New Releases by Adam Rubin

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dragons Love Tacos comes this hilarious picture book about everyone’s favorite piece of furniture. Pssst! Hey. I''m here to tell ya what the furniture police don''t want you to know... Listen close. I''ll explain everything. Most people think couches are just for sitting, or maybe napping, and don''t give it a second thought. But did you know couches can go berserk if you don''t feed them a steady diet of coins, cell phones, and remote controls? And did you know some couches are grown on a farm? (Where do you think the term couch potato comes from?) Some come from two chairs who love each other very much, and some are actually aliens in disguise. And that''s just the tip of the iceberg... This laugh-out-loud send-up of conspiracy theories brings Adam Rubin''s trademark zany humor together with the richly expressive artwork of Macanudo creator Liniers to explore the totally, completely true (really! maybe?) history of the world''s most beloved—and misunderstood—item of furniture.

The author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Dragons Love Tacos and The Ice Cream Machine returns with another hilarious, irresistible collection of six totally different stories with the same exact name. Adam Rubin is back with this companion to The Ice Cream Machine, inviting you into six thrilling new worlds filled with daring and danger, mystery and mayhem—not to mention explosions! In a swanky New York City hotel, a reclusive guest appears to have spontaneously combusted. On a school field trip to a human anatomy museum in space, two kids try to pull off the greatest prank in history. Somewhere on a deserted island, three siblings try to make a life for themselves after the rest of the planet has been decimated by gigantic rock monsters. And then there''s the small, quaint fishing town where a boy visiting his sister stumbles across an ancient curse; the traveling circus where a young girl becomes the assistant to a death-defying human cannonball; and the rugged wilderness where one kid with superpowers just can''t seem to find some peace. Each story is illustrated by a different artist, including Marta Altés, Daniel Gray-Barnett, Rodolfo Montalvo, Daniel Salmieri, Adam de Souza, and Gracey Zhang, with black-and-white artwork that practically explodes off the page. So put on a helmet and hang on tight, because this unpredictable book will blow you away! And exclusive to the paperback, you''ll also find six more stories inspired by The Human Kaboom, written by kids like you and hand-picked by Adam Rubin himself!

Pssst! Hey. I''m here to tell ya what the furniture police don''t want you to know... Listen close. I''ll explain everything. Most people think couches are just for sitting, or maybe napping, and don''t give it a second thought. But did you know couches can go berserk if you don''t feed them a steady diet of coins, cell phones, and remote controls? And did you know some couches are grown on a farm? (Where do you think the term couch potato comes from?) Some come from two chairs who love each other very much, and some are actually aliens in disguise. And that''s just the tip of the iceberg... This laugh-out-loud send-up of conspiracy theories brings Adam Rubin''s trademark zany humor together with the richly expressive artwork of Macanudo creator Liniers to explore the totally, completely true (really! maybe?) history of the world''s most beloved--and misunderstood--item of furniture.

Let the New York Times bestselling team behind Dragons Love Tacos introduce the joy of dragons to the youngest of readers in this original board book shaped like a taco! What do you get when you take a tortilla, fold it in half, and fill it with all sorts of delicious things? A taco, of course! This little dragon''s first taco will surely not be their last in this lively, funny board book that introduces the magic of tacos and dragons.

A long time ago, a girl named Carla lived on a goat farm with her father, Hector. One night, a goat disappeared from the farm and turned up flat as a pancake. Only one creature could do that--El Chupacabras, the goatsucker! Legend has it that El Chupacabras is a fearsome beast, but you can''t believe everything you hear...and sometimes the truth is even more interesting. Told in equal parts English and Spanish by bestselling author Adam Rubin, and cinematically illustrated by acclaimed Hollywood creature creator Crash McCreery, this lighthearted take on a modern legend is not told in the traditional bilingual style. Each sentence is half-Spanish/half-English followed by a repetition of the same line translated the other way around. This mirroring technique allows the languages to intermingle equally. A fun and unique way to introduce either Spanish or English to new readers.

Don’t miss the #1 New York Times bestseller everyone is raving about! From the wild and wonderful imagination of the author of Dragons Love Tacos comes this hilarious, irresistible debut collection of six totally different stories with the same exact name. In these six stories, set in six distinct worlds, you’ll meet a boy and his robot nanny traveling the globe in search of the world’s tastiest treat, a child mechanical prodigy who invents the freshest dessert ever, and an evil ice cream truck driver who strikes fear in the heart of every kid in town. You’ll be transported to a beachside boardwalk with an ice cream stand run by a penguin, a hilltop realm ruled by a king with a sweet tooth, and a giant alien space lab with a lone human subject who longs for a taste of home. Each story features black-and-white interior illustrations from a different artist, including Daniel Salmieri, Charles Santoso, Liniers, Emily Hughes, Nicole Miles, and Seaerra Miller, making this book unlike any you''ve ever seen. So grab a cup or a cone, and watch out for brain freeze! You''ll definitely want to save room for this treat.

