Books published by publisher Scholastic Book Clubs Softcover Book and Audio CD

When the first flakes fell from the grey sky, the postman and the farmer and the policeman and his wife scurried about doing all the practical things grownups do when a snowstorm comes. But the children laughed and danced, and caught the lacy snowflakes on thier tongues. All the wonder and delight a child feels in a snowfall are caught in the pages of this book -- the frost ferns on the window sill, the snow man in the yard, and the mystery and magic of a new white world. Roger Duvoisin's pictures in soft blue half-tones with briliant splashes of yellow and red emphasize the gaiety and humor as well as the poetic quality of the text.

On Valentine's Day, Minna shares cards and goodies with her classmates. As she and her brother walk home, they talk about their day. Worried that their neighbors might not receive any valentines, they formulate a plan to make cards for them. The story is illustrated with vibrant cut-paper collages in brilliant colors. The characters are all rabbits in various shades of brown, tan, and gray. Wallace has incorporated the history and meaning of the holiday into the narrative and presents examples of celebrations around the world. Directions for making Minna and Pip's creations -- a flag with a butterfly, a heart mobile, and a tic-tac-heart game -- are depicted in the text and artwork, and readers will be inspired to make their own versions. This exciting and beautifully illustrated book is a fine addition to holiday collections.

In this jolly follow-up to What Mommies Do Best/What Daddies Do Best and What Grandmas Do Best/What Grandpas Do Best, Numeroff and Munsinger show how these relatives enjoy time with nieces and nephews. The critters, including sheep, cats, and squirrels, take roller-coaster rides and stay up for late-night television. An aunt plays a piano with her nephew while another takes her niece for a ride in her yellow convertible. Readers can then turn the book over to see how uncles enjoy their young relatives, such as sitting on the floor for toy piano tunes or driving all-terrain in a messy jeep. The ink-and-watercolor cartoons are endearing. Stereotypes are dashed since both sexes cook, shoe shop at the mall, and build clubhouses. The characters' expressions and poses alternate from comic to affectionate. This upbeat offering just might inspire a family reunion.

Mrs. Wishy-Washy thinks her farm animals need a bath for Christmas -- a cold bath. No bath, no presents. The pig, the cow, and the goose are horrified that Mrs. W. expects them to break through the ice in the old tin tub and wash up. But Goose has a plan. He leads the animals into the bathroom, where Mrs. Wishy-Washy has everything from shampoo and face cream to fluffy pink towels, and he invites the gang in for a splash. The art provides much of the fun, as in the picture depicting the animals soaking in a steamy bubble bath. The animals are clean and pretty when Mrs. W. comes home, but she notes the mess, and the critters are sure their presents will be lost. Happily, in the spirit of the holiday, all is forgiven. Mrs. W. even promises to put warm water in their tin tub -- as long as they leave her bath alone. The rhyme doesn't always scan, but the humor is high, and the watercolor artwork, nice and big in execution, shows off the characters' charm and pluck.

Ernst, the author of such ebullient favorites as Zinnia and Dot, here offers an alphabet book that is just right for its target audience. The premise is that the wooden blocks, with one letter to a block, were once together in their box. But now they've all gone astray. Where are they? Well, the A is in an airplane, the B has tumbled into the bath, and the L has landed in a pile of leaves. Each block is prominently featured in the framed paintings that show simple shapes and situations, which are, for the most part, easily identifiable to young ones. Although there is nothing especially groundbreaking about her book, Ernst gets high marks for having everything just right: the colors, the size, the appeal. At the book's conclusion, the blocks are back together but not for long. "Soon they will disappear again. Can you guess where they might go?" An open invitation to have children make up their own scenarios while learning their letters. Fun!

A fanciful book in which a boy's imagination takes flight. In reserved rhyming verse, the story tells of what happens when the young narrator's picture of flying cows is caught by the wind and eventually settles in a cow pasture. Obviously impressionable, the cows themselves lift off the ground and take flight. The child is delighted to see the bovine airships, but can not convince any adults to look upward to take in the amazing sight. "Ms. Crumb said cows were far too fat; that facts were facts, and that was that." Of course, as the adults rattle off their blase logic, the airborne creatures loom largely in the background with outstretched hooves. The rounded cartoon illustrations are featured on full double-page spreads throughout. Milgrim's illustrations make flying cows seem perfectly natural. In the end, the incredulousness of the adults does not discourage this imaginative boy. Instead, he sets off to discover which other animals may be capable of flight. A perfect stimulant for young imaginations, as well as for kids who feel their exclamations are overlooked by the adults around them.

Little Bear eagerly awaits Santa's arrival. In fact, he's so excited that he can't sleep. He catches Big Bear drinking Santa's milk and eating Santa's blueberry pies, and then catches his mother putting presents in the stockings. The furry, cuddly bears fall asleep together by the Christmas tree. They all miss seeing Santa, even though he sees them. The family's warmth and love are evident through details in Warnes's illustrations. Rendered in yellows, browns, and greens, they convey the coziness and really carry the appeal of this title.

This cheerful, clever poem about a woman obsessed with washing things of all kinds and hanging them out on her endless clothesline should elicit plenty of giggles from preschoolers. Mrs. McNosh begins with the conventional dresses, underwear, shirts, and so forth, but soon moves on to such items as the newspaper, the dog, the telephone, a Christmas wreath, grandpa's dentures, two bats, and finally herself, suspended in a lounge chair. A brisk meter, bouncy rhythm, and frequent repetition make the book perfect for reading aloud. Splashy double-page spreads of cartoons in bright colors show a vigorous, smiling washerwoman scrubbing everything in a barrel of bubbly water and clothes-pinning her strange laundry to the line. A storytime must.

The collaborative team of Sturges and Halpern introduced massive movers in I Love Trains! and I Love Trucks!. Now they present the wonders of tiny movers. A little boy in a pith helmet, with a camera slung around his neck and bugs all over his shoulders, appears on the cover to set the tone of the exploration that follows. Sturges' story-in-rhyme follows the boy as he notices bugs on the windowsill, bugs outside, daytime bugs, and fireflies at night. The endpapers are decorated with "photos" of various bugs (and one of the boy's baby sister, who "bugs" him because she loves him), each one accompanied by a fascinating fact. As the boy makes note of bug activities on one page, children can identify the bug on the opposite page or just enjoy looking at the bugs as they paddle, weave, buzz, dance, and camouflage themselves. Halpern uses large, flat plains of bright colors, close-ups, and boldly outlined shapes to make the most of her tiny subjects and their young investigator. Engaging as well as informative.

Anderson's amusing acrylic artwork provides a new twist on a favorite holiday song. The book contains the familiar lyrics, but the illustrations show that in this version, it's a turkey family on the way to Grandma's house. As a young bird carrying a Pilgrim doll and his parents walk through the snowy woods, they meet a horse "that knows the way / to carry the sleigh" and does so -- literally, trotting up a hill with a sled tucked under one arm. Meanwhile, a young hunter and a barely ferocious-looking hound are going over their plan to catch a gobbler for dinner. They give chase as the birds come into view, but an odd scarecrow (the turkeys in disguise) temporarily stops the pursuers in their tracks. Then the horse screeches downhill on the sled right into the middle of everything, and the pie that Mother Turkey was bringing to Grandma is ruined. But, this is Thanksgiving, after all, and everyone sits down for a nice meal -- except for the boy, who is still outside hunting down his hunting hound. This is a fun, humorous addition to Thanksgiving collections. Children will enjoy looking at the entertaining illustrations and comparing the chaos pictured there to the words of the old song. The lyrics and music are included on the endpapers.