Humorous Nature

Bailey is very excited about the school trip to the Museum of Natural History. After all, he loves to dig up bones even more than an archeologist! And besides bones, there's lots of fun to be had with tepees, totem poles, and dinosaur skeletons. Bailey's classmates never know what will happen next: maybe that's why the museum guard becomes Bailey's special partner.

From the New York Times best-selling author of the Judy Moody books comes this hilarious story about a precocious youngster who’s thinking about eating her first bug. Beetle McGrady loves adventure and she wants to explore the world. When her class makes a food pyramid, she decides to add a new food group of her own - bugs! Beetle knows that people in other parts of the world eat bugs everyday, so when the other kids dare her to eat an ant, the real fun begins!

But don't be surprised if the goat doesn't take it lying down. In this hilarious, rhyme-happy picture book, children will love to pore over the funny illustrations, picking up clues that all is not as it seems between Jimmy Choat and the goat, Petunia P. Oat. Because Petunia knows who's really to blame, and before long the whole family will too!

A popular author of fiction and nonfiction works for children, Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen can often be found in schools sharing her beloved works with children all across the country. With its clever rhymes and cute-creepy storyline, Quackenstein Hatches a Family is the irresistible tale of a very special duck. Quackenstein has no family or friends to play with, until he finds an egg. But when it hatches, it’s not exactly what Quackenstein was expecting!

Grizz Brickbottom is one tough cowboy. But even the toughest cowboys, those who floss their teeth with barbed wire as Grizz does, can use some companionship. So Grizz adopts a dog that will help out with the cattle rustling and the mountain lion chasing. But somehow Grizz ends up with a pretty, pampered poodle, not a fierce, brave canine. John Frank delights in this tale filled with vivid imagery and loveable cowboy characters, who end up getting tamed by a little poodle named Foofy.

David Ezra Stein pens irresistible tales that win over chldren while earning such distinctions as the Caldecott Honor and the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award. In this engaging audiobook, a young mouse sits down to write her grandmother a letter, but she can’t think of anything to say. All of a sudden, though, she is flooded with ideas and starts scribbling down all the wonders of her life. A warmhearted story, Love, Mouserella may even inspire young listeners to write letters to people they care about.

This charming chapter book will have youngsters rooting for one of the world's most reviled creatures. Meet Maybelle, a plump cockroach who hopes to - just once - taste food before it falls to the floor. Against the advice of faithful friend Henry the flea, Maybelle decides to follow her dream. But the people in her household are hosting a dinner party for very important guests, and the last thing anyone expects is a cockroach in the soup.

"Yankee Doodle went to town a-riding on a pony stuck a feather in his hatand called it macaroni." Many know the song "Yankee Doodle Dandy", but few understand it. This unapologetically silly picture book reveals that the legendary ride to town (and the whole macaroni thing) was all suggested by Mr. Doodle' s overeager pony. This just makes Mr. Doodle cranky: "I do not want macaroni. I do not want a feather. I do not want any other clothing, any other pasta, or any other parts of a bird. I do not want anything that they have in town!" A historical note ends this colorful, comical take on a nonsensical old song.

James’ dad has to get creative to convince him to eat healthy foods. Given broccoli, James wants to know what else he can have. So his father offers tasty alternatives such as gum prechewed by children with very clean teeth and dirt walked on by cooks wearing the finest French boots. His father even has helpful suggestions for alternatives to eggs, lasagna, milk, and oatmeal - and soon, James realizes that healthy foods aren’t so bad, after all.

For newly hatched dinosaur Dinah, the world is an exciting place. There is so much to see and do. She tries this - STOMP! And she tries that - CHOMP! Then she sees a kiss and knows just what she wants to try next. Who can she kiss? And after a few disastrous attempts, can she figure out how to give someone a kiss without whomping, chomping, or stomping them first? Young children will chuckle and cheer when Dinah finds just the right creature for her dinosaur kisses in this funny new audiobook from David Ezra Stein.

A persevering penguin is determined to fly in this adorably inspiring audiobook from the creator of Red Hat and Red Sled. Although little Penguin has the soul of an eagle, his body wasn't built to soar. But Penguin has an irrepressible spirit, and he adamantly follows his dreams to flip, flap, fly! Even if he needs a little help with the technical parts, this penguin is ready to live on the wind.

Milo the Magnificent isn't magnificent at all. His card trick is hopeless. His rope trick is a mess. So the theater manager gives him one last chance: Milo has to pull a rabbit out of his hat at the next performance - or else. With carrot, string, and stick, Milo heads for the woods in search of a rabbit. Instead he catches a bear, a very clever bear, whose sensational hat trick just might save Milo's magic act.

Lois Ehlert is the celebrated author of numerous best-selling picture books. Would you believe that Ralph the dog can talk? Yip, yip, yip - it's true. With Ehlert's simple, funny, call-and-response text, this fresh, engaging book is sure to get little ones laughing (and talking to their dogs!).

Farmer Brown is busy decorating his home in preparation for Santa's arrival on Christmas Eve! But once again Duck has gotten the whole barnyard stuck in quite a predicament! Will anyone be able to unstick Duck and save Christmas?

It's time for the annual Corn Maze Festival. The farm is bursting with activity. Cluck! Whack! The chickens build a fence around the cornfield. Moo! Thwack! The cows give the barn a fresh coat of paint. Thump. Quack! Duck builds the ticket booth for the hot-air balloon ride. Everyone is excited. Well, Duck is not excited, exactly. But he has a plan.

Farmer Brown does not like Halloween, so he draws the shades, puts on his footy pajamas, and climbs into bed. But do you think the barnyard animals have any respect for a man in footy pajamas? No, they do not. For them the Halloween party has just begun. And we all know these critters far prefer tricks over treats. There are big surprises in store for Farmer Brown!

Poor Groundhog just can't sleep. He tosses. He turns. Finally, he gets out of bed and goes exploring. Outside his burrow, he finds amazing sights he has never seen before: glowing jack-o'-lanterns, gobbling turkeys, and sparkling holiday lights. But shouldn't Groundhog be in bed? With no sleep, how will he be able to get up for his big day?

Billy and Goat are best friends, but they have different styles. Billy likes to smell the roses - Goat likes to eat them! So it's no surprise that they have different ideas of how to enjoy the state fair. For Billy the crowds and the noise are pretty intimidating. He's happy to wait in the livestock pens until the best goat contest begins. But Goat's not one to sit when he could run. Faster than you can say butter sculpture, Goat's out of the pen and leading Billy on a merry chase. When Billy finally catches up to him, he's relieved but also amazed. The fair is awesome!

Uh oh! A librarian has left the window open, and now it’s time for fun-loving bats of all ages to fly in for a night in the stacks. Bats at the Library is a recipient of starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and Horn Book Magazine.

Happy first birthday, Little Duck! Everyone wants to look their best for the party. But Little Duck has never had a birthday before - so how better to learn how to prepare than to do what all the other animals do! The sheep trim their wool - so Little Duck trims her feathers. The pigs need a mud bath - so Little Duck quish and quashes, too. All over the barnyard, Little Duck snips, slurps, squishes, and shimmy shakes herself ready until...WHOOPS! It's party picture time - and Little Duck is a big mess.