Russell Hoban

Things are changing in the badger household, and Frances is not entirely sure she likes it. With the arrival of her new baby sister, everyone seems too busy to pay attention to Frances. Her parents are constantly occupied, and Frances is starting to feel completely left out of the family. Feeling unloved and ignored, she decides that the only solution is to pack her bags and run away from home. But Frances is smart, so she decides to run away just far enough to make her point without getting too scared. Tucked away under the dining room table, she waits to see if anyone will miss her. Join Frances as she navigates the big feelings of becoming an older sister in this tender and humorous tale.

Father has just survived a long, exhausting day at work. All he wants to do is sit down, put his feet up, and rest in peace. But when he opens his front door, he is greeted by absolute chaos. The children are fighting, everyone is scolding each other, and the house is in an uproar. Father demands to know who started the commotion. As he begins his investigation, the blame gets passed from one family member to the next. The dog blames the cat, the cat blames the children, and the finger-pointing never seems to end. Is it possible that everyone is a little bit to blame? This clever and heartwarming story captures the funny, frustrating, and wonderful reality of family life.

The Brute family truly lives up to their name. They eat sand and gravel for breakfast and dine on a bumpy stew of sticks and stones for dinner. Nobody in the family ever says please or thank you. Instead, they spend their days kicking, yelling, punching, and shoving. They are mean, grumpy, and completely miserable. But one day, everything changes. Baby Brute is wandering through a field of beautiful daisies when he makes an amazing discovery. He finds a little wandering lost good feeling. When he tucks this good feeling into his pocket and brings it home, the Brute family will never be the same again. Discover how one tiny moment of joy can transform a house full of grumps into a happy home.

An old ice pop stick lies discarded on the ground, sticky and alone. Its sweet days seem to be over until a young girl named Rosie gently picks it up and places it in her special cigar box. The other sticks in the box believe they are nothing without their ice pops, but this stick dreams of being something much greater. That night, Rosie watches her parents worry about unpaid bills. When she goes to sleep, magic and wishes collide. At the stroke of midnight, a magnificent horse named Stickerino gallops right out of the cigar box. He invites Rosie to hop on his back for a ride to find hidden treasure. Together, they fly over cities and jungles on a wild adventure to save the day.

Tomorrow is a very special day, but Frances the badger is not feeling very happy about it. It is her little sister Gloria's birthday. Frances thinks it is incredibly unfair that it always seems to be someone else's special day. She does not want to celebrate, and she certainly does not want to watch Gloria get all the attention. To make things even harder, the birthday present she bought for Gloria cost two whole allowances. As the party gets closer, Frances struggles with a big mix of jealousy and generosity. Can she find the birthday spirit and part with her hard-earned gift? Join Frances as she learns how to overcome her grumpy feelings and discovers the true joy of celebrating the people you love.

Charlie the Beaver does not want to grow up to be a regular beaver. He has absolutely no interest in chopping down trees, rolling heavy logs, or building muddy dams. Charlie wants to be a tramp. Tramps just wander around having fun, carrying their belongings in little bundles tied to sticks. They sleep under the bright stars and do odd jobs for their meals. So, Charlie packs his bundle and sets off to live a life of carefree adventure in the open fields. But when the moon comes up and he hears the sound of trickling water, Charlie discovers something surprising about himself. Can a beaver truly ignore his natural instincts to build? Find out what happens when Charlie realizes that being himself might be the best adventure of all.

Jim is lying in a hospital bed, and he is frightened. He is about to have a major operation, and he worries about being put to sleep. What if the doctors send him somewhere far away, and he cannot find his way back? A kind nurse named Bami tells him a secret to help him stay brave. She says that everyone has a finder, a special creature who will always come looking for you when you are lost. Jim just has to search his dreams to find his own. Deep in his sleep, a magnificent creature with glowing amber eyes appears. It is a fierce and powerful lion. When the time comes for his operation, Jim must trust his lion to protect him and guide him safely home.

John loves to draw monsters. He draws red monsters, scaly monsters, furry monsters, and even invisible monsters. He draws them all day long, and his parents are starting to get very worried about his strange obsession. Thinking he might need some help, they take John and his drawings to see the eminent Dr. Plunger. But the doctor is about to make a very startling discovery about just how realistic John's drawings actually are. When John begins sketching his biggest, most terrifying monster ever on a massive sheet of wrapping paper, the adults realize they might be in over their heads. Dive into this hilarious and surprising story where a wild imagination leaps right off the page and causes wonderful, monster-sized chaos.

Emmet Otter and his Ma live in a small, poor country cottage, but their home is filled with love. With Christmas just around the corner, they both secretly wish to give each other a truly special gift. Emmet dreams of buying his mother a beautiful piano, while Ma wants nothing more than to buy Emmet a new guitar. When the village announces a grand holiday talent contest with a fifty-dollar cash prize, both of them see a chance to make their Christmas wishes come true. They both enter the contest, hoping their musical talents will win the day. But as they compete, Emmet and Ma discover a much greater reward. Experience the magic of hope, sacrifice, and the enduring power of family in this heartwarming holiday classic.

