Books published by publisher Sleeping Bear Press

Baby Bear shares special moments with all the important people in his life. With Momma, he gets to spend time in the garden, picnicking and planting butterfly bushes. With Daddy, he spends time on the farm, helping to fix the tractor and dig holes for planting. With Big Brother, he goes to the beach where they sail kites and chase each other on the sand. Aunt Grace takes him to the aquarium and answers all his questions, while Uncle Roy shows him how to be a clown. And it's always a special day when Nana comes to visit. But while each day's activity and companion may be different, the routine at the end is always the same. Baby Bear is tucked into bed with a reading from a special book and always with a honey oatmeal raisin cookie. Having been involved in education for more than 30 years, Dr. Michael Shoulders travels extensively, visiting schools and speaking at conferences across the country. In addition to authoring the companion title, Say Daddy!, he has written several books for Sleeping Bear Press, including G is for Gladiator: An Ancient Rome Alphabet. Mike lives in Clarksville, Tennessee. A Rhode Island School of Design graduate, Teri Weidner has illustrated more than a dozen children's books. She works in watercolor, colored pencil, and a little of whatever else happens to be on her desk at the time. Teri lives in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Thirteen-year-old Quest (Q) isn't sure he's ready for a new family. For a long time it's just been him and his mom, Blaze. But everything changes when Blaze falls in love with Roger and they start a new rock band called Match. Now they're married, have a hit record, and Match is going out on a year-long driving tour across the country. Q, along with new stepsister Angela, will take a year off from school and travel with the band. For now, home will be a luxury motor coach and homework will be a Web site diary of their travels. Perfect-Q can practice his magic tricks and Angela can read her spy novels. What can go wrong? As Q and Angela settle into their new life and new relationship as siblings, they start to notice that certain coincidences don't seem coincidental. For example, how does a band roadie named Boone find them in the middle of a desert where their coach just happens to break down? Why does a man from their parents' wedding keep showing up in the same cities they stop at? When they reach Philadelphia, Q and Angela realize this tour is definitely not the trip their parents had planned and that the "City of Brotherly Love" is full of mysteries and secrets that could threaten their new life together. In addition to his action adventure books, Roland is the author of many award-winning books for children including Journey of the Red Wolf; The Captain's Dog: My Journey with the Lewis and Clark Tribe; and Thunder Cave, which was a 1996 Notable Children's Trade Book in the field of Social Studies. His books with Sleeping Bear Press include W is for Waves: An Ocean Alphabet; Z is for Zookeeper: A Zoo Alphabet; and N is for our Nation's Capital: A Washington, DC Alphabet. Roland lives near Portland, Oregon.

Mother shares a book about love while Brother shares a book about friendship. Next Aunt Grace shares a book about adventure. Everyone in this family is eager to share books and have the newest member's affection and attention. But all kidding aside, this family knows the bond that is created when reading aloud with someone you love. When Daddy closed the last page, he smiled at me for hours and said, 'Say Daddy! Say Daddy!' He hoped that would be my first word! But wait. Did we hear correctly? 'Book,' I said. 'Book!' Educator Michael Shoulders, who has devoted his career and life to spreading the word that "reading is magic," offers a gentle tale reinforcing the bonding power of a good book and the importance of developing lifelong reading skills. Having been involved in education in many different roles for more than years, Dr. Michael Shoulders travels extensively, visiting schools and speaking conferences across the country. He has written several books for Sleeping Press including D is for Drum: A Native American Alphabet. Mike lives Clarksville, Tennessee. Teri Weidner is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. Her previous children's picture books include Give Yourself to the Rain and Look Both Ways: A Cautionary Tale. Teri lives in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

The White Table is set in many mess halls as a symbol for and remembrance to service members fallen, missing, or held captive in the line of duty. Solitary and solemn, it is the table where no one will ever sit. As a special gift to her Uncle John, Katie and her sisters are asked to help set the white table for dinner. As their mother explains the significance of each item placed on the table Katie comes to understand and appreciate the depth of sacrifice that her uncle, and each member of the Armed Forces and their families, may be called to give. It was just a little white table... but it felt as big as America when we helped Mama put each item on it and she told us why it was so important. "We use a Small Table, girls," she explained first, "to show one soldier's lonely battle against many. We cover it with a White Cloth to honor a soldier's pure heart when he answers his country's call to duty." "We place a Lemon Slice and Grains of Salt on a plate to show a captive soldier's bitter fate and the tears of families waiting for loved ones to return," she continued."We push an Empty Chair to the table for the missing soldiers who are not here..." Margot Theis Raven has been a professional writer working in the fields of radio, television, magazines, newspapers, and children's books for 30 years. Margot's first children's book, Angels in the Dust, won five national awards, including an IRATeacher's Choice Award. Her first book with Sleeping Bear Press, Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot, was the runner-up for the 2004 Texas Bluebonnet Award. She lives with her family in Charleston, South Carolina. Mike Benny's illustrations have appeared in Time, GQ, New Yorker and Sports Illustrated Magazines. He has also been awarded two Gold Medals from the Society of Illustrators. This is Mike's first children's book. He lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Mary Ann and daughter Adele.

