New Releases by Daniel Kirk

When Father Mouse is awakened on Christmas Eve by a clatter outside his window, he catches a glimpse of the one and only Santa Claus. Father Mouse can hardly believe his eyes as he watches St. Nick come down the chimney with a pack full of toys.

In this sweet story about facing fears, Little Pup has to call up all his courage—and the help of a friend—to go down the playground slide. Little Pup isn’t as little as he used to be, and he’d love to try out the playground’s big slide. Day after day he eyes it, but he just can’t seem to work up the courage. Fortunately he meets someone in the same boat--Little Duck--and the two provide each other with just the bravery boost needed to climb that ladder and enjoy the slide! Kids will relate to Little Pup’s struggle to gain enough confidence to move out of his comfort zone and try something new.

Gain Insights on Mark''s Christology from Today''s Leading Scholars The Gospel of Mark, widely assumed to be the earliest narrative of Jesus''s life and the least explicit in terms of Christology, has long served as a worktable for the discovery of Christian origins and developing theologies. The past ten years of scholarship have seen an unprecedented shift toward an early, high Christology, the notion that very early in the history of the Jesus movement his followers worshipped him as God. Other studies have challenged this view, arguing that Mark''s story is incomplete, intentionally ambiguous, or presents Jesus in entirely human terms. Christology in Mark''s Gospel: Four Views brings together key voices in conversation in order to offer a clear entry point into early Christians'' understanding of Jesus''s identity: Sandra Huebenthal (Suspended Christology), Larry W. Hurtado (Mark''s Presentation of Jesus; with rejoinder by Chris Keith), J. R. Daniel Kirk (Narrative Christology of a Suffering King), and Adam Winn (Jesus as the YHWH of Israel in the Gospel of Mark). Each author offers a robust presentation of their position, followed by lively interaction with the other contributors and one "last-word" rejoinder. The significance of this discussion is contextualized by the general editor Anthony Le Donne''s introduction and summarized in the conclusion. The CriticalPoints Series offers rigorous and nuanced engagement between today''s best scholars for advancing the scholarship of tomorrow. Like its older sibling, the CounterPoints Series, it provides a forum for comparison and critique of different positions, focusing on critical issues in today''s Christian scholarship: in biblical studies, in theology, and in philosophy.

Daniel Kirk introduced kids to writing in his bestselling Library Mouse series—now he tackles STEAM! Science Technology Engineering Art Math When an apple falls on his head, Newton the squirrel begins to wonder how the world works. Listening in on a lesson about the force of gravity, he decides to try his own experiments with the help of his sister, Curie. Learning to make simple machines, they discover that science is for everyone—even squirrels. And when a birds’ nest falls out of a nearby tree, only Newton and Curie, using their inventions and quick scientific thinking, can save the day! This always inquisitive and resourceful pair solves real-life problems and has fun along the way. This latest from bestselling author Daniel Kirk is a light introduction to the principles of STEAM, which is taught in schools.

Read Along or Enhanced eBook: A small creature offers his big voice for aspiring authors everywhere Every child can be a writer—and Library Mouse shows them how! Beloved children’s books author and illustrator Daniel Kirk wonderfully brings to life the story of Sam, a library mouse. Sam’s home was in a little hole in the wall in the children’s reference books section, and he thought that life was very good indeed. For Sam loved to read. He read picture books and chapter books, biographies and poetry, and ghost stories and mysteries. Sam read so much that finally one day he decided to write books himself! Sam shared his books with other library visitors by placing them on a bookshelf at night. Until there came the time that people wanted to meet this talented author. Whatever was Sam to do? The joy of reading, writing, and sharing is brought to life in this warmhearted tale.

Read Along or Enhanced eBook: Celebrated writer and illustrator Daniel Kirk brings to life the joys of reading, writing, and sharing in this all-new Library Mouse adventure. Sam the library mouse loves to write, and the children love his little books, which he leaves on the library shelves for them to find. But no one at the library has ever met him. When Tom can’t find a partner for a book-making assignment and finds Sam’s secret hole behind the children’s reference section, will the pair be able to work together, or will Sam’s secret identity be spoiled forever? A heartwarming tale about collaboration and creative ambitions, this book will enchant any young aspiring author or illustrator.

Read Along or Enhanced eBook: When Sam the library mouse and his friend Sarah wake to find the library being packed up to prepare for a major renovation, they realize they won’t have a home during the construction. So off they go in search of a new place to live. Sam knows research is key, so he finds books about architectural styles to get ideas for building a temporary home from objects found around the library. They build and live in a variety of houses: a castle, an igloo, a yurt, a modern house, and even a geodesic dome. But none feels like home to Sam. Finally, though, the renovation of the library is complete, and they can move back to their true home, the library! The book includes photos of the real house styles discussed in the text and a relevant glossary of architectural terms.

Read Along or Enhanced eBook: One night in the library, Sam meets fellow mouse Sarah. Sam learns that Sarah is quite the explorer. She loves to scurry to the tops of shelves and explore the darkest corners of the building. Sam never climbs far up—he’s too afraid! He prefers to research subjects—such as exploration—and write about them. Sarah doesn’t know much about writing or research, but could reading and research help her learn more about the places she wishes to visit? Together this duo shows that, with teamwork, anything is possible.

