A guinea pig who lives in Toytown invites his friends in the toy store to a dinner party at midnight.

A guinea pig who lives in Toytown invites his friends in the toy store to a dinner party at midnight.

Little Whistle, a real guinea pig who lives in a store called Toytown, helps his toy friends write a letter to Santa asking if he made them.

At night after the shades are drawn, a small guinea pig shares adventures with the toys in Toytown, the toy store where he lives. Newbery Medalist Cynthia Rylant and artist Tim Bowers once again bring the cozy world of Toytown to life in this easy-to-read picture book.

Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos, hosts of the Cooking Channels's hit show Extra Virgin, bring together food, family, and style in a celebration of the pleasures of the rustic Italian table with 120 recipes for simple yet exquisite meals that are accessible, full of fresh flavor, and easy to prepare. Devi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos are ambassadors of contemporary Tuscan cooking. In Extra Virgin, Gabriele is a traditional Italian with a big heart, and Debi is an outgoing, brash New York City girl. Their sassy and playful exchanges illuminate what’s important in everyday life: good food and a lot of love. Ranging from traditional antipasti and soups to their spin on entrees, pizzas, and desserts, recipes include Pecorino and Honey Dip, a sweet and salty way to start a meal; tangy, luscious Grilled Apricots with Goat Cheese Ricotta, inspired by wild Tuscan apricot trees; and Sausage and Beans, which offers hints of fennel in a Tuscan red sauce. Here, too, are Braised Artichokes softened in guanciale-infused oil, Breakfast Pizza, and Coffee Granita just as Italians make it. So flag these recipes, get sauce on them, let splashes of olive oil mark the pages—and invite Debi and Gabriele’s charisma and passion for cooking to spill into your kitchen.

In the 1950s, growing up took place outside, with new suburban neighborhoods as the backdrop. One group of boys led by "Cowboy" filled their summer days with games and explored the outskirts of their neighborhood, leading them to the haunted house that would serve as a hideout for years. As the boys grew, many things changed, but not their friendship. They traded in their toy guns for bottles of beer, as experimentation became the new game. The pranks never ceased, even for their poor, unassuming dates. As the saying goes: boys will be boys. However, Cowboy and his friends can't escape the realities of life forever. Tragedy strikes, and the lives of these friends will never be the same. In Three Whistles, author Tim Soyars captures the timeless truths of growing up in a coming-of-age tale that will leave its mark on the reader. The seemingly mundane days of Cowboy and his friends are recounted with a sense of nostalgia, a nostalgia that becomes painfully interwoven with heartache.

The Dusky Dolphin: Master Acrobat Off Different Shores covers various topics about the dusky dolphin, including its taxonomy, history and demography, ecology, and behavior. After introducing the dusky dolphin as a member of the genus Lagenorhynchus under the family Delphinidae, the book continues by describing its life history, its demographic patterns, and its role in the food web considering predation, parasitism, and competition. The book also includes chapters that discuss the interaction of the dusky dolphin with its habitats, such as the dusky dolphin’s sound production, its foraging at night and in daylight, its survival strategies in response to predator threats, the mating habits of New Zealand duskies, calf rearing, sexual segregation, and genetic relationships. Other chapters address the interaction of dusky dolphins with humans. This book offers information about dusky dolphins off Southern Africa and discussions about the patterns of sympatry in Lagenorhynchus and Cephalorhynchus. Finally, comparisons between dusky dolphins and great apes as large-brained mammals are also reviewed in this book. Only book fully devoted to the southern hemisphere "dusky" dolphin Heavily illustrated with charts, figures, tables, and all color photos Written by a cadre of experts intimately familiar with dolphin field work Written in an accurate yet accessible style for the scientist and natural historian alike