Books published by publisher Harcourt Children's Books 04-01-2007

Surf’s up! Mrs. Armitage and her dog, Breakspear, paddle out to surf the Big Wave. Soon the kindly Mrs. Armitage notices that Breakspear’s little legs are getting tired--so she swims off and returns with an inflatable desert island for him to rest on. Then she notices that Breakspear looks a little hot--so she swims off again and brings back an umbrella. Soon this silly pair is loaded down with flags, a horn, megaphones, and lots of other gear. What will they do when the Big Wave finally arrives?

When Fox dies, Mole, Hare, and Otter are devastated. They feel they will never get over their great sadness. How can life go on without him? Then one day Squirrel comes to visit. She reminds Fox's family of all the funny things he used to do. And as the friends share dinner and tell stories, they realize at last that in their hearts and memories, Fox is still with them, and he will be--always and forever. With thoughtful, delicate illustrations by acclaimed artist Debi Gliori, this gentle story is just right for anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one.

Join a pack of woolly mammoths as they trek south for the winter, braving fierce storms, deadly predators, and raging rivers while making their slow journey across the gorgeous unspoiled lands of this continent until finally they reach their goal.With the same jouncy and joyous rhythms of her youngest picture book texts, Lisa Wheeler introduces readers to one of the most awesome beasts to ever walk the earth: the massive, hairy--legendary--wonderful woolly mammoth!This factually based book includes an author's note.

A little girl discovers the beauty in herself--and the beauty of the world around her--not by looking in the mirror, but by looking in her Nana's eyes. Glorious bright pictures by Synthia Saint James show us how to see the beauty, and the accompanying CD of Sweet Honey In The Rock singing the song lets us know how to hear it.Ysaye M. Barnwell--a member of the popular a capella quintet of African American women, Sweet Honey In The Rock--wrote the music as well as the lyrics for the song. This breathtaking hardcover picture book and CD will inspire children and adults alike.

To give Nita a vacation from magic, Nita’s parents pack her off for a month-long stay with her eccentric aunt in Ireland. But Ireland is even more steeped in magical doings than the United States, and Nita soon finds herself and a host of Irish wizards battling creatures from a nightmare Ireland--a realm where humankind is the stuff of tales and storybooks, and where the legends and monsters of the country’s mythology are a deadly reality.

Nurk is a quiet homebody of a shrew. But when a mysterious plea for help arrives in the mail, he invokes the spirit of his fearless warrior-shrew grandmother, Surka, and sets off to find the sender. It seems the prince of the dragonflies has been kidnapped, and Nurk is his last hope for rescue. Such a mission would be daunting for even the biggest, baddest, and bravest of shrews, and Nurk is neither big nor bad, and only a little brave. But he does his very best--and hopes his grandmother would be proud. Nurk is a warm, wonderful, and hilarious illustrated adventure about courage, family legacies, and friendships of a most unusual nature.

It’s Epossumondas's birthday, so Mama's whipping up his favorite biscuits. But she's plumb out of sody sallyraytus! (That's baking soda to all you Yankees.) Everybody knows you can’t make big, fluffy biscuits without sody. One by one, Baby Gator, Auntie, and Mama scoot to the store to fetch some. But when no one comes back, it’s up to Epossumondas to run out and see what’s what--until he runs smack into a great, huge, ugly Louisiana snapping turtle!

Brussels sprouts--yuck! The dentist--blech! And worst of all . . . bedtime! That can really ruin a kid’s day. You have to stop playing and brush your teeth and put on your pj’s, and you just know your parents are going to have a big party as soon as you’re asleep. Aren’t they? The feisty girl in this book is determined to find out! Katie Davis takes a fresh, funny look at an experience that is familiar to children and, of course, their sleepy parents. The surprise ending, with its playful resolution, will banish the bedtime blues and is sure to have youngsters scrambling to get to sleep!

Debra Frasier's On the Day You Were Born has been loved by more than a million families since its publication ten years ago. Now parents can extend the celebration of their child's birth with this easy-to-use photo journal inspired by that modern classic. By simply adding eight photographs, a few details--and a lot of love--they can create a wonderful book to read with their child about their first day together.