Claude at the Palace


Book Description

Come with Claude on a smashing adventure! These waggy tales are perfect for new readers, with illustrations on every page. As seen on TV - Claude is the star of his very own TV show! 'Illustrated with humour and elegance ...' The Sunday Times Claude and Sir Bobblysock just happen to wander accidentally into the royal palace on a very special day indeed - the Queen's birthday! Unfortunately the royal nanny, Nanny Stern-Bloomers, has had to take herself off for a lie-down and there's no one to make sure the royal children stay neat and tidy for the big party. But . . . Claude and Sir Bobblysock could step in to babysit, couldn't they? After all, princes and princesses are always on their best behaviour . . . 'For emerging readers I recommend the Claude books' Irish Sunday Independent Catch up with ten terrific years of Claude! Read on with: Claude on Holiday Claude in the City Claude at the Circus Claude in the Country Claude in the Spotlight Claude on the Slopes Claude Lights! Camera! Action! Claude Going for Gold Santa Claude Claude Adventures Claude All At Sea Claude at the Palace Claude Doodle Book Claude: All About Keith Claude Snazzy Dress-Up Sticker Book Claude: Anyone for Strawberries? Claude Ever-So-Summery Sticker Book




Claude in the City


Book Description

When Mr. and Mrs. Shineyshoes leave for the day, their dog Claude and his sock puppet sidekick, Sir Bobblysock, travel to the city for the very first time. From Alex T. Smith's hilariously illustrated early chapter book series. After arriving in the city, Claude and Sir Bobblysock go shopping, visit a museum, foil a robbery, and heal an entire hospital waiting room full of patients. What a wonderful day! Quirky, delightfully odd, and positively surreal, Alex T. Smith's beloved Claude series promises fits of giggles for readers transitioning from picture books to chapter books. Two-color illustrations throughout.




Blaze and the Castle Cake for Bertha Daye


Book Description

Claude Ponti’s nimble wordplay and punning, combined with his phantasmagorical and joyful illustrations, create an endearing gem of a book, bound to be a bedtime story favorite. From one of the world’s most beloved children’s book authors comes a story of a high-spirited flock of friends building an unusual birthday cake. A rabble of soft, golden “chicklets” are awoken one morning to a startling proclamation: they only have ten short days to prepare for their best friend Bertha Daye’s party. It’s time to get to work building a larger-than-life castle cake to house and feed the revelers. Made of chocolate scooped out of chocolate mines, “finer than fairy dust” flour from the hillsides, and fruit carried down twigs and stems in the forest, this will be the best—and kookiest—cake of all time. Oodles of distinctive chicklets fill every page, scurrying, fluttering, napping, tumbling, helping, and getting up to no good. When the party day arrives, guests pour into the pastry palace, many of them unmistakable characters from iconic stories’ past, offering a marvelous who’s-who of story-book history.




The Wooden Prince


Book Description

The automa Pinocchio has always been duty-bound to serve in the floating palace of Venice's emperor. So when Pinocchio finds himself locked in a trunk and delivered to a new master-a wanted criminal and alchemist named Geppetto-he is curious about everything around him. But most curious is the way Pinocchio seems to be changing from a wooden servant into a living, human boy. Before Geppetto and Pinocchio can uncover the mystery surrounding the automa's transformation, Pinocchio is stolen away. Determined to find Geppetto again, Pinocchio begins a harrowing journey across the Empire, where danger in the form of half-beast outlaws and winged airmen abounds for a lost automa. Meanwhile, Princess Lazuli, the daughter of the ruler of a magical kingdom called Abaton, is also on a quest through the emperor's territory. Her father, Prester John, has been captured by the Venetian Empire, and Lazuli is desperate to rescue him. With the emperor's airmen closing in fast, Lazuli learns the only hope for saving her father-and her beloved home-lies in Pinocchio and Geppetto. In a masterful reimagining of Pinocchio, John Claude Bemis weaves an enchanting, thrilling adventure for middle-grade readers in the first installment in the Out of Abaton duology. Praise for The Wooden Prince "Wow! John Claude Bemis hides new magic in old stories." -- Tom Angleberger, New York Times best-selling author of the Origami Yoda series "Young readers will find this reimagined adventure an exhilarating and insightful journey." -- Kirkus Reviews "Pinocchio gets a new look in this curious, complex novel of betrayal, rebellion, and loyalty. . .the world-building is impressive, and the captivating setting will likely attract fantasy, steampunk, and adventure fans alike." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "Flying lions, fiery salamanders, chimera, sylphs, gnomes, men with wings, and an enormous sea monster all play roles in this fantastical retelling of Pinocchio." -- School Library Journal "Pinocchio's growth is sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes heartwarming, and bound to entrance readers." -- Booklist




Santa Claude


Book Description

Come with Claude on a smashing adventure! These waggy tales are perfect for new readers, with illustrations on every page. As seen on TV - Claude is the star of his very own TV show! 'Illustrated with humour and elegance ...' The Sunday Times Claude and Sir Bobblysock think they've caught a burglar coming down the chimney on Christmas Eve. They clap on the handcuffs and turn on the lights. Oh no! It isn't a burglar - it's none other than Santa Claus himself! Now the key for the handcuffs is lost and it's up to our two heroes to deliver all the presents before midnight ... 'For emerging readers I recommend the Claude books' Irish Sunday Independent Catch up with ten terrific years of Claude! Read on with: Claude on Holiday Claude in the City Claude at the Circus Claude in the Country Claude in the Spotlight Claude on the Slopes Claude Lights! Camera! Action! Claude Going for Gold Santa Claude Claude Adventures Claude All At Sea Claude at the Palace Claude Doodle Book Claude: All About Keith Claude Snazzy Dress-Up Sticker Book Claude: Anyone for Strawberries? Claude Ever-So-Summery Sticker Book




