True Companions

Companion picture books bring back favorite characters and series. The impish rabbit and his stuffed bunny sidekick, Flop, return in Bing: Bed Time by Ted Dewan, in which Bing goes through nightly rituals of brushing his teeth (messily), playing in the tub (even more messily) and of course tucking in with Flop. In Bing: Something for Daddy, the hero thinks of just the thing to make for Dad—consisting of shiny shapes, feathers, glittery sparkles and unholy amounts of goo. (Random/Fickling, $5.99 each 24p ages 6 mos.-4 yrs. ISBN 0-385-75046-3; 0-385-75045-5; Oct.)

Loretta Krupinski (Christmas in the City) showcases her signature mice characters in The Royal Mice: The Sword and the Horn. When the human Queen of All You Can See sicks the feline Max the Magnificent on the rodent residents of her castle, they seek out the fabled sword and horn to summon their fallen ancestors to help them. Elaborate borders of flowers and mice frame the gold-gilt illustrations in a faux-Medieval style. (Hyperion, $16.99 32p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-7868-1836-0; Sept.)

The hero first introduced in Jack the Wolf explores a campground in Jack's Kite by Yvonne Jagtenberg. Impatient for his father to arrive, the boy gets kite-flying lessons from the campground's owners. When his kite takes off ("It flew away. That wasn't much fun"), who will rescue it? (Roaring Brook/ Porter, $15.95 32p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-7613-2385-6; Sept.)

Janet Perlman gives readers another penguin-populated fairy tale in The Penguin and the Pea. In a land where even the horses are just four-legged (web-footed) penguins, a blond prince and his family seek the perfect mate. When a bedraggled penguin claiming to be a princess steals the prince's affections, the Queen must know if she is truly royal—using a cabbage (rather than a pea) as the test. Perlman's visual details inject plenty of additional humor. (Kids Can, $14.95 32p ages 3-7 ISBN 1-55074-832-7; Oct.)

Father and son writing team Joseph and James Bruchac return with their third folktale, Raccoon's Last Race, illus. by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey. Here, long-limbed, speedy raccoon taunts his rivals as he easily outruns them. But when he has an accident, he gets his just deserts because of his ungracious nature. (Dial, $15.99 32p ages 4-up ISBN 0-8037-2977-4; Oct.)

Third in her Outdoor Adventures series, Snowboard Twist by Jean Craighead George, illus. by Wendell Minor, finds Axel, his father and his friend/rival, Kelly, exploring the new-fallen snow of the Tetons, testing it for safety. When Kelly is nearly caught in an avalanche, it's Axel's heroic dog, Grits, to the rescue. (HarperCollins/Tegen, $15.99 32p ages 6-10 ISBN 0-06-050595-8; Oct.)

The More the Merrier

Thirteen is a lucky number when it comes to the treasured tales compiled in Your Favorite Seuss: A Baker's Dozen by the One and Only Dr. Seuss, ed. by Janet Schulman and Cathy Goldsmith. The 13 classic tales—including And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street; Horton Hears a Who!; The Cat in the Hat and The Lorax, among others—are introduced in essays by such authors as Barbara Bader, Stan and Jan Berenstain, John Lithgow, Christopher Paolini and more. Several of Seuss's sketches, personal artwork, storyboards, advertising work and photos earmark this for aficionados as well as those just meeting Seuss's characters for the first time. (Random, $34.95 368p all ages ISBN 0-375-81061-7; Oct.)

Pinkerton & Friends: A Steven Kellogg Treasury collects 11 familiar stories from more than three decades. Favorites include The Island of the Skog; Pinkerton, Behave! and Best Friends. An introduction by Kellogg relative, Helen Hunt, and a biography by Barbara Elleman round out this compilation. (Dial, $30 336p ages 4-up ISBN 0-8037-2979-0; Sept.)