Read Along or Enhanced eBook: Sam the library mouse and his friend Sarah are off on a new adventure. This time they leave the library behind and go to a museum so Sam can make sketches in his explorer’s journal. Sarah isn’t so sure that explorers have the time or the interest to write in journals. But Sam shows her that a journal can contain anything, from a ticket stub to drawings of cool things like dinosaurs and ancient Egyptian mummies. As they explore the museum, they see all kinds of art and unexpectedly make friends with another artist. The latest book in this bestselling series is sure to entice readers to come along on the museum adventure.

May all of the animals of the earth And the animals of the sky And the animals of the sea Be at peace. This lyrical picture book from bestselling author and illustrator Daniel Kirk encourages young children to be kind to all the animals of the world. Kirk’s loving and hopeful verse blesses and gives warm wishes to farm animals, house pets, wild animals, and other creatures. Sure to warm the hearts of children and parents alike, this book is perfect to curl up with at bedtime.

From the award-winning author of the bestselling Library Mouse series comes a biographical picture book about the true story of rhino champion Anna Merz and the black rhinoceros Samia. With a portion of the proceeds being donated to the Lewa Downs Conservancy, this engaging story is perfect for animal lovers, animal rights enthusiasts, and fans of Me . . . Jane. When Anna Merz traveled to East Africa, she became appalled at the rampant poaching that took place there, specifically toward the black rhinoceros. Anna devoted her life to protecting the wildlife of the region, founding a reserve in Kenya called Lewa Downs to care for them. Anna kept a watchful eye on the animals, especially the rhinos. One day, Anna found a small black rhino calf, likely abandoned by its mother. So she nurtured the calf, named it Samia, fed it special formula, and even let it sleep in her bed. Everywhere Anna went Samia was never far behind. The two became so close, in fact, that Anna soon learned how rhinos communicate with one another. Anna was able to distinguish the rhino’s many different grunts and what she meant by them: “Snort! Snuff,” cried Samia (“This is fun!”); “Hoo-hoo-hoo!” she called (“I’m coming!”). But with time, Samia got bigger . . . and bigger . . . and bigger—to the point where she couldn’t fit inside Anna’s house any longer. It was time for Anna to make the tough decision she always knew she would have to make at some point or another: She would need to reintroduce Samia to the wild so she could lead her life with the rest of her kind. Richly illustrated with pen, ink, and watercolors, Daniel Kirk’s first nonfiction picture book brings awareness to wildlife protection and fosters further understanding of animal rescue and welfare, positioned in a sensitive way that’s appropriate for young readers. Kirk traveled to Kenya to see the reserve firsthand and his photographs grace the back matter, which includes an author’s note and bibliography.

Spring is in the air! Bear, Bird, and Mouse are all excited that winter snows are melting away, but their friend Rabbit is not. There are too many things about winter that Rabbit adores, and spring just seems to spell trouble. His friends offer an abundance of reasons to love spring and the changing seasons, but will Rabbit listen? Daniel Kirk has written a lively and humorous tale with the gentle message that change can be fun.

Sam the library mouse and his friend Sarah leave the library and go to a museum so Sam can make sketches in his explorer's journal. While there, they see different kinds of artwork and make friends with another artist.

Pig is writing a thank-you note to his grandma when his friend Rabbit comes over to play. Eager to get in on the action, Rabbit writes one of his own . . . and another . . . and another . . . until his flurry of thank-you notes has Pig in a tizzy. Pig just wants to finish writing his note in peace! Fortunately, Rabbit’s last thank-you note reminds Pig how lucky he is to have Rabbit as a friend. This funny friendship story shows how different personalities can manage to fit together perfectly. Rabbit’s letters to everyone from the president to the crossing guard will have readers chuckling as the delightful duo from Ten Things I Love About You discovers the joy of showing gratitude to the special people in their lives.

When two friends—a sock monkey and a plush toy dog—get into an argument during playtime, Monkey gets his feelings hurt and proclaims, “You are not my friend!” But when he takes his ball to find someone new to play with, he quickly learns that maybe he hasn’t been a very good friend, either.Bestselling author/illustrator Daniel Kirk uses bold and humorous illustrations to convey the important message that sharing and other acts of friendship are two-way streets. Praise for You Are Not My Friend, But I Miss You "Kirk’s skillfully paced mix of vignettes, close-ups and long shots guide readers smoothly through this emotional odyssey." --Kirkus Reviews "His frequent use of bold, large-scale drawing captures Monkey’s equally outsize temperament, while the emphatic, minimal text is subtly poignant and supremely performable." --Publishers Weekly

Honk Honk! Beep Beep! Father and child rise early for a trip to watch the sunrise on the mountaintop. Along the way they meet many friendly faces, some headed the same direction, and others in their own vehicles-big rigs, bulldozers and trains--with their own places to go and things to do. Nothing beats the start of a brand new day, especially when there are many vehicles to spot along the way. With a simple, playful text and boldly colored, toy-like illustrations, Daniel Kirk captures the fun of a special drive.

