Showing results by narrator "John McDonough" in All Categories

Grasshoppers, waterstriders, and fireflies light up the pages of this rib-tickling book of poetry for two voices. Written as spirited duets, the poems ring with the love songs of book lice, the serenades of moths, and a choir of cicadas. Each one is a treat, filled with busy insect life. In addition to the voices of these frisky critters, there are also fascinating tidbits about their lives and habits.

Motor Mouse and friends are back for three new adventures in this irresistible second book in a series from the creators of Gooseberry Park and the Mr. Putter and Tabby books! Motor Mouse is a busy little mouse, between playing a game of croquet, riding a fancy bus, and discovering mystery stories. Come along with him on his adventures!

Long ago, when the world was new, the ostrich's neck was so short that he couldn't reach the succulent berries in the trees, and he had to sit on the ground to eat bugs. All that changed on the fateful day when the crocodile awoke with a terrible toothache that no one dared to help her with - no one, that is, but a naive and compassionate young ostrich. Compromising his own safety to help a needy stranger, he was rewarded with a most amazing surprise.

Young Lentil wants to learn to sing, but no matter how hard he tries he can’t sing on key. He can’t even pucker his lips to whistle! So Lentil learns to play the harmonica instead and beautifully carries his tune through the winding streets of Alto, Ohio. Lentil masters his craft just as the beloved Colonel Carter returns to town and the Alto residents decide to plan a special celebration. But Old Sneep, the grouch, doesn’t want anyone celebrating the Colonel’s homecoming. When Old Sneep stops the parade in its tracks, Lentil’s music turns out to be just what Alto needs.

Mr. Putter knows what he likes, and dancing is not on the list. But his neighbor Mrs. Teaberry has been watching ballroom dancing on TV! She talks the reluctant Mr. Putter into coming along for an evening at the Crystal Ballroom, along with fine cat Tabby and good dog Zeke, of course. The ballroom is full of sparkles—and surprises. What a wonder!

Motor Mouse is a busy little mouse, between driving his delivery car, eating cake, and visiting with friends. Come along with him on his adventures! In "The Friday Cake Day", Motor Mouse and his friend Telly have been looking forward all week to their Friday tradition of eating cake. But when Friday arrives, the Cake Shop is closed. This is not acceptable! In "Going for a Look-About", Motor Mouse hires a cab. In "Front Row at the Picture Show", Motor Mouse and his brother, Vincent, are going to a movie.

Danny is a paisano, descended from the original Spanish settlers who arrived in Monterey, California, centuries before. He values friendship above money and possessions, so when he suddenly inherits two houses, Danny is quick to offer shelter to his fellow gentlemen of the road. Together, their love of freedom and scorn for material things draws them into daring and often hilarious adventures. That is, until Danny, tiring of his new responsibilities, suddenly disappears.

A pet! Mom has agreed: Froggy can have a pet. Off to the pet store they go. Mom would prefer a bunny or some mice, but Froggy and his little sister, Pollywogilina, have their hearts set on a doggy. And when Froggy sees the little dog with big brown eyes, he begs to take her home. Mom cautions Froggy about all the new responsibilities he will have taking care of Doggy, but Froggy's sure there will be no problem. He doesn't count on Doggy being more difficult to train than he expected. Froggy always lands himself in a pickle, but he always bounces back.

Author of over 80 books for children, Jonathan London has received numerous awards, including IRA and Children’s Book Council selections for his Froggy series. In Froggy’s Best Babysitter, Froggy’s parents are out for the night, and have left him with a brand-new babysitter. Froggy tries to make her job easy by feeding his little sister dinner and giving himself a bath - but Froggy has a way of causing mischief no matter how simple the task.

This collection of short poems from Newbery Award-winning author Paul Fleischman delightfully celebrates the essence of birds. The companion to Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices, its poems feature two voices speaking sometimes together and sometimes in turn. Experience the magic and magnificence of the immortal phoenix. Enjoy the fluttering elation of finches at dawn and the swiftness of swallows at dusk. And empathize with the loneliness of the pigeon in the Cincinnati Zoo.

In A Bully Father, historical editor Joan Paterson Kerr brings together a collection of Theodore Roosevelt's letters, spanning the years between 1898 and 1919, which convey the boundless affection he felt for his family. Although Roosevelt's responsibilities often took him far from home, he remained keenly interested in the daily lives of his four sons and two daughters. Always a prolific reader and writer, Roosevelt composed an astonishing 150,000 letters by the time he died in 1919.

While bird-watching in Nowhere Land, Ferocious Beast, Maggie, and Hamilton Hocks are stopped in their tracks. Before them, a most amazing sight: a rabbit struggling to dig up a carrot! "Why is that so amazing" you ask? Well, it’s the carrot of all carrots, the most enormous carrot of all time! Nedley the rabbit refuses their offer of help, even as he grows grumpier with each shovelful of dirt. Soon realizing that there is no way he can accomplish such a humongous task on his own, he accepts help.

Froggy's adventures have taken him to school, restaurants, and even soccer fields. This time around, he's headed to the baseball diamond to play T-ball with all of his pals, including his best friend, Max. But Froggy doesn't seem to be a very good ballplayer - that is until the final inning when the game is on the line!

Award-winning author Jim Murphy whisks you back in time to witness the disastrous 1871 Chicago fire. He depicts the tragedy so vividly, you can almost feel the scorching heat and hear the roar of the blaze as it reduces the bustling city to a smoldering wasteland.

This captivating Junior Library Guild Selection is a rhyming dramatization based on 19th-century accounts of a mysterious sea creature swimming the coastal waters of Massachusetts. As startling news sweeps the summer streets, a curious lad races toward the harbor in disbelief. And yet it’s true! There, frolicking in the water is an enormous sea serpent. The wide-eyed boy can plainly see it. And so can the crowd gathering on Cape Ann’s sandy shores.

Twelve-year-old Trevor Frederick Ackerman can't stand another summer with his confusing tangle of step-parents, step-brothers, and step-sisters. So instead, his mother sends him to a remote area of New England to stay with two elderly aunts. Despite his initial fears, Freddie finds that he is comfortable in the eccentric aunts' rambling house. Soon, he has made a new friend in the nearby village and, in a mysterious book, he discovers something surprising and wonderful.

Little Brown Bear wants a job. He wants to work instead of going to school. Little Brown Bear searches for a job and finds a few. But working is a lot harder than he thought it would be.

It’s Father’s Day and Froggy wants to show his dad how much he loves him. So he flop flops to the kitchen and tries to make his dad breakfast. But Froggy being Froggy, things don’t go exactly as planned. Then it’s off to the mini golf course, where Froggy attempts to hit a hole in one. Maybe he will be blessed by beginner’s luck. Golf balls can take some crazy bounces, though, so Froggy had better be careful. And it also might help if he faced in the right direction when swinging his club!

What does a little bear wear as he dances and plays his way through a sunny summer day? Young listeners will be fascinated as John McDonough's upbeat narration perfectly delivers this book's lilting, musical rhyme and joyful, exuberant rhythm that make Jesse Bear's day a pleasure for everyone.

Painter and writer Calef Brown pours his boundless creative energy into his poetry. In Flamingos on the Roof, Brown crafts 29 nonsense poems conjuring mythic and contemporary images of everything from gatorflies to light-bulb-topped birthday cakes. Kids will revel in the lively wordplay, while parents and teachers will recognize the value in teaching kids alliterative and assonant sounds.