Janet's Four Favorite Gift Ideas and One Book, of Course

Traditional Japanese Origami by Nick Robinson (Rockpoint, $15.99)
This set includes seventy pieces of exceptional origami paper and an instruction book housed in a beautiful cover. (A variety of other origami sets are also available at the store.)

The Saggy Baggy Elephant by Yottoy ($14.99) with The Saggy Baggy Elephant by K & B Jackson (Golden Books, $3.99)
Classic children's books accompanied by plush main characters often bring the story alive for young and older readers. Our collection of plush ranges from classics to modern favorites.

Left Right Ergonomic Crayons (International Arrivals, $7.95)
Perfect for little grips with either hand, this crayon set is non-toxic, erasable, and eco- friendly. This year, we have a large variety of drawing, coloring and painting sets along with both children's and adult coloring books.

Feathers Gilded Journal by Margaret Berg (Blink, $14.99)
From the whimsical to the simple and practical, journals make a great gift for the writer, the artist, the scribbler in all of us.

Dusk by Uri Shulevitz (Farrar Straus Girooux, $17.99)
One storybook that points the reader to all the lights of the winter festival.

Janet Elfant, December 2015

Janet's Five Ways to Color

For those of us who love to color or have never colored or simply want to try a great way to relax, ADULT COLORING BOOKS HAVE ARRIVED. Here are five of my favorites:



Vive Le Color India Coloring Book by Marabout (Abrams, $9.95)

Mandala Designs (Peter Pauper Press, $7.99)

Color Me Stress-Free by Lacy Muchlow (Race Point, $16.99)

The Art of Nature Coloring Book (Adams Media, $14.99)

Zen Doodle Coloring Book by Kristy Colin (North Light Books, $14.99)

ENJOY!                 

Janet Elfant, November 2015

Janet's Five Choices for Juneteenth, Father's Day, and Rhinoceroses

• 150th anniversary of Juneteenth: Friday, June 19, 2015
• Father's Day: Sunday, June 21, 2015
• Rhinoceroses...are for every day?

Slavery in Philadelphia by Phillip Seitz (Create Space, $16.00)

The Rebellious Life of Rosa Parks by Jeanne Theoharis (Beacon Press, $17.50)

The Barefoot Book of Father and Daughter Tales retold by Josephine Evetts-Secker (Barefoot Books, $23.99)

Rhymoceros by Janik Coat (Abrams, $15.95)

Hippopposites by Janik Coat (Abrams, $14.95)

Janet Elfant, June 2015

Big Blue Marble's Picks for Children's Book Week (May 4-10, 2015)

It's Children's Book Week! And so we offer you new and treasured book recommendations, from picture books to young adult, from graphic novels to verse novels. Read over our lists below, and come in and check out our offerings!

Among our own events this week are Shabbat Storytime on Friday morning, and an author reading Thursday night for Bayard Rustin: The Invisible Activist (ages 10 and up).

Check out the CBW website for national events and activities for kids of all ages.

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From Elliott:

One Tiny Turtle by Nicola Davies (Candlewick, $6.99)

This Book Just Ate My Dog by Richard Byrne (Henry Holt, $16.95)

Library Lion by Michelle Knudson (Candlewick, $6.99)

17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore by Jenny Offill (Dragonfly Books, $6.99)

Me, All Alone, at the End of the World by M.T. Anderson (Candlewick, $16.99)

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From Janet:

Before After by Anne-Margot Ramstein and Matthias Arégui (Candlewick, $19.99)

Journey and Quest by Aaron Becker (Candlewick, $15.99)

Three Questions by John Muth (Scholastic, $17.99)

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson (HarperCollins, $8.99/$19.99)

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From Jen:

Julia's House for Lost Creatures by Ben Hatke (First Second, $17.99)

If I Had a Raptor and If I Had a Triceratops by George O'Connor (Candlewick, $15.99)

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman (HarperCollins, $17.99)

Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen (Penguin, $17.99) -- coming in June!

