This collection of 5 stories for children and the age defying adults has been written over a period of many years now. The first story was written some 10 years back and I had no idea that one day I will bring it out as a compendium of my short stories. The feedbacks I received when I published the first ones as stand alone stories propelled me without a conscious but irresistible rudder towards this goal. I write a story without any set boundary or time when I feel like it towards the act of writing. I simply put down on paper the incessant urge I feel to weave a story. Some of these stories started with just an off-hand comment from a colleague or friend whereas others were more of an exertion of thought towards reaching a certain goal. The goal is always to produce a story that will be liked by children as well as by adults who are still young at heart. Physical age is not counted! Most of the stories that I see for children nowadays seem to me to be preachy. They seem to treat the child as a vessel of change by turning their thoughts towards behaving better or giving out some morals to shape their course of life. Its as if we adults (some only in appearance) want the child to behave or live an utopian life when such utopia exists only in our dreams. I have tried my best to refrain from such efforts and to treat kids as kids and provide them a situation, a problem and a possible solution. The teaching part is left out and the learning is for to the child to figure out. If the story puts a smile on the face of the reader, I shall feel my purpose is achieved. I strongly feel that a child should be left alone to enjoy his or her childhood. They shall soon have to grow up and conform to societal and other pressures. The pressure to live in a certain way will come with time. These stories are meant to provide them an alternative way to enjoy their time and to plot for their next adventure. The adventure called ‘Life’. Thanks to all who knowingly or surreptitiously helped with the course of these stories. Their comments and behaviours have made these stories flow, sometimes into unknown territories from which I had to struggle hard to rescue them and sometimes myself as well. I hope you like them. Illustrations for the stories have been done by Sahayaa Jeevan. Thanks a lot for your help. P. Kasturi Rangan

Wakey-wakey Peachy Pear, my fuzzy-wuzzy Grizzly Bear, my tootsy-wootsy Fizzyjig, my hurdie-gurdie Whirligig! Who shall we see at the park today? A playful pup takes the lead on a stroll to the park, where many new friends will be found!

"With magical, concise and perceptive poems, Newbery-Honor winning author Joyce Sidman captures the life of a tree frog in an intimate and moving way. A master of the science note, her fascinating sidebars help bind the twin poems together and ground our perspective. We learn how treefrogs have sticky toe pads, how they still themselves when in danger, how they can change from green to gray to camouflage themselves - even how they eat their own skins, which is full of nutrients. The narrator's connection with this small creature brings solace, comfort, and a sense of mystery"--

A little mouse named Spinka creates mischief that twin kittens Kit and Kaboodle are blamed for by their parents.

Ten-year-old Bertie Fletcher has only ever wanted one thing - a pet - but her grumpy dad won't allow her so much as a goldfish. So, to score herself plenty of animal time, she sets us a secret pet-sitting service. The perfect solution . . . or is it? Her first ward, Kaboodle, may just give her more than she bargained for! A funny, heart-warming and slightly cat-astrophic story about a kitten whose tongue is sharper than his claws.

★“[A] sheer delight and will be a welcome addition to shelves everywhere. Highly—and proudly—recommended.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review ★ “This engaging introduction to Pride parades for the youngest readers successfully testifies to the warmth and power of queer community.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review A young child and their family are having a wonderful time together celebrating Pride Day—meeting up with Grandma, making new friends and eating ice cream. But then something terrible happens: their dog gets lost in the parade! Luckily, there are lots of people around to help reunite the pup with his family. This rhyming alphabet book tells a lively story, with rich, colorful illustrations that will have readers poring over every detail as they spot items starting with each of the letters of the alphabet. An affirming and inclusive book that offers a joyful glimpse of a Pride parade and the vibrant community that celebrates this day each year.

One night Tessa's dad comes home with a litter of kittens he found by the side of the road. The family can't keep the whole "kit and caboodle" but they adopt two of them. Tessa learns the delights of kitten company and why it is so important to "fix" our beloved pets. Tessa's mother demonstrates with large pieces of paper and rubber stamps of cats just how many kittens could be born to a single mom cat every year.

Witches are good at casting spells, flying and making potions, right? Kit is a witch, but she isn't very good at witchy things. One Halloween, a bedraggled bat named Caboodle comes tumbling through Kit's window. She tries using magic to fix his broken wing, but the results are ... unexpected. Caboodle causes havoc in the house as he waits for his wing to heal. Kit is at her wit's end. But when Caboodle goes missing, Kit realises just how special he is to her. A beautiful mix of magic and humour, and a celebration of true friendship.

“A powerfully told story of family, honor, love, and truth . . . the beautiful and haunting stories told in this book transcend policy and politics.” —Beto O’Rourke A literary gem researched over a year the author spent living in Berlin, Endpapers excavates the extraordinary histories of the author’s grandfather and father: the renowned publisher Kurt Wolff, dubbed “perhaps the twentieth century’s most discriminating publisher” by the New York Times Book Review, and his son Niko, who fought in the Wehrmacht during World War II before coming to America. Born in Bonn into a highly cultured German-Jewish family, Kurt became a publisher at twenty-three, setting up his own firm and publishing Franz Kafka, Joseph Roth, Karl Kraus, and many other authors whose books would soon be burned by the Nazis. After fleeing Germany in 1933, Kurt and his second wife, Helen, founded Pantheon Books in a small Greenwich Village apartment. Pantheon would soon take its own place in literary history with the publication of Nobel laureate Boris Pasternak’s novel Doctor Zhivago, and as the conduit that brought major European works to the States. But Kurt’s taciturn son Niko, offspring of his first marriage to Elisabeth Merck, was left behind in Germany, where despite his Jewish heritage he served the Nazis on two fronts. As Alexander Wolff visits dusty archives and meets distant relatives, he discovers secrets that never made it to the land of fresh starts, including the connection between Hitler and the family pharmaceutical firm E. Merck. With surprising revelations from never-before-published family letters, diaries, and photographs, Endpapers is a moving and intimate family story, weaving a literary tapestry of the perils, triumphs, and secrets of history and exile.

Stories + Puzzles = Reading Success! Highlights Puzzle Readers offer an innovative approach to learning to read that integrates puzzles and stories to develop motivated, confident readers. All aboard for a rollicking ride as Kit and Kaboodle have fun adventures on their train trip in this Level 2 Highlights Puzzle Reader. Kids can help the duo by finding items for their journey in six Hidden Pictures puzzles that double as story illustrations. With a bonus picture dictionary, Kit and Kaboodle Take the Train is perfect for readers who are starting to explore reading. National Parenting Seal of Approval Winner, National Parenting Product Award (NAPPA)