New Releases by Liza Woodruff

Everyone is excited for Punxsatawney Phil’s big day. . . except for him. It’s the night before Groundhog Day, and Phil can’t sleep. His family’s voices fill his head: It’s a family tradition! You’ll make us so proud! We’re all counting on you, you, you! Making pancakes usually sets Phil’s mind at ease, but before he can finish making this batch his little sister, Marla, joins him in the kitchen. She can’t wait for his big day and insists on helping him practice. She even teaches him a poem to help him keep things straight. But when Phil’s big (scary) day arrives, his nerves take over and his mind goes blank. What had Marla said? If you see your shadow does it mean an early spring? Or is that if you don’t see your shadow? His worries are all coming true until he has an idea that saves the day. In her picture book Phil’s Big Day, Liza Woodruff warmly and reassuringly addresses the common but consuming feelings anxiety brings up, and suggests coping mechanisms useful for grown-ups and kids alike. Readers who struggle to have fun in the face of their fears will resonate with Phil’s restless thoughts and find joy as Phil takes on his challenges with a supportive sister at his side.

This beloved poem tells of a sweet young girl and her pet lamb. Additional features include original illustrations, information about Mother Goose, and an introduction to the illustrator.

The farm animals are out, and Little Boy Blue is nowhere to be seen. Young readers love to help find him. Additional features include original illustrations, information about Mother Goose, and an introduction to the illustrator.

A boy learns that nature is full of stories to tell when he finds and follows a mouse''s tracks in a wintery wood. Milo wants a story, but his mom is too busy to entertain him. Instead, she encourages him to go out and play in the snow. At first, Milo is disappointed - he doesn''t want to play outside, he wants a story. But when he starts to follow a trail of mouse-prints, he discovers signs of activity all around, prompting him to ask, "What happened here?" Before long, he''s using his imagination -- depicted in lush wordless spreads that capture the vividness of Milo''s fantasies -- to fill in the gaps. By the time Milo comes home, he''s the one with stories to tell. A must have for the winter season, Liza Woodruff''s Once Upon a Winter Day is a fun read-aloud that shares details about animal behavior from a child''s perspective. A Bank Street Best Childrens Book of the Year!

A kitten insists that his little-girl owner write an adventure story suitable for a TIGER and learns that you should be careful about what you wish for when the story becomes too scary. When a little girl starts to write a story about her kitten playing with yarn, he doesn''t like it one bit. He wants a story for his alter-ego TIGER--one that has pep and pizzazz--so the girl creates an adventure that the kitten jumps into. Darkness surrounds him (No light, no problem! says the kitten), venomous vipers drop from the trees (Snakes? I''ve got this), hungry hyenas circle the tiger--and suddenly the kitten begins to wonder if there can be such a thing as too much adventure. As the story gets scarier and scarier, he realizes that what one wants and what one needs are sometimes two different things. This time, he needs a quieter story. A colorful and inventive picture book about a creative girl and her kitten.

Arf! Arf! Arf! Bird, squirrels, the mailman--Emerson can''t help but bark his loudest when he gets excited. But when his bark scares one of his neighborhood friends into hiding, Emerson''s girl Eva must forbid him from barking altogether. Can Emerson adjust to a life in silence? Or will he find a way to put his powerful bark to good use? Liza Woodruff''s Emerson Barks is a charming dog story that shows how good intentions can triumph over mistakes.

A retelling of the classic nursery rhyme, with end notes on the identity and origins of Mother Goose.

Presents the classic nursery rhyme about the little girl who lost her sheep.