Bøger udgivet af Flashlight Press

This charming story presents a new way for young children to understand how to creatively embrace who they are, no matter what others think. Carla's lunch box is filled with odd delights like the Olive, Pickle and Green Bean Sandwich, the Banana-Cottage-Cheese Delight, and the unforgettable Chopped Liver, Potato Chips, and Cucumber Combo. To Carla, they are delicious and creative lunches, but her teasing classmates are unconvinced and abandon her at the lunch table to eat her bizarre sandwiches alone. One day, however, tables turn when Buster--the worst tease of all--forgets his lunch on the day of the picnic and Carla thoughtfully offers him her extra sandwich. Her own spirited nature helps Carla teach her classmates that "unusual" can actually be good. Lively illustrations help showcase the book's messages of acceptance, tolerance, individuality, and creativity, and the funny plot and authentic dialogue are sure to make this tale a favorite among elementary school children. Carla's creative sandwich solutions provide young chefs-to-be with the inspiration to create sandwich masterpieces of their own.

Matty loves making slime, but when he demonstrates the process at school, he forgets a key ingredient and ends up with a sticky, spreading mess.

The Mess That We Made explores the environmental impact of trash and plastic on the ocean and marine life, and it inspires kids to do their part to combat pollution. Simple, rhythmic wording builds to a crescendo ("e;This is the mess that we made. These are the fish that swim in the mess that we made."e;) and the vibrant digital artwork captures the disaster that is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Children can imagine themselves as one of the four multi-ethnic occupants of the little boat surrounded by swirling plastic in the middle of the ocean, witnessing the cycle of destruction and the harm it causes to plants, animals, and humans. The first half of the book portrays the growing magnitude of the issue, and the second half rallies children and adults to make the necessary changes to save our oceans. Facts about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, ocean pollution, and how kids can help are included in the back matter.

Frank follows the motto, "Honesty is the best policy." He tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Frank never lies to his schoolmates, he always tells the truth to adults, and he's always honest with police officers. The balancing act of finding tact, that fine line between telling the truth and telling too much truth, is the main theme of this story, and it's very funny-- although not necessarily to his friend Dotti whose freckles remind Frank of the Big Dipper, or to the teacher who hears that her breath smells like onions, or to the principal who is told that his toupee looks like a weasel. No one is quite as impressed with Frank's honesty as he thinks they should be. He is sweet and straightforward, and, well, very frank, but with everyone annoyed at him, Frank is now honestly unhappy. He decides to visit his confidante and pal, Grandpa Ernest, who has a history of frankness himself. With a few lessons from Grandpa, Frank begins to understand that the truth is important, but so is not being hurtful. With amusing characters and expressive artwork, this story tells the powerful message of finding the good in everything-- a lesson that sends compassion and understanding to take the place of rudeness in the complex concept of truth.

Carla loves to be different, and welcomes the idea of wearing glasses, Buster likes to blend in, but it turns out that he is the one who needs them--so Carla comes up with a plan to help Buster and his glasses fit in.

On a beautiful day at the beach, a young boy brings his bucket, shovel, and imagination, and builds a perfect sand castle. Right away, a dragon moves in. The boy decides to befriend his dragon and they spend time roaming the shore, flying a kite, braving the waves, defying bullies, and roasting marshmallows--all while Dad is busy sunbathing and Mom is engrossed in her book. Unfortunately, no one believes the boy when he tries to share the news of this magnificent creature. That's when the mischief begins, and the dragon becomes a force to be reckoned with. While adults will recognize the naughty antics as a ploy for attention, children will dissolve into giggles as the dragon devours every last sandwich, blows bubbles in the lemonade, and leaves claw prints in the brownies. Maybe the dragon really is running amok on the beach, or maybe it's a little boy's imagination that is running wild.

Lucy and her grandfather are the focus of this poignant and warm story that teaches that wrinkles are badges of happiness rather than signs of age. Lucy asks Granddad, "e;Why doesn't your skin fit you? It's all crinkly,"e; to which he replies, "e;Those crinkles are called wrinkles,"e; each of which he got when he smiled especially big. As Lucy traces Granddad's joy-filled face, he describes his memories and shares the cause of each line-his wedding day, Lucy's mother's birth, precious moments from her childhood, and Lucy's birth, among others. Beautiful drawings recreate each thoughtful memory, and the recollections showcase an intimate bond between the two generations.

