Humorous Nature

Barkus is back! With new tricks, new friends, and lots more fun. The lovable Barkus and his lucky young owner romp through this delightful series from Newbery Medal-winning author Patricia MacLachlan. The simple text told in short chapters is just right for children ready to take their first steps toward listening on their own.

From the New York Times best-selling author of the Judy Moody books comes this hilarious story about a precocious youngster who’s thinking about eating her first bug. Beetle McGrady loves adventure and she wants to explore the world. When her class makes a food pyramid, she decides to add a new food group of her own - bugs! Beetle knows that people in other parts of the world eat bugs everyday, so when the other kids dare her to eat an ant, the real fun begins!

A popular author of fiction and nonfiction works for children, Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen can often be found in schools sharing her beloved works with children all across the country. With its clever rhymes and cute-creepy storyline, Quackenstein Hatches a Family is the irresistible tale of a very special duck. Quackenstein has no family or friends to play with, until he finds an egg. But when it hatches, it’s not exactly what Quackenstein was expecting!

Lois Ehlert is the celebrated author of numerous best-selling picture books. Would you believe that Ralph the dog can talk? Yip, yip, yip - it's true. With Ehlert's simple, funny, call-and-response text, this fresh, engaging book is sure to get little ones laughing (and talking to their dogs!).

Carolyn Crimi scored a big hit with her first pirate bunny tale, Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies, starring a rabbit named Henry, who is more interested in reading than pirating. The rest of the Salty Carrot's crew is too busy bowling with coconuts, shooting themselves out of cannons, and otherwise goofing off to care about a threatening letter received in a bottle. But Henry thinks there's something sinister behind the letter. Soon his fears become realized when the ship is attacked by crazy chickens!

Extraordinary hen P. Zonka spends her time taking in the beauty around her: the shiny green of the grass, the buttery yellows of the dandelions, the deep blue of the sky. The other hens can't understand why she never lays eggs like they do. Finally P. Zonka gives in and lays an egg. To everyone's delight, she produces a wondrous egg that contains all the colors and designs that she has stored in her creative imagination.

In this trickster tale from Africa, Annasi learns the value of being a good host. He also learns the truth of the old saying, "What goes around comes around."

Hank the Cowdog and his trusty partner, Drover, are just beginning their latest investigation when a pirate suddenly appears on the front porch! Has the ranch really been set upon by one-legged men of the sea? Hank and Drover soon realize that the pirate is just Little Alfred in disguise.

When Hank makes the mistake of asking Drover what he's doing, Drover reveals his observation that the moon looks like a cookie! After some highly scientific discussion and calculations, Hank and Drover agree that the moon is a cookie, not swiss chesse. And, when Loper sets down Sally May's picnic basket, which contains some oatmeal raisin cookies, the plot thickens, and Hank realizes the cookie moon was a sign that he should...you'll never guess what!

Francine Poulet is the greatest animal control officer in Gizzford County. She hails from a long line of animal control officers. She's battled snakes, outwitted squirrels, and stared down a bear. "The genuine article", Francine's dad always called her. She is never scared - until, that is, she's faced with a screaming raccoon that may or may not be a ghost. Maybe Francine isn't cut out to be an animal control officer after all! But the raccoon is still on the loose, and the folks on Deckawoo Drive need Francine back.

When Tom's big brother decides to become an Evil Scientist, his first experiment involves dunking Frankie the goldfish into toxic green gunk. Tom knows that there is only one thing to do: Zap the fish with a battery and bring him back to life! But there's something weird about the new Frankie. He's now a Big Fat Zombie Goldfish with hypnotic powers... and he's out for revenge!

New York Times best-selling author and artist James Dean brings us a fun, epic sea adventure with Captain Pete in Pete the Cat and the Treasure Map! When Captain Pete discovers a treasure map, he and his crew are ready to set out and sail the seas to find the buried gold and jewels. But they weren’t expecting to find a giant sea monster along the way!

The Just Chillin’ ice cream truck is coming today and Pete the Cat can't wait. He runs as fast as he can to find the truck. It's getting late, but his friends need his help. Will Pete take a little time out of his day to help his friends? Follow Pete the Cat as he learns that it's always cool to be kind.

Meet Barkus. Barkus is loyal. Barkus is generous. Barkus is family. The exuberant Barkus and his lucky young owner whirl and twirl across the minutes of this delightful pre-chapter book series from award-winning author Patricia MacLachlan.

New York Times best-selling author Judith Viorst is well-known for her popular children’s book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Here Viorst crafts a magnificent tale about a young girl determined to get her way. It’s Lulu’s birthday, and she wants a pet for a present. Not just any pet will do, though—Lulu MUST have a brontosaurus. But when her parents tell her that’s impossible, Lulu makes her way through the forest to prove them wrong.

In a big old house, the ladybird is visiting her friend the spider for the festive season. But those two bad men, Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len, are up to no good again. They have a devious plan - to steal the children's Christmas presents from their stockings! It's a good thing that the clever little ladybird has overheard their awful plotting, and she has a cunning plan to make sure they don't get away with it.

Everybody is having a great time on a cruise...until a terrible odor permeates the ship. All signs point to Walter, and so he is first banished down below, with the stinky cheeses, and then into a lifeboat to float behind the ocean liner. Then catastrophe strikes! How long will the great cruise ship and its frightened passengers be marooned on the high seas? About as long as it takes Walter to digest that cheese!

When the Watsons decide to zip their porcine wonder into a formfitting princess dress for Halloween, complete with tiara, they are certain that Mercy will be beautiful beyond compare. Mercy is equally certain she likes the sound of trick-or-TREATING and can picture those piles of buttered toast already. As for the Lincoln Sisters next door, how could they know that their cat would get into the act and lead them all on a Halloween "parade" of hysterical proportions?

It Came From Beneath the Bed is another fantastic audiobook featuring Bunnicula and his crazy friends in James Howe's beloved Bunnicula series.

In book four of the Klawde series, our favorite warlord cat turns his malevolent gaze to the one target he never thought he'd consider: Earth. But conquering a world is a challenge, even for Klawde, and he'll need two things for his plan to succeed: an army of zombie squirrels, and, of course, money. Lots of money. And he has a plan to get it. Meanwhile, as his evil pet plots world domination, Raj is also trying to make some extra cash. He's dying for a cool virtual-reality headset and is determined to get his yard-cleaning business off the ground to pay for it.