New Releases by Richard Torrey

You can call her Ally-SAURUS! When Ally roars off to her first day at school, she hopes she''ll meet lots of other dinosaur-mad kids in class. Instead, she''s the only one chomping her food with fierce dino teeth and drawing dinosaurs on her nameplate. Even worse, a group of would-be "princesses" snubs her! Will Ally ever make new friends? With its humorous art, appealing heroine, and surprise ending, this fun board book celebrates children''s boundless imagination.

Like all dogs, Bob likes breakfast, riding in the family car, and digging for bones. But unlike other dogs, Bob cooks breakfast for himself and his family, drives the family car and digs for dinosaur bones with a paleontologist. When the girl next door challenges Bob’s owner to a contest to see whose dog is best, Bob doesn’t sit, fetch or speak on command. Bob loses. "I’m sorry," Bob says as the girl and her dog march off in triumph. But to make up for his deficiencies, Bob makes pizza for the family. Readers will enjoy the wry humor that is underscored by an ironic text and understated illustrations.

Amandine est une petite fille espiègle qui adore les dinosaures. D''ailleurs, son vrai nom est Amandine-Osaure ! Elle se déplace d''un pas lourd, dévore sa nourriture à belles dents et adore rugir ! Mais la première journée de classe d''Amandine-Osaure n''est pas facile. Ses camarades ont tous une personnalité affirmée... surtout les princesses Je-sais-tout. Amandine parviendra-t-elle à se faire de nouveaux amis ? Une histoire qui célèbre avec beaucoup d''humour et de malice l''imagination débordante des enfants. Cette héroïne exubérante, pleine d''enthousiasme et de fraîcheur, nous rappelle que chacun a sa propre personnalité, et que l''on peut se faire des amis tout en restant soi-même.

“A delightful look at the importance of compromise among friends.”—Kirkus Ideal for all families who have ever heard (or said!) the words “Why can’t you both JUST GET ALONG?!”, here is the story of two young children with VERY different ideas of what they want to play. What starts with an innocent question (“What do you want to play?”) soon veers hilariously toward chaos, as two children engage in the age-old struggle of princesses, ponies, and ballet vs. dinosaurs, dragons, and race cars. Which child will win? Or will both find a way to play nicely together? In a humorous mock–epic battle staged with crayon illustrations of each child’s increasingly steadfast and elaborate ideas of what they want to play, Richard Torrey taps into the charged and volatile emotions of childhood, which every parent and child will recognize with a smile. It’s a lighthearted and funny way to reflect on the ideas of sharing, cooperation, patience, and generosity. “A clever story of dueling imaginations.”—School Library Journal “A playful and accessible introduction to cooperation.”—Booklist “Friendship, it seems, like make-believe, takes an act of imagination.”—The New York Times

Moe is little, but he wants to be the best. He tries to prove his worth to his older siblings by showing off all the things he can do. Each feat turns out to be harder than expected, however, and Moe''s brother and sister call attention to his many mistakes. He feels discouraged until his siblings point out that he is actually the best at one important thing: Moe is best at trying! With a satisfying ending and adorable monkey characters, Richard Torrey''s story will inspire young readers to keep on trying. An I Like to Read(R) book. Guided Reading Level F.

Passing, shooting, dribbling and making friends - it''s all part of playing on your very first real basketball team!

Jack''s mom may tell him that "because" is not an answer, but he disagrees. In fact, this almost-six-year-old thinks "because" is the perfect answer . . . to any question! Why did he cover himself in Band-Aids? Why is the dog wearing a cape? Why did he eat all the chocolate cake? Richard Torrey''s endearing companion to Almost and Why? celebrates every child''s favorite answer to life''s trickiest questions.

Like any almost-six-year-old, Jack is full of questions. Why does all the good-for-you food taste bad? Why can''t he have a tail? Why doesn''t hair hurt when you cut it? From bedtimes to ball games, Jack has a question for everything. Why? Why? Why? Richard Torrey''s funny, sweet companion to almost is a celebration of every child''s favorite question.

An entertaining early reader about soccer, friendship, and sportsmanship. When Beans hurts his leg in soccer practice right before the championship game, his best friend Chester thinks it’s all his fault! Beans may not be able to play in the game, but he can still play an important role on the team when he cheers up—and cheers on—Chester. A great story for young sports lovers and those interested in character education. Step 3 Readers feature engaging characters in easy-to-follow plots about popular topics—for children who are ready to read on their own.