Spring 2008 Newsletter

Spring 2008 ShoppeTALK

San Marino Toy and Book Shoppe

Picture Books for Spring Please note - most of the following titles have arrived...but a few will not be in available until March. Orders are welcome!

Welcome to Jon Scieszka’s Trucktown, a brand-new preschool/ kindergarten series that will come in more shapes, sizes, and formats than you can shake a bumper at. Award-winning artists David Shannon, Loren Long, and David Gordon combined their distinct styles to bring the world of Trucktown to life. It’s a world where all the characters are trucks, all the stories are action driven, and boys and girls can imagine themselves in all their crazy, loud, funny, creative, excited, full-throttle glory! It’s a world where we work at play, and we play at work... and no one’s afraid to get dirty or be LOUD! And it all kicks off with Smash! Crash! Best friends Jack and Dan are spending their day doing what they do best--smashing and crashing! All the while a strange shadow is following them around every corner... Who is this new addition to Trucktown? What does she want? Rhythmic, rollicking text will get kids’ motors running and horns honking with each refrain! This is a book that begs to be read again and again!
(Ages 3-7, $16.99)

Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser’s Fancy Nancy has taken America by storm, with not one, but deux (that’s the French word for two) #1 New York Times bestsellers. And now she’s back in an all new tale of frills, frou, and the fanciest of all things that flutter--butterflies…Fancy Nancy: Bonjour, Butterfly. Nancy thinks butterflies are exquisite (that’s a fancy word for beautiful). So of course she can’t wait for her best friend Bree’s Butterfly Birthday Bash. But when her mother tells her she can’t go because her grandparents’ unglamorous 50th wedding anniversary is the same day, Nancy is worse than upset. She is distraught. No beautiful garden, no fancy decorations, and worst of all, no butterflies. But for Nancy, things are never as bad as they first seem, and this glam girl learns that sometimes all it takes to feel fancy--and more importantly, special--is a little help from the ones who love you best, your family. (Ages 4+, $16.99)

From Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin is a fresh bill on Capitol Hill, Duck for President! Four score and seven years ago (well, actually, in 2004) Duck for President became an instant New York Times bestseller. This election season, Duck is making anotherrun for the White House with a reissue of this comic take on modern politics. With a 2008 book jacket featuring new art, children, parents, and politicos of all persuasions are chanting, “I like Duck.” Red state? Blue state? It hardly matters when Duck’s on the ballot! Our fellow Americans…It is our pleasure, our honor, our duty as citizens to present to you Duck for president in 2008. Here is a duck who began in a humble pond, who worked his way up to farmer, to governor, and now perhaps the highest office in the land. We say if he walks like a duck and talks like a duck, he will be the next president of the United States of America. Thank you for your vote. Duck is great for 2008! (All ages, $16.99)

Zen Ties by Jon Muth is the delightful companion to the Caldecott Honor Book, Zen Shorts. Summer has arrived --and so has Koo, Stillwater’s haiku-speaking young nephew. And when Stillwater encourages Koo, and his friends Addy, Michael, and Karl to help a grouchy old neighbor in need, their efforts are rewarded in unexpected ways. Zen Ties is a disarming story of compassion and friendship that reaffirms the importance of our ties to one another. Timeless wisdom for all ages! (4+, $17.99)

What holds more imaginative possibility than a cardboard box? A stick, of course! In this second book by Antoinette Portis--a New York Times bestselling author and Theodore Seuss Geisel honoree--a plain old stick leads to new worlds of play and wonder, where nothing is as ordinary as it seems. A stick is not just a stick: it’s a painter’s brush, a knight’s sword--and anything else you can dream up! Written and illustrated with the same spare simplicity that made Not a Box a hit, Not a Stick will inspire and delight any child who has ever journeyed into the world of make-believe. (Preschool+, $12.99)

WOW…DON’T MISS THIS!

