Rosemary Wells, Tom Wells, , illus. by Dan Andreasen. . Puffin, $6.99 (48pp) ISBN 978-0-14-240061-6
In what PW
called an "exuberant" volume, narrated by a 12-year-old girl and arranged to resemble a scrapbook, Rosemary Wells and her late husband, an architect, "charmingly detail" the construction of a house built from a kit ordered from the Sears, Roebuck catalogue in 1928. Ages 6-up. (Mar.)
Reprising characters glimpsed in Here Comes Mother Goose, the incomparable Wells stages one of childhood's most commonplace dramas—a trip to the Continue reading »
Wells returns to the plucky heroine she introduced in Yoko
with this wistful story about the green-eyed kitten and her far-away grandparents. Yoko writes weekly Continue reading »
Rosemary Wells and her late husband, an architect, charmingly detail the construction of a house built from a kit ordered from the Sears, Roebuck catalogue in 1928. Narrated by 12-year-old Emily Continue reading »
Studded with Selznick's evocative illustrations, Wells's affecting chapter book opens in 1933, when the young narrator wins an airplane ride with a stunt pilot at the Oklahoma Air Races. Continue reading »
In this brief but instructive picture book (produced in partnership with Jumpstart, an early-education organization), Max and Ruby creator Wells once again demonstrates her talent for simple Continue reading »
In this book's magnetic preface, white-haired Stanley Braverman goes to pick up an inheritance from his late aunt. He finds his childhood clothes in the guest room of her empty house. "The Continue reading »
The plainspoken bunny heroine of Emily's First 100 Days of School
describes a kindergarten year (separated in "chapters" designated by month) in Continue reading »
Wells's devoted fans will clamor for her latest title, starring her beloved bunnies in soft, pastel watercolors. This time she trades in her usual prose for poetry—perfectly paced for Continue reading »
An isolated boy accesses a miraculous world. "This tantalizingly open-ended tale explores the overlap between memory and imagination," PW
wrote. Ages Continue reading »
Inspired by a real-life mystery,Wells (the McDuff books) crafts a fanciful imagining of the short earthly lives, and longer Heavenly ones, of two French girls legendary for the miracles they Continue reading »
This rather pointed romp centers on a sedentary, supersize family that sets off on a trip to Dizzyland. After loading their RV with cartons of not-so-goodies (Cheezie Chips, Koko Snax), the Gulps Continue reading »
Wells (Wingwalker
) once again brings a historical period to life, this time the Civil War era in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. "It is July 30, 1861. I, Continue reading »
Having overcome the challenges of being the only sushi lover at the Hill Top School (in Yoko
), the Japanese kindergartner faces a similar struggle when she is Continue reading »
With a heavy-handed swat at big money, egocentric candidates and rumor-mongering, Wells's election-year tale features puppies running for Barkadelphia School president. Unfortunately, Continue reading »
Inspired by a 200-word fragment written by one of Lincoln's sons, Wells (Mary on Horseback
) introduces the legendary president through the perspectives of Continue reading »
In the latest addition to Wells's Baby Max and Ruby series, the siblings spend some inventive time in the sandbox. "Pat, pat! Dig, dig! This is what we need.... Bubbles, berries, puddle water, a bag Continue reading »
After hearing a radio interview with Fernandez, an �migr� architect, Wells tracked him down and asked to collaborate on a story about his childhood, which they deliver in this short novel that brims Continue reading »
Like many children, Max and Ruby want to hear story after story before bed, and Grandma complies in this compilation of three adventures. Grandma tells of the time Ruby and her friend Louise opened Continue reading »
Model trains, time travel, and cameo appearances by Ronald Reagan and Alfred Hitchcock, among others, make this adventure an ideal family read-aloud. "One day everything in the world was fine. Dad Continue reading »
Lassie Come-Home: Eric Knight's Original 1938 Classic
Rosemary Wells
Eric Knight's classic ""receives a worthy new incarnation as a picture book in this splendid collaboration,"" said PW in a starred review. All ages. Continue reading »
Yoko the kitten has gone off to her school with her willow-covered cooler filled with sushi, looking forward to a good day. But her classmates tease her mercilessly when lunch time rolls around Continue reading »
