Prince Ernest lives in a very serious kingdom with very serious parents. King Olaf and Queen Olive have no time for jokes, because a three-headed, fire-breathing dragon is causing terrible trouble. But Ernest does not dream of being a solemn prince. He wants to be a jester and make people laugh.
His parents think this is no time for silliness. Ernest thinks laughter might matter more than they realize. When the dragon problem grows too large to ignore, Ernest has to find a way to stay true to himself while facing a danger no one finds funny.
Silly, spirited, and fairy-tale bright, Serious Trouble is a picture book about courage, humor, and following an unusual dream. Young readers who enjoy dragons, royalty, and playful adventures will find plenty to cheer for.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
A boy knows his dog, Scooter, as well as anyone can know a best friend. He knows when Scooter is hungry, when he wants to play, and when he is curled up dreaming. But one question still makes him wonder: what does Scooter dream about?
Everyone has a different answer. Friends and family imagine all kinds of possibilities, from the silly to the sweet. The boy listens, thinks, and keeps looking for the answer that feels just right for the dog he loves.
My Dream Dog is a tender, lightly humorous picture book for young readers who know how special a pet can be. With a warm family feeling and an affectionate look at the bond between a child and a dog, it invites readers to wonder about the secret life of a beloved animal companion.
6-8 Years
36 Pages
Every dog on Pumpkin Lane seems to be good at something. Some dogs have talents that are easy to see. Cosmo, however, cannot figure out what makes him special.
Then one ordinary nap turns into a very unordinary ride. Cosmo accidentally lies down on a skateboard, and before he knows it, he is zooming into an adventure he never meant to begin. The ride is wild, surprising, and just the thing to show Cosmo that talent can appear in the funniest places.
Cosmo Zooms is a lively, tender picture book for readers who like animal stories with movement and laughs. It celebrates trying, discovering your own strengths, and finding confidence even when everyone else seems to know exactly what they are good at.
6-8 Years
36 Pages
Mitzi is a witch, so her perfect pet must be creepy. Not cute. Not cuddly. Definitely not ordinary. She visits Cackle & Company ready to choose something wonderfully strange, but every possible pet has a problem. Bats are too batty, the toad is too dull, and warthogs are not quite right either.
Mitzi wants a companion who is spooky enough for a witch but also fun enough to share secrets with. Finding both turns out to be harder than she expected. Then, on a rainy night, a surprise at the door changes her search in a way she never planned.
Gentle rather than scary, Hoodwinked blends witchy fun, pet humor, and a sweet friendship story. It is a charming picture book for readers who like a little Halloween-style creepiness with a warm heart underneath.
6-8 Years
36 Pages
Mitzi loves creepy-crawly things, but Valentine’s Day is much too mushy for her taste. Hearts, sweetness, and lovey-dovey messages do not seem like the right sort of holiday for a witch and her kitten, Hoodwink.
Then Mitzi meets Spencer. He can wiggle his ears, hang upside down on the monkey bars, and do the kind of ridiculous things that make him hard to ignore. Suddenly, Valentine’s Day feels less dreadful and a lot more interesting. Mitzi wants to make a valentine, but finding the right message is trickier than casting a spell.
Funny, playful, and just a little bit spooky, My Creepy Valentine is a picture book about first crushes, friendship, and being yourself even when the holiday around you is all pink hearts and sweetness.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
Jeremy is six now, and six feels very different from five. When he was five, he imagined being an astronaut, a cowboy, or maybe both at once. Now he has new ideas, new favorites, and new ways of seeing himself.
As Jeremy looks back on the things he used to love and compares them with the things he loves now, young readers get a funny, thoughtful look at growing up one small step at a time. Some dreams change quickly. Some likes and dislikes shift from year to year. But friendship may be steadier than Jeremy expects.
Warm, simple, and easy to relate to, this picture book is a reassuring story for children who are beginning to notice how much they are changing while still holding on to the people who matter most.
6-8 Years
40 Pages
Sydney lives high above the city on the fifty-second floor, where the view is wonderful and the quiet is even better. Then the Kabooms move in upstairs.
