Animal Chapter

Christmas is Mr. Putter's favorite time of the year. He starts thinking about Christmas presents in July. It's easy to buy gifts for the postman, the grocer, and the librarian. But he has to think very hard about a gift for his neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry. Mrs. Teaberry likes strange things. She likes coconuts that look like monkey heads and tiny dresses that fit her teapots. She even likes fruitcake. That's it! He'll make her a good cake for Christmas, a light and airy one that won't break her toe if she drops it.

Mr. Putter is tired of living all alone, with no one to share his morning English muffins or his afternoon tea. He has many wonderful stories to tell, but no one to tell them to. What Mr. Putter needs is some good company. But good company is hard to find. This first adventure in award-winning author Cynthia Rylant's popular series introduces readers to a pair of friends who are just perfect for each other.

One day at the fish store, Mr. Putter decides to buy some fish. Tabby is happy. Fish make his tail twitch. At home, Mr. Putter and Tabby watch the fish swim around in their glass bowl. Then Tabby starts to bat the bowl. Bat. Bat. Tabby can't stop batting the bowl, even when Mr. Putter covers it up. Soon, Tabby is so twitchy and batty, Mr. Putter calls Mrs. Teaberry. She has a solution to Tabby's problem - a very relaxing one!

Twins Bradley and Brian Pinto are getting ready to celebrate Mother's Day by treating their mom to a show by Hypo, the world's greatest hypnotist. Brian hopes that if Hypo can hypnotize his mom into loving ducks, then she will let him raise ducks in their backyard. But when the Pinto family gets home from the show, the twins' mom starts acting strange. She splashes in the bathtub for hours, she leaves corn kernels all over, and - could it be? - she quacks!

A giant turkey is on the loose! Nate, the great detective, and his dog, Sludge, hear the news on the radio. But Nate doesn't want to take a case that everyone in town is on. Not even when Claude claims that he saw the turkey, then lost him in the woods. He holds up a turkey feather to prove it. Now Sludge wants the case. Claude wants Sludge, and off they go. Miles away...Nate's cousin Olivia Sharp - herself a detective - hears about the missing turkey on TV. Before he can say gobble, gobble, Olivia appears on Nate's doorstep.

Furry Towers promises the best food and fabulous facilities for guinea pigs - Fuzzy and Coco are so excited! But when they arrive, the friends find themselves in a smelly old hutch with only moldy lettuce to eat. Coco is not impressed! And it soon becomes clear that something terribly sinister is going on at Furry Towers - can the friends save the day again?

In this tale, featuring Annie and her pet bunny Snowball, Annie wishes her house was a little prettier. Although she likes her home - especially since it's next door to cousin Henry and his big dog Mudge - she also thinks it's a little plain. But perhaps Henry and Mudge can help.

Beloved award-winning children’s author Cynthia Rylant adds to the touching tale of the Lighthouse Family with The Turtle. Fog descends upon the lighthouse, and Seabold the dog uses the foghorn to warn oncoming ships. Then Seabold and the mouse children, Whistler and Lila, hear a cry for help! Can Pandora the cat figure out a way to save a stranded sea turtle from the cold northern waters?

What animal has lots of fur, small ears, and a long nose? Brown bears! But do you know what brown bears eat? Or what they do in the winter? Listen to this audiobook to find out! Learn all about different animals in the Animal Close-Ups series - part of the Lightning Bolt Books™ collection. With fun text, Lightning Bolt Books™ bring nonfiction topics to life!

One day, Annie and Henry - together with their furry friends Snowball and Mudge - see a beautiful hummingbird. It's darting and hovering near Annie's flowers - especially the pink petunias. They love watching it each day. But they wonder how they can encourage their tiny visitor to return after the sweet-smelling blooms wither and die.

Annie's birthday is coming up, and she plans to have a dress-up party. She looks forward to wearing ribbons, bows, lace, and fancy little shoes. But when the guests arrive � including Henry and Mudge � Annie learns that different people dress up in different ways.

Sarah Massey, talented lead actress in Circus Sweethearts, is a mess. She should be dancing on air - after all, her boyfriend just proposed. But she has lost his gift: a beautiful emerald necklace with a storied history. Rumor has it whoever loses the necklace will be cursed, and now everything around Miss Massey is falling apart. She turns to Maisie Hitchins and her dog, Eddie, for help. But when Maisie shows up at the London theater, things only get stranger.

In their 14th adventure, Mr. Putter and Tabby spend a lovely morning eating apple jam and raisin crumpets when suddenly Mr. Putter remembers it's his birthday. He decides to celebrate by inviting Mrs. Teaberry over for tea, but Mrs. Teaberry keeps calling to delay her visit. Will she make it before it is tomorrow - and someone else's birthday?

It's the farmer's birthday. Minnie is giving him her last cream puff. Moo has knitted him a special sweater - very special. So special that one sleeve is longer than the other, and the sweater can sneeze. Even Elvis the Rooster is -

Wait a minute. Where is Elvis?

When Posey puts on her tutu, she turns into brave Princess Posey who can face anything. But when she has to write a story about a pet, the only one around is the new dog next door with a loud bark. Also, Posey has a secret. When she was little, a dog knocked her over to lick her ice cream and she's been afraid of dogs ever since. Can her tutu help her tackle this challenge? With dilemmas and solutions that ring exactly true for first-graders, Princess Posey is sure to charm every newly independent listener.

Mr. Putter and his faithful cat Tabby love their neighbor Mrs. Teaberry and her dog Zeke. They are always bringing over yummy food - but all Mr. Putter and Tabby do in return is eat! Mrs. Teaberry's knitting party seems like the perfect time to return the favor. But when Mr. Putter goes to serve tea to the ladies at the party, things end up in quite a tangle!

Discovery Week at the Zigzag Afternoon Center! Everyone writes their discoveries on a big sheet of paper in the hallway. But Destiny Washington can't think of anything new to discover. Before she knows it, Destiny has told a BIG whopper. And snooty Gina, who's great at discovering things, knows all about it. Destiny has to find a way out of the whopper. In the end, she makes the best discovery of all.

When Katie's teacher moves in next-door, Katie can't believe her bad luck! Nothing could be worse than your own teacher living next-door: or could it? Mrs. Derkman hates dogs, and she wants the dogs on their street to be kept on leashes at all times! Katie is furious. Then the magic wind blows, turning Katie into her own dog, Pepper. Will she be able to convince her teacher that dogs are not all bad?

In Book Three of Holly Webb's The Mysteries of Maisie Hitchins, 12-year-old Maisie and her dog Eddie are invited to join Maisie's friend Alice on a trip to the country. It's lovely to get away from the London smog, but there is something strange about the manor where the girls are staying. Odd noises, horrid smells, and sightings of a spectral cat keep them up at night. Has Alice's father rented a haunted house? There must be a logical explanation, and Maisie plans to use her detecting skills to find out what it is!

Sometimes a mouse just has to bust out and do something big. That's why Marvin (also known as "Merciless Marvin the Magnificent") decides it's time to lead Raymond the Rat and Fats the Fuse out of their cozy lair at the back of the movie theater and on to greater glory. Enough of stale popcorn and left over candy! It's time to go in search of...cheese!