There’s never before been a book like Rufus Butler Seder’s Gallop! Employing a patented new technology called Scanimation, each page is a marvel that brings animals, along with one shining star, to life with art that literally moves. It’s impossible not to flip the page, and flip it again, and again, and again. A first book of motion for kids, it shows a horse in full gallop and a turtle swimming up the page. A dog runs, a cat springs, an eagle soars, and a butterfly flutters. Created by Rufus Butler Seder, an inventor, artist, and filmmaker fascinated by antique optical toys, Scanimation is a state-of-the-art six-phase animation process that combines the “persistence of vision” principle with a striped acetate overlay to give the illusion of movement. It harkens back to the old magical days of the kinetoscope, and the effect is astonishing, like a Muybridge photo series springing into action—or, in terms kids can relate to, like a video without a screen. Complementing the art is a delightful rhyming text full of simple questions and fun, nonsense replies: Can you gallop like a horse? giddyup-a-loo! Can you strut like a rooster? cock-a-doodle-doo! Every child who opens the book will be amazed—and so will every parent.
(Ages 4+, $12.95)

Books for Easter Baskets

Come along and celebrate Easter with Biscuit in his latest touch-and-feel adventure Biscuit’s Pet & Play Easter by Alyssa Satin Capucilli. It’s a beautiful spring morning, and what could be better than joining everyone’s favorite yellow puppy on an Easter Egg hunt? Young readers can touch a fuzzy chick, a silky butterfly, and lots of shiny eggs as Biscuit hunts for Easter surprises. The perfect Easter treat for any Biscuit fan! (Ages 2+, $6.99)

What Kind of Rabbit Are YOU? by Liz Goulet Dubois features rabbits of all different colors, sizes and shapes! But even though they look different, children will see that they’re all the same on the inside! The adorable rabbits in the book are brought to life in a movable and three-dimensional style that preschoolers will love. (Ages 2+, $7.99)

Author Karen Katz introduces Where Are Baby’s Easter Eggs? It’s Easter, and Baby is looking for the Easter eggs--but where are they? Lift the flaps to reveal some sparkly surprises: Baby’s pretty Easter bonnet, fluffy bunnies, shiny jelly beans, and more! This springtime adventure is the perfect Easter treat! (Ages 2+, $6.99)

Last One in Is a Rotten Egg! finds Gilbert and Lola excitedly waiting for their cousin Wally’s visit just in time for the Easter egg hunt! But they soon learn how competitive Wally has become. He has to eat the fastest, be the first in line, and find the most eggs, no matter who gets hurt. How can Gilbert deal with such relentless rivalry? In this humorous and encouraging story by Diane deGroat, Gilbert--everyone’s favorite opossum--teaches Wally who the rotten egg really is! (Ages 3+, $15.99)

Books for Young Readers

In their first book for young readers, noted physicist Stephen Hawking and his daughter, Lucy Hawking, provide a grand and funny adventure that explains fascinating information about our universe, including Dr. Hawking’s latest ideas about black holes. George’s Secret Key to the Universe is the story of George, who’s taken through the vastness of space by a scientist, his daughter, and their super-intelligent computer named Cosmos. But what would happen if the wrong people got their hands on Cosmos? George and the others just can’t let that happen. Illustrated with Garry Parson’s line drawings, charts, and full-color photos of real images from space. A wondrous adventure that will clarify physics for young readers. (Ages 8+, $17.99)

	Unlike any reference series, the Insiders Series books deliver a visually stunning presentation that takes readers inside the action. Utilizing state-of-the-art CGI and 3-D model illustration, each breathtaking spread is complemented by the most up-to-date information in the field. Human Body: This is a multidimensional view of the human body like you’ve never seen it! Get a glimpse inside blood cells; examine systems from the inside out; and look at cross sections of the brains, muscles, and bones. Predators: From the Serengeti to the Amazon to the North Pole, this is an in-depth look at the food chain in action. Also available: *Knights and Castles, Volcanoes and Earthquakes, Dinosaurs, Egypt, Oceans, and Space*. (Ages 8-12, $16.99 each)