The new neighbors walk loudly, talk loudly, and cha-cha-cha loudly every Saturday night. Sydney tries to be patient, but the noise keeps tumbling down from above. At last, she decides to visit the upstairs apartment and explain the problem herself. What she finds there is much bigger, louder, and more surprising than she expected.
The Hubbub Above is a lively picture book about apartment life, noisy neighbors, and discovering that a problem may look different once you meet the people behind it. With humor and warmth, Arthur Howard turns a city complaint into a story about understanding and community.
6-8 Years
40 Pages
Motor Mouse has deliveries to make, games to play, and stories to discover. In this second collection of three short adventures, his busy days bring him new problems that are just right for beginning readers.
A croquet game becomes complicated when winning no longer seems like the only goal. A broken car sends Motor Mouse onto a double-decker bus instead of his usual delivery route. Then a radio mystery story tempts him to rush ahead and find out what happens next. Each story is gentle, funny, and full of small choices that young readers will recognize.
With short chapters, expressive illustrations, and a friendly cast, Motor Mouse Delivers is a warm early chapter book about patience, friendship, curiosity, and everyday adventures that can turn out better than planned.
6-8 Years
76 Pages
Looking over the fence, Mr. Putter and his cat, Tabby, have always admired their neighbor's dog, Zeke, thinking he must be an absolute dream to walk. When their good friend Mrs. Teaberry unexpectedly injures her foot, Mr. Putter gallantly volunteers to take over Zeke's daily strolls for an entire week. You will quickly discover, right along with Mr. Putter, that appearances can be deceiving, and walking Zeke is far from a relaxing stroll in the park. Instead of trotting politely on his leash, this energetic dog turns into a completely unmanageable nightmare, pulling, tangling, and causing hilarious chaos down every single sidewalk. You will laugh as Mr. Putter desperately tries to wrangle the wild pup, learning a very exhausting lesson about canine behavior. This funny, relatable story highlights the unexpected challenges of doing a good deed and the surprising relief of returning to a quiet, predictable cat.
6-8 Years
36 Pages
Motor Mouse drives his little delivery car, visits friends, and finds adventure in the smallest turns of an ordinary day. This first Motor Mouse book brings together three friendly stories made for readers ready for short chapters.
In one story, a long-awaited Friday cake tradition runs into trouble when the Cake Shop is closed. In another, Motor Mouse decides to be a passenger for a change and takes a thoughtful look-about. At the movies, sharing popcorn with his brother becomes its own funny challenge.
Sweet, cozy, and gently humorous, Motor Mouse is an inviting early chapter book from Cynthia Rylant and Arthur Howard. Young readers will enjoy the expressive animal characters, everyday dilemmas, and warm friendship that make each story feel both simple and satisfying.
6-8 Years
68 Pages
Mr. Putter has always liked fish. Tabby likes them too, but in a much twitchier way. At the fish store, the bright little swimmers seem peaceful and pretty, so Mr. Putter brings three goldfish home.
At first, the new pets are a delight. Then Tabby cannot stop watching. Her whiskers tingle, her tail twitches, and the fishbowl becomes far too exciting for one fine old cat. Mr. Putter tries to help, but Tabby’s fish problem keeps getting bigger.
This gentle, funny early reader offers short chapters, warm illustrations, and a cozy problem that young readers can follow with confidence. Fans of pet stories will enjoy Mr. Putter’s patience, Tabby’s irresistible curiosity, and the kindhearted help of Mrs. Teaberry and Zeke.
6-8 Years
48 Pages
Grab your favorite blanket and get ready to jump into the mud. Bubba is a brand-new baby boy, and Beau is a brand-new puppy. Together, they are the very best of friends. They agree on all the most important things in life, like how wonderful it is to dig in the dirt and how completely terrible it is to take a bath. But when Mama Pearl decides that their beloved, stinky pink blanket needs to go in the washing machine, disaster strikes. Even worse, she decides that Bubba and Beau need to be washed, too. This hilarious, messy adventure captures the unbreakable bond between a child and his dog. You will giggle at their muddy mischief and root for these two stubborn pals as they face their greatest fear: soap and water.
