Look carefully now. Think before you guess--because guess is what you surely must do, since there is no way to tell just by looking. It may be shocking to hear (you may not even believe us), but one of these two chickens is a fraud, a fake, a con-woman! She is not a chicken at all, but an entirely different species altogether.

We cannot say for sure what her motives are, but this charlatan won't get away with her nefarious plans...not this time.

Title of Event: Author Event: Michael Hall
When: Saturday, February 13, 2010 2:00 PM
Location: Wild Rumpus
Description: We at Wild Rumpus are lucky ducks, and we know it. And our shorter patrons are lucky ducklings, too, because a special guest is coming in honor of Valentine's Day. Michael Hall is a specialist in hearts: he uses them to make all kinds of beautiful, bright animals in his new, gorgeous picture book, My Heart is Like a Zoo. He'll be reading his book and helping kids make their own heart animals--fun, fun, fun!
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Also, make sure to check out the reviews from our teen book club (otherwise known as AARG) in the "Book Club Information" section! (Read More!)

The Photographer: Into War-Torn Afghanistan with Doctors Without Borders by Guibert, Emmanuel The setting is Afghanistan, circa 1986, and the war between the Soviets and the Afghan resistance is in full force. Medicins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders had already begun working in the country when they invited French photographer Didier Lefevre to accompany them on a return humanitarian mission to provide medical care in the remote northern war zone. This book masterfully combines Lefevre's photos and Emmanuel Guibert's words and graphics in a compelling story that is equal parts enlightening, heart-wrenching, and suspenseful. Lefevre observes the deliberate, thorough preparations of the MSF team and documents the care with which they work. Like wise, his photos of the landscapre and people he encounters reflect his growing attachment to the country itself. But three months into the mission, he is physically and metally exhausted, and wants to return to France as quickly as possible. Lefevre's decision to make a solo return journey leads to the most dramatic sequence in the book as he finds himself, literally and figuratively, alone on a mountaintop. It took Lefevre nearly 20 years and the encouragement of his friend Guibert to tell the full tale of his journey. But as the upheaval in Afghanistan continues today, this story becomes a work of essential and timeless insight.

My Heart Is Like a Zoo by Hall, Michael, Hall, Michael Twenty animals are waiting for young readers--some are familiar, some may be brand-new. Hall's menagerie invites parents and their children to talk about feelings and emotions, explore colors and shapes, count the hearts, and meet the animals. Full color.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Kingsolver, Barbara, Kingsolver, Camille “Tracing the food year, Kingsolver—with her characteristic candor, poetry, and grace—brings us meditations on asparagus, turkeys, tomatoes, and mulch as she and her family try to eat locally as much as they can. This is a distinct hybrid of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Under the Tuscan Sun, and Walden.” —Matt Plies, Annie Bloom’s Books, Portland, OR

The Host by Meyer, Stephenie Earth's population is slowly being taken over by an alien species who implant themselves in host bodies to stop humanity from destroying itself. One of them finds herself in the body of a rebellious young woman named Melanie, who is determined to reunite with her young brother and her boyfriend at all costs. This multifaceted story that keeps you turning pages until the exciting conclusion.--Holly Frakes, Schuler Books &Music, Inc. (Lansing, MI)