Picture Books
Play With Puppy
In the fourth book in Steven’s “Growing with Family” series, he captures a child’s longing for a pet and introduces the realities of owning one. Brother is excited to get his new puppy, but he soon tires of Puppy’s boundless energy. Sick and tired of everyone telling him to “play with Puppy,” Brother tells Puppy to go away! What will he do when Puppy really disappears? Ard Hoyt’s playful illustrations provide a hilarious look at Puppy’s antics page after page. This story is sure to be a hit with the fans of this picture book series!
Stay With Sister
When a precocious little sister joins his family, the furry hero from Love the Babyand Share with Brother relies on his history of next-to-sterling success in managing sibling relationships to assure him that he will be a lot of help. But who knew? "Sister talks all the time, and she plays with boring toys!" And little sisters can easily become hurt, afraid, or even lost-especially if they have a tendency to wander. Fortunately, Mommy, Daddy, and even Nana all know just the right rabbit for such an important supervisory role, and "stay with Sister," becomes the family mantra. The question is . . . could "stay with Sister" turn into "play with Sister?" Maybe. As long as nobody finds out!
W Is For Windy City
Welcome to the Windy City - America's beloved Chicago! From the visuals at the Art Institute to traveling the Loop on the "El" train, the opportunities are endless. Clever poems and accompanying exposition provide little-known details as well as in-depth facts about Illinois' largest city. Whether you are a Chicagoan or a visitor, W is for Windy City will leave you not only entertained, but also impressed with all that this dynamic city has to offer.
Share With Brother
The floppy-eared protagonist from Love the Baby is back, and his troubles are mounting! Family
members have assured him that his little brother will be lots of fun now that he's getting
older, but nobody said anything about sharing...and sharing with brother isn't as easy as
everyone thinks. In fact, it's enough to make our furry hero completely lose his cool.
But when brother becomes sick and perhaps even lonely, his older sibling races to the
rescue. Along the way, he learns just how good it feels to give-and that sometimes
sharing comes with a catch!
Teachers' Night Before Halloween
Halloween and the traditional school festivities that accompany it are beloved by students and
dreaded by teachers, and in Steven Layne and Ard Hoyt's newest picture book collaboration the
decision to start the festivities a day early seems entirely appropriate to the students!
While the classroom teachers are breaking up tiara-trade rings in the girls' bathroom and
managing laser sword fights in fourth grade, the art teacher is preparing to unveil her plan
for the faculty to dress as giant credit cards for the Halloween parade! There's no end to
the hilarity as Layne and Hoyt bring every teacher's greatest nightmare to life with an
unexpected ending that's truly a tasty and satisfying treat.
Number 1 Teacher
Number One Teacher: A School Counting Book is the companion to the 2005 award-winning title
T is for Teachers: A School Alphabet. Written in a two-tiered format with rhyming text for
beginning readers and detailed exposition for older students, Number One Teacher both shows
and tells readers about the two geographic poles, the three states of matter, gold rush fever
and the 49ers, as well as the beloved 100th day of school! Steve and Debbie Layne's winning
combination of poetry and prose is something their fans have learned to count on, and this
title is no exception. Illustrator Doris Ettlinger's vibrant watercolor paintings serve
as a perfect backdrop.
P Is For Princess: A Royal Alphabet
From Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty to the wisdom of King Ulysses, will it be fact or fiction that
piques your interest? Any reader, royal or not, is sure to enjoy turning the pages of this alphabetic
journey while traveling through time and around the world. Perrault's famous characters, Princess Diana,
and King Arthur's knights are explained and illustrated in all of their glory!
Love the Baby
When Baby arrives on the scene, the new big
brother's transition from only child to sibling
is not an easy one. As he pretends to do what
family and friends are all suggesting - love the
baby - his misery mounts! But when baby needs
a hero in the night, big brother saves the day
and discovers, to his great surprise, that he really
does love the baby after all.
Preacher's Night Before Christmas
It is a chaotic Christmas Eve at Spring Lane Creek Church when plans for the perfect
Christmas Eve service fall to pieces. From the last-minute casting of a new baby
Jesus to the unpopular choir robes mandated by the choir director -- everyone's in a
tizzy! The tension escalates when the copy machine breaks down before the programs
can be printed. Then, a little "heaven-sent helper" shows up -- in a red suit
and just in time to help Pastor McDougall and company reflect upon the true reason for
the season. Continuing the tradition of Pelican Publishing Company's signature
Night Before Christmas Series,
Steven L. Layne uses humor to effectively send a sincere message
that reminds us all of what Christmas truly means.
