New Releases by Casey Lyall

A classic but contemporary tale for 3-to-7-year-olds featuring a hilariously grumpy seafarer and her trusty dog sidekick who get swallowed by a whale. For fans of Caldecott Honor books Bear Came Along and Leave Me Alone. Stoic seafarer Maude and her canine sidekick Claude head out to fish as they have done every day for many years. But this time, something unexpected happens. (Maude hates it when something unexpected happens.) They get swallowed by a whale. What does one do when one is swallowed by a whale? Throw a farewell party, I guess. (Maude loves a good party.) Hilarity ensues as more and more creatures get swallowed and Maude has to keep changing her party plans. (Maude does not love crowds.) Will Maude and the whale part ways, or is this the end? (Maude would prefer it if we could hurry this up.) Okay, okay. Read on to find out.

A mama hen demands respect for herself and her chicks--after all, they used to be dinosaurs! From acclaimed author Casey Lyall and award-winning artist Laurie Keller, this is a laugh-out-loud picture book about farmyards, self-esteem, and evolution for fans of Interrupting Chicken and Are You a Cheeseburger? Did you know that chickens are descendants of dinosaurs? A soon-to-be mother hen just found out, and now she is reexamining her entire life. She used to be a dinosaur, a prehistoric queen with a mighty roar! Now she spends her days on a farm, waiting for her eggs to hatch. It's downright fowl! At least, it is until she decides to summon her own inner dinosaur. This award-winning author and artist pair is a comedic dream team! A Spoonful of Frogs author Casey Lyall's read-aloud text is rhythmic and sassy. And Geisel Award winner Laurie Keller brings her signature zany sense of humor and irresistible energy to the expressive chicken and her dinosaur dreams. The result is a story time pleaser that gets sillier with every page turn. A very funny, inventive picture book with themes of self-love and evolutionary science, I Used to Be a Dinosaur is a perfect choice for those who love Click, Clack, Moo and Mother Bruce.

"The Band of Bigs, a secret society for older siblings, tries to help an eldest child who has been locked out by his little brothers, but the rival society League of Littles steps in to protect the interests of the youngest siblings"--Provided by publisher.

Perfect for readers who love Dragons Love Tacos and Room on the Broom and now available as a lower-priced hardcover edition! Frogs are the most important ingredient in a witch's favorite treat--but they are also the hardest to get into the cauldron! From acclaimed author Casey Lyall and Caldecott Honor artist Vera Brosgol, A Spoonful of Frogs is a humorous and wholly original picture book that The Horn Book called "a chef's-kiss of comic timing" in a starred review. A witch's favorite treat is frog soup. Luckily, it's healthy and easy to make. To give it that extra kick and a pop of color, the key ingredient is a spoonful of frogs. But how do you keep the frogs on the spoon? They hop, they leap, they hide . . . and they escape. What is a poor witch to do? Casey Lyall is a master of comedic timing with her deceptively simple and energetic text, and Caldecott Honor winner Vera Brosgol's vibrant, hilarious illustrations make the witch--and the frogs!--practically leap off the page. The solution to the witch's dilemma will surprise and delight young readers and their parents alike. Teeming with laugher and hijinks, A Spoonful of Frogs is pure fun from beginning to end. A must-have for young readers, parents, witches, frog lovers, and aspiring chefs.

Once upon a time a vampire took a bite of a jam sandwich . . . and a legend was born. Now the vampire jam sandwich roams the streets, looking for MORE JAM. Will yours be next? A hilarious spooky picture book featuring a sneaky vampire, for fans of Creepy Carrots and How to Make Friends With a Ghost. You may not have heard of the Vampire Jam Sandwich. But it's time you learned the truth. Once upon a time, a vampire (maybe his name is Terrence) took a bite of a jam sandwich (maybe he thought the jam was . . . something else). And you know what happens when a vampire bites you . . . That's right. The jam sandwich has become . . . A VAMPIRE JAM SANDWICH. Terrifying, stalking the streets at night, sneaking into people's homes in an endless search for MORE JAM! Kids and adults alike will be delighted by this sly jam-loving vampire and his jam sandwich legend, with hilarious tongue-in-cheek art from Nici Gregory. Can you trust your narrator? Is the Vampire Jam Sandwich real? Is your jam safe? Read on to find out . . .

“Chock-full of heart and laughs.” —Publishers Weekly The League of Littles defends youngest siblings around the globe. But are three eager trainees ready for their first mission—finding a missing pet? A hilarious, action-packed young middle grade graphic novel about friendship, school, and siblings for fans of the Bad Guys and Babymouse. From an ordinary school, in an ordinary town, a distress signal is sent. Help me, League of Littles, you’re my only hope! The League of Littles is an international organization that protects and supports the needs of youngest siblings—and trainees Lexi, Mo, and Eli are finally ready for their first mission. Another student at their elementary school has lost her big sister’s hamster, Chester, after she borrowed him for show and tell without permission. Gabi needs the L.O.L.’s help to find Chester before the Band of Bigs (protecting and supporting the needs of—you guessed it—oldest siblings) find out that Chester is missing. This hilarious young middle grade graphic novel combines humor, action, friendship, school, pets—and of course, sibling relationships. It is perfect for newly independent readers and fans of Babymouse, Lunch Lady, and the Bad Guys.

