Petunia is a story about guilt, loss, and redemption. I wrote Petunia because it had been my professional experience that guilt and the difficulty in managing that emotion is perhaps the most ubiquitous bane of both children and young adults. In a sizable percentage of cases, the guilt acquired in childhood is still undiminished by those who have reached full adult and even older adult ages. Although guilt is experienced by most people at some time in their existence, there are simply too few guidelines when it comes to working through the discomfort that most feel when guilt becomes a part of their everyday thinking and feeling. One of the more prevalent challenges encountered in the education and care of today's child is the responsibility parents and teachers undertake as they struggle to impart sensible and lasting guidelines in behavior choices. The story of Petunia Rabbit provides an enjoyable matrix through which the caretaker has a basis for this undertaking. Petunia's story demonstrates that even in the most dire of circumstances, faith, structure, and tradition continue to be of lasting importance in the life of the developing child and ultimately becomes the sanctuary for the self-hatred felt by a surprising number of youngsters and young adults in all levels of our society. Many of today's children are overly protected in some venues but exposed to unacceptable (age inappropriate, pointlessly violent) material as seen in video games, on their computers, on television, and in films. The core event in Petunia's story is a huge flood that devastates her family's life and those of most of the characters included in the story. Using a natural disaster as the impetus for events was a purposeful choice in that most individuals are able to identify with those events that result in the probability of altered lives and fortunes. And while devastating, natural disasters are not the result of purposeful or directed cruelty. The story of Petunia provides an excellent basis of learning from models within the family and in society. Petunia's story demonstrates the following: 1. The necessity of a personal belief system to augment and strengthen individual coping abilities and societal structures, which are often lost during chaotic events. 2. The importance of fostering reliability, competence, caretaking, and self-respect 3. The value of developing an awareness of the feelings and struggles of others. 4. The risk and uncertainty associated with impulsive behaviors. 5. The ultimate worth of meaningful work, interpersonal ties, and education. 6. The value of paying attention. 7. The challenge of responsibility. 8. The value of and need for suitable mentors. 9. The importance of using resources wisely, including emotional resources. 10. The necessity of building a reputation for honor and integrity.

Petunia, a goose, learns that possessing knowledge doesn't mean carrying a book around constantly.

Adventure! Drama! Terror! All in a carrot? Or at least in a little bunny's imagination. This sweet and silly story sparks the playful side in all of us. Follow along with Bunny and his imagination as he jumps from the forest to undersea exploration to deep in the jungle, all while finishing his snack. Bunny is excited to have a carrot, but not for the reason you would think. He can’t stop playing with his food! Read along as Bunny transforms from a Bunnysaur munching on treetops to a Space Hero Bunny battling an evil Carrotship to a Giant Sea Monster chasing a carrot submarine. With lessons on table manners, eating healthy, and the power of creativity, Bunny! Don’t Play with Your Food is the perfect read-aloud for parents and children with wild imaginations and a penchant for mischief.

The true story of a man whose life is transformed when he takes an unlikely caretaking job for a disabled 87-year-old who is more than he seems. Marcos’s friends used to describe him as a happy family man, a successful graphic artist, and a joyous ukulele player. But then, he lost his marriage and his job, and nearly lost his newly outed transgender son to a suicide attempt after a violent attack by classmates. Marcos receded into a darkening depression as job applications went unanswered and bills piled up. An inability to afford his son’s medication raised Marcos’s anxiety to a breaking point. Desperate, he silently opened himself up to whomever or whatever might be listening and asked for help. The answer he got back from the universe was clear: “Just do the next good thing.” The next morning, he received the email that would change his life. The subject line read simply, “Help our friend Joe.” When Marcos clicked on it, he was surprised to find it was a job offer as a home caregiver to a remarkable 87-year-old named Joe Sabah. This book chronicles the inspirational true story of an old man near the end of his life who found a new friend and offered a lasting gift of 10 life-changing lessons for Marcos to share with others who still need to find their “next good thing.”

"A leading interior designer and a gardening journalist combine their expertise to provide readers with an authoritative volume on how to create and maintain gardens of all kinds, as well as how to appreciate their aesthetic appeal." --Publisher description.

Intended to provide teachers with a list of recently published books recommended for children, this annotated booklist cites titles of children's trade books selected for their literary and artistic quality. The annotations in the booklist include a critical statement about each book as well as a brief description of the content, and--where appropriate--information about quality and composition of illustrations. Some 1,800 titles are included in this publication; they were selected from approximately 8,000 children's books published in the United States between 1985 and 1989 and are divided into the following categories: (1) books for babies and toddlers, (2) basic concept books, (3) wordless picture books, (4) language and reading, (5) poetry, (6) classics, (7) traditional literature, (8) fantasy, (9) science fiction, (10) contemporary realistic fiction, (11) historical fiction, (12) biography, (13) social studies, (14) science and mathematics, (15) fine arts, (16) crafts and hobbies, (17) sports and games, and (18) holidays. There are also sections on professional books, teaching with literature, and book awards and booklists. A directory of publishers as well as author, illustrator, subject, and title indexes are included. (MS)