Two previously released titles from the series about the monarch of Genovia reappear in a paperback compilation in The Princess Diaries, Volumes III & IV: The Highs and Lows of Being Mia by Meg Cabot, which contains Princess in Love and Princess in Waiting.(HarperCollins/Avon, $13.99 paper 432p ages 12-up ISBN 0-06-059001-7; Oct.)

And readers will be raring to get these books out of their boxes. About Megan McDonald's third-grade star (and Peter Reynolds's rendering of her), PW wrote, "It's hard to imagine a mood Judy couldn't improve." Now The Judy Moody Star-Studded Collection multiplies the fun threefold, packaging her first adventures together in reprinted paperbacks: Judy Moody; Judy Moody Gets Famous! and Judy Moody Saves the World! (Candlewick, $17.97 ages 6-10 ISBN 0-7636-2563-9; Oct.)

The Spiderwick Chronicles Boxed Set by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi combines all five paper-over-board titles in the acclaimed series: The Field Guide; The Seeing Stone; Lucinda's Secret; The Ironwood Tree and The Wrath of Mulgarath. PW praised the series' "appealing characters, well-measured suspense and... inviting package" noting that readers "may well find themselves glancing over their shoulders as they eagerly follow the events." (S&S, $49.75 672p ages 7-up ISBN 0-689-04034-2; Oct.)

Three tales of elementary school noir combine in Chet Gecko's Big Box of Mystery, which includes paperback editions of the first three in the series: The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse; The Mystery of Mr. Nice; and Farewell, My Lunchbag by Bruce Hale. Of The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse, PW said, "Beginning readers especially will appreciate the offbeat, likeable cast and quirky comedy." (Harcourt, $14.85 432p ages 8-12 ISBN 0-15-205406-5; Oct.)

The Jerry Spinelli Collection gathers four of the Newbery Medal—winning author's titles in paperback, including the Medal-winner, Maniac Magee; as well as Jason & Marceline; Space Station Seventh Grade and Who Put That Hair in My Toothbrush?(Little, Brown, $27.99 928p ages 8-12 ISBN 0-316-15993-X; Oct.)

Cathy Hopkins's British-laced humor abounds in her Mates, Dates Boxed Set with four books that circle among the points of view of three teen buddies: Mates, Dates, and Inflatable Bras; Mates, Dates, and Cosmic Kisses; Mates, Dates and Designer Divas; and Mates, Dates and Sleepover Secrets. (Simon Pulse, $19.95 800p ISBN 0-689-03733-3; Oct.)

Fun and Games

In a trio of interactive titles, the spiralbound Play Marbles! by Shar Levine and Vicki Scudamore, illus. by Emily S. Edliq, includes 44 marbles, a glossary of relevant vocab—from fudging and hunching (both words for cheating) to kimmies ("the marbles you are aiming for in the game")—and illustrated instructions for various games. Mibsters (marble-players) will appreciate learning the extensive history of the game, how marbles are made and directions on how to make a bag, to avoiding losing one's, well, you know. (Sterling, $14.95 96p ages 7-11 ISBN 1-4027-1108-5; Sept.)

The Championship Domino Toppling Book and Gift Set by Robert Speca comes with 112 dominos, packaged into a magnetically sealed box, and a paperback resource. Beginning with a look back through his own noteworthy experiences (including an appearance on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, and numerous entries in the Guinness Book of World Records that led to his toppling upwards of 100,000 dominos), Speca then provides tips and domino designs from beginner to advanced levels. (Sterling, $14.95 paper 96p ages 8-up ISBN 1-4027-0659-6; Sept.)

The sturdy trunk-like Little Box of Wizard Tricks: Over 80 Tricks to Amaze Your Friends by Janet Sacks stores eight mini hardcover books and supplies—a deck of cards, magic number disks, three small cups, ropes, a velvet bag and more—for young wizards-in-training. The tiny books (Tricks for New Wizards; Wizard Workshop, etc.) detail multiple tricks involving math, optical illusions and good old sleight of hand—and, of course, explain how they all work. (Barron's, $16.95 240p ISBN 0-7641-7771-0; Sept.)