From the mega-bestselling author of Dragons Love Tacos and the mega-bestselling illustrator of The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors, comes this hilarious new picture book about an irresistible chicken who unexpectedly finds herself on an epic journey during Ancient Times. Gladys the chicken must be magic. After all, for everyone who encounters her, a wish is granted. The Shepherd Boy wishes to be beautiful, the Brave Swordsman wishes to join the Royal Guard, the Purple Pooh-bah wishes for his only daughter to be happy, and the Learned Princess wishes to escape the palace. And one by one, each of these wishes comes true. But . . . is Gladys really magic? Or is everyone making their own fortune? Either way, it adds up to one heck of an adventure for a chicken named Gladys. Blending a classic storybook feel with a thoroughly modern sense of humor, this side-splitting read aloud is perfect for anyone who wishes to see magic in the world—even if they are only looking at a chicken.

Discover the art of the high five and improve your slapping skills just in time for the annual high five contest! From hand-limbering stretches to lessons on five-ing with finesse, readers are guided through a series of interactive challenges.

"When dragons run out of tacos, they travel back in time to get a fresh supply"--

From the bestselling author of Dragons Love Tacos comes a whimsical re-telling of the chupacabra folktale, written in a blend of English and Spanish A long time ago, a girl named Carla lived on a goat farm with her father, Hector. One night, a goat disappeared from the farm and turned up flat as a pancake. Only one creature could do that--El Chupacabras, the goatsucker! Legend has it that El Chupacabras is a fearsome beast, but you can''t believe everything you hear...and sometimes the truth is even more interesting. Told in equal parts English and Spanish by bestselling author Adam Rubin, and cinematically illustrated by acclaimed Hollywood creature creator Crash McCreery, this lighthearted take on a modern legend is not told in the traditional bilingual style. Each sentence is half-Spanish/half-English followed by a repetition of the same line translated the other way around. This mirroring technique allows the languages to intermingle equally. A fun and unique way to introduce either Spanish or English to new readers. A note from author Adam Rubin: "I decided to tell this story in an unusual way to explore the beauty of harmony. It''s easy to dismiss the unfamiliar, but compassion takes a little more effort. With so many people trumpeting divisiveness right now, it''s more important than ever to teach kids that there is more than one way to understand the world."

The hilarious sequel to the smokin’ hot New York Times best seller, perfect for story time News alert! It has just been discovered that there are NO MORE TACOS left anywhere in the world. This is a huge problem because, as you know, dragons love tacos. If only there was a way for the dragons to travel back in time, to before tacos went extinct. Then they could grab lots of tacos and bring them back! It’s the perfect plan, as long as there’s no spicy salsa. You remember what happened last time . . . The award-winning creators of Robo-Sauce and Secret Pizza Party return with a gut-bustingly hilarious companion to the bestselling phenomenon Dragons Love Tacos.

Explores the love dragons have for tacos, and the dangers of feeding them them anything with spicy salsa.

Old Man Fookwire and his backyard friends grapple with a new neighbor''s bully of a cat.

Fans of the best-selling Dragons Love Tacos will devour Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri’s newest story, a hilarious picture book about robots that magically transforms into a super shiny metal ROBO-BOOK. FACT: Robots are awesome. They have lasers for eyes, rockets for feet, and supercomputers for brains! Plus, robots never have to eat steamed beans or take baths, or go to bed. If only there were some sort of magical “Robo-Sauce” that turned squishy little humans into giant awesome robots… Well, now there is. Giggle at the irreverent humor, gasp at the ingenious fold-out surprise ending, and gather the whole family to enjoy a unique story about the power of imagination. It’s picture book technology the likes of which humanity has never seen!

An ordinary bubble may seem pretty harmless to you. To the monsters of La La Land, however, a fragile, shimmering bubble is an object of terror, and when the frightening habits of bubbles are detailed by a fear-mongering monster, Yerbert, Froofle and Wumpus run away and cry. But with encouragement from the narrator and from readers the three learn to confront their fears and triumph over the bubbles! "Rubin and Salmieri are two of the weirdest, funniest guys working in kids'' lit today." Publishers Weekly

Shhhh! Don''t tell anyone about this mouth-watering book from the New York Times bestselling creators of Dragons Love Tacos and Robo-Sauce! How does Racoon love pizza? Oh, let him count the ways. He loves the gooey cheesy-ness, salty pepperoni-ness, sweet sweet tomato-ness, and of course the crispity crunchity crust. But someone is always chasing poor Raccoon away from his favorite food with a broom! What''s a hungry raccoon to do? Plan an elaborate secret pizza party, of course! But shhh! It’s a secret! In fact, you should probably just forget I told you. Nope, no secret pizza party happening here.You didn’t already tell all your friends, did you? Uh oh . . . Fans of Jon Klassen and Mo Willems''s humor will gobble up this quirky ode to the lengths we will go to for our heart''s desire. Praise for Dragons Love Tacos: New York Times bestseller A New York Times Notable Children''s Book of 2012 "Rubin and Salmieri are two of the weirdest, funniest guys working in kids’ lit today. The team lets its geek flag fly in an obsessive how-to guide for would-be dragon taco party hosts. Why a taco party? As Rubin explains, ''The only things dragons love more than parties or tacos, is taco parties.'' If further proof is required, Salmieri—whose poker-faced watercolor, gouache, and color pencil drawings set a benchmark for oddball observational humor—shows one odd, scaly creature with a carryout bag from ''Taco Cave'' and another beaming with anticipation as it eagerly circles the date for a taco party on its taco-themed calendar. But beware: even if all the tips and rules are followed to the letter (on quantity:''The best way to judge is to get a boat and fill the boat with tacos''), all will be for naught if spicy salsa makes its way into the taco filling. In fact, the dragons will bring a whole new meaning to ''housewarming.'' Off-kilter fun for those who like their picture books (and salsa) zesty and fresh."–Publishers Weekly, starred review "Dragons Love Tacos is a heaping helping of silly. Little kids will relate to the anti-spicy bias and chuckle over Salmieri''s watercolor and gouache cartoon illustrations showing literally boatloads of tacos and all sizes of dragons enjoying their favorite food at pool parties, costume parties and, well, taco parties." –San Francisco Chronicle "The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos." –Kirkus Reviews "The watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil cartoon illustrations are the real stars here. Regardless of, or perhaps because of, the absurdity of the story, this tale should be a big hit with anyone with an affinity for dragons." –School Library Journal

