Today is a special day: the birthday of the world, when God and all God’s creatures celebrate the beauty of life. As God asks each dear creature in turn whether it has been the best that it can be, this simple affirmation of life and goodness applauds the contribution that each and every one of us— from the mightiest elephant to the smallest child— can make. The whimsical animals in Alison Jay’s perfectly composed crackled paintings will make this a favorite book on the family shelf.

'Her most important book since ALWAYS COMING HOME and her most satisfactory collection since her first, the brilliant THE WIND'S TWELVE QUARTERS. A formidable and rewarding work, a prime candidate for best SF collection of the year. An essential book.' LOCUS Six of the eight piece are set in Le Guin's classic Hainish cycle. The title story, 'The Birthday of the World', stands alone and the final piece, 'Paradises Lost', is a new short novel original to the collection, a major addition to the generation starship subgenre of science fiction.

To each of us who has enjoyed a piece of birthday cake, the strains of "Happy Birthday to You" are as familiar to our ears as our own names. Yet how many people know the origin of the tune and its place in American history? In 1889 Patty and Mildred Hill, two Kentucky sisters, wrote the words and composed the melody of "Good Morning to All" for their kindergarten students. Initially written as a simple greeting and welcome, they later changed the words and birthday celebrations were forever altered. But it wasn't until 1935 that the sisters' song was fully copyrighted and their names duly credited. Margot Theis Raven, the author of such inspiring children's books as Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot and Let Them Play, relates the story behind one of the most famous and oft-sung songs in the world.Margot Theis Raven's award-winning books are often set against powerful historical backdrops such as America's civil rights period. Her books for Sleeping Bear Press include America's White Table and Let Them Play, which was named a 2006 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People. Chris Soentpiet's numerous books include My Brother Martin and Peacebound Trains and reflect his interest in people, history, and culture. He has won several prestigious awards such as the International Reading Association Children's Book of the Year. Chris lives in Flushing, New York.

OH NO!!! You found The Worst Book in the Whole Entire World! Well, since you're already here I may as well tell you about it... Poor Nameless tries to explain to the reader why this book is simply the WORST book in the whole entire world. Will he succeed in his noble quest? Is he the reason this book is the worst?? Will it have a happy ending or the worst ending ever??? The Worst Book in the Whole Entire World is a humorous and witty tale for young and seasoned readers. Whatever you do though, don't read it out loud! You may catch wind of these words: toot, stinky, booger, and booty. You've been warned, but you'll still want to see what happens next!

"Every child in the world has a birthday. But how children celebrate this occasion depends on where they live. In this latest addition to the Around the World series, award-winning author Margriet Ruurs explores the fascinating ways that children experience birthdays. You'll meet fourteen kids from different countries, each celebrating a birthday according to their local traditions. Bram from Belgium never gets to sleep in on his birthday - his family wakes him up by clanging pots and pans. For Ninoshka in India, it's important to give thanks to the Hindu gods and share sweets with her classmates. And some kids don't celebrate their birthdays at all. Instead, Phúc Khang in Vietnam celebrates Tet, when everyone in the country turns one year older. A world map that pinpoints the countries in the book, a Note to Parents and Teachers with interactive activities and a glossary of foreign words and phrases help to enrich the reading experience. Based on interviews with real people from each country, Birthdays Around the World is an invitation to experience a different culture, think about your own birthday celebrations and even learn how to say "Happy Birthday" in another language (like Hawaiian: "Hau oli la hanau" [ho-O-lee LA HA-now])!"--

2013 Best Children's Books of the Year, Bank Street College Tu B'Shevat is a Jewish holiday known as "New Year for Trees" or "Birthday of the Trees," a day that celebrates trees and taking care of our environment. In this story, which takes place on Tu B'Shevat, a little girl named Joni presents her favorite climbing tree with a special birthday gift.