God has a bad reputation. Many think of God as wrathful and angry, smiting people for no apparent reason. But the story is more complicated than that. Without minimizing the sometimes harsh realities of the biblical record, David Lamb unpacks the complexity of the Old Testament and assembles an overall picture that gives coherence to our understanding of God in both Old and New Testaments.

Roses were very dangerous for Sleeping Beauty--that everybody knows. But do you know other flower beauties from her garden as well? This combination of encyclopedia and fairy tale will help you! Far, far away after crossing nine mountains and nine rivers lived a charming princess Sleeping Beauty and her great passion was gardening and taking great care of all plants that surrounded her palace. The princess was cursed when she pricked her finger on a thorn one day. She fell fast asleep, and the entire garden became shrouded in brier roses, hawthorn, and weeds. How will the charming princess save her garden? Discover the princess's story, and find out about the wonderful world of gardening with this richly illustrated book with seven gatefolds on each spread.

The little ones will have so much fun listening and reading this funny rhyme story that takes place right before sleep. Milo and Cat have a very effective sleep routine, but this night, it just doesn't work! They even know a few tricks that helped them quickly fall asleep before. When these tricks won't work - at least not for Milo - it takes a lot of creativity, Cat's magic whiskers, the Know It All book, and a drop of exaggeration to lead Milo to dreamland. ★ Who's going to fall asleep first? Milo, Cat or you? ★ Short extract from the story It was right before sleep, it was already night, But for Milo and Cat, something wasn't quite right! ... "We tried counting sheep and we counted the stars, We even tried counting the distance to Mars." ... "We'll be sleeping in no time; without any doubt. Trust my whiskers," said Cat. "We will figure it out!" ... "This should have some clues, so let's go have a look There's always advice in the KNOW IT ALL book." ...

Bedtime tips, relaxing puzzles, soothing words, and fluffy sheep to help you get your ZZZs . . . If you’re tired of sleepless nights and wish you could drop off in two shakes of a lamb’s tail, then this book is for you! Filled with adorable sheep and plenty of relaxing puzzles and quotes, this soporific little volume will have you snoozing in no time. Or if you prefer, you can literally count the sheep on each page to help ease you into the land of Nod . . .

Lucio, a normal man in a normal (nosy) city neighborhood with normal problems with his in-laws (ever-present) and job (he lost it) finds he has a new problem on his hands: his beloved wife, Diana. She’s been staying out till all hours of the night and grows more disagreeable by the day. Should Lucio have Diana committed to the Psychiatric Institute, as her friend the dog trainer suggests? Before Lucio can even make up his mind, Diana is carted away by the mysterious head of the institute. Never mind, Diana’s sister, who looks just like Diana—and yet is nothing like her—has moved in. And on the recommendation of the dog trainer, Lucio acquires an adoring German shepherd, also named Diana. Then one glorious day, Diana returns, affectionate and pleasant. She’s been cured!—but have the doctors at the institute gone too far? Asleep in the Sun is the great work of the Argentine master Adolfo Bioy Casares's later years. Like his legendary Invention of Morel, it is an intoxicating mixture of fantasy, sly humor, and menace. Whether read as a fable of modern politics, a meditation on the elusive parameters of the self, or a most unusual love story, Bioy's book is an almost scarily perfect comic turn, as well as a pure delight.

For fans of Sarah Addison Allen, Aimee Bender, and Alice Hoffman, The Night Garden is a luminous novel of love, forgiveness, and the possibilities that arise when you open your heart. Nestled in the bucolic town of Green Valley in upstate New York, the Pennywort farm appears ordinary, yet at its center lies something remarkable: a wild maze of colorful gardens that reaches beyond the imagination. Local legend says that a visitor can gain answers to life’s most difficult problems simply by walking through its lush corridors. Yet the labyrinth has never helped Olivia Pennywort, the garden’s beautiful and enigmatic caretaker. She has spent her entire life on her family’s land, harboring a secret that forces her to keep everyone at arm’s length. But when her childhood best friend, Sam Van Winkle, returns to the valley, Olivia begins to question her safe, isolated world and wonders if she at last has the courage to let someone in. As she and Sam reconnect, Olivia faces a difficult question: Is the garden maze that she has nurtured all of her life a safe haven or a prison? Praise for Lisa Van Allen’s The Wishing Thread “Reader to reader, knitter to knitter: You’re going to love this book.”—Debbie Macomber “Whimsical . . . great for fans of Sarah Addison Allen and Alice Hoffman.”—Library Journal Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more.

