New Releases by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

A joyful picture book about a young alpaca’s first day back at school, from powerhouse team Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and Leeza Hernandez The first day back to school is always a little scary, but Alpaca is ready to face the new year! With shoes tied and snack-a all packed-a, Alpaca’s first day back-a is filled with classroom fun. Working together. / Learning each rule. You’re getting the KNACK-a / of being at school. You’ll dream of tomorrow / when you hit the SACK-a Your school will be waiting . . . / get ready, Alpaca! From singing new songs to making new friends (and a paint spill here and there—no worries, Alpaca! Ms. Yak-a has more!), Alpaca will help young readers feel prepared for their first day, easing their anxieties and getting them excited for school. Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen’s inventive rhyme, paired with Leeza Hernandez’s bright, graphic art, is perfect for read-aloud fun, as well as school and family libraries.

The adventurous Princess Bea of the Blueberry Kingdom usually loves being in the middle of the action. Hang gliding? No problem. Zip-lining? Easy-peasy. But when Bea has to lead the annual Harvest Hullabaloo on horseback, she''s embarrassed to admit that she''s actually pretty scared of horses.

Chapter book readers'' favorite kitten mermaids are shell-ebrating the Olympics with a school field day. The Purrmaids series is known for having readers paw-sitively hooked from page one! It''s time for the summer Olympics and Kittentail Cove is ready to celebrate! A hometown Olympic hero will be hosting a field day at Sea School and best friends Coral, Shelly, and Angel are excited to try all kinds of fun sports. But when Coral makes the swim-nastics team and Shelly and Angel don''t, she''ll have to overcome her fears and learn to work with her new team if they want to win.

"It''s time for the summer Olympics and Kittentail Cove is ready to celebrate! A hometown Olympic hero will be hosting a field day at Sea School and best friends Coral, Shelly, and Angel are excited to try all kinds of fun sports. But when Coral makes the swim-nastics team and Shelly and Angel don''t, she''ll have to overcome her fears and learn to work with her new team if they want to win"--Amazon.com.

The purrmaids are taking a trip to Flamingo Island! The adorable mermaid-kittens in this chapter book series will have readers paw-sitively hooked from page one! Shelly’s parents visit Flamingo Island to collect shrimp for their restaurant—and this time, Shelly gets to go! Even better, her best friends, Angel and Coral, are coming, too! Shelly can’t wait to see the flamingos and find a keepsake to bring back home. But when she accidentally takes something she shouldn’t, the purrmaids have to figure out how to make things right! Don’t miss any of the purrmaids’ adventures, including The Scaredy Cat, Search for the Mermicorn, Party Animals, and more!

From the author of the Purrmaids series comes the picture book Roxie Loves Adventure, a rollicking read all about a spoiled pug and her unexpected run-in with the great outdoors. Roxie the pug lives a life of luxury. She loves fizzy drinks and fluffy pillows. She keeps her treats and chew toys close and never has to lift a paw. One night, Roxie’s humans are fast asleep when she has to GO! She scurries out of her doggy door to do her business, only to find . . . the door has locked behind her. Will Roxie be stuck outside forever? Without toys, treats, and tummy rubs?! Soon enough, Roxie finds her grit and her way back inside. A changed pup, she dreams sweet dreams of the adventures tomorrow might hold. A perfect read-aloud tale, this fresh and funny picture book from writer Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and illustrator Leeza Hernandez encourages readers to venture out of their comfort zone to nurture the adventurer inside us all.

Chapter book readers'' favorite kitten mermaids can''t wait to celebrate a birthday with their unicorn mermaid friends and a very special guest...a manatee! It''s Angel''s birthday and she can''t wait to celebrate with her purrmaid and mermicorn best friends! But the girls don''t seem very excited to celebrate with her. They keep sneaking off to be alone. Angry and hurt, Angel swims out in the ocean by herself and finds Minnie -- a manatee who needs help! Can the girls all work together to save Minnie? Or are Angel''s friends too busy with their secret plans? The adorable mermaid-kittens in this chapter book series will have readers paw-sitively hooked from page one!

