New Releases by Dori Chaconas

"When Cork tries to boss Fuzz into helping him clean up, both friends learn how to work--and play--together"--

Cork is a short muskrat who knows how to wait, and Fuzz is a tall possum who doesn’t like to wait for anything. When a round, yellow object floats through the sky, both Cork and Fuzz chase after it. Is it the sun? Is it an egg? Wait a minute—did it just pop? A funny, charming, easy-to-read story about the adventures of two best friends who go together perfectly—differences and all.

Cork and Fuzz wake up knowing the day is special but not why, and when they finally find a quiet place to think about it, singing a festive song as a bell jingles and snow falls on a sparkling pine tree, they realize that their friendship makes every day special.

Cork is a muskrat who likes small, safe adventures. Fuzz is a possum who likes big, exciting adventures. Fuzz convinces Cork to go with him on a snowy exploration, but Cork is scared of the big animals they might encounter. When Fuzz pretends he has seen a dangerous animal, he only makes Cork more scared. Then, like the Boy Who Cried Wolf, Fuzz really does run into a big animal—a puppy! Both friends discover how brave they really are, and learn when it is and isn’t okay to fool someone you care about.

Cork is a short muskrat who likes to help out. Fuzz is a tall possum who likes to help himself. Cork is babysitting a porcupine, and he needs Fuzz''s help. Fuzz says he''s too busy. But when the porcupine goes missing, it is up to Fuzz to help find him! Young readers will love the sixth installment in the popular Cork and Fuzz series!

Cork is a short muskrat who can swim. Fuzz is a tall possum who can''t. They are best friends. Cork wants to teach Fuzz how to swim, but Fuzz isn''t so sure he wants to learn . . . . The funny story and adorable illustrations in this seventh Cork and Fuzz easy-to-read will delight beginning readers.

Cork is a muskrat. Fuzz is a possum. Cork eats only veggie stuff. Fuzz eats beetles and worms. Cork likes to play hide-and-seek. Fuzz likes to play find-and-eat. Cork and Fuzz have nothing in common. Or do they?

Cork is a short muskrat who likes to find things. Fuzz is a tall possum who likes to keep things. Fuzz wants to keep Cork''s lost stone when he finds it. But a chipmunk runs away with it. Who will say "finders keepers" now?

A child’s excitement about going to the county fair is carried along by bouncy, rhyming narration and breezy illustrations. It’s opening day at Derry Fair, and young Dinny Brown can’t wait to see the carousel, the animals, the cotton candy, and the hot-air balloon. But Mama’s baking pies for the contest and Daddy’s chopping wood to sell, and it seems as if Dinny will never make it to the fair on time! Won’t someone finish up their chores and take him to the fair? Dori Chaconas and Gillian Tyler offer a rhythmic read-aloud that celebrates the delights of the county fair, culminating in a bustling panoramic gatefold that lets readers explore along with young Dinny.

Little Bunny can sense something new in the air, and it smells like sunshine and warm breezes. "It smells like Easter!" his friends tell him. But Little Bunny wonders: what is Easter? So he sets out through the forest on an early spring day to find out.

Cork is a short muskrat who likes to win at games. Fuzz is a tall possum who also likes to win at games. Two best friends. Both like to win. What will happen when they play games against each other?

Cork is a short muskrat who likes to collect shiny stones. Fuzz is a tall possum who also likes to collect shiny stones. Fuzz tries to collect a ÒstoneÓ from a duckÕs nest and, in turn, the mama duck tries to collect him. Will Cork be able to save his friend?

That Blessed Christmas Night is the story of the first Christmas night told in poetry form. The wonder of the first Christmas is seen through the eyes of children reenacting the story. The simple things of earth - the clear, starry sky; a humble stable filled with animals; shepherds caring for their sheep - suddenly become bolder, clearer, and richer as the children don costumes and sing their praises to the Child.

A picture book in lyrical rhyme, Baby''s Song follows the seasons in the first year of baby''s life. Mother and child share the joys that each season has to offer and grow in their awareness of the blessings God has given them throughout the year. The tender text is coupled with warm and personable illustrations, sure to be enjoyed over and over again for lap-time reading.

