David Parkins

Bank Street Best Books for Children Smithsonian Notable Books for Children Cat Writers' Association Muse Medallion Winner and World's Best Litter-ary Award Winner Wanda G g Best Read Aloud Honor Book Included on 4 State Book Award lists - in DE, IL, NE, and NY Stories for Young Listeners category, Storytelling World Resource Awards Society of School Librarians International Honor Book 2010 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 but Mom wants to save every stray she finds. 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.

Now in paperback. The inspirational story of African-American inventor Garrett Morgan, whose incredible safety hood became the forerunner to the gas mask that saved thousands of soldiers in the trenches of World War I. The son of freed slaves, Garrett Morgan was determined to have a better life than laboring in the Kentucky fields with his parents and ten siblings. He began by sweeping floors in a clothing factory in Cleveland, Ohio, where he decided to invent a stronger belt for sewing machines. When he was promoted to sewing-machine repairman, Garrett was on his way. In 1911, 146 workers died in the shocking Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City, so Garrett decided to invent a safety hood for firefighters. Little did he know that most people wouldn't be interested in buying his safety hood when they discovered its inventor was black. But an explosion that trapped workers in a tunnel under Lake Erie soon changed all that. Garrett's hoods were rushed to the scene and used to rescue as many men as possible. Developed further, Garrett's invention came to save thousands of soldiers from chlorine gas in the trenches of World War I.