Red Ranger Came Calling

While spending Christmas in 1939 with a well-meaning aunt, a young boy who does not believe in Santa Claus has an unusual experience that changes his thinking.

Pete is a perfectly predictable, practical, uncomplicated pig. At least, he was . . . before a runaway circus elephant named Pickles stampeded into his life, needing a friend. Pickles is larger than life and overflowing with imagination. She takes Pete swandiving off Niagara Falls. (Sort of.) And sledding down the Matterhorn. (Sort of.) Pete goes along for the wild ride and actually begins to enjoy himself . . . until Pickles goes too far. And Pete tells her she must leave. Yet sometimes the simple life isn?t all it?s cracked up to be. Pulitzer Prize?winning cartoonist Berkeley Breathed offers two new irresistible characters and a heartfelt, hilarious look at the rarity of true friendship.

Milo doesn't get it: What's the big deal about moms? They're just slave-driving broccoli bullies. Yet they are worshipped the world over! Perhaps even the galaxy over-because here come Martians and they're after one thing only: moms. Milo's mom in particular! That's quite a long way to come for a mom-could it be that Milo has been overlooking something special?

From one of the funniest minds -- and pens -- of our time, at last, the definitive collection of the very best of Opus, everyones favorite maladjusted penguin.One of Americas most beloved comic geniuses is back, with this collectible 25th anniversary compendium of the best of Opus, joined by his hilarious supporting cast, including Binkley, Milo, Bill the Cat, Steve Dallas, Ronald Ann, and the rest of the residents of Bloom County and Outland. From Antarctica to Omaha, Opus has cavorted with space creatures, impersonated rock stars, fended off accusations of penguin lust, and even campaigned for office. Now, in addition to the classic strips, Berkeley Breathed also brings us never-before-collected Bloom County cartoons and original all-new material from his Opus comics. Brace yourself for the sidesplitting, table-pounding, milk-through-the-nose-spewing laughter that only Opus and his outlandish friends can generate. The perfect collection for both die-hard fans and those discovering the matchless humor of Berkeley Breathed for the first time.

For use in schools and libraries only. When his grandmother reads his favorite book for the 210th time, Opus the penguin departs from the text and gets carried away on a fantastical nighttime journey.

Pulitzer Prize-winning Berkeley Breathed's first illustrated novel about a group of unlikely underdogs "Breathed, through words and lush illustrations, tells a story that will charm many readers."--The New York Times Sam the Lion is actually a priceless dachshund, bred to be a show dog. More important, he is Heidy's best friend, and she needs one like never before. Living with her reclusive uncle is hard, but Sam has a way of making her feel soft and whole. Until the day Sam is framed by the jealous poodle Cassius, and is cast out by Heidy's uncle, alone on the wild streets, where he is roughed up by a world he was not bred for. Sporting a soup ladle for a leg, Sam befriends other abandoned dogs and journeys all the way to the Westminster Dog Show, where his plan for revenge on Cassius takes an unexpected turn when he and Heidy spot each other after years of being apart.

Opus the penguin makes a Christmas wish that he might fly.

“Swanson has done a crucial public service by exposing the barbarous side of the Rangers.” —The New York Times Book Review A twenty-first century reckoning with the legendary Texas Rangers that does justice to their heroic moments while also documenting atrocities, brutality, oppression, and corruption The Texas Rangers came to life in 1823, when Texas was still part of Mexico. Nearly 200 years later, the Rangers are still going--one of the most famous of all law enforcement agencies. In Cult of Glory, Doug J. Swanson has written a sweeping account of the Rangers that chronicles their epic, daring escapades while showing how the white and propertied power structures of Texas used them as enforcers, protectors and officially sanctioned killers. Cult of Glory begins with the Rangers' emergence as conquerors of the wild and violent Texas frontier. They fought the fierce Comanches, chased outlaws, and served in the U.S. Army during the Mexican War. As Texas developed, the Rangers were called upon to catch rustlers, tame oil boomtowns, and patrol the perilous Texas-Mexico border. In the 1930s they began their transformation into a professionally trained police force. Countless movies, television shows, and pulp novels have celebrated the Rangers as Wild West supermen. In many cases, they deserve their plaudits. But often the truth has been obliterated. Swanson demonstrates how the Rangers and their supporters have operated a propaganda machine that turned agency disasters and misdeeds into fables of triumph, transformed murderous rampages--including the killing of scores of Mexican civilians--into valorous feats, and elevated scoundrels to sainthood. Cult of Glory sets the record straight. Beginning with the Texas Indian wars, Cult of Glory embraces the great, majestic arc of Lone Star history. It tells of border battles, range disputes, gunslingers, massacres, slavery, political intrigue, race riots, labor strife, and the dangerous lure of celebrity. And it reveals how legends of the American West--the real and the false--are truly made.