T is for Teachers: A School Alphabet
Now students of every age can get a first-rate education from behind the scenes
of a place they spend plenty of time – SCHOOL! Written in a two-tier format with
rhyming text for beginning readers and detailed expository text for older
students, T is for Teachers provides a guided A-Z tour through
a school day. Every person involved in making a school run efficiently is
included and honored in this beautifully illustrated picture book.
Husband-and-wife writing team Steve and Debbie Layne make learning about
school as easy as A-B-C in their first joint effort in publishing!
2006 Learning Magazine Teachers' Choice Award
Over Land and Sea: A Story of Interational Adoption
Driven by love, nourished by hope, and sustained by faith,
thousands of families travel over land and sea each year to adopt children
internationally. This timeless story transcends geographical and cultural boundaries
and portrays the enchantment that accompanies the welcoming of a new family member.
The diversity of children from all over the world is visible with every turn of
the page in this heartwarming tale that reminds readers that we are all more alike
than different.
Inspired by personal experience, Steven L. Layne's gentle verse combines with Jan Bower's captivating oil portraits to create an excellent story for reading aloud as well as a powerful remembrance for those who have traversed the miles and experienced the wonder of international adoption for themselves.
The Principal's Night Before Christmas
This humorous companion to The Teachers?
Night Before Christmas finds
Santa making yet another stop in his flying school bus on Christmas Eve!
Having just left the teachers at the mall, Santa finds the light on
inside a school building and stops by to find poor Principal Swell
completely overwrought. He?s got state testing forms to fill out,
bus routes to unknot, discipline problems to handle, crazed parents
to manage, and broken equipment to get fixed for his teachers!
Santa, though, has a way of putting things in perspective with
a few observations of his own. The same mixture of humor and heart that
made Layne's first seasonal picture book both an award-winner and a
bestseller can be found in this holiday tale as well. The story will
make principal?s smile, but it?s a must for every teacher?s classroom
as well - because they all know there's
nothing funnier than the truth!
Thomas's Sheep and the Spectacular Science Project
Thomas's zany sheep are at it again in this companion to Steve's
first picture book. This time, Thomas's friends travel the solar
system to help him learn enough to prepare a Spectacular Science
Project for his teacher, Mr. Lunar. Join the fabulous foursome as
they take readers on another hysterical journey, visiting every
planet in the galaxy before returning home. A nonfiction fact
about each planet is blended into this hilarious fictional tale
and the artwork, produced digitally, washes the pages in wonderful
colors and heightens the antics of Thomas's
Sheep . . . on the loose once more!
My Brother Dan's Delicious
This tasty tale offers young readers a marvelous suggestion
for dealing with those hungry monsters drooling with anticipation
underneath the bed - offer up your older sibling as the
late-night snack! When Joey is left home alone for the first
time, he senses the presence of something smacking its slithery
lips in the closet, he hears a great stomach growling underneath
the bed, and he sees a giant shadow lurking just outside on the
back porch. All of these things can only mean that there's a
monster on the lookout for a magnificent meal! What will this
precocious boy (voted most interesting show-and-tell speaker for
three years running) do to stay off of the monster's dinner plate?
2004 IRA/CBC Children's Choice Title
Other Formats: Unabridged Audio Book
The Teachers' Night Before Christmas
Nothing compares to the excitement of children as Christmas
approaches. Imagine the havoc in classrooms across the country
on the last days of school before the holiday! This twist on the
Christmas classic will delight teachers and students everywhere.
The traditional trappings of school - the Christmas pageant, a
visit to the local nursing home, holiday crafts, and the room
mothers' party - all end in chaos, while the teachers struggle
to maintain order, and after school, get their own shopping
done. In a whimsical touch, Santa Claus appears to present a
solution to all teachers' Christmas woes.
2002 - IRA/CBC Children's Choice Title
Thomas's Sheep and the Great Geography Test
A little boy named Thomas and his unusual sheep take a whirlwind
trip around the world in this story. Anxious about his teacher's
Great Geography Test tomorrow, Thomas has trouble sleeping. He
tries and tries, but he just cannot fall asleep. In come the
sheep to the rescue! They help Thomas prepare for the big test
by traveling to countries around the globe. Mischief follows
this crazy crew as they see the world from A to Z, doing
everything from acting in Australia to zigzagging through Zimbabwe
in this alphabet book adventure.
