Pelican Publishing Children's Books

Driven by love, nourished by hope, and sustained by faith, thousands of families adopt children internationally. A unique opportunity for every reader to take part in an intimate family journey and to witness the shared joy of relatives and friends upon a homecoming.

Celebrate the exciting life of a World War II naval hero! When Pearl Harbor was bombed, Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt sent Adm. Chester Nimitz to respond. Nimitz was put in charge of all US ships in the Pacific and was commander of the Pacific Fleet at the decisive Battle of Midway. This inspiring biography for young readers traces his remarkable life from his nineteenth-century childhood through his valiant service during World War II.

Broomsticks, cauldrons, and wands-oh my! Join Mama Witch and the Picky Little Witch as they travel to Witches R' Us for "Back to Ghoul" supplies. The choosy daughter and practical mother find it difficult to agree on capes, shoes, brooms, and more. Charming wordplay, bewitching rhymes, and spirited illustrations make this humorous story about compromise fun for all.

In this entertaining children's tale, St. Patrick has driven the snakes out of Ireland, but one crafty, clever snake escaped. Ryan, Brian, and Tulla do not want to become tasty mouse meals for this reptile! So they gather their courage and devise a crafty, clever--and risky--plan of their own to help St. Patrick find the sneaky snake.

This beloved fairy tale comes with a bigger glass slipper!

This punny twist on the beloved fairytale will delight readers of all ages. Children will enjoy finding similarities between Cinderella and her pachyderm equivalent as she searches for love at the ball of the zebra prince, heir to the throne. With a plethora of funny fur and hooves from across the animal kingdom, including an adorable fairy god-mouse, the lighthearted illustrations serve to highlight the imagination of this fractured fairytale.

"Yo ho-ho-ho! Michael Lewis's sea-faring Santa tale is surely the best buried treasure you'll ever uncover! The Great Pirate Christmas Battle is so funny you'll shiver your timbers with laughter and clap your hands! Unless you have a hook for a hand. Then you probably shouldn't do that."
—Butch Hartman, voice actor for Family Guy, writer for Dexter's Laboratory and The Powerpuff Girls, and creator of The Fairly OddParents

Take to the high seas with this mordantly witty tale of tinsel and terror. Cap'n McNasty and his rapscallions gleefully plunder children's presents—until Santa Claus and his feisty elves swoop in to put an end to their naughty ways!

A crazy Italian joint makes a tasty read! Reading in the mixed-up Italian restaurant is one of Jake's favorite things to do! Whether they play with food or dig into a good book, Jake and his uncle always have an amusing and delicious time. Juggling ravioli, bowling with mozzarella balls, or playing spaghetti pick-up sticks are just a few of the fun games Jake and his uncle invent. As much as Jake enjoys these culinary amusements, he could just as easily devour a good read. When his uncle's restaurant needs a neighbor, Jake must find the perfect fit. But who is willing to work next to such a crazy joint? Filled with reading, ravioli, and resolve, this is a story for any family who plays and reads together.

A pea-brained T-Rex learns what bullies so often discover: that little dinosaurs--or little children--grow up . . . sometimes way up!

Captain Dare, the fearsome pirate captain, invites children of all ages on this exciting, interactive adventure to find a secret treasure. Children repeat the orders of Captain Dare as they wade through crocodile-filled lagoons and sneak past dangerous snake pits. Through a jungle and up a cliff, children must travel with the captain to find a treasure more special than gold-a treasure trove of books.

There’s a mystery at Washington Middle School that only Michael the wildlife detective can solve. Secretive guests have moved into the school gymnasium and Principal Green doesn’t know what to do. But not to worry! Using math, music, science, and physical evidence, Michael uncovers the identities of the mysterious intruders who have decided to make the school their new home.

           As Michael reveals clue after clue, young readers will enjoy guessing the identities of the critters putting the school into an uproar. Throughout his stakeout, Michael offers a lesson on the gymnasium’s new residents and how to safely and humanely encourage them to move along.