The celebrated author and illustrator brings to life the joys of reading, writing, and sharing in this tale of a boy’s discovery of the library mouse. Sam the library mouse loves to write, and the children love his little books, which he leaves on the library shelves for them to find. But no one at the library has ever met him. When Tom can’t find a partner for a book-making assignment and finds Sam’s secret hole behind the children’s reference section, will the pair be able to work together, or will Sam’s secret identity be spoiled forever? A heartwarming tale about collaboration and creative ambitions, this book will enchant any young aspiring author or illustrator.

The library mouse learns about architecture, homes, and renovations in this illustrated adventure. When Sam the library mouse and his friend Sarah wake to find the library being packed up to prepare for a major renovation, they realize they won’t have a home during the construction. So off they go in search of a new place to live. Sam knows research is key, so he finds books about architectural styles to get ideas for building a temporary home from objects found around the library. They build and live in a variety of houses: a castle, an igloo, a yurt, a modern house, and even a geodesic dome. But none feels like home to Sam. Finally, though, the renovation of the library is complete, and they can move back to their true home, the library! The book includes photos of the real house styles discussed in the text and a relevant glossary of architectural terms. Praise for Library Mouse: Home Sweet Home “Kirk’s familiar gouache illustrations maintain a mouse perspective filled with library details. This clever presentation of world housing types has three pages of backmatter that describes each style and its location. Not only is the story amusing, but the information will be useful in classrooms.” —Kirkus Reviews “Newcomers and fans of the previous titles will welcome this tale, and librarians will put it to good use in their research lessons.” —School Library Journal “This is a fine use of light fantasy to teach a little lesson about building structures, and it will be especially useful to those preparing children for the disruptions that come with home renovations.” —Booklist

Sam the library mouse “continues his adventures in a new arena as he encourages budding artists and authors” (School Library Journal). Sam the library mouse and his friend Sarah are off on a new adventure. This time they leave the library behind and go to a museum so Sam can make sketches in his explorer’s journal. Sarah isn’t so sure that explorers have the time or the interest to write in journals. But Sam shows her that a journal can contain anything, from a ticket stub to drawings of cool things like dinosaurs and ancient Egyptian mummies. As they explore the museum, they see all kinds of art and unexpectedly make friends with another artist. “Students will be inspired to bring along their own journals on museum field trips to record their sketches and write about what they see. Librarians, art teachers, and classroom teachers will find the colorful picture book a stimulating and useful tool for their lessons, so make sure it is always available along with the audio version.” —School Library Journal “Children will love the different ways Sam and Sarah view the world, helping children ages four and up view art, exploration, museums, and writing with the imagination and verve the characters exhibit in the Library Mouse series.” —New York Journal of Books

“Sam the Library Mouse is back in this gentle story about facing fears and learning new things” (School Library Journal). One night in the library, Sam meets fellow mouse Sarah. Sam learns that Sarah is quite the explorer. She loves to scurry to the tops of shelves and explore the darkest corners of the building. Sam never climbs far up—he’s too afraid! He prefers to research subjects—such as exploration—and write about them. Sarah doesn’t know much about writing or research, but could reading and research help her learn more about the places she wishes to visit? Together this duo shows that, with teamwork, anything is possible. “The gorgeous, bright gouache illustrations are meticulously detailed and expressive. The story is an excellent way to introduce research to the youngest patrons, which, according to Sam, is “how you find out about things.” This visually appealing offering fits beautifully into the library curriculum.” —School Library Journal

Fans of Mo Willems'' Elephant and Piggie will enjoy Rabbit and Pig’s clever back-and-forth which shows the funny ways friends bounce ideas and feelings off each other. Rabbit just adores his friend Pig. So he is excited to make a list of all the things he loves about Pig. And who better to help him write the list than Pig himself? But Pig is busy, and keeps sending Rabbit away. But no matter what Pig does, Rabbit is inspired to add another thing to his list. When Pig says, “Rabbit, I''m starting to lose my patience!” Rabbit has #6—“I love Pig because he’s not afraid to show his feelings!” Fortunately, Pig’s dwindling patience is rewarded when Rabbit completes his list—and the two realize exactly why they are such good pals.

Provides a fresh engagement of the debated relationship between Paul''s writings and the portrait of Jesus contained in the Gospels.

This book introduces BlastSim - a physics-based simulation platform to model and simulate suicide bombing events. The BlastSim software is designed to test, analyze, and validate the results of different explosive and injury model combinations under various conditions with different sets of parameters, such as explosive and crowd formation characteristics, blockage and human shielding effects, fragmentation and shrapnel, and the bomber''s position in 2- and 3-dimensional environments. The suicide bombing event can also be re-created for forensic analysis. The number of fatalities and injured after a suicide bombing event can be predicted using this software with 91% accuracy. The assessment of an explosion''s effect on a crowd can lead to better management of disasters, triage of patients, locating blast victims under the debris, development of protective gear, and safe distance recommendations to reduce casualties.