February 2013 Notable Toys — Books

From the makers of Bag-o-Loot comes a new storybook about Snitch the Fracoon, who has to go on a scavenger hunt and ends up learning a lesson about generosity. Comes with a plush accessory.

Families can build their own clubhouses with these illustrated step-by-step instructions, even with no prior building experience. With advice from this charming author, anyone can learn how to make their clubhouse just the way they want it by customizing for their needs. Launch date: March 2013.

For kids who want to imagine life on the farm, this second Pop-Out & Paint book lets them recreate farm scenes stocked with all the barnyard animal favorites: cows, sheep, pigs, goats, ducks, chickens, even a barn cat and a border collie. Kids 8-12 will enjoy hours of fun painting both familiar and heritage breeds. Launch date: August 2013.

With Sewing School 2, kids 7 and up will use techniques and projects to build their skills with sewing machines. With step-by-step text and photographs designed for kids to understand and 20 projects that appeal to both boys and girls, little adult help is needed as kids learn such things as how to thread a machine, how to change a needle, why and when to use a particular stitch, how to use the pressure foot as a guide, and how to use a pattern. Launch date: June 2013.

Hello Kitty, hello seasonal fun! This pair of sunny offerings depicts our favorite star and her cast of friends enjoying all that the seasons have to offer: butterflies, baseball, sand castles, ice cream cones, and more. With sparse text and irresistible original scenic art, this title is one of four in the newest series of Hello Kitty collectible board books. Launch date: March 12, 2013.

At an elementary school in Santa Fe, the bell rings for recess and kids fly out the door to check what’s happening in their garden. As the seasons turn, everyone has a part to play in making the garden flourish. From choosing and planting seeds in the spring to releasing butterflies in the summer to harvesting in the fall to protecting the beds for the winter. Even the wiggling worms have a job to do in the compost pile! On special afternoons and weekends, neighborhood folks gather to help out and savor the bounty (fresh toppings for homemade pizza, anyone?). Part celebration, part simple how-to, this close-up look at a vibrant garden and its enthusiastic gardeners is blooming with photos that will have readers ready to roll up their sleeves and dig in. Launch date: January 2013.

A giraffe kiss is very tall - just turn the page and see. Elephant kisses are long, of course, while tiny mice and bubbly fish have kisses all their own. Using a clever split-page format that makes for charming surprises, author-illustrator Mary Murphy shares a series of animal kisses that are sure to have babies and toddlers gurgling, giggling, smiling, and leaning over for their kisses, too. Launch date: December 2012.

Love Waves are what we send to our loved ones until we can be together again. Invisible and strong, they can fly across town or around the world, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that neither time nor space can keep love from finding its target. Combining a wonderfully concrete concept with her cozy pastel illustrations, Rosemary Wells offers an ingenious way to ease the separation anxiety many children feel when parents go to work, or live in separate homes; when close friends or relatives move, or live far away; or whenever a loved one’s absence calls for an extra dose of reassurance. How to comfort a young child who misses a special person when he or she is away? A treasured picturebook creator has the perfect solution. Launch date: September 2011.
— As of 1/16/2013 this product had 4.4 out of 5 stars from 8 reviews on Amazon.com.

Amelia Elliot was half way down the stairs to the school dining hall when her life changed forever. Before the gong sounded for tea she was an ordinary schoolgirl looking forward to her thirteenth birthday and worrying about her Latin exam. After the gong, she was an orphan sent hurtling into a shadowy world of subterfuge, treachery and unlikely friendship. In a fight to reclaim the mysterious family chest left to her by her Tudor ancestor Matilda, she begins a thrilling journey which will lead her from glittering ballrooms to the slums of the Rookeries, from society séances to the lime-lit stages of the London music hall. The second novel in the A Girl for All Time® series, Amelia's Inheritance tells the story of 13-year old orphan Amelia Elliot growing up in Victorian London.

Whilst the novel takes the reader to the past, 'Matilda's Keepsakes and Secrets' book brings the past into the present with a range of fun activities and things to do. Imagine Matilda’s world and make a Keepsake book you’ll treasure for ever. With lots of of Tudor-themed activities including recipes, fashion ideas and fun quizzes kids can explore Matilda's world alongside their own. Plan a Tudor-themed sleep-over with friends, make delicious Tudor treats, use Tudor-vibed hair and fashion ideas, or make a family tree. With so many things for kids to do with friends, family or on their own, there are hours of fun activities to enjoy. 88 pages of interactive projects and activities, with customisable pages to make the book your own. This hardcover, spiral-bound activity book was designed and written by P. S. Salmi, a masters graduate of the Royal College of Art and Fulbright scholar at the University of Southern California.

The ALEXANDER GIRARD COLOR board book celebrates the vivid, playful, and sophisticated world of 20th century design icon Alexander Girard. Especially known for his textile designs for Herman Miller, Girard's wide-ranging repertoire also spanned many disciplines, including interior design, graphic design, and furniture design. This chunky board book is another wonderful addtiion to our series that features both design greats and up-and-coming new talent. ALEXANDER GIRARD COLOR features the vintage 1972 illustration "Girls" on the cover, as well as 26 classic Girard designs. Launch date: February 2012.

