Most Popular Books by Joanne Ryder

There are many kinds of kisses to share.

Follows the activities of a hummingbird and his mate in a garden on a sunny day.

In a field of lacy leaves, a small caterpillar hatches, grows, and sheds its skin, becoming a smooth, green creeper. It eats and changes some more, then in a sequence of remarkable close-ups, spins a sliken sling in which to pupate—until it finally bursts forth as a brilliant black swallowtail butterfly. Includes suggestions on how children can grow butterfiles in their own gardens.

Readers are asked to picture themselves as the earth, turning in space, facing the light, feeling the green things growing and the oceans shifting.

Meet Hua Mei With fewer than one thousand giant pandas left in the world, the birth of Hua Mei at the San Diego Zoo in 1999 was a cause for celebration. Little Panda chronicles the adorable panda''s first year, as she grows from a four-ounce newborn to a curious, playful cub. Award-winning writer Joanne Ryder''s appealing, simple yet scientifically accurate text and irresistible, exclusive photographs from the World-Famous San Diego Zoo combine to make Little Panda a treasure for animal lovers of all ages.

An intriguing journey into the natural world -- from deep in the grass to high overhead. "There''s a worm on a string, who is swaying in space. There''s a white butterfly on a circle of lace." As a young child takes a walk in the woods, the world comes alive with creatures and treasures big and small -- from ants and lizards to moles and hawks. But the most special discovery of the day is the fawn in the grass who watches the narrator''s journey begin and end. Joanne Ryder''s lyrical text and Keiko Narahashi''s beautifully detailed illustrations capture the wonders of nature from a child''s point of view.

School is in session! But this is no ordinary kindergarten class. Meet sixteen young giant panda cubs at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda at the Wolong Nature Preserve. The cubs are raised together from infancy in a protected setting, where they grow strong. Under the watchful eyes of the scientists and workers, the cubs learn skills that will help prepare them to be released into the wild. Follow a day in the life of the cubs with Joanne Ryder''s spare and simple text and full-color photographs by Dr. Katherine Feng, Wolong''s leading photographer. These special cubs have captured the attention of people around the globe. Thanks to dedicated staff and unique resources at Wolong, this threatened species now has a second chance. Here is the true story of their incredible journey toward hope and survival.

A man working in his garden finds a delicate worm, a beetle in shining armor, and a leaf-green mantis and shares these treasures with his young daughter. "Lovely double-page, impressionistic oil paintings...provide a picturesque setting for this simple, straightforward description of a special parent/child outing."--School Library Journal.

Celebrated the creatures of the earth, from spiders dangling in their webs to owls hooting and hunting out of sight, and asks that we respect and care for them.

My mother calls me from darkness to light. . . . I wrap her words around me, warm with good wishes for the day to come. Joanne Ryder''s heartwarming text and Peter Catalanotto''s glowing art celebrate the tender, everyday moments shared between a mother and daughter. In every welcome and whisper, laugh and farewell, the ever-changing tones of a mother''s voice express a gift a daughter can treasure -- her mother''s constant love.

Rhyming text describes many different kinds of hugs. On board pages.

The reader imagines how it feels to be a snail.

Describes the physical characteristics of a firefly from the time it is a glowworm until adulthood.

A snail''s life from the time it is hatched to the time it lays its own eggs.

Four furry squirrels leap and glide through the night sky, feeding and playing until the approach of daybreak.

Transformed into a humpback whale, a child experiences life in the ocean among other whales.

Fans of How to Train Your Dragon will love this whimsical tale, the first in a series, by a Newbery Honor winner, featuring charming illustrations and pet "training tips" in each chapter. Crusty dragon Miss Drake has a new pet human, precocious Winnie. Oddly enough, Winnie seems to think Miss Drake is her pet—a ridiculous notion! Unknown to most of its inhabitants, the City by the Bay is home to many mysterious and fantastic creatures, hidden beneath the parks, among the clouds, and even in plain sight. And Winnie wants to draw every new creature she encounters: the good, the bad, and the ugly. But Winnie’s sketchbook is not what it seems. Somehow, her sketchlings have been set loose on the city streets! It will take Winnie and Miss Drake’s combined efforts to put an end to the mayhem . . . before it’s too late. This refreshing debut collaboration by Laurence Yep, a two-time Newbery Honor winner and a Laura Ingalls Wilder Award winner, and Joanne Ryder features illustrations by Mary GrandPré. Praise for A Dragon''s Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans *“Warm humor, magical mishaps, and the main characters’ budding mutual respect and affection combine to give this opener for a planned series a special shine.” –Booklist, Starred “Aternately comical, suspenseful and sometimes sweetly emotional.” –Kirkus Reviews “With a black-and-white spot illustration opening most chapters, an engaging narrator, and a consistently fluid writing style, this title makes a fine dragon choice for readers.” –School Library Journal “In this series launch, Yep and Ryder conjure up a world where dragons and humans interact, and the results are heartwarming and quite funny.” –Publishers Weekly “A clever and amusing novel that imagines a magical world that nestles right up against our own and sometimes crosses over.” –The Bulleting of the Center for Children’s Books Praise for A Dragon’s Guide to Making Your Human Smarter "Yep and Ryder keep the magic coming with their whimsical fantasy, enhanced by Grandpré''s sweet drawings. The story positively vibrates with fun." —Kirkus Reviews " Lighthearted episodes of unusual school lessons and field trips, illustrated by GrandPré’s winsome spot art, are grounded by Miss Drake’s more serious encounters with the goons...a gratifying development as this buoyant, fantastical series continues."—The Horn Book Review

