Jack's Talent

Hardcover, Ages 4-8, 32 pages
Farrar Straus & Giroux, July 2007
ISBN# 978-0-374-33681-3 

Award: CCBC 2008 Pick



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Synopsis:
On the first day of school, Miss Lucinda asks the students to share their talents. Francesca is good at soccer, and Matthew is good at fishing. It seems that everyone has something to share. But Jack is worried. He doesn’t have any talent at all…or so he thinks.
The illustrations in Jack’s Talent pop with energy and the story is the perfect boost for any child who questions his or her abilities.

Reviews:

Booklist:
"With simple, short sentences, Jack's feelings and worries are sympathetically portrayed in this supportive, positive read. Animated, expressive cartoon-style art, with colorful texture and detail, depicts the diverse characters and their various activities, in familiar school, home, and outdoor environments. A reassuring confidence booster, encouraging children -and their adults- to creatively think about what they enjoy, their abilities, and how to recognize and celebrate individual accomplishments."   - Shelle Rosenfeld June 07

Horn Book -

 Wise teacher Miss Lucinda introduces herself to Jack’s class with her name and talent: “I plant flowers and watch them grow. I am good at gardening.” Each child then gets a turn to introduce him or herself, like Francesca (good at soccer) and Matthew (good at fishing). Cocca-Leffler’s joyful paintings show the children engaged in their favorite activities and individualize each class member through his or her skin tone, hair style, etc., although they all share the same slightly comical large heads and widespread eyes. The last member of the class to take a turn is Jack, who sadly can’t think of a thing he is good at. However, Jack clearly is excellent at one thing, providing a very believable but still surprising conclusion. Teachers will want to use this at the beginning of a school year, but children will find piquant details in the pictures when they return to it later on their own. s.d.l.

 

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Spotlight on Stacey


Paperback Ages 4-8, 32 pages
Kane Press, January 2007
ISBN- 978-1575652368

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Synopsis:
The class is doing a play about life in Colonial America. But Stacey has a problem--stage fright! Can she get it under control in time for the big show?

A “Social Studies Connects” book.

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Mr. Tanen's Ties RULE!

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover- 32 pages
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co;
ISBN: 0807553085

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Synopsis:
It's Career Day, and the students are running the Lynnhurst School! Olivia takes Mr. Tanen's place as principal - along with the keys to his closet filled with 998 wild and crazy ties. But while the kids are in charge, an important visitor from Washington, D.C. comes to check out the school
.
Readers first met Mr. Tanen in Maryann Cocca-Leffler's award winning Mr. Tanen's Ties, and again in Mr. Tanen's Tie Trouble. The fun continues when the students RULE the school in Mr. Tanen's Ties RULE!

REVIEW:
Mr. Tanen's Ties Rule! -They Really Do!, There is no better threesome of books for a principal to read to elementary students than the Mr. Tanen's books. Mr. Tanen's Ties Rule! is a fantastic 3rd book which my children (both at school and home) adored. Every child wonders what it is like to have an important job in a school and they will be filled with ideas of how to run school following reading this book. Maryann Cocca-Leffler's illustrations add to the enjoyment of this wonderful book. This one is a must-have both for school and at home!
Amazon Reviewer:
 Gary D. Anger - Elementary School Principal

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Mr. Tanen's Tie Trouble


Reading level: Ages 4-9
Hardcover- 32 pages (March 2003)
Albert Whitman & Co;
ISBN: 0807553050

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Synopsis:
Mr. Tanen and his ties are back! But now there's trouble. Mr. Tanen's school has run out of funds for the long-awaited playground. He needs to raise money-but how?

Readers first met Mr. Tanen in Maryann Cocca-Leffler's award winning Mr. Tanen's Ties, based on a real school principal and his large collection of crazy ties for every occasion.

