Watch out! Big Word coming in for a landing! The second book in the Big Words Small Stories series follows the adventures of Davey and his dog, Abigail. When Davey tries to sweep an enormous dustball out the front door, the wind lifts the dustball into the air, and Davey and Abigail with it! Their flying dustball takes them on exciting adventures to places around the world, including Italy, China and Switzerland, which makes for some great stories (five, to be exact)! As with the first book in the series, the mischievous Sprinkle Fairy and her helpers have slipped a Big Word, its pronunciation and definition into each story. The stories include Big Words like lollygagging, irksome and phenomenon Ñ what kid could resist trying those out?! Sometimes, only a Big Word will do!

The third book in the popular, rib-tickling Big Words Small Stories series. Meet Oleander, who likes to keep busy, and her pet salamander, Sally Mander, who prefers to take it easy. Over the course of five short stories, the pair are visited by the Sprinkle Fairy and her helpers, who’ve slipped a Big Word into each story. For example, Oleander accuses Sally Mander of procrastinating when it comes to her gardening duties. And Sally Mander demands that the bird who ate her worm regurgitate it immediately. It’s all fun with words — BIG time! Deadpan laughs and cool Big Words! Kids will be flabbergasted by how entertaining reading can be!

An interactive concept book about positional prepositions that’s loads of fun! Bear, Fox and Owl are playing hide-and-seek! They take turns counting to ten, then shouting “Ready or not, here I come!” When Fox finds Bear INSIDE the castle and Owl ON the slide, Bear hugs them both. When Owl spots Bear BEHIND the climbing wall and Fox UNDER the bench, Bear hugs them again! But when Fox and Owl are not BETWEEN the swings, AMONG the trees or THROUGH the tunnel, Bear is the one who needs a hug. Will Fox and Owl help their friend? BESIDE, IN, OVER and beyond! Kids will love finding so many new places!

A funny family story that turns the meaning of “couch potato” on its head. Mr. Russet is the first to spot it. A potato. Right in the middle of the couch. He’s had enough. “Every day I pick up this, I pick up that, I pick up everything!” he exclaims. “I will not pick up that potato!” And he doesn’t. In fact, he won’t pick up anything else either! But as the days pass, the rest of the family don’t seem to mind the potato in the living room. Or the growing mess. What’s a potato protestor to do? A cautionary tale that kids will devour whole!

A lyrical celebration of the fascinating ways birds move through the air. This collection of captivating poems celebrates the distinctive movements of twelve birds in flight and the special words associated with those movements, from geese that skein and puffins that wheel, to crows that mob and starlings that murmurate. The evocative language conveys the beauty of these animals and describes how each one makes its own unmistakable way in the world. An informational sidebar complements each poem, describing the reasons behind the bird’s unique way of flying. Children will be captivated by the magnificence of these birds in flight.

A scientific exploration of stress. Adolescents are no strangers to stress. Now they can learn the science behind that sweaty, heart-racing, under-pressure feeling. This book covers the fight-or-flight reaction to danger, how people cope with chronic stress, how trauma can affect the brain, the ways athletes put pressure to work and the surprising treatments scientists have found to manage stress in everyday life. It’s a perfect primer for young people on what normal stress is and isn’t — and how to deal with it either way. Dealing with stress can be tough. Learning the facts about it can make it manageable.

From the former director of the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, a timely and passionate case for the role of the well-designed object in the digital age. Curator and scholar Glenn Adamson opens Fewer, Better Things by contrasting his beloved childhood teddy bear to the smartphones and digital tablets children have today. He laments that many children and adults are losing touch with the material objects that have nurtured human development for thousands of years. The objects are still here, but we seem to care less and know less about them. In his presentations to groups, he often asks an audience member what he or she knows about the chair the person is sitting in. Few people know much more than whether it's made of wood, plastic, or metal. If we know little about how things are made, it's hard to remain connected to the world around us. Fewer, Better Things explores the history of craft in its many forms, explaining how raw materials, tools, design, and technique come together to produce beauty and utility in handmade or manufactured items. Whether describing the implements used in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, the use of woodworking tools, or the use of new fabrication technologies, Adamson writes expertly and lovingly about the aesthetics of objects, and the care and attention that goes into producing them. Reading this wise and elegant book is a truly transformative experience.