Books published by publisher Ragged Bears

There's nothing more intriguing than a construction site. It's a mesmerizing combination of color and sound, action and excitement: from a wrecking ball smashing into old foundations, bulldozers clearing away the rubble, blocks of concrete achingly being lifted to waiting masons, to steel girders delicately being fitted into place. Paul Stickland has composed all these elements into a celebration of building. Seven high-activity spreads- each with generously sized, child-resistant self-activating pops and a brash, chant-aloud text -follow the process of construction, and culminate in a magnificent foldout scene of the finished project and cheering workers. More spectacular even than his phenomenally successful Dinosaur Stomp and Truck Jam, Big Dig is truly a job well done.

By the Scottish author of a number of children's books, the most famous being Little Black Sambo. She lived for a good proportion of her life in India, where her husband was an officer in the Indian Medical Service. The story takes place in a fairy tale India where a little boy outwits the predators in his world, to return safely home and eat 169 pancakes for his supper. It was a children's favourite for half a century.

One morning, Ruby is walking on the beach looking for something special to send to her friend when she finds a lovely shell. When she takes a closer look, she notices a golden strand that sparkles in the sun. What can it be? A strand of mermaid's hair, of course! And so begins a new friendship with the mermaid who lives beneath the sea. Told through the voice of the best friend left behind and accompanied by charming, soft watecolor illustrations, this whimsical tale about loneliness lessened and friendship found is one to be treasured.

Here come the trucks: fire engines and dump trucks, big rigs and tow trucks all roar into action. In his first pop-up book since his bestselling Dinosaur Stomp four years ago, Paul Stickland brings together terrific paper-engineering skills with an uncanny knack of infusing realistically-detailed vehicles with charm and humor. The simple chant-along text-the hallmark of the Sticklands' DINOSAUR ROAR-makes this a fabulous read-aloud must for all young truckers. The sturdy pop-ups are self-activating: an ideal book even for younger readers who will want to peer under the shiny hood of the semi or watch an overheated engine explode in smoke. From the holographic chrome foil on the cover right down to the last dent on a bumper, TRUCK JAM packs unadulterated fun.