           Author Michael Birt, a wildlife biologist, shares with readers the importance of treating wild animals and nature with respect and kindness—even when they end up in unnatural spaces and cause inconvenience for their human neighbors. He highlights the importance of finding compassionate solutions to pesky problems and explains why the school’s mystery guests are so special.

Stumpy and his brothers Bumpy and Lumpy are born deep in the marsh in this bayou retelling of “The Three Little Pigs.” However, this threesome’s fearsome foe is not a wolf with large lung capacity but the big bad winds from the Gulf of Mexico. Stumpy knows that his brother’s sawgrass nest won’t withstand a stiff breeze, much less the storm approaching from the south. As a hurricane rushes in and makes fast work of their first home, Stumpy can’t help but open his big mouth and tease his older brothers. “I told you so!” he shouts as the wind rips and roils around them, tearing them from one nest after another. The storm taunts them with clever rhyme, throws them out of home after home, surges, and purges. But it also teaches them about respecting the forces of nature. Stumpy, Bumpy, and Lumpy learn to stay inside and throw themselves a little hurricane party in true Gulf States fashion.

           With sassy Southern humor and silly illustrated fun, Stumpy and his brothers weather the storm. Now if only Stumpy could learn to keep his big mouth closed when the waters rise and the winds come howling.

It’s time to make gumbo, but Greta’s dad needs groceries and her baby brother is fussy. As her frazzled dad shops for gumbo ingredients, he doesn’t notice when Greta, determined to calm her brother, summons the help of a hyperactive monkey, a curious rabbit, and a frozen penguin. The baby laughs. But when a grunting elephant and a lumbering bear cause chaos, the baby wails. Yikes! Can Greta calm the baby and help Dad get groceries for Greta’s gumbo? Imagination rules in this fun story for young readers.

Bourque's entertaining and captivating story brilliantly showcases the importance of having supportive friends who encourage and uplift each other through life's ups and downs. Their teamwork, kindness, and positive attitudes are not only admirable but also inspiring. -- The Children's Book Review

READERS' FAVORITE 5-STAR REVIEW!

It's Sunday, the day before the school week begins, and Alycat is nervous. She just knows that Monday is going to be the Mondayest Monday ever! On the playground, Alycat realizes she isn't the only one suffering from the Sunday Scaries. It's hard to ride a bike. What if Kit falls? The treehouse is so high. Will Spotty make it safely back down? The kittens band together to overcome their fears, but can they turn the Sunday Scaries into a Sunday Funday? The themes of the books in the Alycat Series all reflect a reliance on friendships, imagination, and creativity towards problem solving. Fans of Alycat and her friends will enjoy spotting references to the kittens' daily adventures within these pages. Tips for a successful lemonade stand are included

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The Alycat Series features: Alycat and the Thursday Dessert Day, Alycat and the Monday Blues, Alycat and the Friendship Friday, Alycat and the Tournament Tuesday, Alycat and the Cattywampus Wednesday, Alycat and the Sleepover Saturday, and Alycat and the Sunday Scaries. The books in this series have won more than 17 awards, including the NYC Big Book Award, the Mom's Choice Awards, and the Next Generation Indie Book Awards; have been featured in Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly; and have appeared in the Oscars celebrity swag bag and the Grammy Awards gift bag. Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, featured Bourque and her life-size mascot, Alycat, on her popular YouTube channel Little Red News.

Ride along with Jenny for another fun adventure in the Big Easy!

Jenny Giraffe's second New Orleans adventure begins with an invitation to attend her friend T-Boy's birthday party—on a rolling streetcar on the St. Charles line! Jenny is not sure what a streetcar is. Once her adopted family convinces her to try the new experience even though she is scared, she joins her friends aboard the historic streetcar. Decorated with ribbons and balloons, the party car rolls down the tracks! The streetcar, filled with happy children and one young giraffe, travels along St. Charles Avenue through the American and University sectors of the city and on to the Garden District. Jenny enjoys herself and gains confidence in this charming tale.

