New Releases by Bob Raczka

On a snowy day . . . Two flakes play. Four flakes sashay. Eight flakes twirl. Sixteen flakes swirl. At this rate, how long will it take to surpass 100 snowflakes? How about 1,000? Or even 16,000? Experience a snowstorm that brings together playful rhyming verse with the power of exponential growth! Bob Raczka''s clever rhymes come to life in the dynamic illustrations of Bryony Clarkson. The artwork includes the precise number of snowflakes mentioned in the text, starting with 2 and ending with an astonishing 16,384!

An empowering reflection on the many things we are and the ways we relate to the world. Poet Bob Raczka’s You are a Story highlights all of the nuance and potential of a growing person’s identity, delighting in the things that make us special and connect us to others. Text and illustrations replete with inventive imagery and appealing metaphors show how we all live as individuals and citizens of the world. You are a living thing. You breathe. You eat. You Sleep. You work and play. You have dreams and fears. You have thoughts and memories. You are. What makes you you? So much goes into who you are, and you are so many different things: A child, an animal, a body of water, a friend, a mystery, one-of-a-kind, a miracle. You are and could be so many things, but whatever you choose to do, it’s your life to write, you are a story. A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year A Bank Street Best Children''s Book of the Year

A cautionary tale using words made up of only the five letters in the title (B, E, W, A, and R). Can a bear and a bee become friends? Abe and Bree aren''t supposed to get along. When they meet, they panic. Abe swats! Bree stings! Now they''re both hurt. Together they figure out how to find friendship despite differences and preconceived notions. This rare-bear, wee-bee tale helps to create a web of understanding with unique language and a clever structure.

Niko loves to draw his world: the ring-a-ling of the ice cream truck, the warmth of sun on his face. But no one appreciates his art. Until one day, Niko meets Iris . . . This imaginative and tender story explores the creative process, abstract art, friendship, and the universal desire to feel understood. A Junior Library Guild selection, Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book, Children''s Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children''s Book of the Year, Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books, Cooperative Children''s Book Center Choice, Midwest Connections Pick, NCTE Notable Children''s Book in the Language Arts, and New York Public Library Best Book for Kids

You know that Santa can fly a sleigh, squeeze down chimneys, and circle the globe in a night. But did you know that another of his talents is writing haiku? "December 1: White envelopes float / from my overfilled mailbox— / December''s first storm." "December 24: Which is packed tighter / the sack full of toys or the / red suit full of me?" These twenty-five short poems—composed by Santa himself—give you a peek into life at the North Pole as the December days tick down to Christmas. See the hustle and bustle of the elves'' workshop, feel the serenity of moonlight on fresh snow, and find out how Santa and Mrs. Claus keep busy as Santa''s big night draws near.

It had been only twenty-four hours since Mighty Casey struck out, plunging fans of the Mudville team into gloom and despair. But a new game day dawned, and Casey once again proved his might with a homer in the eighth. The Mudville nine took a one-run lead, but in the bottom of the ninth, their hurler walked three straight. Bases loaded and the starting pitcher spent, the Mudville manager was not bullish about his bullpen. With the game on the line, he called for rookie Joy Armstrong to take the mound. Could she bring joy to Mudville again—and prove that a girl can play ball as well as any boy?

Fall is all mixed up in this silly book from Bob Raczka! Can you find his mistakes in the words and pictures?

The wind and I play tug-of-war with my new kite. The wind is winning. When you’re a guy, nature is one big playground—no matter what the season. There are puddles to splash in the spring, pine trees to climb in the summer, maple seeds to catch in the fall, and icicles to swordfight with in the winter. Nature also has a way of making a guy appreciate important stuff—like how many rocks it takes to dam up a stream, or how much snow equals a day off from school. So what kind of poetry best captures these special moments, at a length that lets guys get right back to tree-climbing and kite-flying? Why, guyku, of course!

These eighteen paintings by Raczka cover a wide range of times, places, and artistic styles.

Presents a collection of artwork by various artists showing people reading.

A book that celebrates all things summer—from playing at the park to swimming at the pool to catching fireflies. Children will delight in the rhymes that captures summertime fun.

No matter how you feel about winter, you are sure to enjoy Bob Raczka''s tribute to the season''s activities, tastes, and sounds. The simple rhymes using "y" words will encourage children to come up with their own words to describe the season.

Learn about fourteen different artists and their different styles.

What is America? Shape a fascinating image of the United States through the eyes of eighteen artists who have painted, sculpted, and photographed the U.S. landscape and culture. This latest art adventure from Bob Raczka features works from John Trumbull, Georgia O''Keeffe, Jasper Johns, and many more.

Presents thirteen works of art from different countries around the world, giving facts about the life of each individual artist and his unique style.

It''s hard when summer ends, but the hearty season that follows overflows with holidays, sports, and fun. In this companion to Spring Things, the author and illustrator pay tribute to fall.

Learn the alphabet by looking at unusual sculptures.

Museums have very logical ways of displaying works of art. Usually they group works by artist, by movement, or by time period, so that impressionist works or classical works can be viewed together. And many museums are devoted to displaying only a certain type of art. In Unlikely Pairs, Bob Raczka offers us an exhibit like no others, organized solely for fun. The painting of a seventeenth-century Dutch artist sits next to that of a twentieth-century American. Classical sculpture is paired with modern painting. The result is a rollicking romp through a most unusual exhibit. The reader is challenged to figure out the relationship between the various unlikely pairs and in so doing will look very carefully and perhaps even learn something new about different artists and styles along they way.

This book lets you do more than look at beautiful art. It shows you how to feel it, taste it, smell it, hear it, and touch it! Looking at art with the right attitude can let you hear a cannon boom or know what it feels like to stroke an ermine. You can smell a stinky pig or enjoy the tastes of teatime. In another unique tour through the world of art, Bob Raczka shares his enthusiasm for his subject with youngsters while introducing them to the work of many of the world''s finest artists.

Offering the message that no two people see the world in the same way, simple rhymed text and examples of various modern painters'' works point out the particular lens through which each of the artists viewed an object.