Madeline Finn and the Therapy Dog
Written and illustrated by Lisa Papp

“I love all the Madeline Finn books for so many reasons. Madeline is a sweet, lovable, authentic girl whose challenges make her genuine and sympathetic. I love the way she talks to herself and her dog Star. I also love what appears to be a single mom raising a little girl on her own who is very present and surrounds herself with strong adult role models. Even though reading is a challenge for Madeline, books play an important part in her life. Mrs. Dimple, the librarian, introduces her to the love and compassion of animals which in turn helps her to read. In this third book Madeline is training her puppy to be a therapy dog and after Star passes the test she begins her job in a elderly care facility. Star makes friends with everyone but Mr. Humphrey. Madeline is sad that Star can’t make him happy and decides that next time they will just sit and read him a book. The book shows us that ‘showing up’ and being kind really do make a difference. The story is full of love and compassion and holds strong messages for both adults and children. This book exemplifies how important it is to treat one another with respect, dignity and patience.” — Ruth Hook, RAH Sales & Marketing

Life in a Frozen World: Wildlife of Antarctica
Written by Mary Batten
Illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez

“I’m not a traditional naturalist. But I do have a love for nature shows like Blue Planet. I can watch the episodes over and over again without ever getting bored. Life in a Frozen World reminds me of nature shows like Blue Planet, and when I read it, I can almost hear Sir David Attenborough’s voice narrating. The art by Tom Gonzalez transplants you to the antarctic. I hope both kids and adults, whether they are nature-philes or not, would want to turn the pages of this book over and over again to get a glimpse at a world that we may never visit. There’s a lot of information and detail in this book that should inspire young environmentalists.” —Farah Gehy, Peachtree Subsidiary Rights Director and Special Sales Manager

Eek!: A Noisy Journey from A to Z
Written by Julie Larios
Illustrated by Julie Paschkis

Mr. Penguin and the Catastrophic Cruise
Written and illustrated by Alex T. Smith

“A new Mr. Penguin book is always cause for celebration in my house, and so we were thrilled when the third book in the series arrived! My son loves the wacky adventures of Mr. Penguin and especially his kung fu fighting spider friend, Colin. Alex Smith does wonders with his books, making these so much fun. You can’t help but acquire a jaunty British air while you are reading it. The ‘bad guys’ in the books are always a fun surprise for my son and it usually elicits a lot of discussions. This is that rare book that both parents and kids can enjoy together, and what’s better is that now there are three of them!” — Maureen Karb, Como Sales

Arlo the Lion Who Couldn’t Sleep
Written and illustrated by Catherine Rayner

“I was completely charmed by Arlo the Lion Who Couldn’t Sleep. Beautiful unconventional art and soothing lyrical text make for one gorgeous picture book. I sure wish I’d had this book when my niece was a toddler. And it’s a good time in history for soothing books.” — Frazer Dobson, Como Sales

“One of my favorite books of the season! With beautiful, sophisticated illustrations and themes of compassion, friendship and cooperation, all of which are employed to help build the story, this is a book that even as these themes become apparent it never lets you forget where it is heading – to bedtime and sleep. Subtle hints for helping children call it a day are seamlessly fused into the story, and deftly supported by its calming imagery, prose, and elements of song.” — Tom Bowen, Fujii Associates

The Candy Mafia
Written by Lavie Tidhar
Illustrated by Daniel Duncan

“Small town anywhere, could be your town, could be mine. Is the story true? Who knows? But one day every bit of candy was banned by the coconuts in charge. That’s when everything changed, see, and not for the better. The gangs, led by the toughest adolescents you’ll ever meet, went to work cornering the candy market. And that’s where she comes in. That’s right, Nelle Faulkner, a pre-teen dame detective with a nose for sweets and an eye for trouble.

With tongue firmly planted in cheek author Lavie Tidhar has written a book worthy of the best noir. Complete with characters ranging from the Sweetie Pies to Waffles McKenzie, from corrupt cops to bungling officials and a mystery wrapped in a riddle, our heroine, the young Nelle Faulkner, is a gumshoe with gumption, a babe with backbone and a minor with moxie. This one had me laughing at the first page and by the end I was enjoying working out the mystery and riddles right along with Nelle.” — Eileen Bertelli, Parson Weems Publisher Services