REVIEWS:

"...'The more you give, the more you get' is a lesson every elementary student should take to heart. Fans of Mr. Tanen's first tale will not be disappointed at this welcome return."--Kirkus

"Children will enjoy spotting the wild, funny ties in the bright, spirited illustrations, and they'll want a principal just like Mr. Tanen."-Booklist

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Mr. Tanen's Ties
2001 Florida Reading Association Children's Book Award Winner

2003 Hoosier Young Book Award, Indiana

An American Booksellers Pick-of–the-List

Reading level: Ages 4-9
Hardcover - 32 pages (May 1999)
Albert Whitman & Co; ISBN: 0807553018

 

Paperback -Albert Whitman & Co; March 2003; ISBN: 0807553026

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From Kirkus Reviews:
The importance of accessorizing is given an injection of humor in this story from Cocca-Leffler. Mr. Tanen, the school principal, allows his ties to speak for him; they serve as weather forecasts, herald the lunch menu, bespeak special occasions. The students love his ties for their whimsy and good cheer, as well as for the information they impart. But Mr. Tanen's boss, the sour Mr. Apple, orders that the neckwear be ditched; it's distracting and frivolous. Mr. Tanen, understandably, has to take a few days off. Mr. Apple is called to substitute, and the children attempt to bevel his hard edges with a zany tie of his own. He becomes a changed man; in fact, he marries a woman who has been admiring the ties he borrows from Mr. Tanen's cache. Cocca-Leffler shows Mr. Tanen for the gentleman he is, and makes the realm of adults a lot less formidable, and a lot more eccentric. Children will admire the ties, the wildly patterned illustrations, and the message that clothes may not make the man, but may make the day a little bit brighter.
Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Bus Route to Boston
An American Booksellers Pick-of-the-List
and a “Parents Choice” Approved Book

Reading level: Ages 4-9
Hardcover- 32 pages (March 2000)
Boyds Mills Press; ISBN: 1563977230

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My childhood memories of Boston
I grew up on a bus route in Everett, Massachusetts. As a young girl, I remember frequent Saturday bus trips, which traveled down our street, through crowded neighborhoods, over the bridge, then all the way into Boston. My mother, sister and I went bargain hunting in Filene's Basement, enjoyed ice cream at Bailey's, shopped for vegetables at Haymarket and ventured into the Northend for pizza and cannoli. Through my story and paintings I have shared these warm childhood memories of Boston. BUS ROUTE TO BOSTON is a treasure for anyone who shares these memories, as well as children of all ages who love nostalgic family stories.

From Booklist:
This warm, loving memoir will have plenty of resonance for today's children. Cocca-Leffler recalls what it was like to be young, living just outside Boston, and waiting for the bus to take the family into the city. The ride, with friendly Bill the driver, is lots of fun, but more excitement awaits in the city: a sale at Filene's, where shoppers try on clothes in the aisles; sundaes at an ice cream parlor; a trip to the North End to buy fruit and vegetables; cannoli to eat on the bus ride home. Bill gets a pastry, too, and calls his riders "the Cannoli girls." Even if the particulars aren't familiar, children will know the excitement of visiting a bigger town and going shopping, and recognize the happiness of being back home. The oversize, nicely crowded acrylic artwork, which features two sisters and a sometimes harried mother, is lots of fun. Whether it's two women tugging on the same dress or catching all the delicious details of a North End bakery, the pictures clearly show what make experiences like these such a part of childhood. 2000 Ilene Cooper

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Isabella’s Above Ground Pool

Written by Alice Mead
Illustrations by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
Chapter book, Hardcover, 112 pages
Ages 9-12
Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux NY 2006
ISBN: 0374336172



 
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Synopsis:
“I won’t share ’cuz it’s not fair!” is nine-year-old Isabella
Speedwalker-Juarez’s motto. It’s all because she’s stuck in a room
with her toddler brother, Dozer. Mom says Izzy has to adapt to
Granny’s tiny trailer, where they’ve just moved because money
is tight and Mom is worried about losing her job at the gum
factory. Izzy knows what will make everything better – an
above-ground pool. She’ll swim in it for hours, and she won’t
share it with anyone, not even her new classmates or her friend
Deborah Nibblebitz-Fifer. With help from Zachary O’Toole, the
neighborhood handyman – and from Deborah – Izzy plans to
hold a car wash to raise money. But when things finally start
to go her way, a tornado damages the neighborhood, and Izzy
begins to rethink her motto.
Sparkling illustrations and a large dose of warmhearted humor make Isabella’s dilemma – and change of heart – easily
identifiable to young readers everywhere.

