New Releases by Joan Holub

Rediscover the story of the Trojan Horse in this beautifully illustrated Level 2 Ready-to-Read retelling of the myth, from Goddess Girls author Joan Holub! During the Trojan War, the Trojans receive the gift of a huge wooden horse from the Greeks. Thinking the gift means that they have won the war, the Trojans celebrate. But what they don’t realize is that Greek soldiers are hidden inside the huge horse…waiting to attack! This Ready-to-Read retelling of the myth of the Trojan Horse is a perfect introduction to mythology for beginning readers.

Hercules is not as interested in “playing nice” as he is in playing strong! But when one feat of strength destroys his little sister’s 12-piece tower, he must use his powers for good to restore the tower and seek her forgiveness. She forgives him indeed, and then shows her own strength by gleefully knocking down the stacked blocks herself! Joan Holub’s expertly focused text pairs perfectly with Leslie Patricelli’s famously humorous illustrations. Includes a summary of the original Hercules’s Twelve Labors myth at the end. Also available in the Mini Myths series: Don''t Get Lost, Odysseus and Good Job, Athena! Praise for Mini-Myths: Play Nice, Hercules! "These adorable volumes feature the title characters learning important life lessons with slight allusions to their Greek mythology counterparts." --School Library Journal

When Pandora is warned by her mother not to open a box, her spirited curiosity trumps her obedience. Pandora harmlessly touches the box, innocently leans on the box, and eventually, albeit accidentally, bursts the box open! The cupcakes that were hidden inside are ruined, except for one last vestige, which Pandora presents in the hope that her mother still loves her. Leslie Patricelli’s depictions of this physical comedy bring a lively narrative to Joan Holub’s carefully crafted text. Includes a summary of the original Pandora’s Box myth at the end. Also available in the Mini Myths series: Don''t Get Lost, Odysseus and Good Job, Athena! Praise for Mini-Myths: Be Patient, Pandora! "These adorable volumes feature the title characters learning important life lessons with slight allusions to their Greek mythology counterparts." --School Library Journal

Iris has a rainbow of colorful experiences, from visiting the Underworld to conversing with her crush in this Goddess Girls adventure. Iris is the most colorful goddess girl at Mount Olympus Academy. In fact, her hair and delicate wings can change color according to her mood! When Principal Zeus entrusts her with the job of fetching some magic water, Iris is tickled pink—until she realizes she’ll have to get the water from the gray, gloomy River Styx in the Underworld! And when Iris figures out how to create magical rainbow slides that will allow her to travel from Mount Olympus to Earth and back in a flash, she suddenly becomes a messenger in high demand. All the while, Iris wonders whether her crush, Zephyrus, has caught wind of her infatuation, or if he’s into her BFF instead. Either way, Iris is determined she won’t go green with envy!

In 1876, France decided to give the United States a very big and very special present--the Statue of Liberty. The gift was to commemorate the 100th birthday of the United States, and just packing it was no small feat--350 pieces in 214 crates shipped across the ocean. The story of how the 111-foot-tall lady took her place in the New York Harbor will fascinate young readers.

Athena''s arrogance throws a wrench into her plans to improve King Minos''s labyrinth.

The New York Times bestseller. “There’s an old-fashioned, hard-hat appeal to Mighty Dads, a book made for dramatic read-alouds with sound effects.” —USA Today Mighty dads, strong and tall, help their children, young and small. They keep them safe and bolted tight and show them how to build things right. Inventively told through James Dean’s colorful construction vehicle characters, Mighty Dads is an adoring dedication to hardworking fathers and the subtle ways they teach their boys and girls to follow in their tracks. The Dump Trucks learn to get dirty. Crane keeps his little one safe from harm. The busy Cement Mixer gives his daughter a hug. The Forklift cheers his son on. A surprising and touching view of a father’s love for his children, Mighty Dads is the perfect way to say: I’m proud of you! “Like the best 21st-century human dads, the vehicles don’t just show their kids the ropes—they also offer plenty of TLC . . . A book worthy of any young armchair foreman.” —Publishers Weekly “Just the ticket for vehicle-obsessed youngsters who can’t get enough of construction play.” —School Library Journal “This makes for a perfect choice for story hours—the vivid verbs demand to be chanted and dramatized.” —Booklist

Seeking a special shield called an aegis, the Olympians trek through a forest that holds many unpleasant surprises, including a flock of vicious birds.

