Shen Roddie

Out in the dunes, a wild wind blew and the sands shivered. It made quivery sand waves and puffy little sandhills. With this lilting beginning, Roddie (Too Close Friends) launches a magical tale about imagination, creativity and responsibility. The mounds of shifting sand inspire Hare, a towering, dapper fellow in a red vest and floppy hat, to sculpt a bear. But the harried Hare doesn't take great pains with his art unlike Welsh artist Jones, whose golden-hued, finely textured acrylic show more paintings exude a meticulous sense of craftsmanship. I'd love to make you handsomer but it's hard work and I don't have all day, Hare says to his creation. He tosses sand about to fashion an approximation of an ursine body, pokes in a single strand of sandgrass for an arm and slaps on a piece of driftwood for the nose. Hare abandons the sand sculpture without another thought, but Sandbear shivers to life an eager-to-please gentle giant. When Sandbear proves he's willing to sacrifice himself to save his creator, Hare realizes there's more to what he's made than a moment's diversion. Jones depicts a tearful Hare devotedly recrafting Sandbear with the substantial features of a hero. A lovely, understated joy radiates from the final scene, in which the rejuvenated Sandbear piggybacks Hare into the woods for a picnic the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

When Hare spies a potential form in a sandhill, he is inspired to stop and sculpt a delightful "Sandbear." The artist is enthusiastic, but a bit careless in creating his friend. It's not clear why he's in such a rush, but he is, and he deems two short legs enough "for a bear who's not going anywhere" and a blade of grass sufficient for a hand. Little does Hare suspect that his creation has a mind of his own and will shuffle off to the woods to stay warm when the wind starts to blow. It is fortunate for Hare that he does, for Sandbear hears Hare's cries for help and sacrifices himself to save his friend. A regretful protagonist uses the same sand to create a new Sandbear, this time with strong arms for hugging; bigger, bright eyes for seeing; and a B-I-G mouth for sharing food on picnics. Jones's lovely paintings beautifully illustrate this charming story of friendship. Sandbear is a delightful, wistful, appealing creature who will enchant children and make them long for their very own sand friends. show less

This cute children's book follows the efforts of a mother hen as she tries to get her egg to hatch. In successive pages, she talks to it, cooks it spaghetti, knits it a warm woolly jacket, rocks it in a cradle, buries it in a hole and waters it, and finally falls asleep with it in exhaustion. Finally, the baby chick hatches and greets its mother. In a feature designed to delight, some of the pages have touchable textures (the wool sweater, the blanket) or movable parts (the spaghetti show more strands; mama's wing), the newly emerged chick jumps out of the last page as a pop-up. This book is especially suitable for pre-school children and those who are beginning their lifetime of reading. show less

Toes Are to Tickle takes the young reader through a series of what to do with common everyday things, people and body parts throughout the day. The delightful watercolor illustrations are shot through with movement and fun, a delight for young and old to share together. These silly and homey activities will spark lots of memories and stories.

This story is about bestfriends who spend most of their days together until privacy becomes nonexistent, and they no longer have their private time to themselves which drives a wedge between their friendship. A story that shows it is good to have a bestfriend, but everyone needs their "peace of mind" time to themselves as well. It is not always the best thing to know everything about someone. Overall, it is an entertaining story that I believe students will find enjoyable due to the funny show more moments such as when pig is eating a ton of donuts in its house and when Hippo is biting on its toenails. show less