The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex (Little, Brown, $7.99)

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From Mariga:

Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak (HarperCollins, $8.99)

El Deafo, Cece Bell (Abrams, $10.95)

The Brides of Rollrock Island, Margo Lanagan (Ember, $9.99)

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From Micah (age 4):

Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall (HarperCollins, $17.99)

The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak (Penguin Random House, $17.99)

Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker (Chronicle, $16.99)

Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night? by Brianna Caplan Sayres (Random House, $7.99)

Digger, Dozer, Dumper by Hope Vestergaard and David Slonim (Random House, $15.99)

Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton (Harpercollins, $16.99)

Splash by Ann Jonas (Harpercollins, $6.99)

I Have a Garden and I Planted Cheddarbunnies ...oh, okay, that hasn't been published yet.

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From Nif:

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (St. Martins Griffin, $18.99)

Penderwicks in Spring Jeanne Birdsall (Random House, $16.99)

Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne Valente (Square Fish, $7.99)

Sleepover with Beatrice & Bear by Mônica Carnesi (Penguin, $15.99)

The Martian by Andy Weir (Random House, $15.00)

Farmer and the Clown by Marla Frazee (Simon & Schuster, $17.99)

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From Sarah:

Lumberjanes Volume 1 by Noelle Stevenson and Grace Ellis (Boom!, $14.99)

The Adventures of Beekle, The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santant (Little, Brown, $17.00)

Julia's House for Lost Creatures by Ben Hatke (First Second, $17.99)

Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty (Abrams, $16.95)

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke (Scholastic, $8.99)

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From Sheila:

Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox (Square Fish, $8.99)

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman (Random House, $10.99)

Sabriel by Garth Nix (HarperCollins, $9.99)

Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede (Scholastic, $9.99)

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (HarperCollins, $6.99)

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From Tiara:

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (Scholastic, $12.99/$10.99)

Other HP favorites: The Prisoner of Azkaban and The Order of the Phoenix

Paper Towns by John Green (Speak, $9.99)

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett (Atheneum, $6.99)

A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara (Seven Stories Press, $9.99)

Five Books Janet Wants to Own This Spring

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce (Random House, $15.00)
Harold Frye receives a letter from Miss Queenie, who he has not heard from since they worked together more than twenty years ago. She is in a hospice on the northern tip of England. Harold is convinced that walking the length of England will keep her alive.

The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce (Random House $25.00)
Waiting for Harold, Miss Queenie "writes" her story, revealing the secrets and the shame that have created the distances between her and her life.

Small Space Container Gardens by Fern Richardson (Timber Press, $19.95)
Even a tiny house with a postage size yard can be made into an alluring site of colors, smells, and edibles.

Before After by Anne-Margot Ramstein (Candlewick Press, $19.99)
This is a children's book so beautifully and simply illustrated that it belongs out on the coffee table. An egg becomes a chicken. A caterpillar becomes a butterfly. A calf becomes a cow, and what else?

Poems to Learn by Heart, compiled by Caroline Kennedy with paintings by Jon J. Muth (Hyperion Books, $19.99)
A collection of classic poetry for children, beautifully illustrated with Jon Muth's watercolor paintings.

Janet Elfant, April 2015

Janet's Five Ways to Feel Grateful

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline (HarperCollins, $14.99)
Not only is Orphan Train the 2015 One Read One Philadelphia book, but it is a story of flowering in the midst of a desert and life's full circle. "No substitute for the living [the ghosts of parents, true love, sister], perhaps, but I wasn't given a choice. I could take solace in their presence or I could fall down in a heap, lamenting what I'd lost. The ghosts whispered to me, telling me to go on."

You Are Here by Chris Hadfield (Little, Brown, $26.00)
Seeing the familiar from a completely different vantage point can often bring us to a different level of appreciation. Photographs of the earth from the international space station remind us of how small we and our worlds are.

The Blessing Cup by Patricia Polacco (Simon & Schuster, $17.99)
As in companion book The Keeping Quilt, the Blessing Cup is handed down to generations as a reminder of family survivors and their stories. The cover draws the reader in to partake of the same blessings.