The Dragon’s Child is brought to life by Laurence Yep and his niece Kathleen Yep. Ten year old Gim Lew and his father cannot enter America unless they pass a series of grueling questions administered by strict officials at Angel Island, the Ellis Island of the West. Gim Lew worries they’ll be deported if he stutters or answers a question incorrectly. The poignant story about a young boy and the father he barely knows and their courageous journey to America is based on the real-life experiences of Newbery Honor author Laurence Yep’s father and grandfather, also Kathleen Yep’s grandfather and great-grandfather. It includes detailed back matter notes about Chinese American immigration and photos of the authors’ family and Angel Island. Laurence Yep wrote Dragonwings and Dragon’s Gate, both Newbery Honor Books. Dr. Kathleen Yep is an assistant professor of Asian American Studies and Sociology at Pitzer College in Claremont.
(Ages 8+, $15.99)

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball is the story of gifted athletes and determined owners; of racial discrimination and international sportsmanship; of fortunes won and lost; of triumphs and defeats on and off the field. It is a perfect mirror for the social and political history of black America in the first half of the twentieth century. Using an “Everyman” player as his narrator, Kadir Nelson tells the story of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920’s through its decline after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947. The voice is so authentic, you will feel as if you are sitting on dusty bleachers, listening intently to the memories of a man who has known the great ballplayers of that time and shared their experiences. But what makes this book so outstanding are the dozens of full-page and double-page oil paintings-breathtaking in their perspective, rich in emotion, and created with affection and understanding for these lost heroes of our national game. Foreword by Hank Aaron.
(Ages 8+, $18.99)

Lauren Child has outdone herself with a Clarice Bean novel that is the funniest and most poignant yet, Clarice Bean, Don’t Look Now. It’s the worry you hadn’t even thought to worry about that should worry you the most. At least that’s how it looks to Clarice Bean, who has been writing her worries in a notebook — things like Worry no. 1: infinity, or Worry no. 3: change. And now that her worst never-imagined worry has happened — her utterly best friend is moving away forever — Clarice doesn’t even care about her tickets to the Ruby Redfort, girl detective, movie premiere. That is, unless something happens to change things again. . . . Lauren Child’s trademark wit combines with spot-on insight in this hugely engaging story about childhood worries, unwanted changes, and finding friendships in the most surprising places.
(Ages 9-12, $15.99)

Meg Cabot, bestselling author of The Princess Diaries, All-American Girl, and How to Be Popular, makes her foray into books for middle-grade readers with Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls: Moving Day. When nine-year-old Allie Finkle’s parents announce that they are moving her and her brothers from their suburban split-level into an ancient Victorian in town, Allie’s sure her life is over. She’s not at all happy about having to give up her pretty pink wall-to-wall carpeting for creaky floorboards and creepy secret passageways-not to mention leaving her modern, state-of-the-art suburban school for a rundown, old-fashioned school just two blocks from her new house. With a room she’s half-scared to go into, the burden of being “the new girl,” and her old friends all a half-hour car ride away, how will Allie ever learn to fit in? Allie Finkle is instantly relatable, entirely original, and sure to be everyone’s favorite fourth grader! (Ages 9-12, $15.99)

Michael Reisman introduces us to Simon Bloom, the Gravity Keeper… what would you do if you could control the universe? Sixth-grader Simon Bloom can’t believe his luck when he finds a book that enables him to control the laws of physics. By simply reciting the formulas it contains, he can cancel gravity to fly around his bedroom, or decrease friction so he can slide down the street as if he were on Rollerblades. When two thugs with evil intentions come after Simon, he must use the formulas to save himself and the book from falling into their hands. This funny, fast, and imaginative novel from first-time author Michael Reisman will appeal to fans of both fantasy and action adventure. (Ages 9+, $15.99)

