Spotlight: My Best Pop-up Noisy Train Book by DK

An exciting, fun-to-read, noisy board book with flaps and pop-ups, perfect for reading aloud with preschoolers and promoting hands-on, active learning.

From steam trains to underground trains to double-decker trains, My Best Pop-up Noisy Train Book covers all the favorites, and an embedded sound button enhances the reading experience on each and every page. Train drivers, passengers, and other featured characters inspire toddlers to talk and focus on the scene, and text and word labels help develop vocabulary and encourage picture-and-word association.

With its heavy board format, topical appeal, and lively approach, My Best Pop-up Noisy Train Book is a must-have for train-loving toddlers.

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About the Author

DK was founded in London in 1974 and is now the world’s leading illustrated reference publisher and part of Penguin Random House, formed on July 1, 2013. DK publishes highly visual, photographic non-fiction for adults and children.  DK produces content for consumers in over 87 countries and 62 languages, with offices in Delhi, London, Melbourne, Munich, New York and Toronto.

DK’s aim is to inform, enrich and entertain readers of all ages and everything DK publishes, whether print or digital, embodies the unique DK design approach.  DK brings unrivalled clarity to a wide range of topics with a unique combination of words and pictures, put together to spectacular effect. We have a reputation for innovation in design for both print and digital products.

Our adult range spans travel, including the award-winning DK Eyewitness Travel Guides, history, science, nature, sport, gardening, cookery and parenting.

DK’s extensive children’s list showcases a fantastic store of information for children, toddlers and babies. DK covers everything from animals and the human body, to homework help and craft activities, together with an impressive list of licensing titles, including the best-selling LEGO® books.

DK acts as the parent company for Alpha Books, publisher of the Idiot’s Guides series and Prima Games, video gaming publishers, as well as the award-winning travel publisher, Rough Guides.

Spotlight: Buster and the Baby by Amy Hest by Illustrated by Polly Dunbar

What could be more endearing than the bond between a baby and a puppy? A sweet and spirited tale from two picture-book masters.

In the little red house, a dog ducks under the table. He waits and watches and waits some more as his heart goes thump, thump, thump. And then . . . CHAAA! Out of the shadows comes the baby, squealing and whirling and bumping his nose! Go Buster, go Buster, go! Is behind the blue chair a good place to hide? With beautifully tender artwork and an engaging repetitive text, author Amy Hest and illustrator Polly Dunbar follow two little ones in a breathless game of chase — winding up in a heart-tugging role reversal sure to sweeten readers’ dreams.

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About the Author

Amy Hest is a three-time winner of the Christopher Medal and winner of the BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Award. She lives in New York City.

Spotlight: Gum By Nancy Willard and Illustrated by Jeff Newman

In a timeless tale of small moments and big victories, two boys’ singular obsession with an elusive prize pays off in a most surprising way.

James has five quarters and Danny has four. That means nine whole tries to get the little silver race car out of the gumball machine at Mr. Wright’s store after school. Only very, very lucky people get both gumballs and the silver racer. It’s a good thing that one of James’s quarters is a Canadian quarter, which just so happens to be very, very lucky. But is it lucky enough to get him that silver racer? Bing! Bang! Kaboom! He’s about to find out! Retro-style illustrations in vivid colors add to the classic feel of this new story by poet Nancy Willard, author of the 1982 Newbery Medal winner, A Visit to William Blake’s Inn.

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About the Author

Nancy Willard was educated at the University of Michigan and Stanford University. She was the author of two novels, seven books of stories and essays, and eleven books of poetry. A winner of the Devins Memorial Award, she received NEA grants in both fiction and poetry. Her book Water Walker was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award. She was also a beloved writer of children’s books, one of which, A Visit to William Blake’s Inn, with illustrations by Alice and Martin Provensen, won the Newbery Medal, the first poetry book to win that medal. A longtime teacher in the English department at Vassar College, Willard died in 2017.

Spotlight: The Wedding Portrait by Innosanto Nagara

The Wedding Portrait is an essential book for kids about standing up for what’s right. Here are stories of direct action from around the world that are bookended by the author’s wedding story. He and his bride led their wedding party to a  protest, and were captured in a photo by the local newspaper kissing in front of a line of police just before being arrested. “We usually follow the rules. But sometimes, if you see something is wrong–more wrong than breaking the rules and by breaking the rules you might stop it–you may need to break the rules.” When indigenous people in Colombia block an oil company from destroying their environment–this is a blockade; when Florida farmworkers encourage people not to buy their tomatos because the farm owners won’t pay them for their hard work–this is called a boycott; and when Claudette Colvin takes a seat in the front of the bus to protest racism–this is called civil disobedience.  In brilliantly bright and inspiring illustrations we see ordinary people say No–to unfair treatment, to war, to destroying the environment. Innosanto Nagara has beautifully melded an act of love with crucial ideas of civil disobedience and direct action that will speak to young readers’ sense of right and wrong. There has never been a more important moment for Innosanto Nagara’s gentle message of firm resolve.

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About the Author

INNOSANTO NAGARA’s new-wave board books encourage children to grow up with confidence in themselves, and to be proactive citizens who are passionate about causes from environmental issues to LGBTQ rights and civil rights. Nagara was born and raised in Indonesia.

Spotlight: Violet and the Mummy Mystery by Harriet Whitehorn and Illustrated by Becka Moor

Can YOU solve the case of the missing mummy?

Meet Violet Remy-Robinson, an amateur Sherlock Holmes in the making…
 
When Violet’s cousin Agnes and her Aunt Mathilde arrive from Cairo, Violet is delighted.  Aunt Mathilde is a Professor of Ancient Egyptology and has discovered a mummy that may be the key to revealing the secret location of Queen Nefertiti’s tomb. Violet can’t wait to find out more! So when the precious mummy is stolen from the British Museum, it’s a disaster. Who has managed to pull off this crime right under the security guards’ noses and where is the mummy now?  It’s up to Violet and the gang to save the day!

Complete with two-colour illustrations throughout by Becka Moor, this is a fresh and funny mystery and readers will fall in love with Violet’s quirky charm. Perfect for fans of Dixie O’Day, Ottoline and Goth Girl.

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About the Author

Harriet Whitehorn grew up in London, where she still lives with her husband and three daughters. She has studied at Reading University, the Architectural Association and The Victoria and Albert Museum and has always worked in building conservation. She currently works for English Heritage. Violet and the Pearl of the Orient was her first children’s book and the first in a series, followed by Violet and the Hidden Treasure, and Violet and the Smugglers.

About the Illustrator

Becka Moor studied illustration in the North of Wales at Glyndwr University. She has since moved back home to Manchester where she works under the strict supervision of two very mischievous cats, doodling away and drinking far too much coffee.

Spotlight: Grandma Panda's China Storybook Legends, Traditions and Fun by Mingmei Yip

With classic Chinese fairytales and folk stories, Grandma Panda's China Storybook introduces children to Chinese culture in a fun, adventurous way!

Grandma Panda is a wonderful teacher, a wonderful storyteller and a wonderful cook! Her grandchildren, Baobao and Lingling, love staying with her every summer, because at Grandma Panda's house, each day is an adventure. This summer, with the help of celebrated novelist and artist Mingmei Yip, Grandma will take them to a world filled with Chinese calligraphy, kites, kung fu and more! 

They'll get to hear Grandma's stories of a time long ago in China, when everything began, and learn simple Chinese language along the way. Come join Grandma Panda, Baobao and Lingling for a summer of fun and learning as bright watercolor illustrations make favorite legends come alive!

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