The Barefoot Book of Mother and Daughter Tales by Josephine Evitts-Secker (Barefoot Books, $23.99)
Barefoot Books publishing took its name as an invitation to readers to step inside a story. Their books are beautifully illustrated and retold in magical language. Mother and Daughter Tales retell the stories of adventures, from different times and cultures, that a daughter must have to carve a life separate from her mother.

Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper (Simon & Schuster, $26.00)
Coming out in January, this is a story of the lives of three people and a wolf named James who accompanies 82-year-old Etta on her walk from eastern Canada to the coast. "I've gone. I've never seen the water, so I've gone there. Don't worry, I've left you the truck. I can walk. I will try to remember to come back.
Yours (always), Etta"

Janet Elfant, November 2014

Janet's Five Favorite Illustrators

Gershon's Monster by Eric A Kimmel and illustrated by Jon J. Muth (Scholastic, $17.99)
Muth is an exceptional painter whose watercolors are both expressive and gentle. This is a wonderful Jewish New Year book for all ages which includes a well-written explanation of "t'shuvah," the concept of repentance or returning done during the high holidays. (Caroline Kennedy's Poems to Learn by Heart is also illustrated by Muth.)

TRAIN by Elisha Cooper (Scholastic, $17.99)
Also done in water colors, Cooper's colors and design makes this a delight for all transportation lovers.

Heart and Soul, Kadir Nelson (HarperCollins, $8.99)
Nelson is an award-winning author and painter. All of his books radiate expert use of light and shadow to create expressions larger than life.

The Tortoise and the Hare by Jerry Pinkney (Little, Brown, $18.00)
Well known and well loved, Pinkney's water colors are a magical addition to his rendition of traditional fairy tales.

The Fortune-Tellers by Lloyd Alexander and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (Puffin Books, $6.99)
All of Hyman's illustrations create a magical setting for the tales as they unfold.

Janet Elfant, September 2014

Janet's Five Read-Before-the-Day-Before-School-Starts Picks

It is understood that no matter what your mother, father, teacher, or anyone else says, some of you will wait until the day before school starts to start your summer reading books. If you haven't bought your books yet, take a moment to stop in and check out our display of local middle and high school required reading. There are some great books to choose from this year.

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (Knopf, $12.99)

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple (Little, Brown, $14.99)

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Penguin, $12.99)

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead, $16.00)

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (Harper, $6.99)

Janet Elfant, August 2014

Janet's Five New Arrivals

Earthworm Racers by Begin Again ($12.99)
This earthworm is my all time favorite toddler toy. Made from solid wood, it stretches rolls, twists, and, with a bit of manipulation can be used to massage an aching muscle.

Stars at Night Lightweights by Djeco ($7.99)
Brighten any room or party with this set of beautifully designed paper stars. Djeco makes sets of several varieties including dragons, fish and cats.

One Gorilla by Anthony Browne (Candlewick Press, $16.99)
On each page of this over-sized book for toddlers is a vibrantly illustrated drawing of primates complete with various very realistic facial expressions.

Seeing Trees by Nancy Ross Hugo (Timber Press, $29.95)
Seeing Flowers by Teri Dunn Chace (Timber Press, $29.95)
These two volumes are filled with the photography of Robert Llewellyn in which our natural world is magnified to present a detail to each that creates an unworldly beauty.

Janet Elfant, July 2014

Janet's Five Hopeful Wings or Yes, Spring IS Coming

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd (Penguin, $27.95)
Two unlikely soul mates, a slave and the daughter of the family who own her, grow wings and fly into an unimaginable freedom by giving voice to who they are and what they believe.

The Conference of the Birds by Peter Sis (Penguin, $27.95)
Originally written in the late 1100s by Farid Ud-Din Attar. Sis adds his unique illustrations to the translation of this epic poem. Through love, faith and an arduous flight, the king is reached.