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The Peanut-Free Cafe

Written by Gloria Koster
Illustrated by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
Hardcover, 32 pages, Ages 4-8
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company 2006
ISBN: 0807563862


 
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Synopsis:
Simon loves peanut butter. To Simon peanut butter is essential. But then Grant, a new student, comes to school. Grant is allergic to peanut butter and can’t sit near anyone eating it. Should the principal forbid peanut butter in the cafeteria? Simon is worried, but soon comes up with a clever idea. (A note from a pediatric allergist is included.)

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The Pilgrims and ME

Reading Level: Grades 2-5
Grosset & Dunlap; Sept 2002

ISBN: Paper 0448426994
 

ISBN: Hardcover 0448428830
 
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Synopsis:
Part of the "Smart About History" series, this book teaches about the life of our first settlers, featuring Plymouth Plantation. The book is written from the perspective of a child. Perfect for grades 2-5.

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Edgar Degas: Paintings that Dance
Reading level: Grades 3-5


Paperback - 32 Pages;October 2001
Grosset & Dunlap; ISBN: 0448425203



 
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Synopsis:
A fun Biography of French Impressionist artist, Edgar Degas. Especially written for children grades 2-5. Highlights his life and works in a fresh and exciting format.

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Calling All Cats
(All Aboard Reading. Picture Reader)

Paperback: 22 pages, Ages 4-8
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap; (June 1, 2005)
ISBN: 0448433699




 
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Synopsis:
Calling all cats! Time for a birthday party! But what happens when a dog shows up for the party, too? In this hilarious new tale, watch the cats and dog play with yarn, drink milk, and eat birthday cake. Friends really do come in all shapes and sizes! Flash cards included.

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Dog Wash Day
(All Aboard Reading. Picture Reader)


Paperback: 22 pages, Ages 4-8
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
ISBN: 0448433702


 
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Synopsis:
It's time to wash the dog! Have a splish-splashin' good time with simple words, pictures, and flash cards to make learning to read easy and fun!

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Carl the Complainer



Paperback: 32 pages, Ages 6-8
Publisher: the Kane Press
ISBN:1575651572


 
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Synopsis:
Carl complains about everything-until he discovers how to turn complaints into action. Social Studies Connects title: Civics/Petitions

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Smart About the Presidents
(Smart About History)
by Maryann Cocca-Leffler, Jon Buller, Susan Schade, Jill Weber & Dana Regan

Paperback: 64 pages, Ages: 6-10
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
ISBN: 0448433729

 
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Synopsis:
The kids in Ms. Brandt's class are doing another group report-this time on all forty-three presidents of the United States, one per page. The book is current through the 2005 presidential election and includes two fill-in pages for kids to record its outcome. There is also a floor plan of the White House, a list of presidential perks, and lots of interesting info about all the presidents, from George Washington to George W. Each page is jam-packed with trivia, fun facts, handwritten captions, and information on the historical events of each presidency. Written by a team of well-known author/artists, this 64-page Smart About book is a great resource for kids.

Bravery Soup
Reading level: Ages 4-8
March 2002



Albert Whitman & Co;
ISBN: 0807508705




 
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Synopsis:
Carlin is afraid of everything-even his own shadow! Then he meets Big Bear, the bravest animal in all the land, who tells him that there is a way to become brave. Alone, Carlin must make a perilous journey and bring back the secret ingredient for Big Bear's Bravery Soup. Scared but determined, Carlin sets off. He faces the dangers of the Forbidden Forest, Skulk Mountain, and the lair of a ferocious monster-only to find bravery in the most unexpected place.