Among a profusion of books about turn-of-the-century Russian-Jewish emigrants, Wells's (Mary on Horseback) and Andreasen's (Eagle Song) story about Mary Antin (1881-1949) stands out for its Continue reading »
In this cozy square volume inspired by a literacy campaign slogan, said PW, ""The joy of reading shines on every fuzzy face."" Ages 6 mos.-3 yrs. (Aug.) Continue reading »
""It's kitchen chaos when Max and Ruby become bunnies who each bake a cake for Grandma's birthday. When it comes to the interplay between pared-down text and eventful illustrations, Wells, quite Continue reading »
Rosemary Wells's popular rabbits return for Bunny Party. This time around, Max and Ruby host a birthday bash for Grandma. But each time Ruby sets the table, Max not only replaces Ruby's guests Continue reading »
Louise brings her Deluxe Beauty Kit over to Ruby's house, and she and Ruby give Max a makeover in Ruby's Beauty Salon by Rosemary Wells. When Grandma calls, she asks Max to do her makeup and she's Continue reading »
Rosemary Wells's rotund rabbit and star of the Nick Jr. TV series is back in the board book Max's Valentine. The tale follows Max's quest for sweet satisfaction in the form of ""Be Mine"" hearts, Continue reading »
Books for youngest readers featuring well-known characters are back in books with new sizes and formats. Rosemary Wells's Read to Your Bunny, which featured prominently in the 1997 ""Read to Your Continue reading »
Building fantasy on the solid foundation of a mother's championship, Wells acquaints her readers with more of the endearing anthropomorphs that have made her picture books lasting favorites. Hazel is Continue reading »
``Charles is as happy as he could be,'' but he is so shy he won't thank Mrs. Belinski for a treat, and he refuses to play with Wanda Sue or answer the phone. ``This can't go on,'' says Charles' Continue reading »
An adventurous girl celebrates the transition from winter to spring: ``God gave me eyes / To see the woods and all who live within it.'' Chickadees and cardinals, deer, rabbits and a snowy owl are Continue reading »
Irresistible Max is backthis time starring in a springtime book full of Easter surprises. When Max finds a chocolate chicken in the birdbath, big sister Ruby decides to organize an Easter egg hunt. Continue reading »
Although based on the Dinah Maria Mulock Craik novel, Wells's picture book retelling is devoid of the sentimental flavor of the original. The comic illustrations underscore the droll aspects of the Continue reading »
PW called these three verse tales about clumsy James and his bossy big brother ``hard to beat for pure enchantment. A blessing to little brothers everywhere and a lesson to older ones.'' Ages 3-7. Continue reading »
Wells adds engaging new dimensions to her ongoing saga of the inimitable bunny siblings as Ruby introduces Max, her insatiably inquisitive brother, to the tale of a calamitously curious youngster. Continue reading »
Divided into four vignettes, a child's first-person narration offers an appreciation of the senses and the seasons. One morning, the youngster sees a spiderweb, in the mist ``loaded with emerald Continue reading »
Mary Elizabeth is delighted to be given a puppy, a small scrap of a Westie called Lucy, but, as these brief vignettes eloquently illustrate, she must learn that looking after a pet is not always Continue reading »
""I am going to read you a bedtime story about someone whose sweet tooth got out of control,"" announces authoritative Ruby after she catches Max, her puckish brother, hiding cupcakes in his pajamas. Continue reading »
A homeless unloved pup becomes one lucky dog in this tender picture book from the distinguished pair who produced Waiting for the Evening Star and the picture-book adaptation Lassie Come-Home. When a Continue reading »
The story of a boy who relishes his family's quiet life on a Vermont farm, but whose older brother yearns to join the Navy, is conveyed through ""well-chosen prose [and Jeffers's illustrations,] Continue reading »
Field's 1930 Newbery Medal-winning classic about a doll with a taste for adventure gets resized, relocated and redecorated in this handsome storybook adaptation. As in Field's version, this Hitty Continue reading »
As Wells's (My Very First Mother Goose) sparkling, ambitious book opens, Emily--a childlike bunny who could easily be kin to Max and Ruby--attends her first day of school. Her teacher, a guinea pig Continue reading »
