The ever perceptive meerkat examines his surroundings at the zoo. To the left of him, he finds the burliest bear of them all. To the right of him, the meerkat observes a hilarious monkey gracefully swinging from rope to rope; and straight ahead is by far the most powerful lion of all the land! If only this meerkat could be just like them! But when a sudden dark shadow creepily emerges over the zoo, the meerkat is the first to alert his fellow companions of the impending danger. Almost immediately after, the animals look up to him for his special skill. From afar, the bear admires his speed. The monkey aspires to have his vigilant eye. And as for the lion, he only wishes he could have the meerkat's swift decision-making skills. Stefanie Jeschke's quirky illustrations compliment Werner Holzwarth's important theme of recognizing one's individual talents. Parents and children of all ages will certainly be entertained by this humorous tale and silly meerkat!

A wise spider helps a despondent cricket realize that he is special in his own way.

Rhyming text and illustrations portray piloting various forms of transportation including hot air balloons and bicycles.

A charming orange cat wants to walk on the wild side as a dog. This confused kitty thinks dogs have the upper paw until her owner proves that life as a feline is really the cat's pajamas. A Child Study Children's Book Committee Children's Book of the Year. Full-color illustrations.

Author Ashkan Tashakkori was born to a Muslim family in Iran in 1958. However, he became disillusioned with religion when he observed the parasitic lives of the mullahs. He hated their hypocrisy and came to believe that Islamic ideology was the main cause of backwardness in Persian society. In I Wish I Were a Jew, Tashakkori explains the roots of the enmity with Israel and the Jewish nation in various countries, particularly the Muslim world. After offering an objective appraisal of achievements of the Jews and the key part theyve played in the elevation of civilization and progress of human society, he presents insights into the common misconceptions about the Jewish people and lists a number of carefully worked out solutions for overcoming them. It also examines the historical and cultural roots of the deep-seated friendship that ties the fates of the Persian and Jewish nations together. Providing a new perspective on a crucial issue, I Wish I Were a Jew delves into the historical and political problems that have plagued this age. It can help the two sides, which have been locked in an unending feud, free themselves of their prejudices and reach a mutual understanding that guarantees a long-lasting peace in the world.

Unhappy over the attention that his new baby sister receives, a young boy dreams that he trades places with her and discovers that he likes being the big brother better.