Let the magical adventures begin with three popular chapter books--Unicorn Academy, Mermicorns, and Puppy Pirates--all in one collection! What if your best friend was a unicorn? Do you long to set sail on a pirate ship where puppies are the crew? Do you believe in mermaids . . . and unicorns? Then the magic really does start here! This special collection contains the first book in three fantastic series, including New York Times bestselling Unicorn Academy, that are proven to hook kids on reading. Find out which one is your favorite! In Unicorn Academy #1: Sophia and Rainbow, a girl and her unicorn friend must save the unicorns'' magic. In Mermicorns #1: Sparkle Magic, Serena--part unicorn and part mermaid--starts Magic School! In Puppy Pirates #1, adventurous pup Wally finds out whether he has what it takes to sail the seas with the puppy pirates!

In Kittentail Cove, Paw-loween is a super fun holiday! Shelly, Coral, and Angel can''t wait to decorate jelly-o-lanterns, dress up in costumes, and go to the Paw-loween festival! But Coral is a little nervous about the Haunted House. Can this scaredy cat learn to be brave so she can see her purr-fect pumpkin on display in the house? Maybe with a little help from her friends!

Shelly is hosting new student Leeza, a grrmaid, at her house, but becomes jealous when Leeza seems more interested in being friends with Coral and Angel.

"When it seems like her friends don''t want to celebrate her birthday, Angel leaves the party and finds Minnie, a manatee who needs help!"--

Part unicorn, part mermaid, and totally magical! Don''t miss this exciting new chapter book series from the author of the popular Purrmaids series! Mermicorns Sirena and Lily are learning amazing magic at school. When they take a field trip to the library, they learn how to make things disappear! Sirena is excited to try some new spells. But turning invisible isn’t just fun . . . it’s dangerous! Especially when you don’t read all the rules first. Are the two friends ready for such powerful magic? The Mermicorns chapter book series is perfect for readers who love magic and adventure in series like Unicorn Academy, Purrmaids, and more.

Part unicorn, part mermaid, and totally magical! Don''t miss this exciting new chapter book series from the author of the popular Purrmaids series! When a mermicorn''s horn starts to sparkle, that means she''s ready for Magic School! Sirena can''t wait to learn how to do ALL kinds of magic around the ocean! But magic isn''t as easy to learn as she''d hoped. And to make matters worse, her school partner, Lily is way better at magic than she is! It''s not fair! Turns out, it''s hard to do magic when you''re jealous or angry. Can Sirena learn to be a good friend and master her first magic lesson? The Mermicorns chapter book series is perfect for readers who love magic and adventure in series like Magic Pony, Unicorn Academy, Purrmaids, and more.

All in step with wing in wing . . . Chicks can conquer anything! Nerdy Chick has been waiting all day for the Rocket Club meeting. But when she gets there, she finds a disturbing sign tacked to the door: “NO CHICKS ALLOWED!!!” Puzzled, then baffled, then just plain mad, Nerdy Chick sets out to change the rules. Along the way, she meets other chicks who are just like her: passionate and determined. From Soccer Chick to Science Chick and Wordy Chick to Yoga Chick, these chicks aren’t willing to take “NO” for an answer. They rally together, march to the barn at the center of town, and—when they hear “NO” once again—chart their own path forward (or, rather, up, up, and away!). A celebration of girl power and community action, Chicks Rule! is the playful, diverse, victorious anthem chicks everywhere will love.

Coral, Shelly, and Angel are SO excited to go on an overnight field trip! They''re going to camp near an island where they can have a campfire and even sleep under the stars! But the problem with a group of three best friends, is sometimes someone get

The purrmaids are going on their very first school sleepover, but Angel feels left out when she is paired with Cascade, a member of the Catfish Club.

"Mermicorns Serena and Lily try to use simple invisibility magic while doing a school project about magical mistakes, and learn a powerful lesson about using magic responsibly"--OCLC.

After a field trip to learn about new foods, purrmaid friends Shelly, Angel, and Coral decide to cook a surprise meal for teacher Ms. Harbor and her friend, but unexpected challenges arise.

The adorable mermaid-kittens in this chapter book series are ready to sing on stage--fans of the Magic Kitten and the Fairy Animals series will be paw-sitively hooked from page one! It''s a special day in Kittentail Cove! Purrmaids have a chance to sing in front of the whole town. Shelly can''t wait to try out. Especially once she hears this year''s surprise guest. The winning purrmaids get to sing with famous pop star Kelpy Sharkson! There''s just one problem. Shelly thinks practice makes purr-fect, but her friends get tired of singing all day. Can the purrmaids find a way to work hard and have fun?

When Purrmaid friends Shelly, Angel, and Coral team up with the Catfish Club to audition for the annual Founder''s Day Showcase, they learn that singing well requires more than just practice.