Sometimes it’s hard to rest in peace. A young trainee witch, a family power gone haywire, a dearly departed grandma, an undead boy, and an evil witch—that’s a recipe for the perfect summer vacation. Both hilarious and heartfelt, this fast-paced mystery about life and death (and afterlife) is for fans of Spirit Hunters and The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl. Twelve-year-old Kimmy Jones wants to excel at the unique (and secret) aspect of her family’s funeral home business. Under the watchful eye of Grandma Bev, Kimmy learns how to raise the recently deceased, request their last wish, and break the connection to send them on. But when Grandma unexpectedly dies herself, Kimmy can’t reach her spirit, and nothing seems like it’s ever going to be right again. Then a boy dies under mysterious circumstances on the night of a meteor shower. With no witnesses, Kimmy’s the only one who can get answers about what happened. So she breaks into the hospital morgue, and for the first time in months, her power works. She Wakes the boy up. Except then Kimmy can’t break the connection and so he stays Awake. Even worse, the boy has no memory of what happened to him. As Kimmy works to unravel the mystery, she discovers secrets about her heritage and learns about a witch who has been wreaking havoc for centuries. Casey Lyall’s supernatural mystery is heartfelt, thrilling, and hilarious. Waking the Dead and Other Fun Activities is perfect for fans of Avi’s School of the Dead and Suzanne Young’s What Stays Buried.

Lemon Peabody is certain that aliens visited Grandpa Walt thirty years ago, but she's running out of time to prove it before he forgets his best story. This humorous and tenderhearted story about family, friendship, and always believing in yourself is for fans of Greg van Eekhout, Stuart Gibbs, and Hour of the Bees. Lemon Peabody loves spending time with Grandpa Walt. Even though he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and moved to an assisted living facility, he’s still the same funny, loving grandpa he’s always been. One of Grandpa’s claims to fame is his story about meeting an alien years ago—and that it looked like a garden gnome. Ever since, it’s been something of a town-wide joke, and the cause of a rift between Grandpa and Lemon’s dad. Lemon is determined to find those extraterrestrial gnomes and vindicate Grandpa Walt—while Grandpa can still remember it. Late one night, after seeing the flash of a spaceship during a storm, Lemon enlists the help of two friends to find out what might have crashed in the woods. But then the aliens find her, and nothing goes the way she expected. Lemon is sure she can convince the aliens to fix Grandpa Walt’s memory and bring back the grandpa she misses so much for good. But the aliens are dealing with problems of their own. With a little creativity and compassion, maybe they can all help one another. Casey Lyall’s lively, voice-driven novel bursts with heart and humor. With family and friendship—and aliens!—at its core, Gnome Is Where Your Heart Is will captivate readers of Rebecca Stead’s and Wendy Mass’s Bob, Greg van Eekhout’s Weird Kid, and Adam Rex’s The True Meaning of Smekday.

Howard and Ivy return for a third adventure! This time, the drama’s backstage when someone sets out to sabotage the school play . . . and frame Howard. “I wasn’t taking the fall for this. You couldn’t force a guy into a job and then blame him when it all went sideways.” Spring (musical) fever has hit the Grantleyville Middle School Drama Club! Since Ivy Mason is busy with the production, she decides to take a break from sleuthing, while Howard Wallace keeps things running smoothly with their detective agency. Then, just a few weeks before showtime, suspicious things start happening backstage: missing costumes, damaged props, and too many other mishaps to be coincidental. Ivy calls in Howard and their crew to take on the case. Howard tries to lay low and quietly sniff out the perp, but he’s soon brought into the spotlight when he’s framed as the saboteur! Can the team of intrepid P.I.s clear Howard’s name and catch the culprit before the curtain falls on the big show?

“Give this to fans of Encyclopedia Brown who are looking for longer (and funnier!) well-plotted mysteries.” —Booklist on Howard Wallace, P.I. “My partner scanned the message and a slow grin took over her face as she said our four favorite words: ‘We have a case.’” HOWARD WALLACE IS BACK! Middle-school detectives Howard Wallace and Ivy Mason are itching for a juicy case. But when their friend and cohort Marvin hires them to prove his nephew— über-bully Carl Dean—didn’t pugnap the school mascot, they’re less than thrilled. To succeed, not only must Howard and Ivy play nice with Carl, they’ll have to dodge a scrappy, snoopy reporter and come face-to-face with Howard’s worst enemy, his ex-best friend Miles Fletcher. Can Howard deal with all these complications and still be there for Ivy when her life is turned upside down? Or will he once again find himself a friendless P.I.? “Another sequel is in the offing, and young mystery fans should be glad.” —Kirkus Reviews

Howard Wallace lives by his own rules of private investigation and works with what he's got: a bathrobe for a trench coat, a makeshift office, and no friends. So when he lands a hot case of blackmail, he's ready to solve it himself . . . until the ne

Inky, worn out from his exciting life in the ocean, has retired to the aquarium. There he quietly regales his tank mate Blotchy with tales of his past adventures. Then Blotchy dares Inky to make one more daring escape. Will Inky succeed?

“…Lyall’s debut is a winner.” —Publishers Weekly “What’s with the get-up? Is that the company uniform or something?” “This? All P.I.s wear a trench coat.” “Dude, that’s a brown bathrobe.” I shrugged and straightened out my sleeves. “First rule of private investigation, Ivy: work with what you’ve got.” Twelve-year-old Howard Wallace lives by his list of rules of private investigation. He knows more than anyone how to work with what he’s got: a bathrobe for a trench coat, a makeshift office behind the school equipment shed, and not much else—least of all, friends. So when a hot case of blackmail lands on his desk, he’s ready to take it on himself . . . until the new kid, Ivy Mason, convinces him to take her on as a junior partner. As they banter through stakeouts and narrow down their list of suspects, Howard starts to wonder if having Ivy as a sidekick—and a friend—is such a bad thing after all. Named a Book Riot middle-grade book for the summer with special recommendation for reluctant readers! Winner of the Red Cedar Book Award for Fiction!