Claude on the Slopes


Book Description

When Mr. and Mrs. Shineyshoes leave for the day, their dog Claude and his sock puppet sidekick, Sir Bobblysock, hit the slopes. From Alex T. Smith's hilariously illustrated early chapter book series. Claude and his best friend Sir Bobblysock go to the Snowy Mountains to swish down the powdery slopes. They throw snowballs, learn to ski, and enter a snow-sculpture contest. But when an avalanche threatens their winter wonderland, Claude must come to the rescue. What a wonderful day! Quirky, delightfully odd, and positively surreal, Alex T. Smith's beloved Claude series promises fits of giggles for readers transitioning from picture books to chapter books. Two-color illustrations throughout.




Lord of Monsters


Book Description

Pinocchio can't believe the Moonlit Court is his home! With royal banquets, a regal wardrobe, and a whole new set of rules, Pinocchio has a lot to adjust to in his new life as prester alongside Princess Lazuli. But before they can get comfortable in their thrones, a fancy dinner at the palace is interrupted by an unwelcome guest-a monster! And this isn't just any monster; it's a manticore, a beast that was imprisoned centuries earlier. Desperate to locate the prison and make sure none of its other monsters were able to escape, Lazuli, Pinocchio, and their Celestial Brigade set out to save Abaton from these ancient beings. Their journey requires intelligence, strength, and a dash of the magic only presters control. But when Pinocchio tries to use his powers, they have an unintended effect: he is turning back into a wooden automa. And if he's not careful, he may lose his human form forever. The second book in the Out of Abaton series continues John Claude Bemis's reimagining of Pinocchio in an action-packed adventure that celebrates friendship, tolerance, and the power of being yourself. Praise for The Wooden Prince "Wow! John Claude Bemis hides new magic in old stories." -- Tom Angleberger, New York Times best-selling author of the Origami Yoda series




America’s Dream Palace


Book Description

In T. E. Lawrence’s classic memoir Seven Pillars of Wisdom, Lawrence of Arabia claimed that he inspired a “dream palace” of Arab nationalism. What he really inspired, however, was an American idea of the area now called the Middle East that has shaped U.S. interventions over the course of a century, with sometimes tragic consequences. America’s Dream Palace brings into sharp focus the ways U.S. foreign policy has shaped the emergence of expertise concerning this crucial, often turbulent, and misunderstood part of the world. America’s growing stature as a global power created a need for expert knowledge about different regions. When it came to the Middle East, the U.S. government was initially content to rely on Christian missionaries and Orientalist scholars. After World War II, however, as Washington’s national security establishment required professional expertise in Middle Eastern affairs, it began to cultivate a mutually beneficial relationship with academic institutions. Newly created programs at Harvard, Princeton, and other universities became integral to Washington’s policymaking in the region. The National Defense Education Act of 1958, which aligned America’s educational goals with Cold War security concerns, proved a boon for Middle Eastern studies. But charges of anti-Americanism within the academy soon strained this cozy relationship. Federal funding for area studies declined, while independent think tanks with ties to the government flourished. By the time the Bush administration declared its Global War on Terror, Osamah Khalil writes, think tanks that actively pursued agendas aligned with neoconservative goals were the drivers of America’s foreign policy.




Dog Island


Book Description

When three bodies wash up on the beach of a remote island, the locals must decide whether they should uncover the truth or let the mystery die with the victims. Nestled in an overlooked part of the Mediterranean, Dog Island is home to a quiet and untouched community that has long lived off its fishing, its vines, and its olive trees, far away from the turmoil its neighbors. But when the bodies of three unidentified men wash up on the beach, the witnesses are faced with an impossible decision: report the discovery and open up the island to grisly inquiries, or conceal the terrible truth? Resolving to preserve their way of life, the mayor and a small group of conspirators resolve on a cover-up. But after they dispose of the evidence, their act of deception continues to haunt them, bringing waves of suspicion and misfortune to the island. A detective arrives from the mainland, making their secret even harder to keep and threatening to destroy the very community they tried so hard to protect. With the blend of suspense, keep observation, and wit that has made Philippe Claudel’s books international bestsellers, Dog Island challenges our deepest assumptions about ourselves and offers a fierce and tragic fable for our times.




Masterpieces from Buckingham Palace


Book Description

The exhibition brings together some of the most important paintings in the Royal Collection from the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace. Usually on public view during the annual Summer Opening of the Palace, the paintings will be shown in The Queen?s Gallery while Reservicing works are carried out to protect the historic building for future generations. The Picture Gallery was originally designed by the architect John Nash for George IV to display his collection of Dutch, Flemish and Italian Old Master paintings. Artists represented in the exhibition include Titian, Guercino, Guido Reni, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Rubens, Jan Steen, Claude and Canaletto.00Exhibition: The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London, UK (dates TBD).