Jacob and Solomon were polygamists. Tamar and Rahab were prostitutes. What are polygamists and prostitutes doing on the pages of Holy Scripture? And God told the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute. What about Cain—did he really marry his sister? Abraham did, and he was also a polygamist. Lot offered his daughters up for rape, David committed adultery (or rape?) and the Bible calls both men righteous. Love, Old Testament style, was bizarre. As readers of the Old Testament encounter these weird, confusing, and horrific “love” stories they ask, “What’s up with sex in the Old Testament?” The church often ignores the R-rated bits of the Bible, so it’s hard for people to find answers to their disturbing questions about sex in Scripture, which can lead people to give up on God and God’s word. However, these stories were included in the Bible for a reason, to reveal an even more shocking “love” story. When humans behave badly, God behaves graciously. God not only forgives people with sexual baggage, but also redeems their lives and includes them in his mission. God’s word records their story to benefit us. Just as sex was not often ideal in the Old Testament, it’s often not ideal today. Instead of ignoring these stories, Prostitutes and Polygamists engages, discusses, and learns from them.

Back in print at last! ABC for Kids is delighted to announce the re-release of a range of best-selling, award-winning children's picture books. Including Children's Book Council winners and all-time favourites, no children's bookshelf is complete without these classic favourites. Twenty-four titles will be republished from 2010-11. Ages 3-5. When the sun sets and the moon rises, Sally and her cat, Strange, tiptoe out into the Night Garden. transformed from neat hedges and flower beds into twisted shapes and creatures, the garden is now alive with magic and adventure. An enchanting tale about the power of a little girl's imagination, brought to life by Elise Hurst's rich illustrations. Author extras: there are two activities based on the Night Garden here - a word jumble and a colour-in page - http://www.elisehurst.com/downloads.html Ages 3-5.

Parents Magazine's "Best Bedtime Story" of 2017! From David Weinstone, the popular children's musician and creator of the Music for Aardvarks program, comes All My Friends Are Fast Asleep, a rhythmic, cheerily illustrated bedtime story sure to smooth the way to sleep for young insomniacs everywhere. After tossing and turning in his bed, a little boy embarks on a nighttime quest to find a cozy place to rest. He visits one animal friend after another, from a lark in its nest to a mole in its hole. But while all the animals he meets are happily dozing off, this tuckered-out wanderer remains wide-awake—until he finally finds the perfect spot to lay his head.

Maybe you’re a bride-to-be who is about to gain a mother-in-law. Or perhaps you’re a mother-of-the-groom who is about to gain a daughter-in-law. Or maybe you’ve been in an in-law relationship for decades, one that’s been struggling in painful tension for years. No matter your age or stage, every daughter-in-law and mother-in-law needs help navigating their relationship sometimes. Whether the struggle is one of feeling unseen, unheard, or unvalued, authors and in-laws Barbara and Stacy Reaoch have been there, and as they’ve put the Bible’s wisdom to practice over the years, they’ve found that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law really can thrive in the midst of difficulty. In this biblical, practical, and heartfelt book, Barbara and Stacy Reaoch share from their own 20 years of forming a mother-in-law/daughter-in-law bond. As you walk alongside them in their own journey and lessons learned, prepare to be encouraged and equipped in these areas: Expectations Conflict Suffering Communication Parenting And more With the Bible as your foundation and this book as a helpful companion in the journey, take heart: a healthier relationship with your mother-in-law or daughter-in-law is closer than you think!