NH Telegraph July 2002
"With Bravery Soup, Coccca-Leffler may have created a classic. I think so. The awards will come, but more important, children will be readin this story or having it read to them for many, many years to come."

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Jungle Halloween

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co;

Paperback:

ISBN: 0807540579                                

 

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From School Library Journal:
This rhyming story relates how jungle animals prepare for a Halloween party. They engage in all of the typical activities associated with such an event-making costumes, trick-or-treating, playing party games, and then going home. The rhythm is consistent and will inspire clapping from a young audience-"Through the trees,/oh, so dark!/Over the hills/to Jungle Park./Jungle Prizes/Jungle Prancing/Jungle Music/Jungle Dancing/It's nothing like you've ever seen-/It's a Jungle Halloween!" The vivid, double-page paintings show nonthreatening and adorable cartoonlike animals. Pineapple and coconut-o'-lanterns light the jungle while trick-or-treat bags are filled with candy and peanuts, bananas, and other assorted items. The story and images steer clear of traditional Halloween themes, which can easily frighten preschoolers. A surefire showstopper for storytimes.
Linda M. Kenton, San Rafael Public Library, CA Copyright
2000 Cahners Business Information

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Clams All Year

Reading level: Ages 4-9

Paperback - 32 pages
Boyds Mill Press;

ISBN: 0440414474;



 
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From Booklist:
Vacationing by the seashore in New England, an extended family tries digging for clams every morning at dawn, usually without much success. But following a storm, the little bubbles in the sand that give away a clam's hiding place are everywhere. The family goes to the beach and fills buckets, pans, laundry baskets, and even a swimming pool with clams enough to last all year. In a story that will make readers feel good all over, both the words and the bouncy, attractive paintings reflect the exhilarating feeling of finding treasure (even clams!) and the warmth of family gatherings when everyone looks back on a shared experience.
Susan Dove Lempke

Publisher's Weekly writes:
"This simple tale of a close-knit family has a timeless, understated warmth."

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Missing: One Stuffed Rabbit
An American Booksellers Pick-of-the-List

Reading level: Ages 4-9
 

Paperback - (2000) 32 pages
Albert Whitman & Co. ISBN: 0807551627

Out of Print. Search for used copies

From Booklist:
The pride of Mrs. Robin's second-grade class, the stuffed rabbit Coco goes home with one of the students each night, and the lucky child gets to write the visit's events in Coco's voice, in Coco's diary. But when it's poor Janine's turn, she loses Coco in the mall, and despite a frantic search and posters with Coco's picture, the rabbit remains gone. Finally, the second-graders realize that a toy drive at the mall might mean that Coco has wound up at the children's ward of a local hospital. Sure enough, a wheelchair-bound girl gets Coco, which, the kids realize, belongs with its new owner. They'll miss Coco, but in a last communiqué, the rabbit assures them that it will keep in touch. Cute and clever, this is so full of fun graphic elements children will look at it again and again. The jacket design looks like Coco's diary, an effect carried out on the pages' borders, and the inside pages of the diary are reproduced in the hand printing of various class members. There is plenty to look at here--and sharp eyes will spot where and when Coco gets lost
Ilene Cooper

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Wanda's Roses
Written by Pat Brisson
An American Booksellers Pick-of-the-List

 

Reading level: Ages 4-9
Hardcover - 32pages (May 1994)
Boyds Mills Press; ISBN: 1563971364;


 

Paperback - 32 pages (September 2000)
Boyds Mills Press; ISBN: 156397925X
 
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Review from American Bookseller:
This is a heartwarming story of a little girl with a big dream and great faith to go with it. Even when everyone in town tells Wanda that the scrawny bush she keeps nurturing is not going to produce any roses, she finds a way to make it happen. What really stands out here is Wanda’s indomitable spirit and the concern and kindness everyone shows for her. Well-defined character illustrations and clever page design. –S.L.