It's off to dog-training class for everyone's favorite Westie in McDuff Goes to School by Rosemary Wells, illus. by Susan Jeffers. McDuff hits it off with the new neighbors' dog, Marie, but makes Continue reading »
The favorite feline stars in Rosemary Wells's Yoko & Friends School Days series, which debuts with two titles, Mama, Don't Go! and The School Play, illus. by Jody Wheeler. In the first, Yoko won't Continue reading »
When a pack of ants invades owners Fred and Lucy's Fourth of July picnic, the Westie star finds the perfect solution in McDuff Saves the Day by Rosemary Wells, illus. by Susan Jeffers. (June) Continue reading »
Rosemary Wells presents a follow-up to Felix Feels Better in Felix and the Worrier, in which the furry hero is visited every night by the Worrier, a little gold-colored creature who raises one Continue reading »
Two interactive titles star the familiar Westie puppy-McDuff's Favorite Things and McDuff's Hide-and-Seek-by Rosemary Wells, illus. by Susan Jeffers. The first title, a touch-and-feel book, Continue reading »
Emily & Friends: Playtime Learning Box [With Paperback Edition of Emily's First 100 Days of Sch and 100 Number Stickers and 100 Activity C
Rosemary Wells
Readers can head back to class with popular characters in a handful of titles. Rosemary Wells's playful bunny stars in Emily and Friends: Playtime Learning Box, a fun-filled kindergarten kit Continue reading »
McDuff's Hide-And-Seek: Lift the Flap/Pull the Tab
Rosemary Wells
Two interactive titles star the familiar Westie puppy-McDuff's Favorite Things and McDuff's Hide-and-Seek-by Rosemary Wells, illus. by Susan Jeffers. The first title, a touch-and-feel book, Continue reading »
Glad tidings for Max fansthe bunny of board-book fame now stars in his first picture book. Sister Ruby has to drag Max up the steps, scrub his face with a washcloth and remind him to ""Spit, Max,'' Continue reading »
Mother camel Gilda gives birth to a white Arabian horse, causing consternation at the arrival of such a funny-looking ""camel.'' PW's comment: ``The pictures and the droll little story are bound to Continue reading »
In these three zany stories about Trudy, brother Jacob and their parents, a close-knit family with a well-defined sense of the ridiculous copes--somehow--with the vagaries of everyday life. Ages Continue reading »
According to PW , ``The exultant text offers thanks for the gift of life. Young naturalists will find much to discover as they explore the change of seasons in this eloquent, uplifting book by a Continue reading »
It's hard to imagine anyone--child or adult--getting his or her fill of the indefatigable Max, who always manages to get his way no matter what. Here, the bad-news bunny and sister Ruby go to a Continue reading »
Not unlike the star of Wells's enchanting Max books, Fritz, a disheveled young skunk, has a knack for finding trouble. Fritz's mischief is of the messy sort: when asked to clean his room, he stuffs Continue reading »
This boxed set from the creator of the inimitable Max consists of three beguiling volumes: First Tomato, Moss Pillows and The Island Light. In each, an endearing bunny is having a bad day. Claire Continue reading »
Featuring the wryly understated texts and drolly detailed ink-and-watercolor art of the Max and Ruby titles, these paper-over-board books introduce the late-blooming Edward the Unready. In each Continue reading »
Featuring the wryly understated texts and drolly detailed ink-and-watercolor art of the Max and Ruby titles, these paper-over-board books introduce the late-blooming Edward the Unready. In each Continue reading »
Featuring the wryly understated texts and drolly detailed ink-and-watercolor art of the Max and Ruby titles, these paper-over-board books introduce the late-blooming Edward the Unready. In each Continue reading »
Perhaps influenced by her work on Lassie Come-Home (1995), the dextrous Wells digs deep here, producing a soulful and stirring tale. On his rooftop in Brooklyn, Julietta's grandfather tells her a Continue reading »
It's kitchen chaos as Wells's beloved Max and Ruby become bunnies who bake. Max and Ruby each have grand plans for Grandma's birthday cake. Max envisions an earthworm cake with caterpillar frosting Continue reading »
Those rambunctious rabbit siblings, Max and Ruby, embark on another mishap-filled adventure in Wells's typically funny new book. In a story line similar to that of Bunny Cakes, Ruby hatches a Continue reading »
Wells refashions the Brothers Grimm tale, retaining the moral but casting a sunny glow over the proceedings. Most of the action is familiar--a fisherman spares the life of a talking fish and has his Continue reading »
