New Releases by Leslea Newman

This collection of stories and poems by sixteen Jewish writers portrays the magic of Hanukkah for each person who celebrates it, as well as what it means to be Jewish. Celebrate Hanukkah with a diverse collection of poems and stories filled with history, humor, and hope. Cheer on a young baker as he tries to make sufganiyot from a family recipe. Learn about code breakers in England during World War II. Imagine hosting a refugee cousin or finding long-lost relatives. In this anthology, characters make discoveries, connect with family and friends, and mourn loved ones. Encompassing a range of genres and experiences, there’s something for readers of all faiths in the illuminating pages of The Festival of Lights.

Count on cats as a fun way to learn numbers—in rhyming spreads with expressive appeal for animal lovers of all ages. Cat Number One has nothing to do . . . Until she makes friends with Cat Number Two. Meet cats from one to a dozen in this adorable board book introduction to counting with a feline twist. Author Lesléa Newman draws on her love for (and familiarity with) cats in a concept book for the very young, while illustrator Isabella Kung captures the animals’ movements and gestures in a way that is sure to delight.

A beguiling array of felines from A to Z makes learning the alphabet the cat’s pajamas. Adorable cat with eyes of gold. Baby cat just two weeks old. From curious to elegant, grouchy to inquisitive, rowdy to tangled to . . . well, unusual (who says cats don’t swim in the tub?), these twenty-six charming felines interact with oversize alphabet letters on rhyming spreads. Author Lesléa Newman and illustrator Isabella Kung offer a cat’s-eye concept book that makes the ABCs go down easy—and is sure to inspire many a repeat viewing.

A kitten''s stroll down a keyboard leads to a celebrated one-minute composition.

Candlewick relaunches a modern classic for this generation with a beautifully illustrated edition. Heather’s favorite number is two. She has two arms, two legs, and two pets. And she also has two mommies. When Heather goes to school for the first time, someone asks her about her daddy, but Heather doesn’t have a daddy. Then something interesting happens. When Heather and her classmates all draw pictures of their families, not one drawing is the same. It doesn’t matter who makes up a family, the teacher says, because “the most important thing about a family is that all the people in it love one another.” This delightful edition for a new generation of young readers features fresh illustrations by Laura Cornell and an updated story by Lesléa Newman.

Andrea Robin Kaplan is a clique unto herself. In other words, she has no friends. Her only goal is get through high school with the least amount of humiliation possible, which should be easy— nothing ever happens in the suburbs, right? Wrong. One day, as Andi walks home from school, a little brown VW drives up and she meets Frank. Frank makes her feel beautiful and special. With Frank, Andi forgets how alone she is. From boundary breaking author Lesléa Newman comes a haunting story about a girl who is all alone, and a man old enough to know better. From the Hardcover edition.

Professor Ueno''s loyal Akita, Hachiko, waits for him at the train station every afternoon, and even after the professor has a fatal heart attack while at work, Hachiko faithfully continues to await his return until the day the dog dies. Based on a true story; includes an author''s note and glossary of Japanese words.

Eleanor''s grandmother, Bubbe, makes chicken soup with matzo balls every Passover, and this year is no exception. With Eleanor''s help, Bubbe makes some of the lumpiest, bumpiest, yummiest-looking matzo balls Eleanor has ever seen. These matzo balls are so delicious that no one in Eleanor''s family can resist sneaking a taste, each thinking one or two matzo balls will never be missed. But when it comes time to serve the soup at the Passover meal, there aren''t enough matzo balls for everyone-until Eleanor find one last matzo ball in a very unexpected place! Expressive, cheerful illustrations complement this warm story of a family''s celebration of the Passover holiday and their rediscovery of its true meaning.

A young boy deals with the loss of his beloved cat, Charlie, eventually accepting the arrival of another, very different cat.