In this wondrous book by award-winning fantasy author Jane Yolen and award-winning fantasy illustrator Doug Keith, two children and a dog explore the coves and caves of a tiny island. Under the watchful eye of Grandpa, the kids are thrilled to discover a huge surprise: the craggy rocks, tufted grass, and wind-swept trees on Giant Island are much more than they seem. Stunning watercolor illustrations with a timeless, mythical feel depict the island above and below the water, as it rises and sinks. Perceptive young readers may giggle or gasp when they realize that the entire island is a giant, and then will revel in knowing the giant secret that the main characters have yet to discover. Jane Yolen's text entrances readers with hints of age-old magic, and pays tribute to mystery, curiosity, and friendship. Doug Keith's paintings invite readers to match the shiny rocks to the giant's eyes, the tunnel to his ears, and the trees and dripping water plants to his hair. Are the kids the first to learn the secret of Giant Island, or has Grandpa brought them here to discover for themselves what he discovered many years before? Visit Giant Island, where fantastical adventures await.

If you build a perfect castle, a dragon will move in - and that's exactly what happens to one very lucky boy when his family gears up for some changes. The boy and his dragon bounce in their castle, duel with delight, and have an amazing time together...until they find out that their castle is a crib for a new baby. Huh? As soon as they get used to the news, the boy and dragon are back in roaring form, entertaining the infant with marching music, aerial acrobatics, and baby-bottle bowling. But merriment turns to mischief and mischief leads to consequences. Can a dragon friend - real or not - help smooth the transition to big brotherhood? Find out...When a Dragon Moves In Again.

Who is making so much noise and how will Jackson ever get to sleep? Despite some silly, sleepy mistakes, genteel Jackson finds a fun and quiet activity for each of his noisy neighbors. He finally gets a great night's sleep-and discovers three new friends in the morning. Cozier than a mole in fuzzy pajamas, No More Noisy Nights is an underground, under-the covers read-aloud, perfect for calming bedtime boogety-woogeties.

Although Matty's art teacher has warned him that too much glue never dries, Matty loves glue. After all, he and his dad make oodles of glue projects at home. One day during art class, Matty finds the fullest bottles of glue, and the fun begins. With a squeeze and a plop, Matty pours a lake of glue before belly-flopping right in the middle and finds himself stuck to the desk. When Matty's dad arrives at the school, instead of being mad, he celebrates his son's creativity and calls him a work of art. With vibrant language and artwork and a wild, silly plot, Too Much Glue is sure to appeal to all children who love to get messy.

With a little free time, some hands-on play, and a big imagination, magical things can happen. In I Love My Dragon, a dragon-loving boy shares the many ways he and his dragon have fun together. Babies and toddlers will love seeing the pair play together at home, in the pool, at the beach, and more.

With humor and warmth, this children's picture book raises awareness about poverty and hunger Best friends Sofia and Maddi live in the same neighborhood, go to the same school, and play in the same park, but while Sofia's fridge at home is full of nutritious food, the fridge at Maddi's house is empty. Sofia learns that Maddi's family doesn't have enough money to fill their fridge and promises Maddi she'll keep this discovery a secret. But because Sofia wants to help her friend, she's faced with a difficult decision: to keep her promise or tell her parents about Maddi's empty fridge. Filled with colorful artwork, this storybook addresses issues of poverty with honesty and sensitivity while instilling important lessons in friendship, empathy, trust, and helping others. A call to action section, with six effective ways for children to help fight hunger and information on antihunger groups, is also included.

A unique monster-under-the-bed story with the perfect balance of giggles and shivers, this picture book relies on the power of humor over fear, appeals to a child's love for creatures both alarming and absurd, and glorifies the scope of a child's imagination. One night, when Ethan checks under his bed for his monster, Gabe, he finds a note from him instead: "e;Gone fishing. Back in a week."e; Ethan knows that without Gabe's familiar nightly scares he doesn't stand a chance of getting to sleep, so Ethan interviews potential substitutes to see if they've got the right equipment for the job--pointy teeth, sharp claws, and a long tail--but none of them proves scary enough for Ethan. When Gabe returns sooner than expected from his fishing trip, Ethan is thrilled. It turns out that Gabe didn't enjoy fishing because the fish scared too easily.

When Ethan can't sleep, he doesn't count sheep -- he says his ABCs. But in monster-loving Ethan's alphabet, A is for Arms, B is for Belly, C is for Claws, and D is for Drool! Kids will love pointing out the alphabetical attributes on the silly monsters that parade across Ethan's room -- like earlobes, noses, spikes, and wings -- and discovering where all of those monsters are headed. By the time Ethan gets to Y, he's Yawning. And by Z, kids will be ready to sleep as Ethan does, surrounded by the tails, tentacles, and drool sticking out from under his bed.

