New Releases by Rosemary Wells

From beloved author-illustrator Rosemary Wells comes a sweet and funny picture book about a baby who has such a good memory, his parents think he is a genius! Little Koko’s head is an inbox. Everything fits inside, Mom’s bath time song, Daddy’s breakfast yogurt song, and every other word they say! Soon Koko’s head is stuffed full of words, and once he starts to say them out loud, there’s no stopping him. He’s a genius in a high chair! But what happens when Koko gets his hand on a phone?

From beloved author-illustrator Rosemary Wells comes a brand-new Max & Ruby story about Max surprising Grandma and Ruby when he finds a way to read the instruction book when no one else can! When the mail carrier brings a big package from Uncle Gyorgy in Bulgaria to the house, Max turns to his Reading Is Fun book to help understand the instructions. But the book doesn’t help one bit. And Ruby is too busy. Grandma reserves a Bulgarian dictionary at the library, but the interlibrary loan will take weeks. It’s Max to the rescue in this clever and satisfying story. Max and Ruby have their own TV show on Nick Jr.!

This “tidy, efficient” (School Library Journal, starred review), and endlessly satisfying picture book from beloved creator Rosemary Wells is the perfect tool for introducing baby and toddlers to language with witty humor and mischievous fun! Little ones will delight in the imaginative illustrations that introduce each word and phrase in this pitch-perfect read aloud. The parts of speech, numbers, colors, actions, animal sounds, greetings, and descriptions of time in this book have been carefully selected as a foundation for babies and toddlers to begin understanding the words they’re showered with daily.

“An eloquent account of the American immigrant experience.” —Booklist (starred review) “Deserves to become a modern classic.” —BookPage (starred review) “A resounding welcome to immigrants.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Based in part on a 100-year-old family journal, Rosemary Wells brings to life a story that the diary’s fragile pages tell. It’s the story of a wooden rocking chair handmade in about 1825 by her great-great-grandfather, an immigrant Jewish boy who made his way to America from Germany in the early 1800s. In 1807, Sam Siegbert is born in southern Germany. Sam’s favorite pastime is carpentry, much to his father’s displeasure. His mother says he has a gift from God in his hands. After moving to America, he builds a wooden chair with the word WILLKOMMEN on the back. The chair’s back panel was later marked with welcomes by four generations of the family in four different languages. After the family lost track of the old chair, the author created a new life for it among new owners from other corners of the world. All the families who loved the chair came to America, escaping religious conformity, natural disasters, tyrannies, war, and superstition. In its lifetime, the rocking chair, with its earliest word WILLKOMMEN, stood for openness, hospitality, and acceptance to all who owned it or rocked safely in its embrace.

“Another charming installment of this clever and comforting series.” —Kirkus Reviews From beloved author-illustrator Rosemary Wells comes the next installment in the adventures of the inimitable brother and sister bunnies, Max and Ruby. When Louise and Ruby open up their new babysitting business they are delighted when Mrs. Warddropper hires them right away. But then they meet Percy, who wants to have everything his way. But Ruby doesn’t see it that way. Could it be that babysitting might not be as easy as Ruby and Louise thought it would be? Max and Ruby have their own TV show on Nick Jr.!

“Double trouble finds comic relief.” —Kirkus Reviews From beloved author-illustrator Rosemary Wells comes a brand-new story about the inimitable brother and sister Max and Ruby. Max and Ruby’s family is expanding and soon enough nobody will be getting any sleep! Max and Ruby are in for a big surprise. Mama has a baby in her tummy and soon the family will be bigger and better. Luckily Ruby knows all about babies: what they eat, how to bathe them, and where they come from. Ruby tells Max all about it. Soon no one will be getting any sleep, but Max has an idea on how to help! Max and Ruby have their own TV show on Nick Jr.!

A board book format introduces irrepressible Sophie to a younger audience. On Halloween night, Sophie and Grover trade her wooly mammoth costume for his black widow spider disguise. They are sure Grandma won''t know who they are. But when a giant squid opens the door to greet the trick-or-treaters at Grandma''s house, it''s Grandma who has the last laugh.

In this sweet and heartfelt board book, renowned author-illustrator Wells celebrates all that parents do with and for their children from the very beginning: talking and walking, feeding and reading, playing and dreaming, and more. Full color.

Learn to read with beloved bunnies Max and Ruby in this fun rhyming story! Max waves good-bye to his parents, boards the bus with Ruby, and heads to school with his book and lunch box in tow. There he sings songs, paints pictures, and even gets to dress up like a pirate! Once the day comes to an end, Max can''t wait to do it all over again!

