November 2008 Notable Toys — Books

One of the most popular pets—and the animal baby is most likely to know—sounds off in this amusing 6" x 6" foam board book. There are toy dogs; happy ones that look as if a child drew them; and noisy ones making noise. A touch-and-feel fur element at the end of the book enhances the experience. Launch date: June 2008.

Plunge into the world's oceans and discover the magic of marine life in these stunning pop-up seascapes accompanied by sounds from the deep. Listen to the playful chattering of dolphins, the boisterous honking of seals, and the haunting echo of the humpback whale's song. Full of in-depth descriptions, each spread identifies several animals, offering a great way to introduce children to the ocean animals of the world.

Dive into dolphins! This book is swimming with cool facts, amazing illustrations, diagrams and a unique 3-D model that uncovers the secrets of dolphins, layer by layer. Kids can plunge into weird and wild facts, cool illustrations, diagrams and an amazing 3-D layered model of a bottlenose dolphin.

Embark on an adventure into the enchanted lands of dragons, where you will discover the origins, powers, and legends of these mythological beasts. From the fire-breathing Western dragon to the three-headed hydra, assemble, paint, and display these magical and mighty creatures from worlds beyond your imagination!

Nothing says Christmas quite like innocent children shrieking with terror as a stranger dressed in red drags them kicking and screaming onto his lap. Now this time-honored rite of passage is celebrated with a hilarious collection of more than two hundred and fifty priceless photos of kids' traumatic trips to Santa's workshop. Scared of Santa offers a cornucopia of photographic funnies—from sixty-year-old family heirlooms to last year's howlers—along with delightful commentary on those unforgettable childhood visits to scary ol' Saint Nick. By Denise Joyce and Nancy Watkins. Launch date: 2008.

Authored by Vivan French and illustrated by Jackie Morris, this is a brand new fairy tale, for a brand new generation. Thorfinn's father is obsessed with power while his mother cares only for wealth. When it is time to choose a bride, Thorfinn decides he must listen to his own heart instead. He seeks the wisdom and experience of his friends, the court jester and the old tabby cat. In which direction will they lead him? Will he choose the princess who promises wealth, the princess who promises power, or the princess who is full of love and happiness? And, will that princess choose Thorfinn in return?

Covering everything from Jellies and link belts to empire dresses and bolero, this educational title gives a thorough introduction to fashion through illustrations, historical tidbits and product segments that tell "What it looks like," "Who made it," "Who made it hot" and "How to rock it." Launch date: June 2008.

This book by Lois Ehlert features 64 creatures from the animal kingdom in playful, rhyming verse. It is 56 pages. Launch date: May 2008.

This 12-book series couples rhyme and repetition with predictable storylines and complementary illustrations that guide children as they increase self-confidence while learning to read. Titles include "What Goes Together?" "How Do I Feel?" and "Watch Out for Worms!" The variety pack has an MSRP of $23.88.

Written and illustrated by Clare Beaton, this book introduced baby to different subjects, objects and themes. Sections include "Weather," "This Little Piggy," "My Toy Chest" and "Various Vegetables."

This book by John Matthews, advisor for the movie "King Arthur," is outfitted with a gold-embossed cloth spine and comes with a large poster with a beautiful map of key locations. Filled with adventure, conflict and romance, the book covers King Arthur's boyhood, his court, the history of Camelot, and his last departure to Avalon. It is illustrated by Pavel Tatarnikov. Launch date: September 2008.

Part of Barefoot's Young Fiction list, this book examines friendship in a story about the Cultural Revolution that also explores the clash of political change and personal freedom. It is written by Guo Yue and Clare Farrow and illustrated by Helen Cann. The book tells the story of author Yue's childhood in Beijing, particularly in the summer of 1966. Launch date: July 2008.

Written by Marianne Berkes and illustrated by Jill Dubin, "Over in the Arctic," chronicles life in a land where the snow goose "honks" and the wolf "howls." Children too will joyfully honk and howl while they count the baby animals and sing to the tune of "Over in the Meadow." And the illustrations— all done in cut paper — vividly convey the austere nature of the Arctic. The book measures 10" x 9" and features 32 fully illustrated pages. Launch date: 2008. Also available in hardback ($16.95).

Written by Stephenie Meyer, this "New York Times" best selling fantasy novel captures the story of star-crossed teenaged lovers Bella and Edward. Bella learns that Edward, along with several other students at her new school, are rescued vampires. True to his vampiric nature, Edward knows he could kill Bella should his passion for her become too great, and therein lies the central tension of the story. Launch date: October 5, 2005.