The Time Thief, Book Two in the Gideon Trilogy by Linda Buckley-Archer has arrived! What happens when a seventeenth-century bad guy has twenty-first-century technology? An accident with an antigravity machine catapulted Peter Schock and Kate Dyer back to 1763. A bungled rescue attempt leaves Peter stranded in the eighteenth century while a terrifying villain, the Tar Man, takes his place and explodes onto twenty-first-century London. Concerned about the potentially catastrophic effects of time travel, the NASA scientists responsible for the situation question whether it is right to rescue Peter. Kate decides to take matters into her own hands, but things don’t go as planned. Soon the physical effects of time travel begin to have a disturbing effect on her. Meanwhile, in our century, the Tar Man wreaks havoc in a city whose police force is powerless to stop him. Set against a backdrop of contemporary London and revolutionary France, The Time Thief is the sequel to the acclaimed The Time Travelers.
(Ages 9+, $17.99)

Ranger’s Apprentice: The Battle for Skandia (Book Four) from John Flanagan continues the battles and drama of this hugely popular epic. Still far from their homeland after escaping slavery in the icebound land of Skandia, Will and Evanlyn’s plans to return to Araluen are spoiled when Evanlyn is taken captive by a Temujai warrior. Though still weakened by the warmweed’s toxic effects, Will employs his Ranger training to locate his friend, but an enemy scouting party has him fatally outnumbered. Will is certain death is close at hand, until Halt and Horace make a daring, last-minute rescue. The reunion is cut short, however, when Halt makes a horrifying discovery: Skandia’s borders have been breached by the entire Temujai army. And Araluen is next in their sights. If two kingdoms are to be saved, an unlikely union must be made. Will it hold long enough to vanquish a ruthless new enemy? Or will past tensions spell doom for all? (Ages 10+, $16.99)

April is Poetry Month!

Learn to write poetry with the nation’s first Children’s Poet Laureate Jack Prelutsky in Pizza, Pigs, and Poetry: How to Write a Poem. Jack Prelutsky has been playing with words, tickling sentences, and reveling in rhymes for more than thirty years. In this anecdotal, informative, lively, and funny book he shares his writing tips for kids of all ages. Want to write a poem but not sure how to start? Been writing poems for years and want to add a little spit and polish? Looking for poetry exercises, ideas, projects, and pointers for the classroom? Then this book is for you. Prelutsky has dedicated his adult life to proving that poetry is an irresistible, many-flavored feast with room at the table for everyone. Come join the party! (Ages 7+, $16.99/$5.99)

There are more than 100 new poems and pictures in My Dog May Be a Genius by Jack Prelutsky with illustrations from James Stevenson. Prelutsky and Stevenson have been called the reigning czars of silliness, poetry’s bad boys, partners in crime, goofballs…and they are back! So get ready for more poems of wordplay, poems of shape play, poems to make you laugh and laugh and laugh. There is still some doubt about the dog…but Jack and James are--certifiably--geniuses! Don’t miss the fun!
(Ages 5+, $18.99)

Books for All Ages

Return to Fairyopolis: The Search for the Flower Fairies…Ten years after her first encounter at Fairyopolis, Cicely Mary Barker’s young charge, Dulcie, is now a teenager--and her belief in the Flower Fairies is beginning to waver. That is until a journey to the countryside begins to melt her doubt. Investigation, research, and correspondence with her friend (and still a believer) Cicely Mary Barker--along with fairy magic--leads her back to Fairyopolis! With stunning pop-ups, lift-the-flaps, postcards, maps, glitter and more on every page, this book brings all the fairy magic alive again! (Ages 9+, $19.99)

The Daring Book for Girls by Andrea Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz (companion to the bestseller The Dangerous Book for Boys) is the manual for everything that girls need to know—and that doesn’t mean sewing buttonholes! Whether it’s female heroes in history, secret note-passing skills, science projects, friendship bracelets, double dutch, cats cradle, the perfect cartwheel or the eternal mystery of what boys are thinking, this book has it all. But it’s not just a guide to giggling at sleepovers—although that’s included, of course! Whether readers consider themselves tomboys, girly-girls, or a little bit of both, this book is every girl’s invitation to adventure. (Ages 9+, $24.95)

