A Mexican jumping bean isn't a bean at all. It's a fascinating home and food source for a special kind of caterpillar! With Spanish vocabulary and a clever counting concept, this poetic story shares the life cycle of a Mexican jumping bean. This curious jumping insect is actually a seedpod from a shrub called yerba de la flecha, into which a caterpillar burrows, living inside the pod until it builds a cocoon and breaks out as a moth. Perfect for preschoolers and prereaders, this creative picture book explores the Mexican jumping bean's daily life and eventual transformation and escape from the pod.

From bestselling author Jon Gordon and rising star Damon West comes The Coffee Bean: an illustrated fable that teaches readers how to transform their environment, overcome challenges, and create positive change. Life is often difficult. It can be harsh, stressful, and feel like a pot of boiling hot water. The environments we find ourselves in can change, weaken, or harden us, and test who we truly are. We can be like the carrot that weakens in the pot or like the egg that hardens. Or, we can be like the coffee bean and discover the power inside us to transform our environment. The Coffee Bean is an inspiring tale that follows Abe, a young man filled with stress and fear as he faces challenges and pressure at school and home. One day after class, his teacher shares with him the life-changing lesson of the coffee bean, and this powerful message changes the way he thinks, acts, and sees the world. Abe discovers that instead of letting his environment change him for the worse, he can transform any environment he is in for the better. Equipped with this transformational truth, Abe embarks on an inspirational journey to live his life like the coffee bean. Wherever his life takes him, from school, to the military, to the business world, Abe demonstrates how this simple lesson can unleash the unstoppable power within you. A delightful, quick read, The Coffee Bean is purposely written and designed for readers of all ages so that everyone can benefit from this transformational lesson. This is a book and message that, when read and shared, has the power to change your life and the world around you. You just have to decide: are you a carrot, egg, or coffee bean?

A Mexican jumping bean isn't a bean at all. It's a fascinating home and food source for a special kind of caterpillar! With Spanish vocabulary and a clever counting concept, this poetic story shares the life cycle of a Mexican jumping bean. This curious jumping insect is actually a seedpod from a shrub called yerba de la flecha, into which a caterpillar burrows, living inside the pod until it builds a cocoon and breaks out as a moth. Perfect for preschoolers and prereaders, this creative picture book explores the Mexican jumping bean's daily life and eventual transformation and escape from the pod.

In a small Mexican village deep down in the Southwest corner of Mexico, there was the finest jumping bean community in all the land. Farmer Blue had the most lush, fertile farm in the area. He was very proud of the fact that the famous jumping bean community lived on his farm. He created a special area called the Oasis where they were safe from harm and could flourish to their heart's content. Some people marveled at his jumping beans, others mocked him. "These are famous jumping beans", Farmer Blue would say. "They are circus jumpers and always have a home hereThe Oasis was the center of the village. All community gatherings happen here. All the beans came together here before they make their own way each day. In the center of the Oasis was a beautiful turquoise waterfall with a lagoon and a river that flows through the farmland. Farmer Blue maintained the oasis for the beans for 60 years, so they could live there peacefully.

Classic Bestseller from the world's best-known vegetarian cookery writer in smart new format

Lucas's grandfather takes him to a spot near his ranch where the seeds grow that are known as Mexican jumping beans, in a story that also includes information on the beans and on the moth larva that cause them to jump.

Originally published: San Francisco, Calif.: Chronicle Books, 2006.