New Releases by Jef Czekaj

Perfect for back-to-school and Halloween, this is a funny and sweet story about a monster’s first day of school by the popular author-illustrator of Cat Secrets. The ideal next read for fans of First Day Jitters, My Monster Mama Loves Me So, and We Don’t Eat Our Classmates. Little Ghoul is nervous about her first day of school. Her mom assures her that it will be great: The teachers will be scary. The lunch will be revolting! And the other classmates will be spine-tingling and creepy. But what if Little Ghoul’s greatest fears come true—and everyone is nice? In this hilariously silly take on a monster’s first day, Little Ghoul learns that school can be fun for creatures of every kind.

HIP is a turtle who raps very slowly. HOP is a bunny who raps superfast. Together they are Hip & Hop, the coolest rap duo in Oldskool County. This hilarious collection features two stories that remix the fable of the tortoise and the hare, combining comic book elements with short raps, traditional narration, and the coolest characters on the block.

A hilariously interactive picture book that will have kids barking, growling . . . and chirping—but mostly laughing out loud. A companion to the popular Cat Secrets by Jef Czekaj. Two dogs must teach their new puppy to be a good dog. The puppy has to learn to growl . . . but it keeps tweeting. Roll over . . . but it eats worms. . . . Will this puppy ever learn the Dog Rules?

For fans of The Scrambled States of America, this is an irresistible new geography picture book—featuring an adorable dog character, unbelievable facts about all fifty states, maps, capitals, and so much more! Austin grew up in a pet store, but he dreamed of finding a real home. . . . So one night he takes off with his trusty map and backpack to go in search of it. In Ohio, he is almost bitten . . . by a policeman. In Florida, he is invited for dinner . . . to be the main course. And in Oregon, he finds the world’s smallest park. Will he ever find the place where he truly belongs? Follow Austin across America on a madcap journey in which he travels to each of the fifty states. Packed with fascinating facts and doggy tidbits that seem almost too crazy to be true . . . this book makes learning geography a blast.

Psst, listen up. Are you ready? Oink! Oink-a-Doodle Oink-a-Doodle-Doo Oink-a-Doodle-Moo Now you say it back. . . . A barnyard game of telephone goes wildly wrong in this hilarious picture book that demands to be read out loud.

Yaul the porcupine likes to say "no!" In fact, it's the only thing he likes. But with a little help from rap duo Hip and Hop, this prickly porcupine might just discover something he can say "yes" to. Straight from Oldskool County, this hilarious companion to Hip & Hop, Don't Stop!, introduces a brand-new character that kids will love! Featuring short raps read at varying speeds and comic book elements, this jacketed picture book is a rollicking read aloud that will have kids saying "yes!"

I'm sorry—this book is not for you. This book is for CATS ONLY. What's that you say? You are a cat? Okay . . . get ready to prove it!

X is exasperated. Every other letter in the alphabet has so much to do and plays such important roles in making words. X expects more. He calls for a vote on a new alphabet (gasp!). According to the Alphabet Constitution, X has every right to question the status quo. But the night before the vote, X is plagued by dreams of what could happen if he were to take on another letter?s job. S has to run around a lot making singular words plural, except sometimes he isn?t needed at all, and sometimes he needs to bring along another letter . . . it was all very confusing. Then X thought he?d like to be E. E was very important and very useful. E agreed. But E was exhausted. He was in thousands of words and constantly busy. X didn?t think E?s job was a good idea after all.

Hip is a turtle who raps really slowly. Hop is a bunny who raps superfast. One afternoon they see a poster for a rap contest and become friends. On the day of the big event, rappers like LudaFish and Notorious P.I.G. take the stage. It comes down to a rap-off between Hip and Hop, but this time neither slow nor fast wins the prize. This engaging new take on the fable of the tortoise and the hare combines elements of comics with a traditional picture book. Hilarious mini-raps recited at varying speeds make for a rollicking read-aloud that kids will want to hear—and perform—over and over.

"Indie band Hypertruck searches in vain for a new guitar player, gets signed on to an indie record label run by hamsters and discovers a fiendish plot."--Description from lastgasp.com