Purrmaids Coral, Shelly, and Angel help clean up the ocean as a school project and rescue the brother of their mermicorn friend, Sirena, who is trapped by plastic soda rings.

Part kitten, part mermaid, the Purrmaids series is purrfect for chapter book readers and for fans of the Magic Kitten and Fairy Animals of Misty Wood series! And the purrfect class pet for the Purrmaids? A sea horse! But what happens when he goes missing? Ms. Harbor''s classroom has a new pet. A sea horse! The students are excited to take care of the little guy during the week. And on weekends, someone gets to bring the sea horse home for a visit! Shelly is the first purrmaid to bring him home . . . and he gets lost! Shelly asks her friends to help her find him before they have to be back at school. Can the purrmaids find the little seahorse in time? The adorable mermaid-kittens in this chapter book series will have readers paw-sitively hooked from page one!

Read & Bloom offers high interest, character driven stories for newly independent readers that feature full-color illustrations throughout and will transition kids from leveled readers to a lifetime of reading. Caveboy is just like any other boy. One of his absolute favorite things to do is playing baseskull, so one day, Caveboy decides to join a baseskull team! But when his best friend Mags wants to try out as well, he learns that she isn''t very good. Caveboy is faced with a tricky problem--should he stay with his friend and be stuck on a losing team, or leave her to be on the better team?

Get totally smitten with mermaid kittens in the first book in this new chapter book series! It’s purrfect for fans of Magic Kitten and the Fairy Animals of Misty Wood series. Coral, Shelly, and Angel are best friends. They love exploring their home in Kittentail Cove. On the first day of sea school, their teacher asks everyone to bring in something special to share with the class. Shelly and Angel can’t wait to visit Tortoiseshell Reef to find an extra-special treasure. But the reef is all the way on the edge of the cove and Coral is scared to swim that far away from home. Can this scaredy-cat learn to be brave? These adorable purrmaids will have young readers paws-itively hooked from page one!

Continuing the Read & Bloom line for newly independent readers comes a hilarious, boy-friendly series . . . Meet Caveboy! Ooga booga! Caveboy is just like any other boy . . . he loves playing base-skull, running really fast, and especially whacking things with his club. But when his club breaks, he will need to find a new one . . . which just might lead him to a new friend. In this first book, Caveboy will find the perfect club, meet his best friend, and learn to be brave!

Two simple words—rutabaga and boo—tell a clever, playful, and heartfelt story celebrating the special bond between a mother and her son. Mom isn’t always nearby…but she’s never too far away. Through their “Marco Polo”–inspired back-and-forth of “Rutabaga?” and “Boo!,” a mother and son spend a day full of fun. Whether they’re bouncing out of bed, playing in the park, or keeping in touch while Mom is on a trip, one constant is the comforting reassurance that even when they’re physically apart, they’re always connected by the love they share.

"The purrmaids'' homework assignment is to find something special to bring to class. Will they be brave enough to swim far away from Kittentail Cove and explore Tortoiseshell Reef to find the perfect thing? Or will they be scaredy cats?"--

Crack open this tale of family and fright, as cute as it is creepy. All the animals in the zoo have friends and family to play with and love. All of them, that is, except Quackenstein. Lonely and bitter in his ramshackle corner, he decides to adopt an egg. He cares for it diligently, waiting until the moment when it will hatch a baby duck of his own. On a dark and stormy night, the egg hatches, Quackenstein cackles, and lightning strikes, but wait—what’s this? That baby’s not a duck! What will he do? Where can he hide? And will Quackenstein ever find someone (or something) to cuddle? Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen’s clever rhyming text is perfectly paired with cute and spooky art from Brian T. Jones. "Jones gleefully uses every cliché in the book, from lurid lettering and backgrounds to effective use of silhouettes and shadows. Bardhan-Quallen, too, takes advantage of horror-movie tropes, but she also mixes in some instruction in the form of cumulative nouns for animals. The surprise twist at the end happily resolves Quack’s fatherless state." -Kirkus Reviews

Merida loves archery, but she''s never had a friend who can shoot as well as she can--until now. She''s thrilled to welcome her visitor, Cat, to Castle DunBroch. The only problem is that her new friend is also great at sewing, singing, and everything Merida is not. But when a dark force tries to harness the magic of the highlands, Merida must set aside her envy to help Cat--and follow her fate.

When Merida makes a hasty wish and causes the arrogant Young Macintosh to lose his memories, they must embark on an adventure to drink from the Fire Falls and break the spell.