The authors of the hit Goddess Girls series put a fun and girly twist on another super-popular theme: fairy tales! Once upon a time, in faraway Grimmlandia...A Grimmtastic girl named Cinderella is starting her first week at Grimm Academy on the wrong foot. Cinda''s totally evil stepsisters are out to make her life miserable. The Steps tease Cinda, give her terrible advice about life at the academy, and even make her look bad in front of her new friends, Red, Snow, and Rapunzel! But when Cinda overhears the Steps plotting a villainous deed that could ruin Prince Awesome''s ball, Cinda, her new friends, and a pair of magical glass slippers have to stop them--before the last stroke of midnight!

Odysseus tackles a monstrous challenge in this illustrated Level 3 Ready-to-Read retelling of the Cyclops myth, from Goddess Girls author Joan Holub! On their way home to Greece after fighting in the Trojan War, Odysseus and his army are shipwrecked on an island—the island where Cyclops, the one-eyed monster, lives! Cyclops traps Odysseus and his men and threatens to eat them one by one. Can Odysseus come up with a clever plan to outsmart the people-eater and return his men to safety? This Ready-to-Read retelling of the story of Odysseus and Cyclops is an ideal introduction to mythology for beginning readers.

Athletic Artemis rails against the all-boys'' Olympic Games at Mount Olympus Academy, which leaves her at odds with her twin brother, Apollo, while a mortal boy named Actaeon catches her eye.

Meet Cassandra, the newest student at Mount Olympus Academy! She has an amazing talent—but will her new friends believe her? This Goddess Girls story is based on the myth of Cassandra, who has the gift of seeing the future—except no one believes her. Can Apollo, the god of prophecy, help his new crush?

The Olympians must face the fierce giant Typhon in order to find magic seeds that will help grow the earth after the terrible drought brought upon the land by Hyperion.

April showers bring May flowers! That is what the Ant Hill kids learn when they plant a garden of their very own and watch it grow!

The Ant Hill kids are back, and this time they are performing in a St. Patrick''s Day parade complete with shamrocks and bagpipes! When a high-spirited leprechaun chase leads them to the end of a rainbow, the ants find a delightful surprise!

Summer is the perfect time for a picnic -- and everyone knows that ants love a good picnic! Watermelon and corn on the cob -- yum! But when the sun starts to set, the ants must find their way home after a long afternoon in the park.

A little red pencil embarks on a creative writing adventure in this delightfully illustrated children’s book with “style, humor, and solid writing advice” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). At the Pencilvania School, all the young pencils are given a writing assignment. With a basket of nouns, Little Red embarks on the storytelling path, discovering the joys of creative writing. But when she gets tangled in a run-on sentence full of descriptive adjectives, she must escape a dangerous encounter with the pencil sharpener, Wolf 3000! Acclaimed writer Joan Holub and Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet team up in this hilarious and exuberant retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. “The artwork—which integrates written text in a variety of lettering styles—fills the pages with a riot of color, shape, movement and design… Every writers’ group should start with this story.” (Kirkus, starred review). A Kirkus Best Children’s Books of 2013

The Goddess Girls by put a modern spin on classic Greek myths. This title focuses on Athena, goddess of wisdom.

When Orpheus, a charming mortal musician, arrives at Mount Olympus Academy, he asks Persephone to help reunite him with his lost love, Eurydice, but trying to manipulate the rules of the underworld puts her at odds with her boyfriend, Hades.

A heat wave induced by the rule of Hyperion compels Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades to search for answers about why the titan is overheating the world, a mystery that is complicated by their efforts to rescue Hera and outmaneuver the minions of their nemesis, Cronus.

A construction site crew is busy at work in this rhyming Step 1 story. As the work continues readers are in for a surprise--the "crew" is actually a group of young friends engaged in a fun day of dramatic play. Two sheets of vehicle-themed stickers are included. It''s a natural for young readers who love to build and are fans of vehicles that dig, scoop, and sometimes go ka-boom!

