Traction Man Is Here

Traction Man—wearing combat boots, battle pants, and his warfare shirt—comes in a box, but very quickly finds the way into the imagination of his lucky boy owner. This superhero searches for the Lost Wreck of the Sieve as the boy makes a game of doing the dishes, and later in the bathtub, he conquers the Mysterious Toes that are stealing his pet, the brave little Scrubbing Brush. These are just a few of the action-packed adventures played out by the boy and his new toy that may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but can vanquish all manner of villains lurking around the house. Mini Grey’s story in words and pictures is an irresistible invitation to the private world of a child’s play. Praise for The Very Smart Pea and the Princess-to-Be: “A rib-tickling U.S. debut for Grey, with plenty of sight gags to complement the chatty narrative.”—Kirkus Reviews “The Very Smart Pea and the Princess-to-Be delivers an entertaining spin and a great deal of visual wit.”—The Horn Book

THAT SQUARE-JAWED CAN-DO action toy, Traction Man, is back in another hilarious adventure. The little boy, Traction Man, and his brave pet, Scrubbing Brush, are inseparable—until the boy’s father throws the “unhygenic” Scrubbing Brush in the trash and replaces it with a “real” toy, the battery-operated TurboDog. It bleeps, speaks, and squeaks—but is not very smart. So Traction Man, wearing his airtight Astro-suit and armed with a bottle of SuperStrong Germo, enters the trash bin and rescues Scrubbing Brush from the Evil Bin Things (pizza crusts, spaghetti, and potato peels with eyes and mouths that hiss “Stay with us”). The Battle of the Bin is not to be missed—nor is the ignominious demise of TurboDog! With this satisfying sequel, Mini Grey has scored another smashing victory for imaginative play.

In this new and exciting Traction Man escapade, the can-do action toy and his faithful pet Scrubbing Brush are headed to the Wide Ocean. Adventure is on the horizon for our daring duo, along with new challenges—and new friends—to meet. There's a picnic to defend (a quiche to protect!), colossal waves, giant seaweed, elusive rockpool animals . . . and the lovely Beachtime Brenda. Mini Grey, winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Picture Book Award for Traction Man Is Here!, scores another victory for imaginative play. Sure to delight existing Traction Man fans and captivate new ones.

Traction Man—wearing combat boots, battle pants, and his warfare shirt—comes in a box, but very quickly finds the way into the imagination of his lucky boy owner. This superhero searches for the Lost Wreck of the Sieve as the boy makes a game of doing the dishes, and later in the bathtub, he conquers the Mysterious Toes that are stealing his pet, the brave little Scrubbing Brush. These are just a few of the action-packed adventures played out by the boy and his new toy that may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but can vanquish all manner of villains lurking around the house. Mini Grey’s story in words and pictures is an irresistible invitation to the private world of a child’s play. Praise for The Very Smart Pea and the Princess-to-Be: “A rib-tickling U.S. debut for Grey, with plenty of sight gags to complement the chatty narrative.”—Kirkus Reviews “The Very Smart Pea and the Princess-to-Be delivers an entertaining spin and a great deal of visual wit.”—The Horn Book

Now for something completely different from Mini Grey! A mother hen tells her chicks about the egg that wanted to fly. “The egg was young. It didn’t know much. We tried to tell it, but of course it didn’t listen.” The egg loves looking up at the birds (yes, it has eyes). It climbs 303 steps (yes, it has legs) to the top of a very tall tower—and jumps. It feels an enormous egg rush. “Whee!” it cries. “I am flying!” But it is not flying, it is falling. Hold your tears, dear reader—there is a sunny ending for this modern-day Humpty Dumpty. Impossible to categorize, Egg Drop is Mini Grey at her zaniest.

A very silly (not-too-scary) story about losing a beloved toy. That summer night, the toys were left outside. . . . For the very first time, the Wonderdoll, the helpful wind-up robot, the thoughtful green dinosaur, and the rest of their plucky gang lie in the grass, gazing up at the stars. But one star seems brighter than the rest. As it grows bigger and bigger, the toys realize it may not be a star at all! Soon they're venturing into the unknown, traveling by spaceship, where they meet a lonely alien in need of help, and some friends. From ever-inventive, award-winning author-illustrator Mini Grey comes a hilarious and heartfelt new adventure: a motley group of toys left outside in the garden become true friends and brave heroes--in space!

Three friends, Dog, Cat, and Mouse, live happily—or so they think—in their beach hut by the sea until one night a mysterious Stranger, bearing gifts from the Winds of Change Trading Company, blows into their little world and turns it upside down. Soon Dog, Cat, and Mouse are fighting with each other. Is the foxy Stranger a troublemaker or does he mean well? And will Dog, Cat, and Mouse ever be happy again? Children will find this thought-provoking picture book of true friendship from award-winning Mini Grey, author of Traction Man Is Here! and Traction Man Meets Turbodog, deeply satisfying, a story they'll want to hear—and discuss—again and again.

Any child who loves cookies will enjoy this inventive tale of Ginger Bear, a cookie in the shape of a bear, who sets out to avoid being eaten. As she did with Traction Man Is Here! and The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon, Mini Grey has created a totally original book that is fun to read and fun to look at.