Sure to be a hit with infants aged 0 months and up, the Humpty Dumpty Musical Toy by Scholastic Entertainment is a soft boa, mechanical push-button music box plays four songs, including "London Bridge," "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Rock-a-bye Baby." Measures at 12" height and 10" width with arms wide open and is filled with 100% polyester stuffing. - Melissa Kaplan

These new releases in the acclaimed Scholastic Video Collection feature time-tested fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen as well as top modern story spinners Leo Leonni, William Steig and Jules Feiffer and expert narrators including John Lithgow. The all-new DVD versions are loaded with extra stories, author interviews and a read-along option. All of the stories are produced in collaboration with authors and illustrators from Weston Woods Studios. Previously only available to schools and libraries, these video stories are now available at $9.95 VHS/$14.95 DVD for families to enjoy together anytime.

Enter a fantasy world where a silver dragon named Firedrake is joined by an orphan boy and a grumpy fairy to find the mythical Rim of Heaven.

--Translated by Anthea Bell into English from German, “Dragon Rider” tops a Jan. 23 New York Times bestseller list.
--The fantasy was third on the January 1 Publisher’s Weekly bestseller list.
--Cornelia Funke is the best-selling author of “Inkheart” and “The Thief Lord.”

In this clever book from first-time novelist Blue Balliett, two 11-year-old sleuths work together to solve the disappearance of a priceless Vermeer painting.

--Originally published in June 2004, this book makes a number of bestseller lists including Publisher’s Weekly and the New York Times.
--“A tantalizing mix of mysteries, puzzles, possibilities, and art,” makes the book an Editor’s Choice for 2004 by the editors of ALA Booklist.
--The mass-market paperback will be published in May.

“Sylvester and the Magic Pebble” is a video adaptation of the award-winning, classic children’s picture book by William Steig. In this tale, Sylvester finds a magic pebble that can make wishes come true. But when a lion frightens him on his way home, he makes a wish that brings unexpected results. Also included on the DVD are three additional stories – “Possum Magic,” “Princess Furball” and “The Wizard.” The DVD includes a Spanish version of Steig’s tale, a read-along option and interactive menus.

This program, from the Tom Snyder Productions line, reflects the musical content outlined in the National Standards for the Arts. Rhythm, melody, orchestration and musical styles are learned while exploring a medieval castle. The Piano Education Page gave this program five notes out of five.

Dinosaurs are much more polite than children when eating their food, according to this whimsical book written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Mark Teague. This lighthearted look at manners will make children laugh out loud, when they remember their own bad eating manners. Even the biggest meanest dinosaurs say "Please" and "Thank You," and so will kids — at least while they´re pretending to be brontosauruses.

Steven Kellogg captures all the fun and excitement when Jimmy brings along his pet boa constrictor on a class trip to the farm. This 46-minute DVD also contains the stories, "Shrinking Violet" and "Will I Have a Friend?". The DVD Features also include 2 Bonus stories: "The Sweater" and "Many Moons". Additionally, the DVD has a Read Along function, Auto-Play, and Interactive Menus.

When a giant panda named Stillwater moves into the neighborhood, he tells the children the most amazing stories. With vibrant watercolors and elegant ink drawings, Jon J. Muth — and Stillwater the bear — imaginatively present three classic Zen stories that abound with enlightenment and love.

The war against Voldemort is not going well; even Muggle governments are noticing. Ron scans the obituary pages of the Daily Prophet, looking for familiar names. Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses. And yet ... as in all wars, life goes on. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate — and lose a few eyebrows in the process. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Classes are never straightforward, though Harry receives some extraordinary help from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince. Here at Hogwarts, Harry will search for the full and complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort — and thereby find what may be his only vulnerability. This book was published in July 2005, written by J. K. Rowling and illustrated by Mary GrandPré. Boxed sets containing all six titles in either hardcover or paperback were launched in October 2005.

Meggie can't stop thinking about “Inkheart,” the book whose characters came to life. Neither can Dustfinger, the fire-eater who was written into being. Dustfinger finds an unscrupulous storyteller to transport him back into the book — with devastating results. When Farid, his apprentice, and Meggie follow, the story threatens to unfold in ways they could scarcely imagine. This magical thriller blurs the line between fantasy and reality, demonstrating the unassailable power of the written word. Written by Cornelia Funke, it’s 656 pages and available in hardcover. New Line Cinema has hired director Iain Softley ("The Skeleton Key") to helm its big-screen adaptation of the best-selling children’s fantasy novel "Inkheart," it was announced on December 5, 2005, by New Line Production president Toby Emmerich.

Class pranksters George and Harold have gotten themselves into a real mess this time. Their science project results in a horrifying product: Talking Toilets. It's going to take a huge plunger to solve this plumbing mess. This is a hardcover edition of the series' second epic adventure, written by Dav Pilkey, 144 pages.

A compilation of stories about families, this DVD includes a bonus story, "Uncle Elephant." Other stories include "I Love You Like Crazy Cakes," based on the author's arduous trip to China to adopt a baby girl, and narrated by Mia Farrow; "Three Cheers for Catherine the Great," in which a young girl helps her feisty Russian grandmother learn English; and "Five creatures," a charming story of two cats and three humans that live in a little girl's house. The DVD is 62 minutes. There is also a 340-minute VHS available for $9.95.