Tom loves nothing more than fooling around. He drops things from bridges, plays with barrels in alleys, and generally causes a wonderfully joyful mess. But his fierce aunt, Miss Fidget Wonkham-Strong, takes absolutely no nonsense from anyone. Tired of Tom's constant playing, she calls upon the terrifying Captain Najork and his team of hired sportsmen to teach the boy a strict lesson. Captain Najork is seven feet tall with a voice like thunder, and he challenges Tom to intense games of womble, muck, and sneedball. It seems impossible for a young boy to defeat a crew of professional sportsmen. However, the Captain is about to find out that a boy who is an expert at fooling around might just have the perfect strategy to win it all.

Have you ever had a friend who always seems to get the better of you? Frances the badger is heading over to her friend Thelma's house for a very special tea party. Before she leaves, her mother warns her to be extra careful, because playing with Thelma usually means Frances ends up with the short end of the stick. Frances really wants a beautiful new china tea set with blue pictures. But somehow, smooth-talking Thelma convinces Frances to spend her savings on Thelma's old, plastic tea set instead. Worst of all, Thelma declares there are absolutely no backsies! When Frances realizes she has been tricked, she decides it is time to turn the tables. You will love seeing how Frances uses her clever wits to get the best of a bad bargain. Along the way, she teaches Thelma a very important lesson about honesty and what it really means to be a true friend.

Frances the badger is a very fussy eater. While the rest of her family enjoys all kinds of delicious meals, Frances only wants one thing. She loves bread and jam. She refuses to touch her squishy soft-boiled eggs at breakfast, and she quickly trades away her tasty chicken-salad sandwiches at school. Even boring veal cutlets make her turn up her nose in disgust. Frances would be perfectly happy eating nothing but bread and jam for every single meal. But her clever mother decides it is time to teach her a gentle lesson about trying new things. Find out what happens when a little badger gets exactly what she asks for in this funny and relatable story about picky eating and family meals.

Harvey the muskrat is convinced that his big sister Mildred is loudmouthed, bossy, and completely rotten. Mildred is just as sure that Harvey is selfish, inconsiderate, and no good. Because they are constantly arguing, they refuse to play together and spend their days feeling lonely and bored. When Mildred gets invited to a fun party where little brothers are strictly forbidden, Harvey decides to create his own fun. He builds a super secret club in a hidden hideout where big sisters are not allowed to enter. But as the afternoon drags on, Harvey realizes that sitting alone in a secret hideout is not very exciting. Watch what happens when a stubborn brother and sister discover that playing together is much better than being alone.

Arthur Crocodile has absolutely terrible table manners. He slurps his soup, plays with his food, and makes a gigantic mess at every single meal. His family tries everything they can to teach him how to eat politely, but Arthur just refuses to change his sloppy ways. However, everything shifts when his sister brings home a very special guest. Her charming new friend, Alberta, is coming over for dinner. Suddenly, Arthur wants to impress the lovely Alberta and realizes that his awful manners will simply not do. With dinner fast approaching, Arthur must scramble to learn proper etiquette before he completely embarrasses himself. Get ready to laugh out loud at this hilarious story about a messy crocodile trying his hardest to be polite.

Tom loves to fool around, and he is exceptionally good at it. His latest creation is a spectacular jam-powered two-seater frog. When he and his Aunt Bundlejoy Cosysweet take it out for a spin, they hop right past the window of the fearsome Captain Najork. The no-nonsense Captain is still fuming from his previous defeat at womble, muck, and sneedball. He immediately jumps into his own pedal-powered snake with his hired sportsmen to chase them down. This wild pursuit leads straight to the local girls boarding school, where an epic arm-wrestling contest is already underway. Get ready for a hilarious, jam-powered adventure filled with eccentric characters, sheer craziness, and lots of bouncing around.

Do you know Frances? She's a badger who loves her friends and knows how to have fun! But what happens when Albert, the badger next door, decides to have a boys-only baseball game with his friends? Frances and her sister, Gloria, are not about to sit around. They have a brilliant idea for their own 'Best Friends Outing -- No Boys'! This funny and warm story shows how Frances and Albert learn important lessons about what it truly means to be a good friend. Sometimes, people need a little reminder that playing together is much more fun than playing apart. Join Frances as she figures out how to make sure everyone feels included and discovers the best ways to enjoy time with your pals, even when things get a little tricky.

Tom is having a tough time with his best friend. Every time they play together, an argument breaks out, and it always ends in a fistfight. Worst of all, Tom loses every single one of those fights and comes home with a bloody nose. He feels frustrated, angry, and tired of constantly battling his buddy. Fortunately, Tom's wise father has some excellent advice to help him solve his problem. His father explains a clever idea about how every situation has two handles you can choose to grab onto. With a little bit of practice, Tom learns how to handle his temper and his friendship. Discover how one young boy learns to stop fighting and start playing again in this thoughtful and relatable story.

Jump in The clock says it is time for bed, but Frances the little badger is not ready to go to sleep. Her room is full of strange shadows, mysterious creaks, and unfamiliar shapes. Every time her father tucks her in and turns out the light, Frances finds a brand new reason to hop right back out of bed and trot down the hall. Why it pulls you in Going to sleep in a dark room can be tricky, and Frances has an incredibly active imagination. You will laugh as she convinces herself that a tiger is hiding in the corner or that a giant bug is on the floor. Her creative excuses for staying awake are hilarious and completely relatable. Who this is for This cozy, classic tale is perfect for anyone who has ever felt a little nervous when the lights go out. It provides a comforting, gentle reassurance that the dark is completely safe.