New Releases by Phyllis Root

An ear-tickling, eye-teasing romp for little listeners, led by an award-winning author and illustrator. Do you really, really want to see a moose — a long-leggy moose — a branchy-antler, dinner-diving, bulgy-nose moose? Spurred by Phyllis Root''s sing-songy text and Randy Cecil''s buoyant illustrations, this hunt for an elusive moose through woods, swamps, bushes, and hills is just as fun as the final surprise discovery of moose en masse. Children will laugh at the running visual joke — what is that little dog looking at? — and ask for repeated reads of this satisfying tale.

“The cozy, humorous story is guaranteed to invite giggling kids into their parents’ beds.” —Kirkus Reviews On a stormy night in a little house, only Papa keeps snoring away—snurkle, snark—unaware of the wild weather outside and the growing number of nervous bedmates within. Can nothing wake him? Creak! says the bed. . . . With a cumulative series of comical events, this delightful story sends readers barreling toward bedlam.

The story of a forest “lost” by a surveying error—and all the flora and fauna to be found there A forest, of course, doesn’t need a map to know where to grow. But people need a map to find it. And in 1882 when surveyors set out to map a part of Minnesota, they got confused, or tired and cold (it was November), and somehow mapped a great swath of ancient trees as a lake. For more than seventy-five years, the mistake stayed on the map, and the forest remained safe from logging—no lumber baron expects to find timber in a lake, after all. The Lost Forest tells the story of this lucky error and of the 144 acres of old-growth red and white pine it preserved. With gentle humor, Phyllis Root introduces readers to the men at their daunting task, trekking across Minnesota, measuring and marking the vast land into townships and sections and quarters. She takes us deep into a stand of virgin pine, one of the last and largest in the state, where U.S. history and natural history meet. With the help of Betsy Bowen’s finely observed and beautiful illustrations, she shows us all the life that can be found in the Lost Forest. Accompanying the story is a wealth of information about the Cadastral Survey and about the plants and animals that inhabit forests—making the book a valuable guide for readers who might want to look even deeper into the history of Minnesota, the flora and fauna of old-growth forests, and the apportioning of land in America.

A sighting of the rare frangipani fruit fly sends Lilly''s scientist parents off in search of the fabled Shipwreck Islands. In this Smithsonian''s Notable Book for Children, Lilly awaits their return at the home of her great-uncle Ernest, the chief librarian of Mundelaine, a town that seems to have more than its share of piratical-looking characters lurking about. When news comes that her parents'' ship has wrecked, she must overcome her fear of the sea, find the hidden island, and outsmart a bunch of treasure-hungry pirates to save the day.

Author Phyllis Root and illustrator Betsy Bowen last explored the vast, boggy peatlands of northern Minnesota in their book Big Belching Bog. Now, in Plant a Pocket of Prairie, Root and Bowen take young readers on a trip to another of Minnesota’s important ecosystems: the prairie. Once covering almost 40 percent of the United States, native prairie is today one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Plant a Pocket of Prairie teaches children how changes in one part of the system affect every other part: when prairie plants are destroyed, the animals who eat those plants and live on or around them are harmed as well. Root shows what happens when we work to restore the prairies, encouraging readers to “plant a pocket of prairie” in their own backyards. By growing native prairie plants, children can help re-create food and habitat for the many birds, butterflies, and other animals that depend on them. “Plant cup plants,” Root suggests. “A thirsty chickadee might come to drink from a tiny leaf pool. Plant goldenrod. A Great Plains toad might flick its tongue at goldenrod soldier beetles.” An easy explanation of the history of the prairie, its endangered status, and how to go about growing prairie plants follows, as well as brief descriptions of all the plants and animals mentioned in the story. With Betsy Bowen’s beautiful, airy illustrations capturing the feel of an open prairie and all its inhabitants, readers of all ages will be inspired to start planting seeds and watching for the many fascinating animals their plants attract. What a marvelous transformation could take place if we all planted a pocket of prairie!

Baby animals and their mothers see other types of babies.

Follows five little ducklings as they flip their wings, wobble their tails, follow their mother in a dash, find a puddle, and splash! On board pages.

The nonstop antics of five baby bunnies have them bumping, tumbling, zigging, zagging, wiggling, twitching, thumping, and lunching. On board pages.