This clever collection of classic Curious George stories includes the tales, "Curious George Rides a Bike," “The Great, White, Man-Eating Shark" and “Flossie and the Fox.” Over 60 years have passed since author H.A. Rey introduced a little chimp from Africa to the man with the big yellow hat and today, decades later, George is as curious as ever. He will soon be starring in a feature length film, which will likely boost consumer interest in all things Curious George. DVDs are $14.95 and VHS tapes are $9.95.

This set of classic stories includes Curious George, Corduroy the bear and a bouncing animated adaptation of the “Wheels on the Bus,” among other delightful tales with narration by A-list celebrities such as Anthony Edwards, Forest Whitaker, Laura Dern and the Bacon Brothers. A Read-Along option encourages kids to read along with these engaging stories. With a running time of 5 hours, 18 minutes, this gift set will keep kids and parents entertained for quite some time to come.

This delightful video, based on the award-winning children's counting book, features three stories about numbers and counting. The DVD includes music by Crystal Taliefero, a backup singer for Billy Joel. DVD extras include a read-along feature, auto-play and a bonus story called "Millions of Cats."

Presented by Xerox, this "By Kids for Kids"-sponsored product is designed for grades K-12. It teaches kids how to investigate for inventions, test their idea, build it, test it and test again. They'll be inspired by stories of kid inventors, such Philo Farnsworth, who invented television at 14, and Louis Braille, who at 12 devised a system that allowed the blind to read. It also covers the basics of patent law. The kit includes a Teacher's Guide, Student Guides, an Inventive Thinking Game poster, DVD and more.

This video is narrated by Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal and based on the lyrical Caldecott Award-winning book by Mordecai Gerstein. It tells the true story of Philippe Petit, a French man who walked a tightrope between the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in 1974. Directed and animated by Michael Sporn, with music by Michael Bacon, the production values are certain to impress parents, while engaging children. The videos, produced by Weston Woods Studios, were previously only available to schools and libraries.

Ten new dinosaurs show children all the colors of the rainbow, from red fire trucks to yellow bananas. Children will love watching the antics of these enormous beasts and their families … and searching for the name of each dinosaur hidden in the pictures. Written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Mark Teague, this 6” x7” board book has 12 pages.

The dinosaurs are back for an engaging read-aloud tale that will teach children how to care and share, and have great big fun along the way. Through rhymes and fibrant illustrations, children and parents will laugh as they learn valuable lessons about friendship. Written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Mark Teague, this 6” x7” board book has 12 pages. (Read Review)

Based on the 1939 book by Virginia Lee Burton, this story about an upstart steam shovel has withstood the test of time and remains an inspirational you-can-do-it story for kids 3 to 7. Big diesel machines are threatening to run Mike Mulligan and his throwback steam shovel, Mary Anne, out of business, so they must prove their worth by digging out the basement of the town hall in just one day. The DVD has a read-along feature, and it includes the tale “I Stink,” which is narrated by actor and one-time late-night sidekick Andy Richter. Other stories include “Trashy Town” and “Dot the Fire Dog,” as well as bonus tale “The Remarkable Riderless Runaway Tricycle.”

A wily boy outsmarts a nasty witch and saves himself and his siblings from becoming the Wiccan version of a Lean Cuisine. If Hansel dumped Gretel and went out on the road solo, you’d get “Teeny-Tiny and the Witch-Woman,” which is based on the traditional children’s story adapted by Barbara K. Walker. It is joined on this DVD by two other witch-centric stories, “The Boy with Two Shadows” and “The Witch in the Cherry Tree,” as well as outer-space story “Space Case” and bonus story “The King of Cats.” (Read Review)

Kids can discover a new way to play I SPY with 13 fascinating mysteries on this CD-ROM. They simply choose a case file, and then earn mystery clues by solving riddles and searching for concealed objects. Children must employ problem solving skills to follow clues to solve the case of the Locked Gate and other mysteries. The game “engages kids in solving I SPY riddles and mysteries while simultaneously building their vocabulary and language skills,” Amabel Fulgencio of Scholastic told TDmonthly. It was named one of the 100 Best Children’s Products of 2006 by Dr. Toy. Launch date: August 2006.

Two students of Sabuda and Reinhart, author Kyle Olman and illustrator Tracy Sabin, have created an enchanting experience as they take young readers through a majestic three-dimensional medieval world. An absorbing text and over 15 intricate pop-ups present a sneak peek into the various events that occur in a medieval castle, which include knighting ceremonies, jousts, feasts, and more. This book received the 2007 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award.

In the wake of the devastating 2004 tsunami, a baby hippo was left homeless. But, rescued by villagers, Owen the hippo found a new home in a Kenyan wildlife sanctuary. There he made a friend – Mzee, a 130-year-old giant tortoise. Although the two never would have been friendly in nature, readers can see heartwarming and adorable pictures that prove truth is more amazing than fiction. The story is told by 6-year-old Isabelle Hatkoff and her dad, and won the 2007 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award. Launch date: February 2006.