Join the monsters everyone loves as they dance and sing their way through a recipe for delicious cupcakes! With bouncy rhyming text, child-friendly art for young readers, and an adorable cast of zany critters, Monsters Love Cupcakes is a yummy introduction to the joy and silliness of baking with and for friends.
Two cups of LOVE,
a spoonful of WOW,
and some yummy BUGS!
Those are just a few of the ingredients in these colorful monsters’ favorite cupcake recipe. Mixing, baking, and decorating has never been so much fun!
Check out Monsters Love Colors and Monsters Love Cupcakes by Mike Austin!
Published by Harper Collins
for ages 4 - 8
Did you know that monsters love to
scribble,
scribble,
mix,
dance,
and
wiggle!
Why?
Because monsters love to make new colors!
Celebrate along with the hilarious monsters in this wild and energetic picture book from author-illustrator Mike Austin. Mixing and discovering color has never been so much fun!
Published by Harper Collins
For ages 4 - 8
Celebrate the beginning of school with hilarious, energetic monsters in Monsters Love School from picture-book author-illustrator Mike Austin. Summer is over, and now it's time for the biggest adventure of all . . . Monster School! Join these colorful monsters as they go to school for the first time. Reading and writing and learning your monster history has never been so much fun! Fans of Monsters Love Colors and others will love this exciting picture book.
Told almost entirely in sound words, this day-in-the-life look at firefighters and their fire truck will appeal to the youngest vehicle enthusiasts and to parents with a penchant for exuberant read-aloud sessions. With art reminiscent of Donald Crews’s transportation books, Mike Austin evokes the excitement of a 911 call as we follow firefighters sliding down the fire pole, racing through town, and up the ladder truck. Includes fire safety tips from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Praise
*****“Bold and energetic, and complete with fire-safety tips and fire-gear endpapers, this is one surefire win for the firefighter fan.” —Kirkus Reviews starred review
*****“The simple emphatic text includes many forceful sound words… text placement, color, and size are integral parts of the dynamic illustrations.” —The Horn Book starred review
*****““Highly recommended for young fire engine fans.” —Booklist starred review
ORDER IT HERE!
In this companion book to Fire Engine No. 9, Rescue Squad No. 9 must spring into action when a young sailor and her dog are stranded during a storm!
Follow the crew as they scramble aboard their helicopter and speedboat, racing to the rescue through the waves and winds. The high action is communicated through minimal sound words and bold, graphic art reminiscent of that in Donald Crews’s transportation books.
Celebrate first responders in this timely, action-packed picture book featuring firefighters, doctors, EMTs, and other brave helpers in action!
First responders are on the way! Every day, brave helpers are on full alert, ready to rescue people and animal friends in need. They work on land, go underground, and even parachute down from the sky. Buckle up and cheer for these heroes as they go the distance to keep everyone safe.
With bright, colorful art and labels of rescue vehicles and equipment in the style of Richard Scarry, this introduction to and celebration of first responders packs FUN and FACTS. Look inside for a Q&A with a real firefighter and an emergency supplies list!
Ready for more action? Check out Fire Engine No. 9 and Rescue Squad No. 9!
published by Beach Lane Books,
a division of Simon and Schuster
For ages 4 - 8
Man the machines and help clean up the junkyard in this rousing robot story that encourages community building.
The yard has junk! Stacks and heaps and piles of junk as far as the eye can see. But the Munching Machine robots are on the job—it’s time to get cleaning! And after a whole lot of CRUNCHING, CHEWING, CHOMPING, SLURPING, and SWEEPING, what’s next? Time to get BUILDING, DIGGING, PLANTING, and DECORATING the new park for everyone to enjoy!
PRAISE FOR JUNKYARD
"Two civic-minded robots dubbed the Munching Machines decide to turn their junkyard home...into a fabulous community garden and playground.... Austin’s digital illustrations are exuberantly jumbled and layered, making for a bright, colorful mess with an appropriately distressed texture reminiscent of block printing."
– Publishers Weekly, November 2013
"Supersized robots made from spare parts are sad to find that the yard is such a mess . . . . Earthy colors dominate the digital illustrations when depicting the messy junkyard, turning to bright greens, blues, and reds when the garden is planted and the park is ready for outdoor fun. The simple sentences and rhyming text create a singsong read-aloud. Children will understand the message about the environment and enjoy these delightful robots."
– School Library Journal, January 2014
"This will likely whip off library shelves and into the hands of young robotloving readers. . . . Beyond the clever rhymes and bright, friendly colors of this ode to caring for the environment, the two smiling, gear-chested robots munching on every form of vehicle imaginable are the very stuff of little boys’ dreams. Austin’s (Monsters Love Colors, 2013) background in design is clear in the simple but sharply defined shapes full of personality and playfulness, perfect for inviting young readers into the yard for a smash-’em-up romp of a good time."
– Booklist, January 2014
A bold and graphic farm-to-table story, told entirely in words beginning with the letter “s”!
From sowing seeds in spring to savoring succotash, follow the creation of a family meal from the farm to the picnic table on a warm summer evening. Told entirely in words beginning with the letter “s,” this book will give children an appreciation for the process by which their food travels to the dinner table.
