Books published by publisher Lark Books

Twelve year old Lexi Remington has a Christmas wish: to get out of foster care and be adopted. She gets it into her head that she can take the place of Matthew Yoder, her shunned Amish neighbor, and be part of the huge Yoder clan. A stray white dog, fixing a manger set with her foster dad, and a homeless man all show Lexi an important lesson about the love of God...which prepares her heart for the biggest Christmas surprise ever.

Kids will want to grab a flashlight and start discovering the night world with the help of this safety-minded, abundantly illustrated and exciting combination of nature guide and fun activity book. Staying up late is just part of the fun, because children will also find the answers to many of the most intriguing questions: Why is the nighttime dark? Why does the length of the night change with the seasons? Why is darkness important to plant and animal life? Youngsters will meet fascinating nocturnal creatures, build a bat house, and begin to recognize different owl hoots. The stars will beckon as kids learn how to read the night sky, recognize constellations, and understand how Earth fits into the big picture. And these new night explorers can construct a camouflage blind, and garden by moonlight, too. Plenty of parent-friendly safety considerations are included.

From every inch of buffed-up bodies to all-out action poses, from masks and capes to mutations and power effects, this guide has it all! It helps budding cartoonists realize their own superhuman skills as they develop and draw fantastic new heroes. Kids will invent powers for their characters as well as create strengths and weaknesses, sidekicks and enemies, and secret identities. As kids practice, they’ll meet some excellent examples of these bigger-than-life creations, including stretchy Gumball; Online, the Internet-connected android; and Sneak, the invisible athlete. There’s also a ton of great hero lore and history.

Dockula, the aquatic nibbler; Skeeterman, the campground creep; and Spook Ook, the attic thumper: these and other creatures lurk on the pages of this quirky how-to. And they’ll reach out and grab kids, “drawing” them into the world of monster art. There’s a ton of great information here on creating weird eyes, strange skin textures, bizarre legs and arms, and a host of creepy facial features so kids can create their very own monsters. See how to add extra limbs, tails, horns, wings, scales, and other effects too! It won’t be long before a gallery of fleshed-out monsters have come alive.

Creating with strings, fingers, rollers, straws, and other super techniques: no wonder this entry in Lark's fabulous new art series will have kids saying "I love to paint!"It's amazing what even the littlest ones can achieve when they practice on projects that feel like pure fun--not work. And one look at these cheerful, kid-friendly activities will have youngsters begging for a brush and paper. With everything from landscapes to classic still lifes, there's plenty here to fill up an entire refrigerator gallery. While creating finished pieces that will brighten every parent's heart, budding painters will easily master such techniques as mixing colors, brushwork, and creating texture with sponging, ragging and spattering. Filled with plenty of practical tips, creative ideas, and beautiful hand-painted illustrations, I Love to Paint guides new artists through the entire process--and will have them returning again and again, finding new skills to master as they get older.

THE ART OF MINDFULNESS:A powerful way to focus on the here and now . . . and create something beautiful, too. Mindful coloring can bring calm, and with calm comes a greater state of happiness. Color in these gorgeous patterns and feel your spirit lift with a renewed sense of peace and energy. We all need a little inspiration sometimes—and completing these pictures will help clear your mind and refresh your thinking. Here are meditative mandalas and hearts, flowers in bloom, and even a page filled with prettily decorated teapots and cups. The process of coloring is positively therapeutic!

Bang, bang. Crash. Purrrr. WAAH! Toddlers will have a fine time beeping, tweeting, and roaring with this entertaining board book. David Diehl’s stylish and engaging pictures evoke their noises so well that each sound is practically audible. A red-trimmed motorcycle zooms across a bright yellow page with a vroom vroom. An open-mouthed rooster gives a resounding cock a doodle doo. A lion roars, a child jumps in a puddle and goes splash, and a big bass drum goes boom boom boom. The simple text and appealing design will encourage children to get involved—and provide an active, fun experience.

Here’s something that the youngest sports enthusiasts will get really excited about—and the first in a planned series of conceptual board books by emerging illustrator David Diehl. Sports A to Z celebrates the full range of games, and words associated with them, from archery to zamboni, end zone to yellow card. It’s got real visual excitement, too, with striking graphic designs in exuberant colors that have real child-appeal. Whether kids are looking at the airborne athlete for “Long Jump,” the diving goalie for “Net,” or the wheelie-popping cyclist for “eXtreme sports,” they’ll feel as if they’ve got the best seats in the house for every sporting event around!

Thirty charming, intermediate-level projects give knitters a wonderful opportunity to delight their children with familiar and beloved nursery rhymes on handmade mittens, scarves, hats, vests, or blankets. Each item, shown in color photos and charts, is worked in one piece and presents a shortened version of the rhyme along with an image that illustrates the playful words.

Cutting-edge, youthful forms such as rap, hip-hop, and slams have made poetry more popular and relevant than ever. Immersed in Verse nurtures the poet in every child with creative, awe-inspiring ideas: kids can rearrange their favorite poems; start their own poetry workshop; present “open mike night” in the basement; and even record their friends reciting!

Take this book and remake it! Introducing the first guide that not only teaches kids the basics of altered art, but is the very material for creating those personal pieces. That’s because this volume, along with dozens of others, is an art project just waiting to happen. With irreverent text and beautiful photography—and techniques such as stitching, image transferring, and cutting—Alter This! shows children how to turn telephone, picture, and even those boring grammar books into something exciting. Budding artists will decorate pages with collage, paint, stamps, pockets, and pop ups, and transform entire tomes into shadow boxes, picture frames, purses, or tools for passing notes in the hallway. Kids will want to own this book and make it their own, too!