October 2008 Notable Toys — Books

This book will quickly help beginning readers to recognize and understand the meaning of over 300 basic English words from A through Z. Each word is clearly defined and then used in one or more sample sentences. Lively, full color illustrations enhance the text. Each word has its own, easily recalled image. The 26 letters of the English alphabet are printed in sequence, in capitals and lower case, at the top of each page. Young children will thereby learn what a dictionary is and how to use it. Although designed for young children, this book will appeal to older children with reading difficulties and, of course, their teachers.

This book is packed full of popular Sudoku and other number puzzles. The 104 puzzles in this book are licensed Daily Mirror* puzzles and their solutions. The solutions are printed at the back of the book. You will find classic Sudoku puzzles at 4 levels of difficulty – easy, medium, hard & fiendishly hard. Other number games include: Figig, Figure Out, Number Crunch, Cross-Sums, 12-Number Sudoku, Godoku and Pyramid. The rules for these games are given in the book. (*Daily Mirror is a major British newspaper)

Nita Mehta is a Home Science graduate from Lady Irwin College, Delhi University and a Gold Medalist in M.Sc.. (Food & Nutrition). She has authored more than 200 best selling cookery books. Her book “Flavors of Indian Cooking” won the Best Asian Cookbook Award at the Versailles (Paris) World Cookbook Fair. Nita Mehta has been conducting extremely popular cooking classes for over 20 yrs. Her cooking institute – Nita Mehta Culinary Academy has trained many aspiring individuals into expert cooks.

The compelling paintings and posters of Tara McPherson are a tour-de-force of creative tension, at once heartfelt and heartbreaking. Creating art about people and their odd ways, recalling many issues from childhood and adult life experience, McPherson creates images that are thought-provoking and seductive. Tara's array of work includes numerous gig posters for rock bands, including Green Day, Modest Mouse, and Death Cab for Cutie, and advertising and editorial illustrations for a diverse group of clients. Her prints and paintings have been exhibited in galleries all over the world. Lonely Heart is the first printed collection of McPherson's work.

LucasArts' game The Force Unleashed, is poised to be the Star Wars event of the year. Revealed in this story are the origins of Darth Vader's secret apprentice, the deadly missions on which he was sent to track down and destroy Jedi, and the awesome decision he is forced to make that will, literally, change the way you look at the Star Wars saga!

Since the destruction of the Hellmouth, the Slayers-newly legion-have gotten organized and are kicking some serious undead butt. But not everything's fun and firearms, as an old enemy reappears and Dawn experiences some serious growing pains. Meanwhile, one of the "Buffy" decoy slayers is going through major pain of her own. Buffy creator Joss Whedon brings Buffy back to Dark Horse in this direct follow-up to season seven of the smash-hit TV series. The bestselling and critically acclaimed issues 1-5 are collected here for the first time, as are their covers by Jo Chen and Georges Jeanty.

Dark Horse presents new editions of the entire Hellboy line with new covers, beginning with Seed of Destruction, the basis of director Guillermo del Toro's blockbuster films. Hellboy is one of the most celebrated comics series in recent years. The ultimate artists' artist and a great storyteller whose work is in turns haunting, hilarious, and spellbinding. Mike Mignola has won numerous awards in the comics industry and beyond. When strangeness threatens to engulf the world, a strange man will come to save it. Sent to investigate a mystery with supernatural overtones, Hellboy discovers the secrets of his own origins, and his link to the Nazi occultists who promised Hitler a final solution in the form of a demonic avatar.

Did you know that there are over 350 kinds of sharks? They might have a scary reputation, but you can find the truth about these fearsome fish by opening these jaws and reading the board book inside!

What do you get when you combine everyone’s favorite bear with a board book that also houses 12 touch-and-feel ABC flashcards in a resealable box? You get an exciting, unique format that will teach the letters of the alphabet and simple words in a way no one has done before!

Mad Art is the newest extension of Mad Libs. But instead of "fill in the blanks," it's "fill in the picture!" Each spread features simple rebus text and then a picture where kids can draw in silly features. Give a fireman a wacky hat or draw a portrait of yourself with hilarious hair!

Read, flip, and find with Skippyjon Jones! Skippyjon Jones fans will go loco over this brandnew matching game format! Skippyjon Jones has found a treasure map, and you can help find the treasure by flipping over the correct bilingual tiles in the pop-up matching game included with the book.

In the first of a new series about the ongoing idylls of a little doll and her friends, whimsy is wrapped in a fresh, modern look. It's a wonderful windy day and perfect for Windy's favorite activity — flying her big, blue kite. When the wind blows her kite away, she sets off to find it through artfully photographed cut-and-folded paper landscapes. Each book in the series will highlight an activity from the story with complete and simple instructions on the inside jacket cover (in Windy's case, how to make and fly a kite). The pictures and stories are perfect for small children, with playful maps to trace each adventure and great ideas for things to do and make.