A series of poems that depict the world of a field mouse from sundown to sunup.

Poems and illustrations trace the yearly life cycle of toads from tadoles in the spring to adults which hibernate in the winter.

There are many kinds of kisses to share.

Describes the awakening, feeding, and wandering of a polar bear, from its own viewpoint.

For fans of How to Train Your Dragon comes a new tale about dragon Miss Drake and her human pet Winnie, by a two-time Newbery Honor winner, featuring illustrations by Caldecott Honor winner Mary GrandPré. Three-thousand-year-old Miss Drake has arranged to send her dear pet Winnie to The Spriggs Academy, an extraordinary school for humans and magicals alike. Winnie is particularly excited about magic class and having Sir Isaac Newton for science. She’s also making new friends—and frenemies. . . . When a plot to snatch Winnie from her San Francisco home is uncovered, Miss Drake is ready to use all her cunning and magic to thwart it. Not that feisty Winnie needs the help. . . . As a team, the intrepid duo you first met in A Dragon’s Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans is unstoppable! With equal doses of whimsy and humor, Laurence Yep and Joanne Ryder have crafted an enchanting story about true friendship. Praise for A Dragon’s Guide to Making Your Human Smarter • "Yep and Ryder keep the magic coming with their whimsical fantasy, enhanced by Grandpré''s sweet drawings. The story positively vibrates with fun." —Kirkus Reviews • " Lighthearted episodes of unusual school lessons and field trips, illustrated by GrandPré’s winsome spot art, are grounded by Miss Drake’s more serious encounters with the goons...a gratifying development as this buoyant, fantastical series continues."—The Horn Book Review Praise for A Dragon’s Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans • *“Warm humor, magical mishaps, and the main characters’ budding mutual respect and affection combine to give this opener for a planned series a special shine that will draw readers and leave them impatient for sequels.” —Booklist, Starred • “The tale is alternately comical, suspenseful and sometimes sweetly emotional.” —Kirkus Reviews • “Miss Drake’s arch narration and the sharp back-and-forth between the characters create an enchanting story, accented by GrandPré’s whimsical black-and-white spot illustrations.” —Publishers Weekly • “With a black-and-white spot illustration opening most chapters, an engaging narrator, and a consistently fluid writing style, this title makes a fine dragon choice for readers.” —School Library Journal

Winnie and her pet dragon Miss Drake are back to their lessons as they head to the 1915 San Francisco World''s Fair and wish-granting souvenirs follow them home.

To celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, the students in Mrs. Lee''s first grade class act as secret elves, doing good deeds for one another.

A mama bear tells her baby how she will always love him.

The children in Mrs. Lee''s first grade class make cards, cookies, and paper animals for Valentine''s Day. Includes step-by-step instructions for making an origami bunny.

Transformed into a bird for a day, a child joins a flock of wild geese in glorious flight.

Mrs. Lee''s first grade class plants a vegetable and flower garden. Includes instructions for making an indoor garden.

Describes the activities of woodland animals, including the box turtle, fox, opossum, beaver, and deer.

This book tells the story of Bambi and the other forest animals from the day Bambi is born to the birth of his twin fawns.

Mrs. Lee''s class decides to call themselves the first grade bunnies after their beloved pet rabbit Martha. Includes instructions for making a rabbit puppet.

Everywhere -- even in streets and backyards -- there are wild birds. Swirling through the air, speckling the treetops, tiptoeing through the grass, wild birds are near, watching you watch them. During the bright warm days, they sometimes stay and share a place with you. And in winter, if you care for them, wild birds may flutter even nearer -- till you feel like a wild one, too. Wild Birds invites you to look and listen and to enjoy these lively flyers who share this ever-changing world with you.

Rose''s family spends a fun-filled day at the beach celebrating Uncle Tony''s birthday.

Describes, in simple text and illustrations, some of the unique characteristics of trees.

A lyrical description of a chipmunk as it goes about its activities in late summer, prepares for winter, and settles in till spring.