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

This rhythmic, storytime counting treat features a frightfully friendly cast of characters on their way to a monsters' bash. "Eleven witches," "Ten funny, floaty ghosts," "Nine skeletons," and so on make their way across a dark forest to a party in a castle, where they all slice into "One gigantic pumpkin pie." Mitton's catchy rhyming couplets correspond nicely with Parker-Rees's floodlit illustrations. Colorful two-page paintings show marching trolls and dancing wizards. On some spreads, two single-page illustrations are paired together, and details in the art cross the book's gutters–a sprig of grass here, the bristles of a broom there–and keep the action flowing smoothly. This book is good, nonthreatening Halloween fun for even the youngest of children.

Portly is trying to find his true self. He was born a hippopotamus, but is sick of wading in water and eating boring old grass. Searching for new possibilities, he sets off on a quest where he encounters a herd of rhinoceros, a bat, an elephant, and a giraffe, and transforms himself into a hippo-gir-ele-bat-onoceros. Each new identity has comical, albeit unsuccessful consequences. His adventures make him long for the grass and cool waters of home. Portly and his parents are glad to be reunited, but when he sees a monkey swinging from tree to tree, he knows his explorations must continue. The artist uses bright, sunny colors, portraying this jungle fantasy through large, eye-catching paintings. Portly's multifaceted personality is well illustrated. While the theme is far from new, children will enjoy the humorous tale and will identify with Portly's desire to try out new personas. A smooth flowing, witty text gives this tale good storytime potential.

The fun and frustration of a winter's day are energetically described in this brightly illustrated picture book: "Frozen noses / Tingly toeses / Sniffle, snuffle / Winter's cold!" Instead of using only standard picture-book words, Carr uses a rather sophisticated vocabulary. Words such as quiver, veer, and collide are folded so effortlessly into the rhyme that it seems a wonder such language isn't used more often in books for the very young. The collage illustrations, which appear to be paper or felt, feature a multiracial trio of friends whose brightly colored clothing contrasts nicely with the gray snow and sky. The book starts with a snowball fight and a sleigh ride and ends, as all winter days should, with a soothing cup of hot cocoa and a nap.

Martin dreams of building a snowman, but the weather refuses to cooperate. As the winter months pass with hardly a flake, he tries to use available resources to fulfill his creative needs. He dumps a bag of flour over his syrup-sticky sister to make a snow baby, and glues cotton balls to his pet to fashion a snow dog. Finally, having turned himself into a snow boy during a bubble bath, he just manages to greet his mother's book club before his foam covering unexpectedly slips away to reveal "Martin in his nothingness." After this series of misguided ideas, an April blizzard finally closes school and provides him with the opportunity to build to his heart's content. In May, a bathing-suit-clad Martin stares out at the rain, daydreaming about swimming and sand castles. Repeated plot elements and refrains give the story an evenly measured pace, allowing the humor to build with each passing month. McCauley's crisp mixed-media illustrations are irresistible. From the tartan endpapers (a pattern repeated on Martin's wool hat) to the breed of his dog (a Scottish terrier) to the snowflake patterns that are subtly incorporated into the scenery, amusing details reflect and extend the story. With irregularly shaped heads and elongated necks, the characters have a stylized appearance, and Martin's perfectly round eyes are punctuated by thick eyebrows that change their angle according to his mood. A fun choice for snow dreamers.

When Winston takes his pet rooster to school for sharing day, he neglects to bring it home that afternoon. This begins a curious pattern in his classroom. Each Monday a different child arrives with a pet, leaves it behind at the end of the day, and comes in on Tuesday with an explanation of why it is better off at school than at home. Miss Fry, who lives alone in her quiet little house, says yes to each newcomer, until her classroom is bursting with the happy noises of all the children's pets. When summer vacation rolls around, the youngsters retrieve their animals. However, one student bequeaths his cricket to Miss Fry's care. This gentle and humorous story has charming watercolor illustrations that reinforce the emotions of the children, the animals, and, of course, the warmhearted teacher.

Memorable stanzas and animated spreads jazz up this look at the silly things cows just might do when people stop paying attention to them. "You never saw / Such cow horseplay / When Farmer looks / The other way!" writes Harrison, as several holsteins peek expectantly around the corner of a barn door. Liberated from Farmer's watchful eye, the members of the herd pedal bicycles, swim in a pond, and clown around with some braying donkeys. Harrison's use of rhyme and repetition subtly encourages beginning readers to recognize and practice key words. Demarest's splashy watercolors lend a sense of playful motion and fluidity to his characters; the cows -- who, modestly, have only the barest suggestion of udders -- execute nary a clumsy move and appear practically weightless as they finally "swish their tails / And gently sway / . . . / And head for home / In a cowlike way." A bright, appealing volume with a mischievous nature.

Charles Fuge, the acclaimed artist of I Know a Rhino, Sometimes I Like to Curl Up in a Ball, and It's a Monster Party, is back with another winner that's sure to become a favorite with kids-and their parents. Not only does it have the cutest illustrations ever, but the story is one dear to children's hearts: the importance of a loving, protective father. A cuddly little bear has a tale to tell about his dad, "the roughest, toughest, biggest, strongest dad in the whole jungle." The real fun is in the illustrations of cute cubs marching behind and listening- and running off one by one in fear as they hear that Daddy has teeth sharper than an alligator, more claws than an eagle, and can roar as loud as a lion. But when the little bear finds himself alone and gets scared, it's Papa who comes to save the day. The final illustration -with Daddy carrying his smiling cub, will warm any heart.

Since Cuddly Dudley's penguin family can't "resist having a huddle and a waddle and a cuddle with him," poor Dudley leaves home to find a spot where he can play without being disturbed. When his siblings follow his "waddleprints" to the cabin, Cuddly Dudley turns away each relative with cartoon-style irascibility; enter a man in a furry parka who chases the put-upon penguin "all around the house and out into the snow," shouting "Give me a cuddle!" When Dudley finally escapes and wends his way home, he and his brothers and sisters have "the best huddling, waddling, cuddling session that they'd ever had. Until . . . "--at the turn of the last page, the Eskimo man arrives and races after them all. Adding to the humor, Alborough's illustrations are animated and action-filled.

On Christmas morning, Daisy and Sam are playing in the snow when they see something soar through the sky. They are convinced it's a snow angel! But as they watch, the "angel" swoops, flutters, and tumbles to the ground. In the true spirit of Christmas the mice do all they can to help the lost and lonely angel by sharing with it their own Christmas gifts. But one good deed deserves another, and when the Snow Angel is finally stronger, it leaves behind a very special bit of herself.