Stick figures to the dark side only lead. To doodle like a Jedi you must learn. With this companion to the blockbuster bestselling Origami Yoda series, beloved author Tom Angleberger—with the help of the kids from McQuarrie Middle School—presents young Padawans with dozens of activities from the Star Wars universe. Padawans can learn how to fold R2-D2 and C-3PO, draw Jabba, and even build a fully functioning ChapStick rocket! Other Force-mastering activities include: “Kellen’s Guide to Cool Letters,” “Mike’s Complete Rules and Tips for Pencil Pod-Racing,” “Rhondella’s Tips for Photographing Origami,” and much more. Launch date: March 2013.

As a little girl tours and twirls through the halls of the art museum, she finds herself on an exciting adventure. Each piece of art evokes something new inside of her: silliness, curiosity, joy, and ultimately inspiration. When confronted with an empty white canvas, she is energized to create and express herself—which is the greatest feeling of all. Launch date: March 2013.

In this stylish and sturdy pop-up story, five little tadpoles hatch from their eggs, but their mother is nowhere to be found. They set off to find her—but how will they recognize her? What does she look like? By meeting the other animals in the pond—Mama Duck, Mama Fish, Mama Turtle, and Mama Crab—they gather the clues they need, until finally an especially loud “Ribbit, ribbit!” happily reunites the family. Young readers will delight in this charming family story, with its opportunities to identify mama and baby animals and its striking pop-up illustrations. Launch date: April 2013.

This oversized interactive book is a heartfelt look at the wonder and excitement of waiting...and waiting...and waiting for a new sibling to arrive. The charming protagonist is so eager to step into her role as a big sister that she’s starting early! She sticks close to her mama so she can sing songs to her sibling-to-be (loudly, of course) and explain all the great things waiting in the outside world (cupcakes! strawberries! swimming!). Quaint line drawings and lovely patterns lend a breezy, lighthearted atmosphere to the story, and a variety of playful flaps add gentle humor, showing the new baby blissfully tucked away in its mama’s belly. A joyful and celebratory ode to the growing family for any sister- or brother-to-be. Launch date: May 2013.

Hello Kitty, hello seasonal fun. This pair of sunny offerings depicts our favorite star and her cast of friends enjoying all that the seasons have to offer: butterflies, baseball, sand castles, ice cream cones, and more. With sparse text and irresistible original scenic art, these titles are the first two of four in the newest series of Hello Kitty collectible board books. Launch date: March 2013.

It’s a busy day on the construction site, and these industrious mice are up to something big. But what are they working on? Bold, colorful illustrations and recognizable vehicles with moving parts add to the fun, with hidden clues for the careful observer. Is that red paint...or red sauce? Is that a construction pit...or a drain? Children will delight in guessing their way to the end, when the final spread reveals a carefully constructed surprise. It’s favorite vehicles meet lunchtime and bathtime in these novelty board books with interactive mechanisms. Launch date: March 2013.

This spirited new board book proves there’s nothing sweeter than friendship. Emily loves to dance and can’t wait to meet the other girls in her dance class, who are sure to be just like her. But instead she meets Nicole, a tomboy; Bitsy, who loves arts and crafts; and Anna, a shy bookworm who has no interest at all in dancing. But just as different flavors of jellybeans taste delicious together, the girls learn how to team up to make their dance recital a success. March 2013.

Recognizing and labeling animals has never been so geometrically inspired. Young children will delight in the usual suspects (bunny, pig, frog, chicken, monkey, and lion) depicted in a whole new way. The elements of each zoomed-in face provide only a subtle hint of the animals’ identities, inviting children (and adults) to stretch the boundaries of what defines an animal image. The simple question-and-answer format provides immediate gratification for even the shortest attention spans. Launch date: April 2013.

A celebration of all things feline, How to Be a Cat also tells a universal story of mastering life skills, and of the sometimes tender, sometimes stern relationship between parent and child, teacher and pupil. Cat lovers of all ages will connect to this loving portrayal of a mentor-student relationship. Launch date: March 2013.

This book lets you explore the Enterprise NCC-1701-D in amazing high-resolution 3D. Using original blueprints, diagram and scans, you can take a tour of the famous starship with the book and CD-ROM. The book was written by Star Trek expert team Denise and Michael Okuda. Launch date: February 2013.

Author Warren Elsmore presents a pictorial collection of world-famous buildings and landmarks made of LEGO blocks, along with instructions to build your own versions.  The models that readers can build include: The Golden Gate Bridge, New York’s new World Trade Center, The Louvre in Paris, Rome’s Coliseum, The Great Wall of China…and many more. Launch date: May 2013.

Un pequeño burro se presenta en la casa de un nino y se convierte en un valioso miembro de la familia. El día que desaparece, nunca esperan volver a verlo hasta que aparece una noche oscura y temerosa.

A tiny burro shows up at a little boy’s house and becomes a valued member of the family. One morning, he disappears and the family never expects to see him again. The story ends with a ghost encounter.