Books published by publisher POW!

Never underestimate the power of good friends! Patchwork, a colorfully quilted stuffed bear, sets forth on a quirky journey and enlists the help of his wildly eclectic bunch of buddies including a great blue whale, a mama-loving llama, and a gracious narwhal to help him repair his best pal, a raggedy bear named Fred.Patchwork Helps a Friend is the debut picture book from artist and designer Jacqueline Schmidt of Screech Owl Design. Schmidt’s charming illustrations bring to life the endearing tale written by Gail Greiner. As this imaginative story unfolds, we learn that anything can be accomplished with the help of trusted friends.This sweetly illustrated story celebrates the value of friendship and the love of a good adventure while including always-captivating children’s book staples like talking animals, surprises, and even some dancing! For those who fell in love with Laura Vaccaro Seeger’s Dog and Bear, Patchwork Helps a Friend is a no-brainer must-have that promises to be read aloud over and over again!Patchwork Helps a Friend is the introductory book in the series, Patchwork’s Adventures, taking youthful readers (ages 3 to 7) on highly visual, emotionally-driven adventures led by the oh-so loveable stuffed bear and his menagerie of animal comrades.

Meet the Mokomaki, a group of adorable little birds who cavort playfully through the pages of this picture book while teaching the basics of numeracy to preschoolers.A mommy fox is searching for her lost baby, and asks the Mokomaki for help as she looks--the little birds cheerfully mount a search through the forest, where they meet lots of other creatures, who helpfully join in--and kids can, too! As they search, readers practice sequencing, sorting and classifying, comparing, and grouping while looking for the missing fox.

The second book in Jacqueline Schmidt's delightful Patchwork series finds the resourceful little bear seeking a quiet spot to go to sleep. Where should a stuffed bear sleep? His wild counterparts hibernate in caves, but a cave does not seem like a very cozy sleeping spot to Patchwork. In order to find the perfect place to lay his stuffed head, Patchwork decides to consult with his friends, as he did with such good results in Patchwork Helps a Friend. As he journeys, asking delicate everyone from the delicate butterflies to an enormous whale about an ideal spot to sleep, Patchwork begins to realize that home might be the best place for him. Each spread is a visual celebration of nature and the imagination, with Jacqueline's distinctively lovely collages depicting natural creatures amid fantastical imagery, enhanced by rich colors and pleasing patterns. This sweet bedtime book is a wonderful choice for parents seeking to send little ones off to dreamland. Jacqueline's lilting prose and gorgeously detailed dreamscapes will help lull children into a restful state. The exquisitely detailed collages encourage repeated readings, night after night, helping to create an expectation of sleep. "Schmidt's collage-like imagery makes this a great book to read to toddlers and preschoolers together--while the older one completes the rhyming sentences, the younger one can point to the random fruit, objects and animals that sneak up in each scene."—Brooklyn Based

The clever tactics of Mister Cool, who faces down the mean kids at school with confidence, show elementary-school age kids how to deflect bullying with humor and create friendships through kindness. Confidence? Mister Cool has it, and explains that it comes from understanding your own unique assets. His secret is being able to rely on that confidence when bullies get in his face. In this clever story, Mister Cool shows off his tactics for turning bullies into pals: make ‘em laugh, be twice as nice, and use creativity to distract them (especially good against bullies with short attention spans). In the end, Mister Cool reveals that it’s having the confidence to be yourself even in the face of meanness that saves the day. This great read tackles a topic often in the news today--bullying--from a kid's point of view. Mister Cool provides ideas for pushing back against aggressive kids without being preachy or overly earnest. His tactics for turning around tricky situations offer lessons any kid can adapt to his or her own experiences. Lively prose and edgy, vibrant illustrations make it fun to read while letting the lesson be subtle.

Take an alphabetical journey through a rich and colorful steampunk world in this lavishly illustrated volume that invites readers to linger over every intricate detail. Steampunk, with its irresistible combination of Victorian-era style and futuristic sensibility, comes to children's books with this stunning alphabet. Brilliantly colorful paintings and rhyming text illustrate each letter of the alphabet, inviting the reader on a voyage through a quirky steampunk fantasy world, where things are not quite what one might expect. Kids will love the ingeniously detailed depictions of the machines and objects that exemplify each letter, while older steampunk fans (from tweens to parents) will enjoy poring over these gorgeous retro-futuristic dreamscapes. Readers will find no simpering A is for Apple in Steampunk City, but rather an imagination-fueled alphabet that transcends age groups and enthralls readers of all ages. · with its compelling illustrations, this book works as an introduction to the alphabet for younger readers and as a steampunk primer for older kids, who just might see the alphabet in an entirely new light · though it began as a sub-genre of science fiction, steampunk has quickly crossed cultural categories to become a popular theme in fashion, design, film, music, and even food and drink · no less an authority than IBM's Social Sentiment Index, which analyzed more than half a million public posts on message boards, blogs, social media sites, and websites, predicted in late 2013 that steampunk will build to a peak trend over the next 2 years