Even though Cork is a short muskrat and Fuzz is a tall possum, they can still be best friends. Or can they? "I am older," Cork said. "I need to be taller. It is a rule." Can friendship break such rules? The gentle, humorous story in this second Cork & Fuzz title will captivate beginning readers, while the charming illustrations add just enough visual cues to help them along.

A cumulative, rhyming tale of a slamming door which wakes a cat, setting into motion an absurd chain of events and resulting in chaos.

From the very moment Tully sees Frill, he''s in love–and he''s determined to marry her. Proposing marriage isn''t the problem, but Frill can''t ever quite give him an answer. Is Frill just playing coy? Or is the over-eager Tully not giving her a chance to reply? Like it''s classic cousin Froggy Went A-Courtin, this charming tale about courtship and marriage will have even the youngest listeners thinking about wedding bells!

The cows have come back to the family home, to be together around the Christmas tree. But while dancing the Cowpoke Polka, Moosha crashes through the floor! She is stuck, right in the only place the tree can go. Will Christmas even come this year?

"The day Dad went away to the war, I cried. He hugged me and told me to be brave. But I was afraid of so many things." A young boy promises to be brave when his father goes off to fight in World War II, but it isn''t always easy. Lots of things scare the boy, especially Josephine, the street horse who pulls the ragman''s wagon, and Nell, the milkman''s nag, with their big teeth and wild eyes. Even Billy and Bucky, the garbage wagon horses whose feet are so big and heavy, make him nervous. Then one day, a stranger with a small pony named Freedom offers the boy an opportunity to give his father the perfect birthday present and find a new and special kind of courage. Dori Chaconas has written a sensitive tale about a son''s steadfast love for his soldier father that transcends distance, circumstance, and his own fears. Illustrator Ted Lewin''s stunning paintings capture the simple spirit of the 1940s American home front.

When the wind blows her hat into a sycamore tree, Virginnie, determined to retrieve it, tries to dislodge it by throwing her boots up one after the other, unaware of the threatening swamp creatures gathering behind her.

A moving story of the transforming power of love and the bonds between siblings that even polio cannot weaken. Anna loves to dance with her beloved sister Katya in the meadow of their family''s Wisconsin farm. But one summer, Katya is overcome by a high fever, and the doctor delivers a grim diagnosis: polio. Although she recovers from the lingering illness, Katya''s legs are left weakened and twisted. Now, Anna carries Katya to the meadow and dances alone for her sister. Together they dream of a time when Katya will be able to join her again. When Mama and Papa announce that Katya must go to a hospital in the city where doctors will try to make her legs strong again. Anna worries: Will the treatment and Katya''s "pioneer spirit" allow her to dance once again? In an afterword, author Dori Chaconas and illustrator Constance R. Bergum each offer true stories of their families'' personal battles with polio.

Coriander the contrary hen sits, refusing to move, in the middle of the road causing a traffic jam until one clever little girl comes up with a solution.

The friendship between Cork, a muskrat, and Fuzz, a possum, is in trouble when Cork decides that since he is older, he has to be taller than Fuzz

A possum and a muskrat become friends despite their many differences.

When her shivering baby is born on a cold winter night, a mouse follows some animals to a special manger where she receives help from another mother.

As they make their way around the farm, a young boy asks his mother a series of questions about the animals found there, to which she answers "yes, " "no, " or "maybe" and explains why.

At bedtime, Dewberry Bear is afraid of the gorilla-fump and other creatures lurking in his room but with his mother''s help, a prayer he is learning, and courage he chases all of the scary things away.

One little mouse Took a look at his house Deep in the woodland ground. " This nest is too small! Not roomy at all! There must be a new one around. " But who can give Mouse a new home? Not the moles (they eat worms), not the squirrels (they sleep in trees), and certainly not the scary snakes! In rollicking read-aloud rhyme, Mouse begins to wonder if he''ll ever find the right home. Or could it be that the perfect house is right under his nose?

A father takes his infant daughter for a sleigh ride on a winter''s morning.