Books published by publisher Boyds Mills Pr

In this fresh and funny picture book from Geisel Honor-winning author-illustrator Paul Meisel, a lonely bat thinks he has found a perfect home—until he discovers that it's already inhabited by a persnickety squirrel. Since each is asleep during the other's waking hours, the two begin exchanging notes. With these notes, Squirrel does her best to oust her unwelcome guest, but Bat misunderstands and thinks Squirrel is happy to have a new friend. This is a sweet opposites-attract friendship story that gently shows how to find common ground despite outward differences.

It's easy to make one,lying on your back in the newest snow.You move your arms like wings.Later you forget about your creation,go inside for a mug of hot chocolate.That's when she rises from the snowtakes a feathery breath, tries out her wings.So begins a poem about making a snow angel, but it might also refer to the mysterious way that a poem comes into being and takes on a life of its own. In this new collection, Ralph Fletcher shows us how you can write a poem about almost anything: a baby sister, a Venus's-flytrap, a failing grandmother, a squished squirrel, grammar homework, and more. These poems take us inside the creative process as they reveal both the playfulness and the power of poetry. More than anything, they invite us to pick up pen and paper and write some poems of your own.

Oliver Wizard overcomes his nighttime fears as his father gently helps him get ready for bed.Oliver uses imaginary magic in every step of his bedtime ritual. Accompanied by his father, Oliver conjures a bedtime snack, brushes his teeth, reads a book, and waves his wand to keep scary things away. The lighthearted, loving relationship between Oliver and his father is the star of this imaginative story that will help soothe restless toddlers to bed. Rebecca Kai Dotlich's lyrical text and Josée Masse's charming illustrations will help every child find the magic of sleep.

This latest installment in the popular Strange and Wonderful series by Laurence Pringle is an easy-to-read and comprehensive introduction to owl species from all over the world. Stuffed with scintillating science facts and large, colored illustrations from Meryl Henderson, this great educational book is sure to resonate with young animal lovers seeking to learn more about these elusive ghost birds.From the tiny elf owl that weighs less than two ounces to the Eurasian eagle owl that can have a wing span of over five feet, each individual species is described and masterfully pictured in vivid detail through clear, informative text with accompanying artwork. Various facets of the owls' lives are discussed, including their habitats, diet, mating habits, vision, physiology, digestion, and parenting. This miniature encyclopedia, complete with a glossary, index, and further resources, offers a wealth of knowledge to aspiring avian enthusiasts and contains enough factoids to allow even fledgling readers to soar to new heights.

This picture book for young readers about family, friendship and faith is rich in the details of Middle Eastern village life. It tells the warm story of a bond between a father, a son, and the son's favorite camel, as well as their devotion to the Muslim faith, and the power of prayer in their daily life. Salah and his camel, Qadiim, are constant companions: They work together, eat together, and sleep together. Salah is distressed, however, because his camel always seems so sad and downcast, hanging his head low. But in middle of one night, Salah remembers what his father has told him -- that while mankind knows only ninety-nine names for Allah, there are actually one hundred names. What if Qadiim, the camel, could learn the hundredth name? Under the stars Salah prays "to Allah with all his strength." The next day-- a seeming miracle! -- the camel Quadiim carries his head high with a most knowing look. Does Quadiim know the one hundredth name?Beautifully written by Shulamith Levey Oppenheim and complemented by illustrations by Michael Hays that portray the lush, verdant landscape of the Middle East – from the banks of the Nile to its luminous starlit nights -- here is a spiritual and touching story of an Islamic family.

Follow the journey of this "armored" creature to the north. It is descended from an animal that evolved fifty-five million years ago in South America. It looks like a miniature tank, with its stiff armor and short legs. When the Spanish arrived in the New World and saw this strange-looking creature, they called it el armadillo, "the little armored one." Stephen Swinburne and Bruce Hiscock follow the trail of one armadillo in Texas that gives birth to four female pups. When her babies are ready, the mother leads them out of their burrow. Soon they learn how to dig for worms and beetles to eat. The young armadillos keep growing and keep moving, staying alert for dogs and other predators. They wander ever northward on a journey of survival fraught with danger.

Three species of bear inhabit North America: the grizzly, the polar bear, and the black bear. But the American black bear is truly North America's bear, found only in North America. Black bears range from Canada to Mexico, from New England to California. There may be as many as 750,000 black bears roaming the forests and mountains of the continent. With its large population, and with more people moving into black bear territory, it's important that we understand this magnificent animal. Stephen R. Swinburne takes us to where black bears live. He joins biologists in search of bears in the Pennsylvania woods, where a mother bear is examined and her cubs tagged. He visits a "school teacher" for orphaned cubs who teaches them how to survive in the wild. Along the way, he offers his personal observations together with fascinating facts about black bears and their world. (Did you know that in the autumn, black bears consume as much as twenty thousand calories a day? That's equivalent to forty-two hamburgers!) With stunning full-color and archival photographs, this lively book shows how North America's bear behaves and survives.

This rhythmic showcase of dances from all over the world features children of diverse backgrounds and abilities tapping, spinning, and boogying away!Tap, twirl, twist, spin! With musical, rhyming text, author Valerie Bolling shines a spotlight on dances from across the globe, while energetic art from Maine Diaz shows off all the moves and the diverse people who do them. From the cha cha of Cuba to the stepping of Ireland, kids will want to leap, dip, and zip along with the dances on the page!