New Releases by Daniel Pinkwater

Internationally-bestselling author Daniel Pinkwater (The Big Orange Splot) brings his zany wit and wisdom to the magical adventures of a clever girl and her brave dog. Told with warmth and wit, this is a delightful exploration of growing up, the power of family, and how sometimes the best things in life happen when you least expect them. "Daniel Pinkwater is so obviously the funniest writer of children''s books that he should be made a Living National Treasure." --Washington Post Book World Jules McShultz was promised a dog. Supposedly, she''d get one once her family moved from the city to the suburbs. But then her parents decided it still wasn''t the right time. So Jules does what any intelligent girl would do. Instead of sulking, she enters an essay contest and wins first prize: A purebred Collie. And no one--not even Jules'' parents--can resist Penny, who is clearly Jules''s perfect new canine pal. Jules and Penny are ready to spend the summer exploring the woods by the house. But the woods are not at all what they seem to be. Magic and adventure await them just on the other side of an old stone wall.

This witty picture book from children’s luminary Daniel Pinkwater and Aaron Renier offers an insider’s look that will make you completely abandon everything you thought you knew about vampires! Welcome to the village of Blinsh, Pinksylvania, famous for the many vampires that call it home. With a caring look at this town not so different from our own, we hope the reader will get to know more about vampires and see that they are not so different from you or I. It is true, a certain amount of biting happens, but a nip on the neck may just be a vampire’s way of saying, “Hello, let’s be friends.”

Collected for the first time, four funny and imaginative tales for kids by an acclaimed storyteller include Wingman, Fat Men from Space, The Magic Goose and The Muffin Fiend.

Yetta, beautiful Yetta, manages to escape from the butcher''s shop. But now she is lost in Brooklyn—a strange place filled with rude rats and dangerous buses! !?????? geVAHLT! Oh, dear! But then, brave Yetta saves a small green bird from a sneaky cat, and his friends, the wild parrots of Brooklyn, are very grateful. ¡Muchas gracias, gallina hermosa! ¡mooCHAS grahSEEas, gahYEEna ehrMOsa! Thank you very much, beautiful chicken! Has beautiful Yetta found her new home? Inspired by real events, this multilingual story by Daniel Pinkwater is a witty, warm, and wonderful read-aloud for any age.

Could the bear have a secret friend? Who is leaving him surprises? The ever-lovable Daniel Pinkwater spins a funny and sweetly offbeat story. Features an audio read-along performed by the author! One morning, the bear finds something just outside his cave. It is orange and long and pointy and has bushy green leaves at one end. And it’s sweet and crunchy! Where did it come from? Did someone leave it for him? Then there are two more of the sweet crunchy things the next morning! The bear knows that someone nice is leaving him these treats. If only he could discover who it is! Should he leave something tasty in return? With the help of Will Hillenbrand’s endearing illustrations, the inimitable Daniel Pinkwater spins a charming little mystery about unexpected kindnesses and finding that extra-special someone.

An ALA Notable Book Kids ages 9-12 will “delight in [the] oddness” of this Home Alone-style tale set in the 1970s—from a prolific children’s author who captures “a magic that’s not like anyone else’s” (Neil Gaiman). With Victor’s parents out of town, he is free to investigate the mysterious lizard musicians who have recently appeared on TV . . . Things Victor loves: pizza with anchovies, grape soda, B movies aired at midnight, the evening news. And with his parents off at a resort and his older sister shirking her babysitting duties, Victor has plenty of time to indulge himself and to try a few things he’s been curious about. Exploring the nearby city of Hogboro, he runs into a curious character known as the Chicken Man (a reference to his companion, an intelligent hen named Claudia who lives under his hat). The Chicken Man speaks brilliant nonsense, but he seems to be hip to the lizard musicians (real lizards, not men in lizard suits) who’ve begun appearing on Victor’s television after the broadcast of the late-late movie. Are the lizards from outer space? From “other space”? Together Victor and the Chicken Man, guided by the able Claudia, journey to the lizards’ floating island, a strange and fantastic place that operates with an inspired logic of its own.

Jacob is the boy. Max is the dog. Until they decide to change places. Now Jacob gets to eat kibble, chase squirrels, and snooze, just like a real dog. Max brushes his teeth, goes to school, and plays video games, just like a real boy. The question is: Who has the better deal? Story maestro Daniel Pinkwater collaborates once again with the gifted illustrator Jack E. Davis for a boy-and-dog escapade that''s sure to set tails a-wagging.

Arthur goes to pick up the turkey for Thanksgiving dinner but comes back with a 266-pound chicken.

Irving and Muktuk have arrived from Yellowtooth in the frozen North to their new home in the Bayonne, New Jersey, zoo. There they meet another polar bear, Roy, who tells them about his life outside the zoo. Roy goes home every night at six when the zoo closes. After a week of swimming, eating fish and the occasional muffin thrown to them by zoo visitors, playing, and taking naps, Irving and Muktuk feel bored and restless. They decide to explore life outside the walls and go in search of Roy and more muffins. Soon their escape is discovered and the zookeepers, the zoo director, and the police are called. Are these polar bears to be trusted?

Mush, a dog from the planet Growf-Woof-Woof, relates how she came to be on Earth, and how she and three other animals formed a jazz ensemble that foiled a band of ice cream parlor robbers.

The Watson Elementary School Werewolf Club goes on a field trip to Basketball Hall, where Sir Hugo hopes they will solve the mystery of the hound which has plagued his family for generations.

Where is one place you don't want to go alone? Remember Werewolf Club members Ralf Alfa, Billy Furball, Lucy Fang, and Norman Gnormal? Well, they are back. Now they wreak havoc on a local restaurant they call "The Lunchroom of Doom." Tomato catsup squirts. Paper straws fly. Laughts and weird things abund. Don't miss this gripping story of the supernatural.

Combines four novels by children's book writer and National Public Radio commentator Daniel Pinkwater into one volume.

"In this collection of recollections, Daniel Pinkwater explains how training to be a sculptor made him a children's book writer. Along the leisurely path from Chicago to Hoboken you'll encounter his Zen-like artistic mentor, the heartbreak of writing a comic strip, and the Pinkwater Test for the Humor-Impaired"--