Mike Austin cleverly incorporates Rubin Pfeffer’s words into his art and creates a visual feast in which kids will love to indulge! Layers of humor and storytelling make this worth many revisits.
Praise
*****“With jaunty pictures that look striking from a distance, this farm-to-table picture book is a lively classroom read-aloud choice.”—Booklist, starred review
*****“Vivid colors, a multiracial cast, and seamless alliteration make this book a wonderful read—not once, not twice, but again and again.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Aquarium life is anything but boring…it’s “FAB!”
Five orange fish named Henny, Penny, Lenny, Denny, and Mike meet in a pet shop; a little girl takes them home and plops them in a tank. There is something for everyone in the tank: gravel, diver, rock, pirate ship, bubbles…oh, and a snail no one cares much about. Their days consist of swimming and gulping and smacking kisses at the little girl (depicted with light brown skin and straight, black hair). Until tank cleaning day! After the indignities of being stuck in a bowl, the tank and everything in it is clean! Fab! It gets even better: “PLOP!” In drops a clownfish; he’s so funny! And then: “PLOP!” In drops an angelfish; she’s so beautiful! Then comes the fairy castle! “It is enchanting. / It is ornamental. / It is exotic. / It is … // A TRAP!” Lenny gets stuck in the door. Who can save him? None of the fish…but the snail no one cares for has an idea! Rylant’s perky exploration of pet fish life is delightfully enthusiastic and dotted with onomatopoeia. The appealing fish (and snail) are surprisingly expressive in Austin’s digitally created illustrations, which incorporate much of the text in large, capital collaged-in letters. The illustrations of aquarium life from the inside are cartoony and bright and resemble a mix of collage and watercolor.
Budding aquaculturists will enjoy this tale of friendship from a fish-eye view. (Picture book. 3-8)
Published by Blue Apple Books
Milo the cat and his friend Mouse are getting ready and counting down to their launch into space. Inside the rocket, Milo puts on his space helmet (10!), then mouse presses buttons and turns on the power (9!), Milo buckles his seat belt (8!), and on until 1!, when with a zoom and a roar they BLAST OFF! The following spread details their 10-part trip itinerary, which ends with a moon landing.
Click the links below for more mire info and to purchase:
When Milo the cat loses his favorite ball of yarn, Mouse offers to help him find it. But Mouse does not seem to understand that a ball is round like a circle—or maybe he is just not letting on? On the right side of the page, a pull-tab shows a fellow mouse busily pulling one end of the ball's yarn into his mouse hole, and gradually wrapping it up into a ball/circle. But in between then, Mouse proudly proclaims his discovery of a series of non-circle shaped items that he wraps with the other end of the yarn—a triangular slice of pizza, a square piece of cheese, a rectangular candy bar, an oval egg, etc. Just as Milo fears that his ball/circle is forever lost, the sneaky mouse rolls it out for him to discover.
Available at :
Published by Ruckus Media Group
"'Milo' raises the bar for interactivity within the book apps category, and its delightful surprise ending will have kids wanting to read it again and again" – USAToday.com
“I love it. Mostly I love the small details in the touch aspect that shows more innovation in the space - and better execution. The rocket, the musical notes and metronome...it is an eBook, with almost game like function - which is a great balance.” – Daniel Donahoo, Wired – GeekDad blogger
"A Present for Milo is infused with sheer joy. This infectious quality is the best thing about the new story app." Wired – GeekMom
"This app is a fun visual treat that encourages kids to touch everything they see on the screen." 5/5 Rating – Common Sense Media
“Amazing…the perfect book app to stimulate, engage and develop reading skills…. a high level of interactivity….fabulous animation. Ruckus Media is once more producing a top quality book app, an app in line with their goal to 're-invent family entertainment'." – FUN EDUCATIONAL APPS
Accolades include:
• Parents' Choice Award Winner: Mobile Apps
• About.com’s 2011 Readers’ Choice Award for “Best App for Kids”
• Mom's Choice Awards' "Best in Family-Friendly Products"
• “Best Apps Ever Award" Finalist (from 148apps.com)
Featured on NPR: Children's Book Apps: A New World of Learning (Listen here)
Who’s knocking on the mouse hole? When mouse peeks out, he sees Milo…and off they go! Down the hall…through the kitchen…up the stairs…across the piano…around and around and around and around—Milo and mouse turn the house upside down as they scamper, pounce, jump and bounce through every room. It’s a spirited chase right up to the exuberant surprise ending! Every screen invites the user right into Milo’s world of toys, music, and mayhem—including a rocket, a UFO, a piano with keys that bash, paintings that jump from their frames and a giggly pack of mischievous mice.
With more than 80 tap-interactive objects that initiate more than 125 animations just right for active young fingers and minds, this interactive exciting cat-chases-mouse story is ideal for pre-readers and young readers alike. With simple vocabulary and sound-out words, A PRESENT FOR MILO provides a fun, engaging read-to or read-aloud experience at a terrific value. It’s perfect for pre-readers and young readers—all animations, narration and sound effects are activated by a simple finger tap or swipe.
It’s hours of fun with a thoroughly engaging story, animations, tap-able surprises and silly sound effects—a perfect digital storybook.