In the years following World War II the major export from Japan wasn't electronic equipment, but toys, specifically tin toys. Crafted in the shapes of submarines, planes, trains, cars, and horses, one of the most popular motifs were toy robots. Constructed in virtually every shape imaginable from the 1940s throughout the 1960s, they ranged in appearance from horror to science fiction characters. Today, these toys are not only fondly remembered by collectors but are being re-created for a whole new generation. Capturing this period in history became a passion of painter Eric Joyner's and in Robots and Donuts he celebrates this forgotten era with images marrying the metal creations with images plucked from his imagination. And, almost always, with donuts. This book also features a look finto Joyner's painting style as well as a glimpse at some of his other non-robot themed artwork.

Never before and rarely seen artwork, outlines, and entire stories from Jeff Smith's Bone are collected in this full-color hardcover volume. Bone is an international publishing sensation with hundreds of thousands of loyal readers and no end in sight to its growing popularity. Now, for the first time anywhere, see the homemade comics, sketches, and grand plans that set this masterpiece of literary fantasy in motion. From there, take a tour through piles of promotional art, holiday cards, and pivotal storytelling moments from the revolutionary self-publishing years, where Bone went from "the little comic that could" to an industry leader that changed the face of comics. Finally, revel in the wonder of Bone as a complete 1300-page graphic novel, a work for the ages, filled with comedy and tragedy and adventure for generations to come.

Based on the new motion picture and television series The Clone Wars comes this quarterly, graphic-novella series from Dark Horse. Dark Horse’s first offering, “Shipyards of Doom,” is a digest-sized graphic novella written by Henry Gilroy, the head writer for the TV show, and illustrated by the prolific Fillbach Brothers.

In an inexplicable worldwide event, forty-seven extraordinary children were spontaneously born by women who’d previously shown no signs of pregnancy. Millionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven of the children; when asked why, his only explanation was, “To save the world.” These seven children form The Umbrella Academy, a dysfunctional family of superheroes with bizarre powers. Their first adventure at the age of ten pits them against an erratic and deadly Eiffel Tower, piloted by the fearsome zombie-robot Gustave Eiffel. Nearly a decade later, the team disbands, but when Hargreeves unexpectedly dies, these disgruntled siblings reunite just in time to save the world once again.

Shima the Origami Master lives on a mountain in Japan. He isn’t lonely, for his beautiful origami animals keep him company. One morning Shima finds a marvelous new paper elephant on his desk. Where could it have come from? The next morning, a splendid dragon is in its place. It looks real enough to fly away. That night, Shima stays awake to find out who could make such wonderful creatures. But when he discovers who the mysterious artist is, he learns a surprising lesson about friendship. Included are instructions on how to make the origami flapping bird design. Aki Sogabe’s paper-cut art in the Japanese tradition richly complements Nathaniel Lachenmeyer’s lovely story.

How would you describe winter? Is it “freezy, stuffy, and sneezy?” Or do you think it’s “glowy, rosy, and cozy?” No matter how you feel about winter, you are sure to enjoy Bob Raczka’s tribute to the season’s activities, tastes, and sounds. The simple rhymes using “y” words will encourage children to come up with their own words to describe the season. Judy Stead’s exuberant art shows the fun of all things winter. Bob Raczka and Judy Stead previously teamed up to create Spring Things and Who Loves the Fall? With minimal text and cheerful art, these books work perfectly as an introduction to the seasons for the very young.

Posey loves Christmas, especially the presents! She shakes and squeezes each gift—what’s inside? And one afternoon, when she’s alone, Posey picks up a present and lifts the wrapping just a little… Any child who finds it hard to wait for Christmas will understand and love Posey, who never forgets the day she peeked. Anne Kennedy’s delightful paintings of the Mouse family capture the charm and warmth of Ann Dixon’s happy holiday story.

Author Jane Yolen uses lyrical prose to not only reprise a well-known legend but also to tell the true story of apple tree-planting Johnny Appleseed, rather known as John Chapman, in this book illustrated by award-winning artist Jim Burke. Launch date: August 26, 2008.

This 32-page activity book is based on the Angels from the Attic toy line and is gentle and appealing with easy-to-color pages. It shows the six characters and their special characteristics. Each Angel has its own specialty, such as exercise, reading or eating well. The magical attic they live in is introduced and encourages children to create their own special worlds. "This activity/coloring book is not mass-produced. It welcomes children to send in their own works of art and encourages friendship. Placed next to the Angels from the Attic plush animals, it expands the concept of visiting the Attic for fun and freedom," Mark Marderosian, creative director at Big City Publishing, told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 30, 2008.

In this volume of Tales from the Crypt-Keeper, with his fellow Ghoulunatics, the Crypt-Keeper introduces tales of terror such as "Ignoble Rot!", a tale of a cursed ladies man forced to remain alive while his appearance transforms into a zombie and  "Jumping the Shark!", a tale of Reality TV series producer pitching shows from beyond the grave.  All of this is tied in with pun-filled introductions by he Old Witch, the Vault-Keeper, and the Crypt-Keeper.