Priding herself on having the most up-to-date information about everyone at Mount Olympus Academy, gossipy Pheme sends VIP messages that linger in cloud letters above her head, a habit that raises the ire of her fellow goddesses.

The Heroes in Training are entering the Underworld—if Hades can conquer his canine fears, that is. The Underworld usually isn’t really meant to be a fun place—but tell that to Hades! He loves the dark and the stinky smell of sulfur. However, there is one thing that Hades is not a fan of: dogs. And when Zeus and his fellow Olympians encounter Cerberus—a snarling, three-headed dog—Hades must conquer his fears and tame the hound so everyone can continue into the Underworld and deposit their Titan prisoner, Oceanus, back where he belongs! But with magical water that causes forgetfulness, hot beds of lava, and another epic battle with two more Titans standing in their way, will Zeus and his heroes make it out of the Underworld with everyone intact?

Artemis, goddess of the hunt, is always perceived as the bravest goddess girl at Mount Olympus Academy. What her classmates and best friends don''t realize is that sometimes she''s not as courageous as she looks.

Pandora is quite an inquisitive Goddess Girl—but she could stand to be more cautious. Pandora is one of the few mortals at Mount Olympus Academy—and probably the most curious of all the students in school. Her quizzical nature is famous—not that she thinks there is anything wrong with being curious, of course! When a godboy named Epimetheus brings a mysterious and fantastical box to school, Pandora’s curiosity is piqued. And when it unexpectedly lands in her lap—literally—she can’t help but take a look at what’s inside. What could be the harm in that? But little does she know that opening the box will open up more trouble than she thought….

Zeus, Hera and Poseidon set sail to search for magical trident, but Poseidon can''t swim and gets seasick.

After pulling a magical thunderbolt from a stone, ten-year-old Zeus goes on the adventure of a lifetime in this thrilling start to a brand-new series! The terrible Titans—merciless giants who enjoy snacking on humans—have dominated the earth and put the world into chaos. But their rule is about to be put to the test as a group of young Olympians discover their powers and prepare to righteously rule the universe.... Ten-year-old Zeus is mystified (and super-annoyed) by the fact that he keeps getting hit by lightening. Every. Single. Year. He also longs for adventure, as he has never been far from the cave where he grew up. Zeus gets his wish—and a lot more than he bargained for—when he is kidnapped by dangerous, giant Titans! In self-defense, Zeus grabs the first thing he sees—an actual thunderbolt he pulls from a stone that is covered in mysterious markings. Zeus is the only one who can decipher the markings, and sets off on a quest to rescue his fellow Olympians from the evil Cronus. Armed with his trusty thunderbolt (named Bolt, of course), Zeus is on an adventure of a lifetime—and a journey to fulfill his destiny as King of the Gods.

The first-ever standalone superspecial in the Goddess Girls series—let the games begin! Athena, Medusa, Artemis, and Persephone are sick and tired of being left out of the annual boys-only Olympic Games. Their solution? The Girl Games! But as the Goddess Girls work to make their dream into a reality, they come up against plenty of chaos and competition. Told in alternating points of view, this superspecial is packed with Olympic spirit!

Best Children''s Books of the Year 2013, Bank Street College American Association of University Women Award for Juvenile Literature, 2013 Nominee A fun trip to the pumpkin patch that includes counting, grouping, and more. Fall has come, and what better way to celebrate than a field trip to the pumpkin patch! From 20 name tags on coats all the way down to 1 last pumpkin song, the class counts everything in sight! Follow along in this sweet, rhyming picture book, with interactive counting on each spread. Count the 8 orange pumpkins, tall, 7 yellow pumpkins, bumpy, and much more! Including autumnal illustrations and pumpkin facts, this book is perfect for the fall season and an extra fun way to teach children to count backward from twenty.

From ballet class to rehearsal for the big show to the final curtsies—budding ballet stars show emergent readers each step and pirouette along the way! This Step 1 story has big type and easy words, rhyme and rhythm, and picture clues and two sheets of irresistably adorable stickers. It''s a natural for young readers who are learning ballet or aspire to take ballet classes.