Books published by publisher Ragged Bear

Paul Stickland's exuberant band of dinosaur characters have finally burst their seams. The best-selling band of jurassic jokesters can't help but peek and poke their head and tails out over the edges of this pair of ultra-sturdy, bright and bold, shaped board books. The simple, rhyming chant-along text lopes along with all the verve of the Stickland's ever-popular DINOSAUR ROAR to ensure that these are read-alouds little listeners will want to hear again and again.

Meet a hilarious trio of reprobate cowpokes: Don, Deke, and the meanest of them all Dom ("He didn't even send a card at Christmas to his Mom") who are redeemed by tending to a baby. Kids will delight at the cowhands (mis)adventures trying to take care of the tyke-from feeding time ("Do you think she'd like some steak? Or maybe she'd like beans?") to changing diapers ("Aw shucks...she's sprung a leak!"). Mike Brownlow's tale combines a terrific sense of humor and a perfect story-telling ear, with a lush, saturated palette. This is one rib-ticklin', heartstring-tuggin' yarn that's sophisticated and funny enough for older readers - and action-packed and accessible to younger listeners.

A cranky bear and a cantankerous wren set feather and fur flying in this lavish adaptation of the Grimms' fairy tale "The Willow Wren and the Bear". Over-sized and opulent, BATTLE OF THE BEASTS provides a feast for the eyes and a wickedly wicked text for the ear-the perfect vehicle for Diz Wallis' magnificent gift of illuminating the natural world and the razor-sharp pen she applies to her writing. Iridescent humming birds flitting though the trees, a leathery alligator slouching into the Mississippi, a sleek leopard stealing through the jungle: these and literally hundreds of other creatures great and small inhabit a meticulously researched and lovingly rendered universe.

A group of neighborhood children transform a bare patch of earth into a vegetable garden. They learn simple but important lessons: to plant in straight rows, to thin seedlings, and the value of worms. They make notes on their efforts and compile useful lists of gardening tips. The result is a colorful, graphic scrapbook/diary/photo album. Turning her lens from growing a single sunflower (A Handful of Sunshine) to focus on planting and raising five vegetables, Melanie Eclare inspires young readers to reach for their trowels.

Every human child is occasionally beset by the hiccups. But little bunnies face a similar affliction when they overeat: the Hic-Hops which send them flying into the air. Either way, they're no fun at all...unless cured by Tony Kenyon's hilarious take on the subject. Rabbit remedies turn out to be every bit as inventive and ridiculous as those devised by humans. Hyacinth Hop explores (and endures) them all as she tries to rid herself of a particularly nasty case in this smash of a read-aloud text. Hic Hic Hooray for a new character with heart, humor and...hic-hops.

Clash, clang, crunch-the merriest procession of robots ever in a chant-along text children which will repeat again and again and again Who would have thunk that a hunk of metal could be so personable? Mike Brownlow's saturated colors and whimsical sensibility create a hilarious community of robots sure to tickle human funnybones. From the ultra-tech holographic glow of the title to the last muted bleep of a baby robot falling asleep, the pages are packed with endearing hijinx.

In bright splashes and splotches of imaginative, exuberant watercolors and a few well-chosen words, a cat and a dog discover how to overlook the irritations that sometimes arise between the best of friends. Sunshine, a tiny bright orange cat, and a Storm, a floppy dark gray dog, have a friendship not usually enjoyed between cats and dogs. But one day Storm inadvertently angers Sunshine, and suddenly they are no longer friends. The weather cooperates in healing their rift and Sunshine and Storm realizes that like sunny days and dark ones, their moods might change but they are friends forever. Juanty Storm and the elegant Sunshine, loveable and funny, celebrate the ups and downs of friendship with simplicity and directness that young children will recognize and take to their hearts.

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.

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.

The creators of Sunshine & Storm, praised by School Library Journal for its “outstanding artwork which reinforces the emotions expressed in the text,” surpass themselves in this magical story about a little horse who is afraid of his own shadow. The young horse Moonlight is alone in his field for the first time. As the moon rises, Moonlight sees something out of the corner of his eye...a BIG BLACK HORSE! Moonlight gallops away in fear, Shadow chases after him, growing bigger and blacker as the two horses gallop faster and faster. Exhausted, Moonlight can run no farther. He must turn and face up to his fear. Intense watercolors portraying the little horse and his shadow in the moonlit snow give this unusual story a dream-like feel. The dramatic chase is softened by a reassuring resolution, resulting in a gentle, effective story about overcoming one’s fears. A simple, lyrical story line and wonderful washy, impressionistic animal paintings that capture the very essence of the horses will surely establish this pair as creators of compelling animal stories.