Narrated by a cat-loving little girl, this story is a hysterical romp through a family's pet adoption dilemma. Poor Dad does not like cats, and he voices his opposition to the steady stream of stray cats that always seem to wind up on his doorstep--thanks to a cat-loving Mom who wants to save every stray she finds. In an effort to win Dad over, the little girl hides a tiny stray kitten in her hood and convinces Dad to just give it one small squeeze. Dad manages, with trepidation, to stick out his pinkie and pet the creature. But now that five cats have taken over his favorite chair, he becomes desperate and makes a visit to the pound. Dad returns happily with a big, fat puppy--everyone gets something that they want. With hilarious ink and watercolor illustrations, this picture book demonstrates the resourcefulness, love, and compromises of a pet-loving family.

An artful mixture of fantasy and reality, humor and heart, Maya Was Grumpy celebrates the power of imagination and humor to improve moods. Maya wakes up on the wrong side of the bed, tangled in her blanket, and in a crispy, cranky, grumpy, grouchy mood. She doesn't want to color or wear her favorite shorts or go outside to play. What's worse, she's determined to share her grumpiness with everyone as she glumps, clumps, and thumps around the house. But when Maya growls at her grandmother, she graciously takes Maya's mood in stride, and even has a solution: Gramma suggests a series of unusual activities that Maya will probably not want to do since she's feeling grumpy--and then dismisses her own silly suggestions before Maya can reject them. Children will find it hard to keep from smiling as they watch Maya's grouchiness dissolve into glee at Gramma's giggle-inducing ideas, while adults will find Gramma's clever tactic a useful strategy to add to their repertoire when kids are grumpy.

From carefully aimed pouts and shifting blame to the threat of an all-out tantrum, this laugh-out-loud story for kids and adults focuses on the clever antics, advantage-taking, limit-testing, and childhood shenanigans of three-year-old Emmy. When Emmy spills juice and her dad's pants get "e;orange-hosed,"e; she takes refuge behind Mom's knee. Expecting a reprimand, Emmy is surprised when Mom tells Dad, "e;Now, sweetheart, you should let it be. After all . . . she's only three."e; Once Emmy discovers that she's too young to be punished, she constantly wrangles her way out of trouble by proclaiming, "e;I'm only three!"e; and pulls a handy weapon from her arsenal of manipulative maneuvers. With hilarious, rhyming text and energetic ink and watercolor illustrations that capture Emmy's expressions, from angelic to livid, readers discover that Emmy can't get away with her outrageous behavior forever and that her actions do eventually have consequences.

Ernestine is in over her head. Monday through Sunday, Ernestine's week is packed with after-school lessons--tuba, knitting, sculpting, water ballet, yoga, yodeling, and karate. Overwhelmed and exhausted, Ernestine decides to take matters into her own hands and heads off to the park with her Nanny where she builds a fort, watches the clouds, and plays all kinds of unstructured and imaginative games. But when a teacher calls Ernestine's mom to report that she has not shown up for yodeling, her parents search everywhere until at last they hear their daughter's laughter coming from the park. Ernestine tells her parents what a wonderful afternoon she's had, and explains her plight, asking, "e;I like my lessons, but can't I stop some of them?"e; This saga hilariously captures the dilemma of the modern-day over-scheduled child in riotous color and absurd extremes. A delightful heroine, Ernestine will be sure to put "e;play"e; back on everyone's agenda, demonstrating that in today's overscheduled world, everyone needs the joy of play and the simple wonders of childhood.

Darcy has plans. She and her friend are going to play dress up, do each other's hair, and polish their nails. Daddy has plans, too. He's going to read the paper, mow the lawn, and fix the fence. When Darcy's friend cancels and she's sure her day is ruined, Daddy suggests that they tackle their to-do lists together with a Darcy-Daddy Day. Daddy dons a tutu, and Darcy gives him a fancy hair do. They groom the lawn with Her Majesty's Mowing Service and face off in a Daddy-directed sock battle. But will Darcy want to hammer? Will Daddy do nails? Stepping outside their comfort zones, Darcy and Daddy opt to be open-minded and even a bit daring. As Daddy says, "e;Sometimes things you've never done end up being fun!"e; With a gung-ho attitude, Darcy masters the hammer, and Daddy goes for it with the nails.

Sam's mom explains the ordinary things their dog Dudley does while they are away, but in Sam's mind, Dudley's day is anything but ordinary.

"In Are You My Monster?, the monster-loving boy from I Need My Monster tries to find his monster. He compares his drawing--showing a green monster with a long tail, pointy nails, and big teeth--with an assortment of amusing monsters, until he finds the perfect match. This turns out to be his beloved STUFFED monster toy. Children will love comparing colors, checking if tails are long or short, if nails are pointy or round, if teeth are big or small until they, too, find the monster who is a perfect match."--Goodreads.