Humorous Nature

Princess Harriet Hamsterbone is not the kind of princess who enjoys fancy dresses or extravagant parties. Cliff-diving, fractions, and whacking people with swords are more her thing. So when she's forced to attend a boring ball in honor of a visiting ambassador, Harriet is less than thrilled - until a bewitchingly beautiful stranger arrives. Who is she? And where did she come from? The mystery leads to a not-so-wicked stepsister, an incontinent lizard, and a fairy's spell that's really more of a curse. Luckily, Harriet knows a thing or two about curses.

Few writers have attempted to explore the natural history of a particular animal by adopting the animal's own sensibility. But Verlyn Klinkenborg, with his deeply empathetic relation to the world around him, has done just that, and done it brilliantly, in Timothy; or Notes of an Abject Reptile.

Ra the Mighty is Pharaoh's Cat, Lord of the Powerful Paw. He is not Ra the Royal Babysitter. How's a cat supposed to fit in all his snacks and naps when his charges keep getting into mischief? Ra's new job only gets harder on a voyage up the Nile, leading to a fearsome palace where crocodiles swarm the waters. Then Pharaoh's son disappears. Has he run away? Has he been eaten by crocodiles? Has he been kidnapped, or worse? Ra and his fellow Great Detectives, Khepri and Miu, set out to discover the truth, but the palace is home to many secrets.

You can learn a lot about life by observing another species. That's what Humphrey was told when he was first brought to Room 26. And boy, is it true! In addition to having FUN-FUN-FUN in class, each weekend this amazing hamster gets to sleep over with a different student, like Lower-Your-Voice-A.J. and Speak-Up-Sayeh. Soon Humphrey learns to read, write, and even shoot rubber bands (only in self-defense, of course). With lots of friends to help, adventures to enjoy, and a cage with a lock-that-doesn't-lock, Humphrey's life is almost perfect. If only the teacher wasn't out to get him!

When Tom rescued Frankie the goldfish from his older brother's evil science experiment by zapping him back to life with a battery, he never expected his pet to become a big fat zombie goldfish with incredible hypnotic powers. But it's helpful when they are thwarting his big brother's evil plans. Tom and Pradeep are about to find out the truth behind the ancient Egyptian curse of the Cat King when their evil big brothers crash their overnight stay at the history museum.

Hank's in double trouble! Hank conducts defensive maneuvers against an attacking silver monster bird. But the trouble really begins when Hank is stricken with a terrible case of "Eye-Croserosis". Can he find a cure? Will the mysterious Madame Moonshine be able to help him? Hank's job is at stake!

When Tom zapped Frankie the goldfish back to life with a battery, he certainly didn't expect him to become a Big Fat Zombie Goldfish with incredible hypnotic powers. But it turns out that a zombie goldfish is a great pet to have on your side when your big brother is an evil scientist whose plans need to be thwarted. There's something fishy going on in the woods, as Tom and his best friend Pradeep take Frankie on a camping adventure. Could the Beast of Burdock Woods be real?

There's been a brutal murder on the ranch, and it's up to Hank the Cowdog, Head of Ranch Security, to conduct the investigation. The only problem is no one's talking. After a dangerous fact-finding mission, Hank thinks he knows who the guilty party is.

W. H. Beck's highly anticipated debut promises to delight young listeners with an imaginative tale about a rat who refuses to be judged by his appearance. Malcolm the rat loves the attention he gets as a pet at McKenna School. That' s where he meets the Midnight Academy, a secret society of classroom pets who've pledged to keep the students safe. The trouble is, rats have a bad reputation, so when their iguana leader is kidnapped, the Academy suspects Malcolm.

From rags to riches...When Pete the Barncat offers to trade good, juicy steak scraps for a couple of old corncobs, Hank the Cowdog smells a rat. Why would Pete want to trade - unless the cobs are worth a fortune? So, armed with his Incredible PricelessCorncobs, Hank sets out to plan his Early Retirement. But retirement and the life of luxury don't come as easily as Hank expects. It seems as though everyone is after his treasure - even his faithful sidekick, Drover!

Love doesn't come easy. Duped by Drover, mocked by Pete the Barncat, and busted yet again by Sally May, the Head of Ranch Security decides it's time for a break from the grueling daily grind. Heading into the wild outback, Hank goes in search of his true love, the charming Miss Beulah.

Most monsters know better than to mess with Princess Harriet Hamsterbone. She's a fearsome warrior, an accomplished jouster, and is so convincing that she once converted a beastly Ogrecat to vegetarianism. So why would a pack of weasel-wolf monsters come to her for help? Well, there's something downright spooky going on in the forest where they live, and it all centers around a mysterious girl in a red cape. No one knows better than Harriet that little girls aren't always sweet. Luckily, there's no problem too big or bad for this princess to solve.

Waylon has lots of ideas for making life more awesome through science, like teleportation, human gills, and attracting cupcakes by controlling gravity. But it's impossible for him to concentrate on his inventions when he's experiencing his own personal big bang.

In this infectious rhyming book, Baby Llama turns bedtime into an all-out llama drama! Tucked into bed by his mama, Baby Llama immediately starts worrying when she goes downstairs, and his soft whimpers turn to hollers when she doesn't come right back. But just in time, Mama returns to set things right. Children will relate to Baby Llama's need for comfort, as much as parents will appreciate Mama Llama's reassuring message.

You think you know the story of "Three Billy Goats Gruff"? You're in for a surprise. The troll SAID he wanted to gobble up the billy goats, but what's the real story behind his stomps and roars? A classic fairy tale gets a trip-trapping twist as the troll tells all.

This is my last chance to show my epic evil awesomeness and prove to everyone at Camp Mwhaaa-haa-ha-a-watha that I totally deserve the Evil Emperor of the Week crown! Luckily, this week's Evil Celebrity Judge is Dr. Cyberbyte (the Evil Cybernetic Mega Millionaire Inventor), who just gave an interview in Evil Scientist Magazine about his plan to make sure every evil scientist has an evil sidekick pet!

The stubbornly hilarious Lulu has decided it's time to buckle down and earn some cash. How else can she save up enough money to buy the very special thing that she is ALWAYS and FOREVER going to want? After some failed attempts at lucrative gigs (baking cookies, spying, reading to old people), dog walking seems like a sensible choice. But Brutus, Pookie, and Cordelia are not interested in making the job easy.

It's springtime, and Mr. Putter wants to paint his porch. He gets a bucket of pink paint and a big brush. Tabby keeps the paint rags from blowing away. All goes well until a squirrel jumps onto the porch railing. Creations of Newbery Medal-winning author Cynthia Rylant, Mr. Putter and Tabby are both funny and endearing. Young readers will want to listen to their adventures again and again.

Everyone loves Drover, Hank's trusty sidekick. But have you ever wondered what the little, white, stub-tailed dog's life was like before he came to the ranch? Well, it's all here, in Drover's own words. Scratching his story out in the dirt on the machine shed floor, Drover comes clean about his secret life--from his early days as runt of the litter, to his frustrating search for a job, to his ultimate position as Hank's right-paw man.

Dave Pigeon is BACK! And so is his side-kick Skipper. But trouble is afoot. When their Human Lady leaves to go on a 'holiday' (whatever that is), Dave and Skipper are horrified to find that their food supply quickly runs dry. With delicious biscuits on their minds, they set off in search of a new owner—but is Reginald Grimster all he seems? Why is he so keen on feeding them? And why does he have so many books about cooking . . .?