Learn to read with beloved bunnies Max and Ruby in this rhyming story! Max can''t wait to eat his lunch—until he discovers it''s gone! With help from Ruby, can Max find the missing meal? Perfect for beginning readers and fans of the classic characters from Rosemary Wells, this book about Max''s delicious and nutritious lunch makes story time a treat!

"Sophie and her mother make very special treats for their party, but Sophie worries there won''t be one left for her"--

Max plays fireman, while Ruby and Louise jump rope. In the end, they combine games for even more fun.

Stella is unnerved by a bullying group of weasels who say mean things about her humble home until her mother offers words of comfort and her father drives the trailer to a new location where kind friends are found.

Oh no! Sophie got up on the wrong side of the crib! Nothing is right: birthday dress, birthday pancakes, or fairy wings. Then Granny and Sophie pay a visit to Zeke’s Palace of Costumes . Suddenly Sophie gets a chance to become a truly terrible two. Rosemary Wells captures a Terrible Two morning that will make both youngsters and oldsters laugh out loud.

Edward''s classmates are all excited, but Edward isn''t quite ready for school Edward Bear is starting school. He''s all dressed. He''s had his breakfast. And he has his Bunny. At school everyone else is happy and busy. The teacher is all smiles. Everyone is ready for school . . . except Edward. He is just not quite ready yet. As we know, not everyone is ready for things at the same time. It''s just fine to be Almost Ready. The Edward Almost Ready series is recommended for children ages two through six. This fixed-layout ebook, which preserves the design and layout of the original print book, features read-along narration.

Sophie means to be a good little mouse, but she just can''t resist testing the limits with her patient parents and grandmother. Eat supper? More fun to throw it on the floor. Fold the laundry? More fun to knock over the pile. Read with Grandma? More fun to steal her glasses. And then it’s time out for Sophie! Rosemary Wells has created a memorable new character, ready to take her place next to Max and Ruby, Yoko, and Noisy Nora. Sophie''s adorable antics will strike a chord with children and parents alike.

DIVDIVDIVNothing—and no one—will stand in Kathy’s way of winning the tennis championship. After all winning is everything . . . or is it?/divDIV Kathy Bardy doesn’t have the good looks and ease of her best friend, Julia. She doesn’t have the grades of her little sister, Jody. What she has is tennis. Kathy’s coach even says she’s the most promising New England junior to come along in years. With tennis come trophies, free equipment, and tournament prize money—and all these things put Kathy on equal more footing with pretty and well-heeled Julia. /divDIVThen, out of nowhere, comes Ruth Gumm, an indifferent player Kathy should beat every time. But Kathy can’t beat her. She loses her cool and her nerves every time Ruth is on the other side of the net. And Ruth is supposed to play Kathy in the first round of an important tournament, one that could lead to enormous future success for young Kathy Bardy. /divDIVSuddenly, Ruth is found drowned in a swimming pool. Is Kathy connected to Ruth’s death? Was it just an accident, or had someone else stepped into the picture?/divDIV /divDIVThis chilling mystery was named a runner-up for the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, and a School Library Journal choice for Best Book for Young Adults./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Rosemary Wells including rare images from the author’s collection./div/div/div

DIVDIVDIVIt’s going to be a brilliant summer for Dorothy—but suddenly, the sun hides behind the clouds and a secret she couldn’t have imagined appears . . ./divDIV While on a class trip to a museum, fourteen-year-old Dorothy Coughlin can’t believe her luck: She practically falls into a summer job as a nanny for a wealthy family in Pennsylvania, in the biggest house she has ever seen. It doesn’t even matter that she’s not experienced with children, or that the family is a little strange. She’ll be paid $400 for the summer—money she can use for college. /divDIV /divDIVBut her employer, Mrs. Hoade, is awkward and anxious. Is she hiding something? Sweet and harmless Mr. Hoade, on the other hand—with his movie-star looks—has a strange personality. And when Dorothy discovers the secret one of the Hoades is hiding in the guest cottage, everything changes. This summer could change the course of her life, that is, if she survives!/divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Rosemary Wells including rare images from the author’s collection./div/div/div

DIVDIVDIVWho is the man in the woods—and can Helen catch him before it’s too late?/divDIV Helen’s first day at New Bedford Regional High School is off to a hectic start. Her locker combination doesn’t work, she’s late to all her classes, and she doesn’t know a single person. But she doesn’t need friends to figure out the unofficial rules: Cheerleaders simply don’t associate with frizzy-haired new girls who look too young and draw political cartoons. And when Mr. Brzostoski confiscates one her drawings during class, Helen thinks her first day can’t get any worse, but her luck changes./divDIV /divDIVInstead, Mr. Bro invites Helen to join the school paper, where she meets Pinky Levy—who helps her get her locker open. But after school, fate throws Helen and Pinky together again when they both witness a car wreck. Someone threw a stone at the car window and caused the crash, and Helen is sure she saw a man in the woods nearby. When the police arrest one of her fellow students, she knows they have the wrong person—but Pinky is the only one who believes her. Will she be able to find the true identity of the man into the woods before it’s too late?/divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Rosemary Wells including rare images from the author’s collection./div/div/div

