Cari Best Books In Order

Three Cheers for Catherine the Great!

A little English, a little Russian, and a lot of heart make a birthday celebration you won’t want to miss! When Sara’s grandma, Catherine the Great, suddenly announces, ‘This year for my birthday, I want no presents! I have music in my Russian bones, and laughing in my heart. I have the day and the night, and I have all of you,’ Sara is surprised. How can Grandma have a birthday party with no presents?’ Her mama explains that a NO PRESENT can be anything from a kiss or a hug to a game of gin rummy — as long as it comes from deep inside you. But what kind of NO PRESENT would be good enough for Catherine the Great? Mr. Minsky, Monica, and her dad, Mary Caruso and her baby, Mimmo, already have good ideas. But it isn’t until Sara is surrounded by Grandma’s bundles of Russian newspapers and books that she gets her won idea: She will teach Grandma to read and write English. This lively borscht-and-blintzes birthday celebration shows that sometimes NO PRESENTS can be the best presents of all.

Shrinking Violet

Never has being shy seemed so rewarding!Whether she’s impersonating Elvis, swaggering like Captain Hook, or imitating the sounds of a cricket, Violet is expressive and funny but only when she’s alone or with her best friend, Opal. At school, especially around class bully Irwin, who teases her nonstop, she retreats into a shell of shyness. But when Irwin, playing the part of Planet Mars in the class play, begins to spin wildly out of control and threatens to ruin the entire production, it’s Violet who saves the day managing not only to give Irwin his comeuppance but to find her own unique way of surviving the spotlight. Illustrations brim*ming with humor and charm add to the fun in this fresh take on overcoming shyness.

Goose’s Story

Sometimes the most unlikely hero*ine can become an inspirationEvery year the geese return. Honking and flapping, they always land in groups. But this spring something is different: an injured goose stands on one leg alone. Shunned by the other geese, she is unable to search for food, swim, or fly away. A young girl watches and wonders how a goose with one foot can survive. She wants to feed her, take care of her, be her friend. But her mother warns that a wild goose has to learn to live with her weakness. Or she won t live at all. It takes patience and courage for both goose and girl to let nature take its course. Told from a child’s point of view, and based on a true story, this simple, telling, and triumphant picture book is wonderfully illustrated in the bold paper collage art of Holly Meade.

When Catherine the Great and I Were Eight!

Readers are in for another rousing good time with Sara and Catherine the Great

The unsinkable hero*ine of Three Cheers for Catherine the Great! is back!

Sara’s Russian grandma, Catherine the Great, has promised to teach Sara how to float in the sea like a flower. So, on a sizzling summer day, they pile into Mr. Minsky s old car with Mama and their neighbors and set out for the beach. At first things are fine. But then they re not: there s a forgotten bathing suit, car trouble, and so many delays that everyone wonders if they ll ever get there. Everyone except Catherine the Great. With an enthusiastic Da! Yes!, Sara s grandma keeps Mr. Minsky s car chugging down the road, until finally they arrive just in time for Sara to learn one more lesson from her beloved grandma.

With pictures full of charm and whimsy, this lively sequel to Three Cheers for Catherine the Great! demonstrates that when things go wrong, a positive attitude can make all the difference.

Are You Going to Be Good?

A joyous celebration of the young and young at heart

Tonight’s a special night. Robert is going to his first grownup party a birthday celebration for Great Gran Sadie, who is one hundred years old. Robert is so excited he feels like a firecracker about to go off. But once he arrives at the party, it s hard to remember what to do when. Don t do that! says Grandpa Jack. Don t do that! says Uncle Phil. Don t do that! says Cousin Sidney. But what will Great Gran Sadie say?
How Robert discovers an unexpected kindred spirit comes to life in whimsical pictures that perfectly capture what it s like to be small in a world of adults. This is one party no one will ever forget.

Sally Jean, the Bicycle Queen

I can pop a wheelie, I can touch the sky,I can pedal backwards, I can really fly!Sally Jean was born to ride. And her bicycle, Flash, is just abouther best friend. But one day something terrible and wonderful happens. Sally Jean grows. Suddenly she finds herself too bigfor Flash. What’s a Bicycle Queen to do? Finally, by collectingold bicycle parts to make a new bike and giving Flash to ayoung friend who longs for a bigger bike of his own she ridesagain!With exuberant art that’s just the right match for Sally Jean’snewfound freedom, this joyous text celebrates growing up,learning new skills, and giving back to the community.

What’s So Bad About Being an Only Child?

Rosemary knows what it’s like to be an only child: there are grownups everywhere! Brothers and sisters are what she wants. Even when they argue, it s like belonging to a special club, she thinks. How can she get a larger, more lively family? Rosemary is stumped, until she discovers some only creatures and figures out a way to bring home what s missing in her life.

Humorous illustrations that pop with personality show Rosemary growing from a bewildered baby surrounded by too many hovering adults to a confident backyard ringmaster who proves that being an only child can be fun!

Easy As Pie

Jacob learned the rules of baking from watching Chef Monty on TV, and now he is ready to make his own peach pie in his Easy On Oven. Even when things get messy and Jacob’s parents say there is no more time for baking, he is determined to see his pie through to the end. Cari Best’s tasty text and Melissa Sweet’s scrumptious collage illustrations combine to make a picture book as satisfying as a perfect slice of pie. Easy As Pie is a 2011 Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year.