Sunny wakes up on a bright, summer morning to the familiar sounds of his wonderful world. Inspired by what they hear, he and his friends decide to invent their own playful brand of music. Before long, the happy children get down to a hootennanny time. The puppet figures designed and photographed by Mitchell and Steedman have a fresh, modern style. Clear, primary colors and charming line drawings add to the simple delight they give to children.

In this third book in Robin Mitchell and Judith Steedman’s popular Windy series, Snowy and Chinook are planning a birthday party for their friend Tulip on a cold winter morning. The puppet figures who tell the story, designed by the authors and photographed by Mia Cunningham, have a fresh and modern style. Clear, primary colors, charming line drawings, and simple text make this a fun book for the very young.

Each night Henry asks his dad to tell him about when he was small, and his father relates how very small he really was: …we used to give you baths in the teapot… and …we took the toy castle out of the aquarium and you were king of it. The minimal text is accompanied by delicate illustrations. A lovely title to share one on one, and sure to start many family rituals.

Surrounded by hat-tippers who are always tipping their hats and shunning those who don't return the favor, poor Mr. Tadaa has a head too big for his hat. Even worse, the Little Person's hat is so big it wears him. One blustery day, Mr. Tadaa's hat and the Little Person are blown away by the wind... and right into each other! A surprise twist at the end shows that even in a world of hat-tippers, nonconformists can find happiness and friendship.

Bugs climb on top of each other from one to ten until the last bug — a tiny flea — topples the pile. Then off they go home, one by one, except for the first little bug, who waits patiently until the next time the reader opens the book. This happy, silly book is perfect for children who are new to numbers and simple sums. Bold graphics and bright colors excite the eye and make the book's lessons fun.

Gently Spoken, publisher of the successful “Eat Your Peas” gift books, has teamed with the Mary Meyer Corporation, an award-winning manufacturer of quality stuffed toys, to create Peas and Love for Grandkids, a gift package that combines a Food for Thought Mary Meyer plush pea and the “Eat Your Peas” gift book, Eat Your Peas for Grandkids.  The gift package features an “Eat Your Peas” gift book and 10" x 4" x 3" Food for Thought plush pea pod that zips open to find three 2" diameter funny-faced plush peas. The new Peas and Love gift packages also include: Peas and Love for New Moms, Peas and Love for Daughters and Peas and Love for the Holidays. Launch date: 2008.

Gently Spoken, publisher of the successful “Eat Your Peas” gift books, has teamed with the Mary Meyer Corporation, an award-winning manufacturer of quality stuffed toys, to create Peas and Love for Daughters, a gift package that combines a Food for Thought Mary Meyer plush pea and the “Eat Your Peas” gift book, Eat Your Peas for Daughters.  The gift package features an “Eat Your Peas” gift book and 10" x 4" x 3" Food for Thought plush pea pod that zips open to find three 2" diameter funny-faced plush peas. The new Peas and Love gift packages also include: Peas and Love for New Moms, Peas and Love for Grandkids and Peas and Love for the Holidays.

After Corinne and all of hter friends are thrown into separate fairy worlds, Ilona finds hwerself ina world controlled by an evil countess so obsessed by youth that she sacrifices young girls to draw their life force into her own. Forced to join the countess's troop of werewolves, Ilona must help kidnap mortal girls. As she puzzles over how to save the girls instead, without endangering herself, she begins to fall for one of the werewolf lieutenants. It may be the loved she's always dreamed of, but what will be the cost? Tiffany Trent and Angelika Ranger cowrote this fourth book in the Hallowmere series. Launch date: May 13, 2008.

Being a teenager is a challenge, but in Kimberly Pauley's "Sucks to Be Me," life gets really complicated when Mina has to decide whether or not to become a vampire like her parents. Toss in a couple of cute boys and it's enough to drive a girl crazy .... or at least make her want to drink some blood. Written by first-timer Kimberly Pauley. Hardcover, 304 pages. Launch date: September 2008.

In this super-silly new series from acclaimed author and humorist D.L. Garfinkle, the trouble begins when Nate accidentally breaks his friend Jason's glasses and asks the rubber chicken to grant Jason super vision. But when Ms. Crabpit intercepts the chicken, super vision transforms her from tyrant teacher into super teacher. Can Nate undo the mess before Ms. Crabpit actually teaches them something? Illustrated by Ethan Long. Launch date: 6/10/2008.

In this 40-page hardcover story by Hyun Young Lee, Yoon has a bad first day of kindergarten and has to find something that will make it better. Does she make friends in the end? Launch date: September 1, 2008.