6-8 Years
36 Pages
Mr. Putter is a quiet, elderly man who lives completely alone. While he enjoys his peaceful routines and taking care of his beautiful garden, he cannot help but feel a deep sense of loneliness. He realizes that what he really needs is some good company to share his days with. Deciding that a pet is the perfect solution, he heads out to find a furry friend. That is when he meets Tabby, an older shelter cat who is just as calm and gentle as he is. The two of them are a perfect match from the very start. Together, they discover the quiet joy of sharing afternoon tea, listening to the birds, and keeping each other company. This heartwarming introduction to a beloved series beautifully captures the gentle magic of finding a new friend when you need one the most.
6-8 Years
44 Pages
Kona the Labrador and Gwendolyn the hermit crab are having a wonderful time enjoying the heavy rains in Gooseberry Park. But the stormy weather soon brings unexpected trouble right to their doorstep. A tiny, lost bobcat kitten has been swept all the way down the mountain, completely separated from his family! When their brave friend Murray the bat swoops in to rescue the frightened cub, the animals realize they have a big problem to solve. To help the little bobcat find his way home, Kona and Murray must leave the safety of their beloved park and journey out into the great unknown. Along the way, they must find the courage to face the wild and prepare their hearts to say goodbye to their new feline friend.
6-8 Years
128 Pages
The holiday season is fast approaching, and Mr. Putter wants to do something incredibly special to show his appreciation for his wonderful neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry. Knowing how much she enjoys a good treat, he decides the perfect gift would be a light, airy, magnificent Christmas cake. With his trusty cat, Tabby, observing closely from the counter, Mr. Putter rolls up his sleeves and confidently tackles the recipe, assuming it will be an absolute breeze. You will soon see that baking a masterpiece is far more complicated than it appears on paper. From flour flying through the kitchen to unexpectedly dense layers, his culinary skills are put to the ultimate test. You will chuckle as this well-meaning gentleman navigates a series of sticky disasters in his quest to create the perfect dessert. This heartwarming tale proves that even when baked goods flop, the generous spirit behind the gift is what truly matters.
6-8 Years
44 Pages
Mr. Putter is an older gentleman who secretly harbors a deep love for toys, even though he knows he probably should have outgrown them by now. His faithful feline companion, Tabby, has a completely different opinion, especially when those toys are designed to zoom through the air. You will laugh out loud when Mr. Putter simply cannot resist bringing home a little radio-controlled biplane that promises real flying action. While he is absolutely thrilled to test out his new gadget in the backyard, Tabby is extremely suspicious of the noisy, unpredictable machine. As Mr. Putter tries to master the controls and get his little plane off the ground, you get to watch the hilarious chaos unfold. This charming adventure proves that you are never too old to find joy in a new toy, provided you can convince your cat to go along for the ride.
6-8 Years
44 Pages
Mr. Putter does not seem like the kind of man who needs a marathon. He cannot even touch his toes. But Mrs. Teaberry has signed him up for a seniors’ race, and the second-place prize is almost too wonderful to resist: a train set.
First prize may be golf clubs, but Mr. Putter has his eye on that train. With Tabby nearby and Mrs. Teaberry ready for action, he must figure out how to run just well enough. The trouble is, races have a way of surprising everyone, especially when a four-legged runner gets involved.
This warm and funny early reader gives young children short chapters, familiar characters, and a gentle sports story full of friendship and good humor. It is a cheerful pick for readers moving into beginning chapter books.
6-8 Years
44 Pages
Noodle is a worm having a bad day. He does not feel wonderful, impressive, or especially easy to like. Luckily, his friend Lou is nearby.
Lou is a bird, which might make him an unusual best friend for a worm. But Lou knows just what to say. With kindness, humor, and steady friendship, he helps Noodle see himself in a better light.
Noodle & Lou is a sweet, reassuring picture book about being liked exactly as you are. Its unlikely animal friendship gives young readers a simple but meaningful story about encouragement, self-doubt, and the comfort of a friend who sees your good parts even when you cannot.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