Rosemary Wells's irrepressible bunny welcomes Christmas in the shaped board book Max's Christmas Stocking. When Santa leaves his glasses in his sleigh, guess whose presents wind up in his big Continue reading »
Leading a quartet of reissues is Shy Charles by Rosemary Wells. ""Readers will find this quiet hero and his winsome smile beguiling proof that shyness does not preclude competence,"" said PW of Continue reading »
Children are invited to join Timothy, Yoko and their classmates as they practice math skills in Adding It Up, the latest addition to the Get Set for Kindergarten! series, based on Timothy Goes to Continue reading »
Children are invited to join Timothy, Yoko and their classmates as they practice math skills in Adding It Up, the latest addition to the Get Set for Kindergarten! series, based on Timothy Goes to Continue reading »
Through simple dialogue, Rosemary Wells tells the story of sister Ruby as she tries to get mischievous Max dressed up to go outside in Max's Snowsuit. The soft cloth book cover shows Max all Continue reading »
A number of new and previously published titles reappear in Spanish-English editions. Rosemary Wells's Only You (2003) now appears as Only You/Solo Tu, trans. by Teresa Mlawer. According to PW's Continue reading »
Several new interactive titles offer visual and musical excitement. Rosemary Wells's perennial stars return for a postal adventure in Bunny Mail: A Max & Ruby Lift-the-Flap Book. Readers lift flaps Continue reading »
For the traditional Japanese celebration of Girls' Day, Yoko receives a special gift from her Obaasan and Ojiisan in Japan: a doll named Miki that has been passed down through her family for Continue reading »
This first book in the Kindergators series, which tackles socialization issues, focuses on a familiar figure: the kid who has personal space issues. Harry pokes, pushes, and tackles; he startles one Continue reading »
Wells addresses a familiar theme%E2%80%94familial love spanning distances%E2%80%94in a fresh and clever way that will feel innately true to readers of any age. The book's two sections each begin with Continue reading »
In a brief, tender story with quiet charm, Wells (On the Blue Comet) celebrates the bond between a mouse and her grandfather, while exploring a child's ability to cope with loss. Wells depicts an Continue reading »
Watch out, Max and Ruby. Wells's new anthropomorphic heroine, Sophie, is a two-year-old rodent with mischief in her eyes and an inability to stay out of trouble. After getting sent to time-out for Continue reading »
Wells?s quiet period piece is set in 1949 on a ranch near Reno, Nev., where almost-sixth-grader Ivy?s parents work. Ivy?s deep compassion for animals spurs her to offer herself as caretaker for pets Continue reading »
Sophie the mouse, first seen in Time-out for Sophie, is in another bad mood, and it?s again up to Granny to save the day in a smart and subtle way. It?s Sophie?s birthday, but whether she?s being Continue reading »
In a series of silver-framed vignettes, a little fox lives contentedly with her family in Airstream-style trailer, a small but ingenious living space with ?a kitchen and a radio and a sofa that Continue reading »
Yoko returns in her sixth picture book, which has the green-eyed kitten and her kimono-wearing mother getting ready for a flight to Japan. The kitten serves as a self-assured and observant guide to Continue reading »
Sophie the mouse gains a baby sister in her third outing, and her response to this intrusion involves showing off her inner polyglot, whether it?s her command of ?Jellyfish language? (?Jubbabubba,? Continue reading »
Fearless, determined, and blunt, Fiona has decided that Felix will be her new best friend. That?s good, because Fiona?s gumption is a tonic for cautious, mild-mannered Felix?in fact, she pushes him Continue reading »
Ruby and best friend Louise head up Miss Ruby and Miss Louise?s Home Preschool, but it?s tough keeping their students in line. Max won?t get out of his gorilla costume, Lily brings a volcano kit to Continue reading »
This is Wells?s version of a parenting manual, expressed as a string of entreaties from a small bunny to its mother, beginning at birth. ?Be my teacher from day one,? Wells writes, as the baby bunny Continue reading »
In this sequel to Felix Stands Tall, Fiona is named Birthday Elf for her best friend Felix, but she forgets her responsibilities and shows up at school the next day without the cupcakes she Continue reading »
