courage and intellect, plotted a rebellion involving thousands of African- American freedom seekers armed with refashioned pitchforks and other implements of Gabriel’s blacksmith trade. The revolt would be thwarted by a confluence of fierce weather and human betrayal, but Gabriel retained his dignity to the end. History knows little of Gabriel’s early life. But here, author Gigi Amateau imagines a childhood shaped by a mother’s devotion, a father’s passion for liberation, and a friendship with a white master’s son who later proved cowardly and cruel. She gives vibrant life to Gabriel’s love for his wife-to-be, Nanny, a slave woman whose freedom he worked tirelessly, and futilely, to buy. Interwoven with original documents, this poignant, illuminating novel gives a personal face to a remarkable moment in history. Launch date: September 2012.

This engaging boxed set contains: Ten short, funny, full-color books about Sesame Street, featuring Big Bird, Grover, Elmo, Abby, Bert, Ernie, Cookie Monster, and more; a fold-out poster with full-color stickers for tracking books as they’re read; a Brand New Readers certificate of achievement to build children’s confidence; a make-your-own Brand New Reader book - just right for brand-new writers; and a parent/teacher guide to make reading a success the very first time. Launch date: September 2012.

In the midst of a family dinner with her scolding parents, Maya receives a very unexpected invitation to dine with the queen. Suddenly, her messy manners are put to the ultimate test and she begins to improvise her very own set of rules, with uproarious results. Filled with humor and exquisitely imagined detail, this book by Eisner Award-winner Rutu Modan is bound to turn every child into a voracious reader. Launch date: August 2012.

Some people die heroically, others accidentally. When Daniel Anderson’s older brother dies, he wonders which category Eli’s death falls into. In an attempt to understand, Danny creates a Book of the Dead - an old binder that he fills with details about dead people, how they died, and, most important, for what purpose. Time passes, and eventually Daniel is prompted to look up from his notebook of death and questions to make new friends and be swept into their imaginings. With gentle humor and genuine emotion, Rebecca Rupp examines the questions that arise following a profound loss and the moments that start life rolling again. Launch date: August 2012.

Traveling to Dublin? Just returned? Wish you could go? Discover a dozen popular spots, from Dublin Castle (now a convention center) to the lofty St. Patrick’s Cathedral, from the handsome brick townhouses of Merrion Square to Gaiety Theatre, the city’s longest-running theatrical stage. Launch date: September 2012.

Welcome to the Met. Boasting more than two million works, it’s one of the world’s largest art museums. Learn about twelve top attractions, including the lovely Charles Engelhard Court, the formidable Arms and Armor Court, and the Modern Art Gallery showcasing works from Monet to the artists of today. Launch date: September 2012.

The Nutbrown Hares are playing I Spy as they hop through the snow. They spy something that belongs to a tree, a bird, and a spider. They spy something that belongs to Little Nutbrown Hare - something that is only there when the sun comes out. But what does Big Nutbrown Hare spy that belongs to him and is his favorite thing of all? Launch date: September 2012.

Rediscover the tale of the simple country mouse, magically retold by Helen Ward. Beguiled by his cousin’s amazing tales, the country mouse visits the electric city. Unfortunately the town mouse forgot to mention that the city has a lot of noise, tall buildings...and dangerous dogs. Helen Ward’s 1930s New York at Christmas is at once gorgeous and frighteningly busy. In the end the reader understands both why the town mouse loves his exciting life and why the country mouse is content with his peaceful home. Launch date: September 2012.

It’s time for Big Brown Bear to tuck all four little bears into their beds. Then he’s ready to climb into his own bed and turn out the light. Five warm beds, holding five sleepy bears, until a sound goes whoosh in the middle of the night, and all the bears wake up in a fright. Will they ever get back into bed? Luckily, Big Brown Bear knows just what to do. A fun, rhyming read-aloud that parents will love and tired little cubs will be happy to snuggle up with. Launch date: August 2012.

Have you heard about the elephant and the dog who became not just unlikely companions, but the best of friends? Or the traveler whose greed for gold lures him straight into the scrawny tiger’s trap? How about the talkative tortoise who can’t keep his mouth closed to save his life? Drawing from three books of best-loved Indian folktales - Hitopadesha Tales, Jataka Tales, and Panchantra Tales - this graphic storybook collection, alive with kid-friendly illustrations, is infused with humor and warmth. Launch date: August 2012.

Bear does not like birthdays. He doesn’t like parties or balloons, cards or candles. In fact, Bear does not like anything to do with birthdays at all. He would much rather spend his birthday alone cleaning his house, but Mouse, small and gray and bright-eyed, has other ideas. With a perfectly paced story by Bonny Becker paired with Kady MacDonald Denton’s slapstick visual comedy, A BIRTHDAY FOR BEAR - previously published as a first reader - welcomes young listeners to the party in a new picture-book format, with all new artwork, ideal for sharing. Launch date: September 2012.

Barack Obama is the first United States President to be born in Hawai‘i, the Aloha State. A President from Hawai‘i - originally distributed exclusively in that state - explores the unique history and cultural traditions of President Obama’s birthplace. In addition to the well-known concept of aloha, it introduces such Hawaiian concepts as kokua (to help), lokahi (unity), and ohana (family), among others, and includes quotes from Barack Obama’s speeches, books, and interviews that reflect and embrace these themes. Launch date: September 2012.

In this award-winning author-illustrator’s witty sequel to the traditional Goldilocks story, Little Bear is all grown up and Goldilocks is a distant memory. One day, Little Bear wanders out of the woods and finds himself lost in the Big City. Will he find the city too noisy? Too quiet? Or just right? And what are the chances of him bumping in to someone who remembers exactly how he likes his porridge? Launch date: August 2012. Launch date: September 2012.

Every child is asked what they would like to be when they grow up, but Lily decides to turn the tables by asking her grandma the same question. What answer will Grandma give? This enchanting book illustrates the touching bond between a grandparent and grandchild. Launch date: September 2012.