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Jumping Day
By Barbara Juster Esbenson

Reading level: Ages 4-7
Hardcover - 24 pages (January 1999)
Boyds Mills Pr; ISBN: 1563977095

 

Paperback - 24 pages (February 2000)
Boyds Mills Pr; ISBN: 1563978539;
Dimensions (in inches): 0.15 x 10.01 x 8.04
 
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From Horn Book:
''Hey, Sun! Jump out of the dark. / Jump into the morning sky.'' A young girl jumps her way through the day, stopping long enough to appreciate those things--a cat, a frog, raindrops--jumping around her. The mixed-media illustrations rely heavily on the smooth, vivid tones of pastels and the fluid curved lines of both text and picture composition to convey this energetic romp in rhyme.
Copyright © 1999 The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.

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My Backpack
Written by Eve Bunting

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover - 32 pages (May 1997)
Boyds Mills Press; ISBN: 1563974339

 

Paperback:

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From Booklist:

Bright and expressive, the colorful artwork centers on the child, his emotions, and his delight in familiar, everyday things. Preschoolers who wear glasses will enjoy seeing that this boy has glasses, too, a rare sight in picture books.
Carolyn Phelan

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I Don't Want to Go to Camp
Written by Eve Bunting

Reading level: Ages 4-9
Hardcover- 32 pages (April 1996)
Boyds Mills Press; ISBN: 1563973936;



 
Paperback:
ISBN: 159078744


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Synopsis:
Worried when her mother informs her that she will be heading off to a camp for mothers only, Lin vows that she will never go away to camp, but she soon discovers that camp can be a fun place when she and her dad visit Mom on visitor's day.

From Booklist:
The smiling, detailed pictures in gouache and colored pencil show an idyllic loving world at home and at camp.”

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Thanksgiving At The Tappletons
Written by Eileen Spinelli

Reading level: Ages 4-9

 Paperback Reprint edition(October 1992)
Harpercollins Juvenile Books; ISBN: 0064432041;
 
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This Book is out of print. Search for a used copy.

From Booklist:
Thanksgiving doesn't turn out quite the way the Tappletons intend. Mother gets up at the crack of dawn to put the turkey in the oven, but thanks to the milkman, the bird slips out of her hands, down the icy sidewalk, and into the pond. Father gets to the bakery too late to get any pies. Brother Kenny has inadvertently fed the salad to his rabbits, and sister Jenny makes a blender mess out of the potatoes. No one, however, confesses, so it's not until the hungry relatives show up that the truth must be faced -- no dinner. Not surprisingly, the moral of all this is that the important thing is being together, but before she gets to that tried and true adage, Spinelli has a lot of fun along the way. The bird slithers in the snow, mashed potatoes decorate the walls, and Grandpa keeps insisting he's as hungry as an elephant, even while his prospects for food grow dimmer. The text, originally published in 1982 by Addison-Wesley, has been completely re-illustrated, and the art captures the slapstick fun.
- Ilene Cooper.

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Wednesday is Spaghetti Day

Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: Troll Publishers ISBN: 0-8167-6339-0 (1999) Dimensions: 8” X 8”
Originally published by Scholastic (1990)


 
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From Horn Book:
Catrina the cat can hardly wait until the Tremonte family leaves the house: this is the day she's invited her cat friends for an Italian meal. Her friends arrive; the cat food is dumped from her dish into the trash; and Italian ingredients are combined with gay abandon. The humorous, fuzzy pastel illustrations extend the rather silly story.
-- Copyright © 1990
The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.

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The Big Snow Ball
Written by Wendy Cheyette Lewison

Reading level: Ages 4-7, Rebus Easy Reader
Paperback - 32 pages (September 2000)
Grosset &Dunlap ISBN: 0448421844




 
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Synopsis: A little boy's runaway snowball wreaks village-wide havoc! Simple rhyming text and funny illustrations describe the snowball's path through town. The silly ending will leave kids giggling. Picture Readers combine rebus pictures, super-simple vocabulary, and 24 cutout flash cards to develop and reinforce reading skills.

