Farmyard Beat

Author Lindsey Craig teams up with Arthur creator and bestselling artist Marc Brown in a toe-tapping farmyard dance-a-thon—perfect for toddler and preschooler read-alouds. As soon as the sun goes down, the animals are up! ("Sheep can't sleep. Sheep can't sleep. Sheep can't sleep 'cause they got that beat!") Before long, there's a giant farmyard dance party, complete with funny animal sounds. But what happens when all the racket wakes up Farmer Sue? Here's a colorful bedtime story that begs to be read aloud.

Clickity! Clickity! Long green feet! Who is dancing that clickity beat? Lizard is dancing on clickity feet. Clickity! Clickity! Happy feet! Introducing a get-up-and-dance toddler book-so catchy and rhythmic, you'll almost want to sing it. Lindsey Craig's rollicking text features funny sound words (Tippity! Creepity! Stompity! Thumpity!), dancing animals, a singsong beat, and a guessing element just easy enough for preschoolers to anticipate. Marc Brown's artwork is bright, textured, and joyful, a collage of simple shapes for kids to find and name. So grab a partner and tap your feet to this read-aloud picture-book treat.

First comes the spider, banging steel drums.

Jealous when Arthur loses a tooth and receives a quarter for it, his sister tries to trick the Tooth Fairy into also visiting her.

For use in schools and libraries only. Longer Arthur adventures written at a third grade level for kids who are ready to read on their own.

Amanda and her alligator have lots of fun playing together and surprising each other, but when Amanda's grandfather buys her a panda, Alligator must learn to make new friends.

When a jazz-loving rooster sets his sights on winning a barnyard talent show, he realizes he can't do it as a solo act. He's up against the talents of Mules Davis's cool duo and Ella Finchgerald's singing group. Acoustic Rooster calls on friends like pianist Duck Ellington, singer Bee Holiday, and percussionist piggy Pepe Ernesto Cruz. Together, the foursome makes beautiful music as they rock the barnyard. And while they may not win first prize, Acoustic Rooster realizes he has the world's best jazz band and that's all that matters. Colorful artwork from artist Tim Bowers (Memoirs of a Goldfish) ensures this story doesn't miss a beat. A glossary of musical terms and instruments rounds out this perfect introduction to jazz for young readers. Kwame Alexander is a poet, publisher, and an award-winning producer of literary programs. He has written for television, the stage, and authored 13 books. He conducts writing/publishing workshops at schools and conferences throughout the country. Kwame lives in the Washington, D.C. area. Tim Bowers has illustrated more than 25 children's books, garnering such awards as the Chicago Public Library's "Best of the Best" list. His work for Sleeping Bear includes First Dog and First Dog's White House Christmas. Tim lives in Granville, Ohio.

It's another noisy morning down on the farm, and every animal is where he should be--except for Goose. Younger readers can join in the search for Goose in this colorful board book that features whimsical rhymes. Full-color illustrations.