Books with title Makeup Mess Book and Audiocassette Tape Set

Best-selling author and illustrator Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko create another madcap adventure about a little girl named Julie, her love of makeup, and how she learns that "less is more." Julie has saved up lots of money--$100! Depsite her mother's concerns, Julie spends it all on cosmetics, including plenty of lipstick, eyeshadow, and perfume. Once it's on her face, she fancies herself as pretty as a movie star, but her parents' reactions are less than complimentary. The same goes for the mailman, who falls right over! After she washes it all off, her mother and father think she's merely using less of it, and praise her looks--and Julie slyly ends up selling all of the products to the neighborhood kids for her new hobby--dress up!

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.

An enchanting animal guessing game for preschoolers. Lloyd, a baby llama, asks each of his friends, "Is your mama a llama?," and all respond in turn with a rhyming description of their mother that is answered on the following page. Young listeners will delight in the playful rhythm of the text, and each riddle is sure to result in a resounding chorus of response. Kellogg's full-color illustrations of animals in their natural surroundings maintain their usual appeal and humor and will carry well to groups, while individual readers will be further rewarded by the subtlety and detail of the backgrounds.

The author and the illustrator of Bugs! and Skunks! present another hilarious book with a slapstick rhyme, this one about snakes taking over a small boy's world. The creepy creatures start off as a heap under his bed; then they slink down the stairs, shimmy up the walls, hide, and jump out of books and cabinets. Words and pictures wallow in the shudders. Maybe snakes do have some uses: as garden hoses, for cleaning ears, as nifty stethoscopes. But just as the boy is getting used to the invaders, he opens up the shutter to find a huge glaring eye, and then a great, terrifying boa squishes him in its coils. Is that final close-up a capture or an embrace? Munsinger's ink-and-watercolor images extend the silliness. They are packed with nonsense detail and yet clear and accessible for preschoolers, who will recognize the creepy delight of slimy monsters hissing in their ears.

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.

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.

The activities of a homebody and an enthusiastic world traveler are contrasted in illustrations brimming with humor. Two anthropomorphic pigs live in the country setting of Woodcock Pocket. There, Puddle turns his head to the sun streaming in his kitchen window as he makes popcorn on the stove. Meanwhile, Toot peers at the globe with a magnifying glass, planning an ambitious trip. He asks Puddle along, but goes forth alone, and from then on, the experiences of the two are laid side by side on the double-page spreads. A monthly postcard from Toot is reproduced over an illustration from his year-long adventure: scaling cliffs in the Alps, visiting an Italian pastry shop, and taking a camel ride through Egypt. A sort of reply comes from a scene of Puddle savoring events on the home front: gathering maple sap for syrup, playing in spring mud, painting a self-portrait, and trying out a Halloween mask. In Hobbie's expert watercolors are dozens of inventive touches -- Puddle wearing a shower cap in the bath, Toot floating among hippos, some of his limbs breaking the surface in a subtle mimicry of their stances, funny allusions to famous art or locales. The book and its heroes are endearing, and readers will want to see more of Woodcock Pocket soon.

Honey Bear sits despondently on a rock, wondering if everyone except his mother has forgotten his birthday. "Surprise!" shouts his furry extended family and best friend as Mother brings out a birthday cake garnished with leaves and berries. As the young bear wonders what to wish for, each member of the party makes a suggestion in which they have a vested interest (e.g., his sister tells him, "Wish for lots of time to play. Especially with me"; his father advocates a wish "for a big salmon the next time we go fishing"). In a limited palette of greens, browns and grays, Pfister depicts each of these would-be wishes coming true. Finally, Honey Bear makes his own wish "that all his birthdays could be as happy as this one!"

Phyllis, a brightly clad groundhog, loves to be outdoors in all types of weather. Her uncle is Punxsutawney Phil, and she dreams of one day taking over his job, even though everyone tells her that she can't because she is a girl. One February morning, she wakes up and sees that the snow is melting, the brook is running, and the air smells sharp. These are all indicators of an early spring. When her sleepy uncle is reluctant to get out of bed, she volunteers to make his prediction for him. Uncle Phil objects, thinking that one of his sons will take his place when the time comes. Still, he invites her to accompany him outside, where he sniffs the air and forecasts six more weeks of winter. However, Phyllis insists there will be an early spring, pointing out all of the signs. Uncle Phil admits that he is wrong, decides to retire, and turns his job over to his niece, even though she's a girl, because rules can be bent once in a while. Details about the origins of Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil are appended. Ebbeler's full-bleed acrylic illustrations show an exuberant Phyllis skipping through a brook, sunbathing, and munching on berries. The woodland landscapes are bright and lush. The burrow scenes are rustic, cozy, and filled with patchwork quilts and comfy furniture. A welcome addition, especially when Groundhog Day is close at hand.