Vedge by Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby (Workman, $24.95)
For those who put their heart in their cooking, Vedge is a tapestry of delicious recipes with beautiful illustration and easy to follow instructions.

A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston (Chronicle Books, $16.00)
Beautifully illustrated by Sylvia Long, the patience and perseverance of butterflies is simply described filling the final pages with soaring exuberance. Others in the series include A Rock is Lively and An Egg is Quiet.

Hope is a Ferris Wheel by Robin Herrera (Abrams, $16.95)
This is a young adult book about the loss and gain of hope. To ten-year-old Star, hope comes with the release of dreams, allowing them to fly. Release date on this young adult book is March 11, 2014. (Watch for Cordelia's author interview on our blog next week!)

Janet Elfant, March 2014

Janet's 5 "Hand-Picks" for December

(Clockwise from top: Janet, bright peacock, white unicorn, extremely winsome harbor seal, three-headed blue dragon, orange octopus.)

Janet's Five New Arrivals for Toddlers and Beyond

Where Do We Go When We Disappear? by Isabel Minhos Martins (Tate Publishing, $14.95)
Where do socks go? Where do puddles go? "Nothing is too empty a place to go. And besides, if we all go there, it will cease to be nothing in no time. (We can't do that to it.)" Can we?

Alphablocks by Christopher Franceschelli (Abrams, $16.95)
Presented in this block size book is a large cut out of each letter followed by an engaging illustration.

Journey by Aaron Becker (Candlewick Press, $15.99)
With her red crayon, a young girl creates a journey to a magical world and returns home with the help of a mythical bird.

Global Baby GIRLS by Global Fund for Children (Charlesbridge, $6.95)
Proceeds from this board book of baby girls' faces support organizations around the world which provide "opportunities for girls to grow, thrive and be strong".

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck (book 8!) by Jeff Kinney (Abrams, $13.95)
Coming in November...Preorder your copy THIS Saturday, August 10 (from 10-1), when the Wimpy Kid Book 8 Mobile comes to your own Big Blue Marble Bookstore! Click here for the Facebook event page.

Janet's Five Suggestions for Hot, Humid Summer Days When Your Brain Turns to Mush and Movement Slows to a Meander

Watch a cat swat at various bugs, watch your garden grow (including the wonderful shapes and sizes of mushrooms and other forms of mold), come to Greene and Carpenter and watch the number of pregnant woman go by...or come and browse in the luxurious air conditioning at 551.

How to be a Cat by Nikki McClure (Abrams Appleseed, $16.95)
Inspired by Bud, an old and blind cat that came with a house the author purchased in 2001, our newest McClure addition appeals to the simple pleasures of cat gazing. McClure adds a kitten to her pages which increases the allure.

Revolutionary Yardscape: Ideas For Repurposing Local Materials To Create Containers, Pathways, Lighting and More by Matthew Levesque (Timber Press, $22.95)
Take a look at this book. It makes me want to take a week off to forage and build.

Beautiful No Mow Yards by Evelyn Y. Hadden (Timber Press, $24.95)
Finally an answer to living in Mt. Airy with sloped yards filled with roots or shade or rocks that we try every year to beautify by mowing, trimming, and pleading.

"Where Did I Come From?" by Peter Mayle (Kensington, $9.95)
So if your child notices and has questions about the new wave of pregnant women and newborns, try answering with this illustrated, no nonsense approach, or the following:

What Makes a Baby by Cory Silverberg (Seven Story Press, $16.95)
Any cover illustrated with a smiling yellow sperm and a blue smiling egg deserves attention.

Janet Elfant, July 2013

Janet's Five Picks That Speak to the Obsessive in All of Us

The Art of Clean Up, Life Made Neat and Tidy by Ursus Wehrli (New Chronicle Books, $14.95)
This new arrival begs to sit on the coffee table of anyone who folds their underwear, makes a list of their lists, or arranges their closet according to color, or not. Ranging from crowded beach scenes to a bowl of fruit salad, Ursus Wehrli rearranges each scene in the tidiest manner possible. A book well worth the humorous glimpse into our own eccentricities.

