New Releases by Kathi Appelt

Young children can count the animals as they hop, jump, and dance through the rain.

It''s 4:30 in the morning, and the "book woman" and her horse are already on their way. Hers is an important job, for the folks along her treacherous route are eager for the tattered books and magazines she carries in her saddlebags. During the Great Depression, thousands lived on the brink of starvation. Many perished. In 1935 President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Works Progess Administration under his 1933 New Deal initiative. The WPA was designed to get people back on their feet. One of its most innovative programs was the Pack Horse Library Project of Eastern Kentucky. Thoroughly researched and illustrated with period photographs, this is the story of one of the WPA''s greatest successes. People all over the country supported the project''s goals. But it was the librarians themselves -- young, determined, and earning just $28 a month -- who brought the hope of a wider world to people in the crooks and hollows of Kentucky''s Cumberland Mountains.

With all the spirit and charm of the classic Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals, this swinging, waltzing tale will have readers dancing right along. Full color.

Toddlers jump, spin, hop, and clap during a new dance.

It''s fun to tell time as you dance around the clock! Put on your dancing shoes and get ready to boogie! It''s American Batstand - a twelve-hour rock and roll extravaganza with Click Dark as your host. Decked in go-go boots and bobby sox, the buoyant bats bebop their way around the clock. And there''s a special guest appearance at the end! With their swinging text and groovy illustrations, the creators of Bat Jamboree and Bats on Parade don''t miss a beat when it comes to the basics. Telling time has never been so much fun!

A baby is put to sleep when his parents sing to him.

The members of a family celebrate the arrival of a new baby.

A little cowpoke is lulled to sleep by dreams of the sights and sounds of the Western landscape at night.

On a midsummer''s night the Marching Bat Band makes a rare appearance, its members grouped in formations that demonstrate multiplication from two times two up to ten times ten.

The Bat Jamboree was held early this year, at the old drive-in movie not too far from here. It was standing room only as the houselights went down. The spotlight came up -- there wasn''t a sound! Then: DD1 bat sang.DD2 bats flapped. DD3 bats cha-cha-edDD4 bats tapped. Every year a troupe of 55 buoyant bats comes up with 10 fabulous acts to entertain and instruct an enthusiatic audience. And every year the bats top themselves when they perform the grandest finale of all . . . With its exuberant text and enchanting illustrations, Bat Jamboree is both a counting book and a thrilling theatrical event.

Presents an illustrated collection of poems, followed by a section in which the author comments on each selection and offers prompts to help young adult readers begin their own writing projects.

Young Jesse waits all summer for her watermelon to ripen.

As a mighty storm cascades down the mountains like a thundering herd, one fearless mustang gives chase. "Appelt''s vivid yet lyrical prose meshes nicely with Sayles'' dreamy pastel paintings. The comparisons between wild horses and a brewing thunderstorm are well developed, making this useful for creative writing courses as well as story hour presentations."--Booklist.

Five children and a dog parade through the months of the year, putting their red wagon to various uses.

A colorful goodnight poem to a "bayou gal." Includes a glossary with Cajun pronunciation.

Using only prepositions as text, relates the adventures of two elephants as they travel to Africa to visit their Aunt Rwanda.

Devon, who loves to dance, is delighted when his beloved Great Aunt Edna gives him dancing shoes, until his friend ridicules him and makes him doubt that boys should dance.