From the creators of Dragons Love Tacos comes the third off-the-wall comedy featuring Old Man Fookwire, a lot of birds, and those darn squirrels. Old Man Fookwire''s one pleasure in life is painting the birds in his backyard. When fall arrives and the birds fly south, Fookwire is desolate. The squirrels are curious: Where are the birds going, and what do they do once they get there? With their usual ingenuity and engineering skills, the squirrels devise a way to follow the birds to their destination, a tropical paradise. A wonderful time is had by all—all but grumpy Old Man Fookwire, alone at home. But the squirrels have a solution for that, too. Readers will revel in this third off-the-wall comedy featuring Old Man Fookwire, a lot of birds, and those darn squirrels.

This scrumptious New York Times bestseller has a whole lot of kick! Dragons love tacos. They love chicken tacos, beef tacos, great big tacos, and teeny tiny tacos. So if you want to lure a bunch of dragons to your party, you should definitely serve tacos. Buckets and buckets of tacos. Unfortunately, where there are tacos, there is also salsa. And if a dragon accidentally eats spicy salsa . . . oh, boy. You''re in red-hot trouble. The award-winning team behind Those Darn Squirrels! has created an unforgettable, laugh-until-salsa-comes-out-of-your-nose tale of new friends and the perfect snack.

A selection of picture books and easy readers on a full-color Kindle Fire.

Witty text combines with quirky illustrations in this funny take on the classic man versus squirrel conflict over backyard birdfeeders. Full color.

Examines the 2005 New York Mets season focusing on the signing of pitcher Pedro Martinez and outfielder Carlos Beltran as well as new general manager Omar Minaya after the 2004 season and the impact they had on the team.

In cities across the country, educators and civic leaders are taking on the challenge of transforming large, failing high schools where graduation rates have remained below 50 percent for many years. They are replacing these high schools with small schools that will prepare students in underserved urban communities to meet the high standards needed to be successful in college and beyond. In New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Department of Education have created nearly 200 small high schools in an aggressive effort to improve the city''s graduation rates. As part of this effort, New Visions for Public Schools has led the New Century High Schools Initiative (NCHSI) and created more than 80 of these schools. The sitting of these schools raises significant questions. How can facilities built to educate large numbers of students in a single school be reconfigured as homes for several small schools? This pamphlet describes the visual branding process piloted on 16 campuses in New York City. In collaboration with the New York City Department of Education, the School Construction Authority (SCA), and the many stakeholders involved in these schools. New Visions and its partner Print International conceptualized, refined, and implemented the visual branding system.

Rapid neuromuscular adaptations were evaluated in response to a two-day strength training protocol designed to elicit quick jumps in strength and improved muscular performance in older adults. The protocol produced rapid improvements in strength without the soreness typically observed at the onset of strength training. Twenty older adults (7 men and 13 women, 76 +- 6 years) participated in two strength-training sessions of low-resistance, high-velocity plantar flexion exercises separated by 48-hours. On three test days separated by 48 hours, maximal voluntary torque, muscle contractility, motor neuron excitability, and electromyographic activity of the triceps surae were measured. Exercise training followed testing on days 1 and 2. The voluntary tests provided measures of maximal plantar flexion torque (MVT), maximal rate of torque development (RTD), and reaction time. Resting muscle twitches were recorded before and after a 10-second maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and provided measures of contractility for resting and potentiated muscle. The H-reflex was recorded from the soleus to provide a measure of motor neuron excitability. There were significant increases in MVT (F 2,38 = 5.606, p = 0.007) and the extent of post-activation potentiation (F 2,38 = 3.901, p = 0.029). RTD showed a trend parallel to MVT toward improved performance, increasing 23.7%, but the improvement was not significant (F 2,38 = 1.244, p = 0.300). No changes were observed in reaction time or motor neuron excitability (H-reflex). The brief duration of this training protocol was sufficient to improve strength prior to hypertrophy and post activation potentiation exhibited rapid enhancement in older adults.