New Releases by Jeanne Willis

The most action-packed banana-peel gag ever! What happens when mischievous Hyena puts a banana peel on unsuspecting Giraffe''s path? A lot of hilarious chaos, it turns out. Kids will laugh and laugh at the crazy chain of events Hyena''s practical joke sets in motion. In the end though, the joke''s on Hyena, and readers will learn the smelly consequences of laughing too much at others'' misfortunes.

In the middle of a wood there is a chick who will not fly. "Not I!" she cries to Mother Owl and Father Owl. She flaps, she flips, she flops, and she hops back into the nest. Time passes and seasons change, but still she refuses to fly. Will she ever learn to let go and soar up into the open sky?

The second hilarious story about the irrepressible penguins of City Zoo, from award-winning author Jeanne Willis. One of the fantastic titles in the Awesome Animals series – the funniest fiction, starring the wildest wildlife, from prize winning authors.

''Who''s in the loo? There''s a very long queue. Is it an elephant having a poo?'' If your house has many occupants, then this witty rhyme from the irreverent and observant pen of Jeanne Willis will resonate profoundly. Adrian Reynolds''s exuberant illustrations highlight the fun!

Meet Wild Child. She''s spirited and curious. She''s fearless and free. Follow her adventures in a magical prehistoric world.

Sir Cecil is a pompous pedigree cat who can''t believe it when scruffy Mr Cubs turns up uninvited at Futtock Mansion and refuses to leave. But then Mr Cubs agrees to help Sir Cecil fulfil a lifelong dream - with hilariously disastrous results . . .

When Bat moves to a new home, her wild young neighbors are convinced she is daft because she sees things so differently than they do, until Owl asks some questions that reveal the truth to all.

Two children who desperately need to go try to figure out why there is such a long line for the bathroom.

Baby mouse is missing! Mother mouse can''t find him anywhere. And then, to make matters worse -- a big, scary gorilla charges out of the rainforest! Will mother mouse escape the gorilla? And where is her baby? Jeanne Willis''s rhythmic text and Tony Ross''s playful illustrations enliven this suspenseful chase.

A little shrew would like to tell people that the secret of world peace is silence, but there is too much noise for anyone to hear him.

Honor Brown describes all the things she hates about school.

Don''t let go until I''m ready, Daddy... Don''t let go! A moving and affectionate look at a father/daughter relationship as a small girl struggles to learn to ride her bicycle. Jeanne Willis'' lyrical text is accompanied once more by magical illustrations from Tony Ross.

Life isn''t going so well for 19-year-old Will. His mother is always nagging him about the lucky knit hat that he never takes off; his mother''s boyfriend has forbidden Will to play "Wild Thing"--the only song he knows--on the guitar; and he just got fired from his job at Burger King. But Will''s luck changes when he moves into a flat with Chrissy, James, and Rocko and gets a new job at the local park. At the park Will meets Zara, a gypsy girl whose family is camping there illegally. Will has never been happier. Until his mother threatens to ruin everything by revealing Will''s childhood secret. Is Will and Zara''s love for each other strong enough to survive? "From the Hardcover edition."

James'' life gets better when Stephanie smiles at him and is ruined when she moves away -- at least until Wendy arrives in class!

Growing up poor and neglected in post-World War II England, young Mick, longing to be part of a loving family as he is shuttled from home to home, must harden himself against disappointment and cruelty--and, finally, against the abusive father he only recently met.

A lost little boy is raised by three teddy bears who live in the woods.

A young boy and a series of animals learn that as babies, they looked like little versions of their mothers and fathers, but a young bullfrog is horrified when he is shown a photograph of himself as a tadpole.

Told in rhyme, this story follows Susan through a series of activities, from swimming to riding a horse. It''s not until the end of the story that readers learn Susan uses a wheelchair. Color illustrations.

When a young boy loses his bellybutton, he questions the jungle animals and gets a surprise from the crocodile. Warm, full-color illustrations.

Dennis the monster doesn''t like the thunderstorm, so he decides to make as much noise as he can to try and scare it away. Suggested level: junior.

Despite the efforts of his family to convince him of the problems of having a person for a pet, a young dog named Rex wants one more than anything.

Professor Xargle''s class of extraterrestrials learns about the physical characteristics and behavior of the human baby.