It's the night before Halloween, and these witches still have many last-minute things to do! In this spooky parody of Clement C. Moore's famous Christmas poem, the witches are up to their elbows in cobwebs and slime, trying to make sure their witchlings are well prepared for their first Halloween broomstick ride. Featuring witches like Mad-Maud and Snaggle-Tooth-Ruth and plenty of ghouls, zombies, monsters, skeletons, and moldy cellars that will satisfy all Halloween lovers, this good-natured book about these wickedly fun witches will have kids more amused than frightened.

Whales and walruses! That's not a pirate's hat!

One day Paulina, engrossed in a book about the many types of hats, accidentally wanders onto a pirate ship only to sit on the captain's headdress. When the captain comes up to get his now squashed topper, Paulina, newly knowledgeable about hats, sees that his headgear isn't the right fit for a pirate ship's captain! She leads the crew on a madcap chase around the globe from Borka Borka Island to Polly Golly Canyon to find suitable parts for a faultless topper. Fish bones and flippers! Will they ever find the right pirate chapeau for the captain?

This uplifting, silly story is satisfying for any child from the swashbuckling to the scholarly and perfect for any parent who wants a phenomenal tale on the power of knowledge to be found in books.

When a scary situation causes a dinosaur-sized transformation, how will he adapt?

When Gregory wakes up in the body of a dinosaur on the morning of his class presentation, he's worried. He is scheduled to talk about the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs and he has practiced all week so he won't be scared in front of the class but he didn't plan for this! As soon as Gregory gets out of bed, everything starts to go wrong. He spills the orange juice, forgets his diorama, and can only speak in roar. What is he going to do when his favorite teacher, Mrs. Anning, calls on him to present his project?

In this loose adaptation of the literary classic by Franz Kafka author Paul Many encourages children not to give up when things get scary. Stan Jaskiel's humorous illustrations show Gregory adapting to his startling new reality and, once he has, everything changes!

When Mama Witch concocts a special Halloween soup for her Little Witch, she adds eye of newt, spit of bug, and hair of slug. But Little Witch turns up her tiny nose at the culinary creation. She prefers such sticky sweets as butter toffee, caramel dandy, and cotton candy. Can these picky eaters come to a compromise? Complete with a recipe for Halloween soup, this fun read is a treat for children and parents alike.

She may be spineless, but this invertebrate has a lot of backbone!

A great big tale about peach pickin' fun. Join Tall Papa Tom, Pretty Mama May, Little Buddy Earl, and the rest of the bunch as they head to the Peach Pickin' Festival. Little Buddy Earl yodels each time they pass a field, but what's the use of that? His yodel soon comes in handy when he turns a tiny peach into the largest in the land! Complete with a recipe for peach cobbler, this tale about teamwork proves that sometimes the smallest person can be the biggest help.

When someone mysteriously takes bites from Lydia's birthday cupcakes, the whole class suspects the new kid, whose name not even the teacher, Mr. Eliot, can remember. But Kevin O'Malley is the only one who knows how to get Lucky to stop playing pranks and help the children with their homework.

Upsie Downsie has convinced his mother he's having trouble falling asleep, so she brings in the neighborhood experts to help. They try lullabies, tedious recitations, storytelling, a massage, a warm bath, and even counting, but they all succumb to sleep, leaving Upsie to the next neighbor.

Scientific discovery changes the world!

Discover the fascinating story behind one of the most important changes to nautical navigation in this nonfiction book for young readers. More than 300 years ago, explorers wandered the seas using unreliable maps. What they needed to know was the longitude of their locations, but for that they needed accurate time keeping. Unfortunately, no accurate source of time measurement at sea existed. In 1714 the British government decided to offer a reward to anyone who could solve the problem. Learned men and great thinkers alike tried unsuccessfully to work out a solution. They declared it unsolvable! Carpenter John Harrison was intrigued; he thought he might have a solution. He worked for years to design a clock that functioned accurately at sea, even though no one believed he could do it. Even after his timepiece was demonstrated effective at sea, he was still not acknowledged for his ingenious solution. It took many years and intervention by the king to grant Harrison the recognition and reward he deserved for solving the problem of how to accurately track longitude and for winning the British government prize. The book offers a detailed map of the world at that time and includes the advancements in the use of longitude since then.