It?s a situation virtually any parent can identify with: Sophie the mouse won?t say ?hello? or ?thank you? in social situations where the words are called for. As in Sophie?s previous outings Continue reading »
Rosemary Wells and her late husband, an architect, charmingly detail the construction of a house built from a kit ordered from the Sears, Roebuck catalogue in 1928. Narrated by 12-year-old Emily Continue reading »
Wood (Old Turtle) joins serene settings and dreams of adventure for a vivid romp through a child's imagination. Readers will relate to the ruddy-cheeked, Continue reading »
This slim, posthumously published rhyme occasions lighthearted oil paintings from Andreasen (By the Dawn's Early Light), who trades his customarily solemn, Continue reading »
"Come hear a song about a baby,/ a very special baby./ Come hear a song about you," begins this heartfelt ode to a baby's first experiences. Bauer's (My Continue reading »
Anderson and Andreasen (previously paired for Pioneer Girl) spotlight Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, in this attractive but ultimately disappointing picture Continue reading »
In a departure from his detailed, realistic style, Andreasen (Sailor Boy Jig) here uses thick brushwork and sepia-toned outlines to create a winning chubby blue Continue reading »
Hennessy's (The Dinosaur Who Lived in My Backyard
) nostalgic tale imagines that Christmas ornaments possess holiday memories, too. Each year Silver Bell, Continue reading »
Although newcomer Crumpacker's narrative can't help but remind readers of The Runaway Bunny
, the author makes this story all her own. "It was a Continue reading »
"The author suggests numerous spots for solitude from ponds to museums, then interjects a boy's fantasies into the mix," said PW
. "The artist Continue reading »
Chico: A True Story from the Childhood of the First Woman Supreme Court Justice
Sandra Day O'Connor
After co-authoring a book for adults with her brother about growing up on a cattle ranch (Lazy B)
, the first woman Supreme Court justice ventures into the Continue reading »
Firebears/ Work and wait/ At Fire Station Number Eight," home to quite possibly the world's cutest public servants. Life as a Firebear has its slow moments; when readers first meet the Continue reading »
Those who have wondered how the folklore about leprechauns stashing their treasure at rainbow's end came to be, now have a playful explanation courtesy of Krensky's original tale (with the Continue reading »
Simon & Schuster can’t be accused of partisan politics this election season: it is issuing flattering, unabashedly biased picture book biographies of three main players.
Continue reading »
The mouse introduced in Mortimer's Christmas Manger
continues on his journey of faith and enlightenment. Mortimer can't imagine that seeds have any Continue reading »
In this engaging adaptation, the story and songs from this Rodgers and Hammerstein musical are found in side panels that can be read like miniature books. Meanwhile, dramatic pop-ups bring the Continue reading »
This Easter counting book features cheery pictures of baby animals on a farm. One newborn foal stands “on wobbly legs,” while a nest of five baby birds screech with “wide open Continue reading »
This banal paean to friendship introduces two good-natured, nearly indistinguishable bears who enjoy doing everything together. Andreasen's (The Treasure Bath) digitally colored pen and ink art Continue reading »
The humorous trials and tribulations of this put-upon protagonist include having to repeat the third grade, and being chosen best friend by the class dork. Ages 7-11. Continue reading »
Verla Kay employs the format she used to such strong effect in Gold Fever and Covered Wagons, Bumpy Trails to describe the journey to the New World in Tattered Sails. Dan Andreason's dimly lit Continue reading »
Laura Ingalls Wilder's many fans will delight in this inviting biographical overview in a picture-book format, graced by Andreasen's dreamy landscapes, glowing prairie skies and warm character Continue reading »
""We played marbles on our Papaw's farm,/ on the high dirt mounds of old Fort Craig/ left over from the Civil War,/ where hard, round Rebel bullets/ used to pass Union bullets in the air,"" says the Continue reading »
As she did in Dreamland: A Lullaby, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Carpenter brings her image-rich lyrics to a picture-book audience, this time focusing on Halley's comet and the awe it evokes in Continue reading »
