Books

I'm not sure what it is about this kid Duncan, but his crayons sure are a colorful bunch of characters! Having soothed the hurt feelings of one group who threatened to quit, Duncan now faces a whole new group of crayons asking to be rescued. From Maroon Crayon, who was lost beneath the sofa cushions and then broken in two after Dad sat on him; to poor Turquoise, whose head is now stuck to one of Duncan's stinky socks after they both ended up in the dryer together; to Pea Green, who knows darn well that no kid likes peas and who ran away—each and every crayon has a woeful tale to tell and a plea to be brought home to the crayon box.

Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: His crayons have had enough! They quit! Beige Crayon is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown Crayon. Black wants to be used for more than just outlining. Blue needs a break from coloring all those bodies of water. And Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking—each believes he is the true color of the sun.

BANG! CRACKLE! BOO! Just like there are lots of quiets, there are also lots of louds:

We woke up in the usual way, but it was not a usual day. Out on the lawn, plain as could be, stood an orange wishing tree. "I wish!" I said. "I wish!" said you. And so our double wishes grew. Wishes are a magical part of childhood. Whether we wish on stars or blow out candles on a cake, our dreams matter. Nancy Tillman captures the wonder of wishes as only she can, with love.

We’re not all the same. Thank goodness we’re not. Life would be boring, and I mean… a lot. And so, when we’re born, we’re supplied at the start with our own bells and whistles to set us apart. Think of your bells as the things you do best things tucked away in your own treasure chest. Part of growing up is discovering―and embracing―what makes us unique. From different abilities to different personalities, we are all wonderfully made with our own bells and whistles.

Old Man Fookwire's one pleasure in life is painting the birds in his backyard. When fall arrives and the birds fly south, Fookwire is desolate. The squirrels are curious: Where are the birds going, and what do they do once they get there? With their usual ingenuity and engineering skills, the squirrels devise a way to follow the birds to their destination, a tropical paradise.A wonderful time is had by all—all but grumpy Old Man Fookwire, alone at home. But the squirrels have a solution for that, too. Readers will revel in this third off-the-wall comedy featuring Old Man Fookwire, a lot of birds, and those darn squirrels.