The holiday season is a busy time, with people bustling about. And it's a busy time for Edgar, a cabdriver who conveys passengers around the city. All day long Edgar drives his cab; many people going to many different places. At the end of one busy day, Edgar is so tired he climbs into the backseat of his cab to take a nap. But he discovers he is not alone. A little hamster has somehow been left behind from one of the many fares Edgar has driven. Edgar dutifully reports the hamster to the cab company's Lost and Found department, but in the meantime the little creature needs to be taken care of. Edgar brings the hamster to his apartment, making it a bed, feeding it, and even giving it a name, Chickpea. As Edgar starts his Hanukah observance, with no family nearby to share in it, the little hamster becomes more than a casual companion to the lonely man. But what happens when Chickpea's owner is found?

Did you know that natives of the Northwest used dried sharkskin to sand totem poles? Or that horses were called medicine dogs, because dogs had been used to aid in hunting before horses were introduced by Europeans? In "D is for Drum: A Native America Alphabet," readers will get an A-Z introduction to the many customs and cultures of the first people of this beautiful land. Bison, teepees, Kachinas and dugout canoes will all help to paint a fascinating picture of the more than 500 indigenous tribes inhabiting the Americas.

Are you afraid of the dark? Stella Batts never thought she was. In fact she's not feeling afraid of anything right now. She's just excited. Her class read the most books out of every class in school. The prize is a sleepover in the library. What could be better than that? Everyone is in pajamas, even the teachers. The kids break off into groups to go on a scavenger hunt. That's when Stella finds a really old book by an author who is also named Stella B. Though the subject matter is nothing this Stella would ever write about. And then there's an unexpected visitor who shows up in the middle of the night. Stella doesn't know what to think, but she knows one thing for sure--she's scared of the dark now!

Meet Digger and Daisy! They are brother and sister. These dogs like to explore their world and see new things. Sometimes they agree with each other. Sometimes they disagree. But no matter the situation, one thing always stays the same--their love and concern for each other. In playful, simple stories written especially for the K-1 audience, author Judy Young explores the dynamics and nuances of the sibling relationship. In Digger and Daisy Go to the Doctor, Digger feels unwell and Daisy takes him to the doctor. But the checkup doesn't go as Daisy had planned.

Bridges are some of the most fascinating structures in our landscape, and they come in all forms. From towering suspension bridges to humble stone crossings, this book visits them all in sweet, bouncing text with expository sidebars. But while bridges can be quite grand, this reminds us that their main purpose is bringing people together. This is perfect for budding architects, as well as readers who can relate to having loved ones who live far away.

After reading in the newspaper that it's Valentine's Day, Mr. Goat sets out in search of very special gifts for his first love. But just what would a goat choose as the perfect gifts to show how he feels? Readers will be in for a surprise at Mr. Goat's nontraditional selections. From acclaimed children's author Eve Bunting comes a sweet holiday tale sure to warm hearts on Valentine's Day and every day of the year.

In 1933, what's left of the Turner family--twelve-year-old Hallie and her two brothers--finds itself driving the back roads of rural America. The children have been swept up into a new migratory way of life. America is facing two devastating crises: the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. Hundreds of thousands of people in cities across the country have lost jobs. In rural America it isn't any better as crops suffer from the never-ending drought. Driven by severe economic hardship, thousands of people take to the road to seek whatever work they can find, often splintering fragile families in the process. As the Turner children move from town to town, searching for work and trying to cobble together the basic necessities of life, they are met with suspicion and hostility. They are viewed as outsiders in their own country. Will they ever find a place to call home? New York Times-bestselling author Sandra Dallas gives middle-grade readers a timely story of young people searching for a home and a better way of life.

A squirrel buries an acorn. A dolphin pushes a coconut into an ocean current. A camel chewing a date spits out the seed. What do they all have in common? Each one, in its own way, has helped to plant a tree. In myriad ways and diverse environments, Mother Nature is given a hand in dispersing seeds that eventually grow into trees. From the apple seeds falling off the sticky fur of a black bear to the pine seed carried by an army of ants marching to their anthill, creatures great and creatures small participate in nature's cyclical dance in the planting of a tree. Jerry Pallotta, author of more than 50 children's books, visits at least 150 schools each year. His book, The Icky Bug Alphabet Book, has sold more than one million copies. He is a contributor in Jon Scieszka's book,Guys Write for Guys Read. He lives in Needham, Massachusetts. Tom Leonard's children's book art combines a folk-art sophistication with a scientifically realistic interpretation. He was the illustrator for a collection of Margaret Wise Brown's previously unpublished poetry, Under the Sun and the Moon, winning praise in School Library Journal and Publisher's Weekly. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.