Books with author James Harper

"Children will love the story for its charm and rollicking fun, and the salient points will make a lasting impression. A top choice for Fire Prevention Week." — School Library JournalStop! Drop! Roll! Learning the rules of fire safety is a lot more fun (and less scary) when demonstrated by a charming and diverse group of animals. Alligator, Panda, Octopus, and the others work hard to master the rules of fire safety and perform the perfect fire drill, but thinking about fire is a bit nerve-wracking, and each of them reacts differently — often with hilarious results. Sprinkled with fascinating facts about animal behavior, this second story about the characters in Miss Mingo’s one-of-a-kind class is sure to appeal to readers of all stripes.

On sharing day in Miss Mingo's multispecies class, we learn that Cricket hears with his legs, Snake smells with his tongue, and Frog enjoys eating his own skin in this nonfiction storybook filled to the gills with laughter — and learning.If there's an elephant in the classroom — along with an alligator, a koala, a centipede, an octopus, and who knows what else — it must be Miss Mingo's class on the first day of school! Miss Mingo, herself a flashy flamingo, is eager to start off the year by inviting all creatures great and small to share something special about themselves. From the enormous Hippo to the teeny Ant, each member of her class is certainly unique. Do you have any idea how long Giraffe's tongue is? Or how much water Pelican's pouch can hold? Visit Miss Mingo's classroom for just one day and meet a delightfully diverse group of students — and discover a world full of wonderful facts!

This is a comprehensive reference to over 35 places of legend, including sites, cities and landscapes. It includes a seven-page gazetteer giving insight into travel and accommodation, and what to see and do at the places featured in the book. Locator maps direct the reader to each area. The atlas charts a worldwide journey through varied territory, beginning where legend, myth and reality meet. These are the eternal realms, such as the Garden of Eden, Camelot and Avalon, which cannot now be seen, but which have for centuries motivated explorers, writers and artists. The natural settings are as varied as those of Hawaii's Haleakala Crater, Japan's Mount Fuji and India's River Ganges. These landscapes are places where gods and heroes are believed to have walked on Earth. In such environs, human endeavour has created sacred wonders: the Tomb of Tutankhamun cut from the Valley of the Kings; the Mayan city of Tikal in the heart of the Guatamalan jungle; and Ohio's Serpent Mound, created by ancestors of the Native Americans. Man-made beauty and monuments are the stuff of legend too, from the Taj Mahal to the Forbidden City and Elsinore. And legendary places can embody the triumph of human courage over adversity, as witnessed in the rebuilding of Coventry Cathedral.

Another day, another drive So declares Miles, preschooler and car enthusiast. He puts on his seat belt. Check. He winds the key. Check. Uh-oh, the horn is broken but no time to fix it, because Miles is off to school and the trip is adventurous indeed, with the neighbourhood dog to greet, puddles to navigate, even roads to cross (with Mum close at hand, of course). The energy and vibrant illustrations keep the narrative zipping along briskly and brightly.