The Naked Roommate by Harlem Cohen (Sourcebooks, $14.99) and its companion:
The Naked Roommate: For Parents Only by Harlem Cohen (Sourcebooks, $14.99)
Syndicated advice columnist Harlem Cohen combines his personal brand of humor to offer very frank and useful advice to anyone entering college and to the parent of anyone entering college. And for the obsessive parent, helpful reminders are provided, such as: You are hovering too much if you call all of your son's or daughter's professors to let them know that your child has a cold and may not be attending their class that day.

Oh, the Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss (Random House, $17.99)
"Today is your day, You're off to great places, You're off and away." The obsessive rhymer who has provided classics for generations wrote this wonderful send off book for anyone bound for a new adventure.

Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh (Bantam Books, $15.00)
For those obsessive thinkers who yearn for a pause this simply written book provides the steps to clear all the unnecessary clutter...breathe in...breathe out.

Janet Elfant, May 2013

Janet’s Five Here-or-Almost-Here (like Spring) Picks for February

Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson (Katherine Tegen, $17.99)
Published on January 2, 2013. Kadir Nelson has created another artistic masterpiece with simple but historically factual text.

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead, $28.95)
Available on May 31, 2013, Hosseini's newest book is a multi-generational story about family complexities: wounds, betrayals, and sacrifice.

The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout (Random House, $26.00)
Burgess Boys will be on the shelf by March 26th.  Strout again artistically describes the dynamics that shape families and the invisible threads that hold siblings together.

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult (Atria Books, $28.99)
Due out on February 26th, Picoult's newest novel reveals in depth research into the pyschological aspects of the Holocaust: seeking forgiveness as a true turning of the soul requiring the efforts of a lifetime rather than a simple act of expressing remorse.  Who is it that ultimately grants that level of forgiveness?

The Genius of Dogs by Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods (E.P. Dutton, $27.95)
On March 5th, all dog lovers will have access to this volume of cognitive research which provides information about the roles dogs have taken in our daily life. 

Janet Elfant, February 2013

Janet's Five Art Galleries Honoring the Before and After of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Kadir Nelson's artwork is a treasure worth viewing. The facial expressions of his subjects, the play of light on their faces, combined with factual, informative text, tell the story of the African American Journey in such a way that all the viewer's senses become involved.

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson (HarperCollins, $19.99)

Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine, illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Scholastic Press, $16.99)

Coretta Scott by Ntozake Shange with paintings by Kadir Nelson (HarperCollins, $17.99)

Change has Come: An Artist Celebrates Our American Spirit, the drawings of Kadir Nelson with the words of Barack Obama (Simon & Schuster, $12.99)

We Are The Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson (Hyperion, $16.99)

Janet Elfant, January 2013

Janet's Five Suggestions to Unplug, Stay Present, and Uni-Task

Is the ability to multitask truly an asset? Are we more efficient or simply racing in so many directions that we convince ourselves that we must be getting more accomplished? Do we really stop to listen and pay attention enough to remember? Or are we so plugged in that our memories, our stress level, our time with the people we love constantly being sacrificed? How many new phobias, anxieties, pranks, language changes, brain overloads, accidents, learning disabilities, and more are a result of being constantly connected?

Try turning off your device for a while (chances are you won't miss an emergency) and try one of these books to help reclaim yourself in the natural world:

Beginner's Guide to Birds by Donald and Lillian Stokes (Little Brown & Co, $9.99)
Entrances to Carpenter Woods are all over West Mt. Airy... pick one trail, take this simple, pocket size book along and enjoy a slow watchful walk.

Trees of Pennsylvania by Stan Tekiel (Adventure Publication Inc, $12.95)
Knowing the variety of trees surrounding us can bring about more of a grounded feeling to our day. It really is kind of nice to hug a tree.

Where to Bike in Philadelphia by Julie Lorch (BA Press, $24.95)
It is amazing how different our daily routes become on foot or on bikes. We see more of our everyday environment and become more connected to change of seasons, our bodies, our senses.

Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert (Harcourt Inc, $12.00)
Try this simple children's book illustrated to capture the heart of fall foliage to encourage both you and your child to take long walks in the next few weeks. Collect leaves. Jump in leaves. Press leaves. Make leaf crowns.

Stars by May Lyn Ray and Marla Frazee (Beach Lane Books, $16.99)
Before bed, on a crisp October evening, walk outside on a clear night and just look up. Everyone will sleep better.

Janet Elfant, October 2012

Janet's Five Selections of Hope through Music

Whether it's a toddler banging a spoon on an upturned metal pot, a symphony playing Mozart, a guy on the street playing harmonica for change, music provides the universal words of survival, hope, sometimes even inspiration and comfort and the possibility of joy. The following choices speak not only to the power of creating music but to honor the message of Playing for Change and the music that is inside all of us.

Let It Shine by Ashley Bryan (Altheneum Books, $16.99)
The words to three favorite spirituals are written out amid vibrant colors.

All Together Singing in the Kitchen by Nerissa and Katryna Nields
(Roost Books, $22.95)
This book celebrates family music making in all shapes and forms.

33 Revolutions per Minute by Dorian Lynskey (Harper Collins, $19.99)
Protest songs have seen us through the lowest and highest times in history, providing strength, encouragement and empowerment.

Neighborhood Sing-Along by Nina Crews (Greenwillow Books, $17.99)
This is a collection of playground songs adding musical elements to the dance of play.

Bob Dylan: Forever Young, edited by Robert Sullivan (LIFE, $17.99)
From Robert Zimmerman to Bob Dylan and beyond, Dylan accompanied many through a lifetime as so many of his songs became part of our world's history.

Perhaps we all might add a tune as we walk, pause to enjoy the street musicians, and stop once in a while to really listen and celebrate or even come into the store and sing along to the music waiting inside our books.

Janet Elfant, September 2012

Janet's Five Kind and Courteous Books for August

"And if you do this, if you act just a little kinder than is necessary, someone else, somewhere, someday, may recognize in you, in every single one of you, the face of God."
Taken from:
Wonder by R.J. Palacio (Random House, $15.99)
August is home-schooled until fifth grade due to a severe facial deformity. The lessons learned about courage, integrity and the heart are presented in the format of a kids’ chapter book personally recommended for every age.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (Dell, $6.99)
Stargirl is a young adult book about a holy woman in a teen body and culture. It may be helpful to go on to the sequel.

Excuse Me by Karen Katz (Grosset and Dunlap, $4.99)
Complete with a set of stickers, this children's book is an introduction to polite expressions.

Words Are Not For Hurting by Elizabeth Verdict (Free Spirit, $7.99)
Found in the parenting section, Words Are not For Hurting is one of a series of board books with very clear messages for toddlers. Some adults might benefit as well. "Some words are loud, and some are soft. Some are kind, but some are not."

Apple by Nikki McClure (Abrams Appleseed, $12.95)
A new arrival at the bookstore, this simple kids’ picture book makes me take a deep breath and relax...a few moments of yoga for you and your child. And when we are more relaxed, we tend to be kinder...

So be a little kinder than is necessary...especially to the staff at Big Blue Marble Bookstore.

Janet Elfant, August 2012

Janet's Five Fairy Tale Picks for July

Sweltering weather passes almost unnoticed with a child seated on one's lap engrossed in the poetic text and artistic illustrations of a well written fairy tale. Come and browse (in air-conditioning) through a few of the following:

The 3 Little Dassies by Jan Brett (Penguin, $17.99)

Little Red Riding Hood, retold and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (Holiday House, $6.95)

Storytime by Stella Blackstone (Barefoot Books, $15.99)

Alice in Wonderland Giant Poster and Coloring Book (Abrams, 12.95)
12 prints to color and 12 prints to frame

Beauty and the Beast: A Pop-Up Classic
(Simon and Schuster, $29.99)

Ask us about summer discounts on all fairy tale books!

Janet Elfant, July 2012