The Search for the Red Dragon: Book Two in the Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica by James Owen has just arrived! It has been nine years since John, Jack, and Charles had their great adventure in the Archipelago of Dreams and became the Caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica. Now they have been brought together again to solve a mystery: Someone is kidnapping the children of the Archipelago. And their only clue is a mysterious message delivered by a strange girl with artificial wings: “The Crusade has begun.” Worse, they discover that all of the legendary Dragonships have disappeared as well. The only chance they have to save the world from a centuries-old plot is to seek out the last of the Dragonships -- the Red Dragon -- in a spectacular journey that takes them from Sir James Barrie’s Kensington Gardens to the Underneath of the Greek Titans of myth. With friends both familiar and new, they will travel through an extraordinary landscape where history, myth, and fable blend together to tell the oldest story in the world. And along the way, the Caretakers of the Geographica will discover that great deeds alone do not make heroes, and that growing up may be unavoidable...but growing old doesn’t have to be.
(Young adult, $17.99)

The McElderry Book of Greek Myths is the latest addition to other classic collections from prestigious Margaret K. McElderry Books. Walk among the gods and goddesses, men and monsters, in this enchanting volume of classic Greek myths! Here are twelve of the most beloved legends of Greek mythology, from Pandora and her dreaded box to Icarus with his wings of wax, and, of course, that greedy, gold-fingered King Midas. Vibrant art adds a fresh twist to this collection, giving today’s readers their own version of these timeless tales. Eric A. Kimmel brings these adventures to life with language that is colloquial and easy to read. Pep Monserrat breathes beautiful modern colors and style into his paintings, even as he reinvents images from classical antiquity. Together they’ve created a masterpiece of mythology, perfect for young readers.
(Ages 9+, $21.99)

A Caldecott Celebration: Seven Artists and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal…step into the studios of seven acclaimed illustrators and see how their Caldecott Medal winning books were created. Children’s book lovers of all ages will not want to miss this unique behind the scenes tour spanning seventy years of picture book illustration history. To celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the Caldecott Medal and another decade of award-winning picture books, noted children’s book historian Leonard S. Marcus has updated this absorbing and informative picture of the world’s most prestigious illustration award and seven of its acclaimed winners: Robert McCloskey, Marcia Brown, Maurice Sendak, William Steig, Chris Van Allsburg, David Wiesner, and now Mordicai Gerstein. Along with a newly added preface and an introduction that provides a historical perspective on the origins of the award, Marcus takes us into the studios and behind the drawing boards of these seven noteworthy artists, each representing a decade of the award’s history. Through personal anecdotes and glimpses of their prize-winning books and works in progress—from doodles to sketches to dummies to finished art—readers will find out how their favorite picture books were imagined and created. The artists reveal their inspirations, work processes, and private reactions to receiving this unparalleled honor. A Caldecott Celebration illuminates the creative process while applauding the talents of the creators themselves. Complete with an up-to-date list of winners, this essential book belongs on the bookshelf of every teacher, parent, child, or book collector who has ever been dazzled by the art of children’s book illustration or has aspired to create original work of his or her own. (All ages, $19.95)

Antony Mason and John T. Spike have compiled a sweeping overview of Western art history with A History of Western Art: From Prehistory to the 20th Century. Spanning cave paintings to Leonardo da Vinci to Andy Warhol, this comprehensive book brings the world of art alive. In these pages, explore the art and architecture of ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome through to early Christian, Byzantine, and medieval times, and also discover a wide array of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque masterpieces. The book then discusses Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Impressionism, Postimpressionism, and Modernism, up to the art of the late 20th century. Filled with paintings, sculpture, mosaics, and architecture by such renowned artists as Paolo Uccello, Jan Van Eyck, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Thomas Gainsborough, Francisco Goya, J.M.W. Turner, Claude Monet, Auguste Rodin, Edward Hopper, Jackson Pollock, David Hockney, and Andy Warhol, this book offers a marvelous look at the rich and varied art of the Western world. With more than 250 full-color reproductions of artworks, details, photographs, and documents, A History of Western Art is an essential tool for the home as well as the classroom.
(All ages, $22.50)