New Releases by Joseph Slate

Today is a very wet day. Miss Bindergarten''s class stays inside while the rain falls hard outside. Finally, the rain stops and the class goes outside to play. It''s not long before Matty and Patty slip and fall in a puddle! Miss B. and Coco are there to help, and when the girls get up, a huge rainbow has formed in the sky!

Emily and Vicky are best friends. They both wear yellow boots. They both like red hats. They play all the same games. Are they twins?

Adam has a secret--his friends have to guess what it is. Miss Bindergarten has a secret too, and the whole class will be amazed at what fun she has in store for them!

Before I die, I want to be free. But the Big Man says, ?You belong to me.'' A runaway slave has broken the chains that bound him, but as he sets out for the land of the free, he still carries the weight of an iron ring around his ankle. As long as it remains, and as long as the Big Man hunts him, he''ll never truly be free. But rescuing an orphaned slave child from certain capture gives him the strength to keep moving on, and miraculously, the child''s love and gratitude are all that is needed to destroy the shackle once and for all. This moving, poetic text is based on a story from the sacred literature of Buddha.

Miss Bindergarten and her class have had a great year in kindergarten! They have gone on a field trip, marked the 100th day, created a circus, and even survived a wild day. But now the school year is over, and it''s time to remember, to celebrate, and for Miss Bindergarten to say, Good-bye, kindergarten. It''s been a special year.? The bestselling Miss Bindergarten series comes to a sweet and jubilant conclusion by honoring an important passage: the last day of kindergarten. Filled with last-day classroom ideas, it''s also a perfect gift to honor graduation and moving-up ceremonies. Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the Last Day of Kindergarten is the perfect way for teachers and students to commemorate their own end-of-the-year festivities.

Things are always a little rowdy in a class of twenty-six kindergartners, but there are some days when chaos reigns. Watch what happens in Miss Bindergarten''s rambunctious class when water overflows, ants are on the loose, and oozy paint smudges. How will Miss Bindergarten and the kindergartners get everything back in order? This is one kindergarten adventure not to be missed!

Miss Bindergarten is planning a circus and all of her kindergarteners are in on the fun! Everyone is busy preparing: painting posters, practicing somersaults, and making popcorn balls. When at last the big day arrives, there will be a parade, complete with clowns and stunts, from baton twirling to "high-wire" walking. And for the grand finale, Miss Bindergarten will give the audience a spectacular, show-stopping act!

A small comet heads for earth and arrives at the manger where Baby Jesus lies.

Miss Bindergarten and her kindergarteners are stepping out of the classroom and going to all sorts of places. Franny gets to decorate a cake at the bakery, Jessie learns to Stop, Drop, and Roll at the fire station, Patricia gets to push the mail at the post office, and all of the kindergarteners read colorful picture books at the library! They even have time to play at the park and have a picnic. Miss Bindergarten''s kindergarten is having so much fun!

A playful take on a topic that all parents can relate to-getting sick! The ever-lovable Miss Bindergarten is not feeling well. The flu strikes on Sunday, so she has to stay home from kindergarten on Monday. Mr. Tusky (who is a wee bit rusty) will be her substitute, but it just won''t be the same. The kindergartners miss Miss Bindergarten! They pass the time by making get-well cards and singing songs, all the while counting out the days that Miss Bindergarten is away. What ever will they do without her?

Now in paperback--the heartwarming holiday tale of Little Porcupine, who proves that everyone can be a star. Full color.

Secret Stars is a Marshall Cavendish publication.

Miss Bindergarten, the world''s best kindergarten teacher, is getting ready for another milestone. Tomorrow she and her class will have been together for 100 days. To celebrate, each student must bring "100 of some wonderful, one-hundred-full thing!" At night, while the students go to work assembling their projects, Miss Bindergarten is working, too, making special surprises for the class. The 100th day of kindergarten is bound to be unforgettable! Children will delight in hearing about this special event, a common cause for celebration in kindergartens today. Illustrated by Ashley Wolff.

A farmer rescues the Liberty Bell from the British in his big wagon.

A modern Christmas classic about how the animals prepare a cozy welcome for the baby Jesus, perfect for under the tree or in stockings. "Who is coming to our house? Someone, someone," says Mouse. As Pig makes room, Lamb cleans up, Goose stacks the hay, and Duck lines the crib with eiderdown, Mary and Joseph are on their way by donkey. All the animals are eager to welcome the baby Jesus to their home. A warm, lyrical book your family will cuddle up with for years.

This rhyming, brightly illustrated book is the perfect way to practice the alphabet and to introduce young children to kindergarten. It''s the first day of kindergarten and Miss Bindergarten is hard at work getting the classroom ready for her twenty-six new students. Meanwhile, Adam Krupp wakes up, Brenda Heath brushes her teeth, and Christopher Beaker finds his sneaker. Miss Bindergarten puts the finishing touches on the room just in time, and the students arrive. Now the fun can begin! "Multifaceted and appealing, this book can be enjoyed in many ways, at home and at school." --The New York Times Book Review For readers of Kindergarten, Here I Come and The Night Before Kindergarten.

Before he is ready to go to sleep, Little Porcupine wants to hear--and tell--stories about the Big Porcupine in the Sky, the sun.

Miss Bindergarten and some of her class members invite readers to participate in various craft activities to delight young minds and hands. Making masks, puppets, and hats; stitching, string painting, and rock painting; and sculpting with papier-mache are among the projects included here that use materials from the kit and easy-to-find household items. Children will enjoy working with the yarn, colored paper, paint cakes, glitter, and other objects the kit supplies, and they will find Miss Bindergarten''s word and picture instructions easy and fun to follow.Crafts are a huge part of the kindergarten repertory. This book-and-kit package fits perfectly with kindergarten skills but can also be enjoyed by children slightly younger or older. A treasure trove of craft items and ideas, it is sure to be a hit with Miss Bindergarten''s many fans.

In 1944 in West Virginia, ten-year-old Petey and his teenage one-eyed sister wonder if their widowed mother is going to marry her friend Stone, who is a veteran and an artist.

Even though the other animals exclude him from the Christmas play because of his quills, Little Porcupine still ends up in a starring role.

While searching for her old friends who now live far away, lonely Lula Cat discovers new friends close by.

When Wig-Switch the Pig Witch steals all the bathtubs in Pinkoville, the Pinko Juniors find a way to fight back.

At bedtime old Cassie soothes the nighttime fears of the pond animals with a lullaby.