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Princess For a Day

 

Reading level: Ages 4-8, Easy Reader
Paperback - 32 pages (August 1998)
Grosset & Dunlap; ISBN: 0448416042






Hardcover (October 1999)
Econo-Clad Books; ISBN:0613150945
 
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Synopsis:
When make-believe Princess Jessica throws a royal ball, she delivers invitations to her loyal subjects, picks out her best gown, and even loses her slipper! Full color.

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Lots of Hearts

Reading level: Ages 4-7, Rebus Easy Reader


Paperback 32pages (January 1997)
Grosset & Dunlap; ISBN: 0448413043; Dimensions (in inches): 0.15 x 9.07 x 6.03





Hardcover(October 1999)
Econo-Clad Books; ISBN: 0613128508
 
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Synopsis:
A little girl painstakingly crafts Valentines for her mother and father, and when her cards mysteriously disappear, she tracks down the culprit and gets her own Valentine's treat, in a beginning reader complemented by 24 flash cards to help reading comprehension.

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Silly Willy

Reading level: Ages 4-7, Rebus Easy Reader


Paperback 32pages (1996)
Grosset & Dunlap; ISBN: 0448409690; Dimensions (in inches): 0.15 x 9.01 x 6.01



 
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Synopsis:
Silly Willy, our eponymous hero, likes to get dressed in a topsy-turvy way--with gloves on his head, socks on his ears, and the rest of his clothes in the strangest places. Featuring extra-large type and primer easy sentences, this All Aboard Reading book includes 24 flash cards.

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Ice Cold Birthday

Reading level: Ages: 4-8, Easy Reader


Paperback - 32 pages (August 1992)
Grosset & Dunlap Pub; ISBN: 0448403803; Dimensions (in inches): 0.18 x 9.03 x 6.02



 
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From Horn Book:
Colorful, cheerful illustrations accompany the story of a seven-year-old girl who considers herself unlucky until her winter birthday party is snowed out and she has a few lucky birthday surprises. A pleasant beginning reader about turning lemons into lemonade.
-- Copyright © 1993 The Horn Book,

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Tea Party for Two

Reading level: Ages 4-8 Easy-Reader chapter book


Paperback - 48 pages (November 1997)
Bantam Books; ISBN: 0440413346; Dimensions (in inches): 0.22 x 7.65 x 5.20


 
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Out of Print. Search for used copies

From Kirkus Reviews:
”The emphasis on the friendship is the book's strongest quality, with genial illustrations that will soothe those who like their tea parties simple and sweet.”

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Hello Snow
Written by Wendy Cheyette Lewison

Reading level: Ages 4-8


Paperback - 1 pages (October 1994)
Unknown; ISBN: 0448404869; Dimensions (in inches): 0.14 x 8.03 x 7.99


 
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Out of Print. Search for used copies.

Synopsis:
Join an exuberant cast of multi-ethnic children as they celebrate the first snow of the season--shaking snowy branches, following footprints, making snow angels, and enjoying the wonder of a world made new by snowfall. With lighthearted illustrations and funny, rhyming text, this appealing book will be a hit with young readers. Full color.

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The Goodbye Game

Written by Diane Cocca-Spofford
Reading level: Ages 1-4 (Sept 1999)
Infinity Plus 1 Publishers:
ISBN: 1-58260-002-3
Dimensions:6 1⁄4 X 5



 
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Out of Print. Search for used copies.

Synopsis:
Cameron enjoys his days at the Children’s Center, but he gets sad when Mommy says good-bye. Then one day Mommy plays a special game with Cameron. She gives his lots of hugs and kisses that last all day long, which helps Cameron feel much better. Game cards, stickers, and tattoos are included so moms and dads can play the Good-bye Game with their own children. This book & game is intended to make separation a bit easier.

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