A young hippo prepares for his birthday party by taking a bath, stirring the batter for the cake his Daddy bakes, and putting up decorations, all the while longing for his gift from his father. His friends--a rhino, an alligator, and a bear--arrive with presents. They play a game of hide-and-seek, during which Bertie manages to sneak a bit of cake and look at the gifts and Daddy searches high and low for the present he hid too well. Bear slips from his hiding place on top of a cupboard, bringing down the decorations and Daddy's misplaced gift. Full color.

‘Wake up, Bertie. It’s your big day. You are going on your big trip’, said Mum, drawing the curtains to Bertie’s space-age bedroom. Bertie was not good at getting up in the mornings, so he quickly turned over and tried to ignore the fact that at 5 a.m. on this particular day he had to get up. ‘Angya,’ said Bertie angrily as he realised that his mother was not going to let him go back to sleep and that he would have to get up and get himself ready to go on his amazing trip. It was not that he was not very excited; it was just that in his mind, 5 a.m. did not exist as an hour that he saw very often. Bertie was going to be the first rabbit in space. He had been specially chosen from thousands of hopeful bunnies to be on a special spaceship and go to the moon. Bertie brushed his fur and ate his breakfast. He was almost too excited to eat, but his mother ensured that he ate something before he became weightless. Bertie cleaned his teeth before the taxi came at 5.45 a.m. precisely and whisked him off to the space station and launch pad where he was to meet his fellow astronauts

Alexander McCall Smith's wildly popular 44 Scotland Street series chronicles life in a corner of Edinburgh brimming with wit and humor. Newlywed painter and sometime somnambulist Angus Lordie might be sleepwalking his way into trouble with Animal Welfare when he lets his dog Cyril drink a bit too much lager at the local bar. The longsuffering Bertie, on the cusp of his seventh birthday party, has taken to dreaming about his eighteenth, a time when he will be able to avoid the indignity of unwanted girl attendees and the looming threat of a gender-neutral doll from his domineering mother Irene. Matthew and Elspeth struggle to care for their triplets, contending with Danish au pairs and dubious dukes to boot, while the narcissistic Bruce faces his greatest challenge yet in the form of an over-eager waxologist. As ever, when Alexander McCall Smith visits 44 Scotland Street, fun is sure to follow.

Let your kids hop on to another set of amazing adventures with Bertie Bunny! An aptly titled sequel, Bertie Rides Again follows adorable Bertie on some of his most exciting adventures yet. One page after another, readers get to see what Bertie is up to; he hops to the fire station, visits the farm, he goes camping, goes to the circus, attends a wedding and swims at the pool! Furthermore, Bertie gets to meet and gain new friends. He meets mice, the seagull, and most importantly, Thomas Cat! Peppered with moral lessons, each story of Bertie Rides Again fuels young readers’ imagination and reminds older readers of the beauty of being a child.

Paper Secrets is the first book of a family saga involving the Black and Coleman families having mixed feeling for each other. Vivian Black and Louise Coleman were best friends during their childhood years in the 1930's until circumstances led to a ten-year separation. When they meet again in college, Louise is extremely rich and Vivian is attending college on an academic scholarship. They both fall in love with the same handsome, wealthy upperclassmen John Williams from Richmond, VA and the former friends find themselves at odds over for his affection. Louise is used to having her way and doesn't take no for an answer. She is determined to have him and will not let a little thing like his love for Vivian get in the way. Paper Secrets, a story with many misunderstandings, trials, and even lost loved ones for both families caused by the discovery of various pieces of paper. While some family members are anxious to have the secrets revealed, others want them hidden or forgotten forever. Lawsuits and threats of public humiliation are the least of their worries with the secrets looming over their heads.

Rediscover the classic magical adventure of the Little Wooden Horse, brought to life with the original inside illustrations from the author of Milly-Molly-Mandy, Joyce Lankester Brisley. When Uncle Peder the toymaker falls on hard times, his little wooden horse must go out into the world to seek his fortune. But whether he's working in a coal mine, sailing the seven seas with a band of pirates, or walking the tightrope in a circus, the loyal little horse only has one wish: to return to his beloved master. Originally published in 1938, Ursula Moray-Williams The Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse is her most famous story and continues to be one of the most-loved classic stories of children's literature.

“An eminently stylish tale” from the creators of Ada Twist, Scientist, the #1 New York Times bestseller that’s now a Netflix series (Publishers Weekly). In a three-story house with a shop down below, lived the world’s finest hat maker, Madame Chapeau. Like the Lady herself, all her hats were refined. Brilliantly singular. One of a kind. So begins the tale of a lonely hat maker who matches customers to the perfect hat but lacks her own perfect match in life. Once a year, on her birthday, Madame Chapeau ventures out in her favorite bonnet to dinner. This time, a crow snatches her hat and flies away. Mon dieu! As she chases the crow through the streets of Paris, a baker, a policeman, a cowboy, and others offer her their own hats to wear. None of them are quite right, though, until one special little girl offers her a hat “knitted with love and [her] best birthday wish.” From the bestselling team behind Iggy Peck, Architect and Rosie Revere, Engineer comes this delightful and very stylish story about love, community, and friendship, with some fancy hats thrown in for good measure. “Beaty carries the bounces and lilts to the very last page. Roberts’ colorful, exaggerated hats (many of which are modeled on real designs) whimsically adorn the multicultural Parisian public . . . The underlying suggestion that no one is as alone as they believe is lovely enough, but the fun of reading this aloud elevates it even more.” —Kirkus Reviews