Big Books meet our Brand New Readers with short, funny stories by top authors and illustrators. What better way to share the joy of beginning to read?Join the spirited Mouse in four amusing adventures:Cat and Mouse It''s Super Mouse Picnic Pizza

Jill¿s little house is so cozy & perfect, all her nursery rhyme neighbors want a room of their own. But as Jill¿s little house grows & grows, there¿s less & less room for Jill & her cat! Lift the flaps, open the spectacular foldout, & peek into the pop-up house to see what happens when your favorite storybook characters get together under the same roof. The book contains over 70 doors & windows, plus amazing pop-up surprises!

Although Aunt Nancy is known for her hospitality, she is determined to make sure Cousin Lazybones, Old Man Trouble, Mister Death, and Old Woeful don''t overstay their welcome by using her sharp wits and a dose of old-fashioned trickery to get them moving right along!

Synopsis coming soon.......

Someone said boo! But who? Lift the flaps of this silly mystery to find out who''s the spookiest character of all!

The spirited tale of a river rat who achieves his dreams of going to sea! Sam the river rat dreams of going to sea; it is his heart''s desire. Day and night, whatever he''s doing, his thoughts turn seawards. So, when he sees a chance to build his own boat, he is determined to take it, no matter what anyone else may say...An emotionally satisfying and uplifting story about following your heart.

Jill''s little house is so cosy and perfect all her nursery-rhyme neighbours would like a room of their own. But as Jill''s household grows and grows, there''s less and less room for Jill and her cat... Peer through the windows, open the fantastic fold-out and peep into the pop-up house to see what storybook characters really get up to when they get home! 3 yrs+

Kelly Povo, photographer and artist, creator of Kelly Cards and other inspiring products for women has once again teamed up with Phyllis Root, an award-winning writer with a pointed and gentle sense of humor, to create Hot Flash Gal! The women of a certain age in Kelly''s hand-colored set-up shots are riding Harleys, shoveling snow in their swimsuits, and having a blast together as they negotiate the pitfalls, pratfalls, and benefits of menopause. It''s increasingly apparent to millions of women that "that time of life" is their time of life to shine. Any woman who''s a bit slow on the uptake? i.e. she hasn''t figured out the benefits of menopause-is sure to be won over by this lighthearted look. Do you need more than a little help from your friends? Is your girlish figure harder to find? Have your heating bills plummeted? Congratulations! You''re a genuine HOT FLASH GAL!? Hot Flash Gal may not leap buildings with a single bound, but she does appreciate the everyday stuff--family, friends, and doing what you want.

If you really want to see a woodland caribou, you might try going to a place forgotten by time. It should be a hushed place, with perhaps rocky green hills and blue water, home to loons and beaver, lichen and yellow buttercups. With every step, this gentle journey brings us to a deeper and more unique connection with nature. Phyllis Root’s mesmerizing text, together with Jim Meyer’s outstanding woodblock prints, makes the very heart of the forest come alive and reveals that if you are patient and quiet, sometimes what you are seeking will, in the end, find you.

One by one ten sheep reluctantly fall asleep in the barnyard.

Annalisa, the most curious and stubborn of Mama May''s children, disobeys her mother and upsets the family cow by refusing to kiss her in return for the milk she gives.

Big Mamma, with a baby on her hip and laundry piling up, makes the world and everything in it and, at the end of the sixth day, tells the people she has made that they must take care of her creation.

Is it a bird? is it a plane? No, it''s Super Mouse!

When Mouse burns his dinner, he knows just what to do!

Mouse goes on a picnic.

Mouse is fast, but Cat is faster!

When Big Mama made the world she didn''t mess about. Earth, sky and sea, sun and moon, plants and trees, fish, birds and animals all fell right in line with Big Mama''s plans. It wasn''t easy, either, with that little baby to take care of, but nothing stops Big Mama.

This is a Gaelic translation of The Rattletrap Car, an amusing and readable story for children about a family''s attempts to make it to the seaside in their old banger.

Die Zauberkuh gibt jeden Morgen Milch für die ganze Familie. Aber man muss sich mit einem Kuss dafür bedanken.

Il fait si chaud aujourd''hui que les enfants n''ont qu''une envie, aller se baigner dans le lac. Mais il faut prendre la voiture pour s''y rendre, et Papa ne sait si sa vieille guimbarde supportera le voyage...

Four brief stories, using simple words, tell about Tabby Cat''s adventures.