New Releases by Leda Schubert

With evocative words and glorious cut-paper collages, this celebration of the transitions between seasons summons the first—and last—signals of the seasonal cycle. What is the first sign of spring? And what is the last glimpse of winter? The joy of the changing seasons means saying hello to new but familiar rituals, like spring picnics in the park or homemade lemonade in summer. But there’s also the bittersweet feeling of doing something for the last time, like mowing the lawn one final time on a brown day in autumn, or watching the last of the geese fly south in the early weeks of winter. Whichever way you mark the changing of the seasons, every year feels like an extraordinary miracle! In this jubilant ode to seasonal rituals, Leda Schubert evokes the familiar, enchanting rhythm of the four seasons, while Clover Robin’s bold collages bring warmth and magic to everyday occurrences.

For dog people of all ages, a jubilant ode to our canines and the many things they love with wild abandon—especially you-know-who. From the yard to the park, from school to the market, from one end of the day to the next, dogs are full of joy. Ears flapping out the car window! Tug-of-war rope toy! Sprawling out on the couch! Getting those “good dog” treats! Wherever they go, whatever they see, dogs love it all. But what do they love most? Guess! This delightfully chaotic book from Leda Schubert and Paul Meisel portrays dogs of all shapes and colors in a laugh-out-loud celebration of our very best friends.

The Jewish immigrant experience in the early 1900s is touchingly and joyfully portrayed in this picture book based on the author''s own grandfather. Growing up in a shtetl in Russia, Nathan is always singing, and when he hears a famous opera soloist perform in a nearby town one day, he realizes that music could be his future. But he''ll need to travel far from his loved ones and poor village in order to pursue that cherished goal. With his family''s support he eventually journeys all the way to New York City, where hard work and much excitement await him. His dream is coming true, but how can he be fully happy when his family is all the way across the ocean?

This beautiful picture book tells the little-known story of Raven Wilkinson, the first African American woman to dance for a major classical ballet company and an inspiration to Misty Copeland. When she was only five years old, her parents took her to see the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Raven perched on her crushed velvet seat, heard the tympani, and cried with delight even before the curtain lifted. From that moment on, her passion for dance only grew stronger. No black ballerina had ever danced with a major touring troupe before. Raven would be the first. Raven Wilkinson was born on February 2, 1935, in New York City. From the time she was a little girl, all she wanted to do was dance. On Raven''s ninth birthday, her uncle gifted her with ballet lessons, and she completely fell in love with dance. While she was a student at Columbia University, Raven auditioned for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and was finally accepted on her third try, even after being told she couldn''t dance with them because of her skin color. When she started touring with her troupe in the United States in 1955, Raven encountered much racism in the South, but the applause, alongside the opportunity to dance, made all the hardship worth it. Several years later she would dance for royalty with the Dutch National Ballet and regularly performed with the New York City Opera until she was fifty. This beautiful picture book tells the uplifting story of the first African American woman to dance for a major classical ballet company and how she became a huge inspiration for Misty Copeland. Theodore Taylor III''s unique, heavy line style of illustration brings a deeper level of fluidity and life to the work, and Misty Copeland''s beautifully written foreword will delight ballet and dance fans of all ages.

Listen. There was nobody like Pete Seeger. Wherever he went, he got people singing. With his head thrown back and his Adam’s apple bouncing, picking his long-necked banjo or strumming his twelve-string guitar, Pete sang old songs, new songs, new words to old songs, and songs he made up. In this gorgeously written and illustrated tribute to legendary musician and activist Pete Seeger, author Leda Schubert highlights major musical events in Mr. Seeger''s life as well important moments of his fight against social injustice. From singing sold-out concerts to courageously standing against the McCarthy-era finger-pointing, Pete Seeger''s life is celebrated in this bold book for young readers with gorgeous illustrations by Raúl Colón. A Neal Porter Book This title has Common Core connections.

Profiles the life and career of the mime Marcel Marceau.

Ruthie''s grandmother, who is in the hospital with pneumonia, says she needs homemade borscht by 5:00 and young Ruthie, with the help of her neighbors, tries to make some even without the secret recipe.

Lucy needs to learn to read and write. Why? It''s a secret! Mom and Dad help her make word-and-picture signs on sticky notes that she attaches to objects. That''s what her teacher does in school. For the first sign Lucy draws a picture of Dad, and Dad writes the letters. Lucy sticks the sticky note on Dad''s nose, but her dog, Peanut, chews it! Peanut chews all signs--Mom, beans, peas, corn, and more. After much time and many words, Lucy makes Peanut a vegetable doggy cake, and reveals her secret. She has learned to read and write to make Peanut a birthday card.

From watching Mom shepherd, shear, spin, and knit, a little girl finds out just how her sweater is made.

When two men take advantage of a nor''easter to rob the town of Sheepscot, Maine, in 1902, they make three mistakes, chief of which is taking a very smart horse named Donna to pull the getaway sleigh. Includes facts about the incident on which the story is based.

The story of how "Circus polka", a dance of 50 elephants and 50 ballerinas, choreographed by George Balanchine and with music by Igor Stravinsky, was created.

Throughout the seasons in northern Vermont, Darrell helps his neighbors with snowplowing, supplying wood, and excavation work, never finding time to fix his own barn roof, but when a windstorm passes through town, he finds his kindness to his neighbors returned.

"Annie loves Winnie. Winnie loves Annie. Winnie can be a lot of trouble--and a lot of fun!" "Includes advice to help you guide and support your brand-new reader"--Cover page [4] of each title.

Brand New Readers — the right books at the right time! Based on what experts know about how children learn to read, Brand New Readers are short, funny stories with words and pictures that help children reading for the very first time succeed-and have fun! Brand New Readers are for children who are just cracking the reading code. Readers ages 4-7 can master Brand New Readers immediately—even the first time through. Brand New Readers are funny and appealing stories, irresistibly packaged, and just right for first-time readers. Each title in this unique series includes four high-quality, full-color, 8-page paperback books in a sturdy slipcase. Kids will want to collect them all! Visit www.brandnewreaders.com to learn more about this unique series!

Winnie loves to play ball. But she loves winning even more!"

Winnie the dog plays with a ball in this cheerful, amusing story for beginner readers. The book is designed for first-time readers, enabling them to quickly master early reading skills. Helpful support notes for parents are provided.

Winnie loves to play ball. But she loves winning even more!"