PW said that this dramatization of a critical moment in the War of 1812 ""energetically conveys careful research and patriotic thrummings. Oil paintings hinting of Turner portray the excitement."" Continue reading »
According to PW, this picture book ""dramatically captures the pioneer spirit of the forerunner of the modern postal service while providing an enticing glimpse of American history."" Ages 7-10. Continue reading »
Debut author Clay recasts the childhood memories of 12 Nashville stars as short stories, blending fiction and bits of biographical fact. Clay's pool of material is deep; she has fashioned these tales Continue reading »
By the Dawn's Early Light: The Story of the Star Spangled Banner
Steven Kroll
Kroll ( Mary McClean and the St. Patrick's Day Parade ) dramatizes a critical moment in the War of 1812 as he describes the writing of the national anthem. Just before the British attack on Fort Continue reading »
Throughout fifth grade Honey Kotcher terrorized Tully Webster, but now that they're in sixth grade, she has decided to become his girlfriend. Unfortunately for Tully, Honey's affection is as fearsome Continue reading »
It's a shock for fourth-grader Danny Bigtree to move to Brooklyn from his Mohawk Nation reservation: suddenly he has no friends, and his classmates taunt him, asking him where his war pony is and Continue reading »
For 18 months during the 1860s the Pony Express delivered the mail between Missouri and California, its riders keeping to a grueling schedule, facing Indian attacks and inclement weather. Kroll and Continue reading »
Illustrator Andreasen (Halley Came to Jackson) solos for the first time in an attractive, lucid adaptation of the Brothers Grimm tale ""Snow White and Rose Red."" Here, Rose Red is an only child, and Continue reading »
Judd (Naomi Judd's Love Can Build a Bridge) once again transforms one of the mother-daughter duo's top-selling songs into a sentimental picture book about faith and family. ""A hundred-year-old Continue reading »
Scrapbook History Two titles in the American Girls Collection provide a unique perspective on history with a handsome square scrapbook presentation, including vintage-style postcards and pullout Continue reading »
American Girls Art Studio: Samantha [With Blending Tool and Watercolor Pencils]
The American Girls Art Studio launches this month with four sets starring Kaya, Kit, Samantha and Molly. Each package contains a drawing tablet featuring 24 line drawings from the specific Continue reading »
Like a lump of the ?unburnable coal? that figures in its plot, this picture-book adaptation of Connick?s holiday song and 2005 animated TV special never catches fire. Eubie, an incessantly chipper Continue reading »
Golenbock defines several baseball terms and phrases for each letter of the alphabet, the entries and their definitions appearing in trim sidebars that let Andreasen?s artwork take center stage. Continue reading »
Originally published in 1983, Kroll?s tale of a nameless, lonely doll on a happenstance journey to find a loving owner is updated for a new audience by Andreasen?s (Train Trip) softly lit and Continue reading »
Daniel Ellsberg achieved fame in 1971, at age 40, when he leaked a massive, top-secret Pentagon study about U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War to the New York Continue reading »
Wells's comprehensive examination of domestic opposition to the war in Vietnam chronicles the successes of the anti-war movement. Despite an intensive effort by the U.S. government to disrupt and Continue reading »
Three classic picture book and board book characters, who have enchanted multiple generations of children, return in a pair of fall releases from Simon & Schuster. The books Continue reading »
Aceves’s debut balances brash humor and fumbling first loves in an East L.A. narrative that places serious significance on mental health. Bisexual, Mexican American Enrique Continue reading »
Seton Academic High prep school’s varsity football team attributes tradition to their 12-year winning streak, and they’re not about to let anything get in the way of another Continue reading »
When 17-year-olds Ada Lovelace and Mary Shelley née Godwin meet at a party, they become thick as thieves in Ashton, Hand, and Meadows’s (My Contrary Mary) inventive historical Continue reading »
Viscerally rendered emotions and resonant chronic-illness representation build to a thrilling collaboration that deals in horror tropes. Since her diagnosis, whose treatment Continue reading »