DIVDIVDIVAvoiding a group of bullies, Barney Pennimen and his friend Snowy discover a cave with an amazing secret/divDIV Barney Penniman is afraid of his eighth grade friends at boarding school. Since they’re the nastiest guys at school, Barney is safe from being teased, but the gang’s bullying finally pushes Barney too far, and he finds himself alone. /divDIV Then Snowy Cobb, an elf-like, ostracized younger boy, makes a sudden appearance in Barney’s life. And when Snowy finds a mysterious bone on campus, the boys try to determine its origins. Their investigation leads them to a deep, dark, sandy-bottomed cave, and what they discover beneath the sand will test their beliefs—and everything they hold dear. This adventure story was the runner-up for an Edgar Award./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Rosemary Wells including rare images from the author’s collection./div/div/div

Everybody’s favorite bunnies, Max and Ruby, are back, starring in their very own ABC concept book. Max’s ants have escaped from their farm, and now they’re searching for food. The ants start with Max’s sandwich, and soon they’re everywhere! Fortunately, Ruby comes to the rescue. Max’s ABC teaches the alphabet by featuring a different letter on each page, large and colorful so they’re easy to spot. The very youngest readers will love practicing their letters with Max and Ruby.

Trains and time travel spur one boy’s thrilling adventure as he seeks to rejoin his father in a new classic from Rosemary Wells and Bagram Ibatoulline. (Age 10 and up) One day in a house at the end of Lucifer Street, on the Mississippi River side of Cairo, Illinois, eleven-year-old Oscar Ogilvie’s life is changed forever. The Crash of 1929 has rippled across the country, and Oscar’s dad must sell their home--with all their cherished model trains--and head west in search of work. Forced to move in with his humorless aunt, Carmen and his teasing cousin, Willa Sue, Oscar is lonely and miserable--until he meets a mysterious drifter and witnesses a crime so stunning it catapults Oscar on an incredible train journey from coast to coast, from one decade to another. Filled with suspense and peppered with witty encounters with Hollywood stars and other bigwigs of history, this captivating novel by Rosemary Wells, gorgeously illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline, resonates with warmth, humor, and the true magic of a timeless adventure.

It''s Christmas Eve and Max is determined to wait up for Santa. "No, Max," says his big sister, Ruby. "Nobody ever sees Santa Claus." But Max tiptoes downstairs, where he hopes to meet a very special visitor.

Before Max and Ruby were preschoolers, they were Baby Max and Ruby. The popular bunny siblings are back in another board book as their baby selves. In Birthday, Max gets lots of wonderful birthday presents, but none quite so nice as Grandma''s! With eye-catching novelty elements, these irresistible board books will introduce the very youngest readers to the beloved bunny pair, who star in their own show on Nick Jr. and Noggin.

Before Max and Ruby were preschoolers, they were Baby Max and Ruby. The popular bunny siblings are back in another board books as their baby selves. In Clean-Up Time, Max and Ruby work together to put away their toys. With eye-catching novelty elements, these irresistible board books will introduce the very youngest readers to the beloved bunny pair, who star in their own show on Nick Jr. and Noggin.

Brothers Willie and Taddie share stories about their father, Abraham Lincoln, from 1859 to 1865.

With their trademark wit and wisdom, Rosemary Wells and Marc Brown present a groundbreaking?and side-splittingly slapstick!?story which introduces the importance of healthy habits. When a fast-food fanatic family of bunnies set out vacation, they pack their RV full of TVs, Jiffy Chips, and Winky Twinks. But when the weighed-down vehicle wheezes to a halt in the middle of nowhere, Farmer Spratt saves the day by showing the Gulps the value of a fresh, home-cooked meal and the lasting benefits of physical activity. The Gulps'' transformation is sure to inspire a generation of super-sized kids?and parents?to turn over a new leaf!

McDuff the little white dog that nobody seems to want finds just the right home--and a name.

When the Civil War breaks out, life in the South is transformed and nothing remains the same. India Moody must summon the courage she didn’t know she had to plunge into one of the war’s most tragic and terrifying events—the Battle of Antietam, known in the South as Sharpsburg—in order to get medicine to her desperately sick father. As she struggles for survival during the Union’s brutal occupation, India gets an education in love and loss, the senseless devastation of war, and the triumph of hope in the face of despair.