Tara Lazar

In the colorful and letter-filled Capital City, there's never a moment's rest for Private I, the city's best investigator. Trouble seems to always have a way of finding him-trouble with a capital T. On this particular day, T tells Private I that his watch is missing. And T isn't alone-the citizens of Capital City have lost track of timepieces all over town! Can Private I catch the perp and make up for lost time before it's too late?

From the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of The Big Cheese, Pete Oswald, and critically acclaimed author of 7 Ate 9 and Bloop, Tara Lazar, comes a back-to-school adventure for Flat Cat Flat Cat was born flat. He wasn't squashed under the lunch lady's rolling pin. He wasn't smushed by an avalanche of library books. He was just flat. And most of the time, Flat Cat liked it just like that. Until one day, when Flat Cat, in the mood for a change of scenery, slips into his friend Willow's backpack and accompanies her to school, where he gets folded into a paper airplane, passed as a secret note, and used as a bathroom pass. Will Flat Cat be able to escape the chaos? Or will he realize he is keen to be loved and adored? From acclaimed author Tara Lazar and brought to life by #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Pete Oswald, this is a hilariously quirky and irreverent story that is sure to appeal to fans of Pete the Cat Praise for Flat Cat *"This amusing picture book is fun for reading aloud." --Booklist (starred review) "Whimsy, wonder, and wacky humor in just the right proportions." --GeekMom "Featuring groovy text, it's a Flat Stanley-flavored take on rolling with the punches and fluidly embracing newfound facets and friends." --Publishers Weekly "Perfect for cat lovers who wonder how their feline escape artists seemingly walk through doors." --BCCB

Flat Cat was born flat. He wasn't squashed by an out-of-control ice cream truck, or smushed in a waffle iron. He was just flat. This slick, sly cat could stray and roam anywhere he pleased, keen and unseen. And wouldn't you know it, Flat Cat liked it just like that. That is until one day, when Flat Cat accidentally fell splish splosh right in the wash. And when he emerged from the dryer, Flat Cat wasn't flat at all. He was adorably puffy and downright fluffy! From acclaimed author Tara Lazar and brought to life by New York Times bestselling illustrator Pete Oswald, this is a hilariously quirky and irreverent story that is sure to appeal to fans of Pete the Cat!

Little Joseph turns into a bedtime super-sleuth as he tries to solve the mystery of what happens after the lights go out in this fun spin on classic bedtime stories. Bedtime is Joseph's least favorite time of day. When his parents tuck him in at night, Joseph imagines all kinds of things that he's missing out on: big parties, hot-fudge fountains, exotic animals, and more. But there is only one way to find out if what he imagines is actually true--and bedtime super-sleuth Joseph is determined to discover what happens way past bedtime.

Kids with strong vocabularies are more successful in life. They are better readers and writers. They feel more confident tackling math and science. Parents and educators send kids to the dictionary or a thesaurus when they want to learn a new word. But dictionaries only work if you know the exact word you're looking for and thesauri lack the context for new words to really make sense. Enter this revolutionary dictionary-thesaurus hybrid that puts over 750 high-level, wondrous, and wacky words in fun, engaging, and hilarious context. Kids will not only learn what words mean, but actually use them!

Bloop, the little green alien, must conquer Earth, and his first step is figuring out who’s in charge. The answer? Dogs! This picture book about an alien who looks like a pug is laugh-out-loud funny—and full of heart, too! The perfect story for dog lovers!In his quest to become the next Emperor of Planet XYZ, Bloop makes too many bloopers. So he’s sent to Earth to conquer that crazy planet first. Who’s in charge there? One visit to the park and Bloop knows: dogs, of course!Bloop tries to master these maddening mutts and prove that he’s top dog. But once Bloop gets a taste of the good life on Earth, what will he do when he’s summoned back to XYZ? Readers will cheer as the little puglike alien realizes the love of family makes Earth his real home.Tara Lazar’s hilarious text perfectly pairs with Mike Boldt’s vibrant art in this picture book about an alien who finally finds where he belongs.

A clever, comical re-imagining of the classic "first day of school" story, with a circus twist Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages It's the most amazing day on earth: the first day of school It can be a daunting prospect, but don't worry -- your big brother can show you the ropes. Join a nervous boy and his enthusiastic older brother as they navigate the highs and lows of a first day at school . . . except this school is a big top, and the teacher is named Miss Stupendous, and the cafeteria can be a zoo, literally It turns out, school isn't so scary when you can let off steam during recess (on a steam train) and walk on stilts to all of your classes. With a bit of help from family and some new friends, you'll make it to the top of the class in no time This charming take on school readiness will delight new school-goers and take a bit of the fear out of those first-day jitters.

Three Ways to Trap a Leprechaun, inspired by the leprechaun trap phenomenon made popular in elementary school classrooms, includes tips on how to trap your very own leprechaun—just be sure to let him go!Maker-girl Claire is determined to catch a leprechaun to prove that these magical, mischievous, miniature marvels are real.This picture book romp puts Claire head-to-head with her rival, Finn the Leprechaun, with hilarious results. Will this leprechaun be caught once for all, or will he give her the slip?

6 has a problem. Everyone knows that 7 is always after him. Word on the street is that 7 ate 9. If that's true, 6's days are numbered. Lucky for him, Private I is on the case. But the facts just don't add up. It's odd.Will Private I put two and two together and solve the problem . . . or is 6 next in line to be subtracted?

The Monstore is a one-stop shop for all your monsterly needs in this enormously funny story that's full of friendly, kooky creatures. At the back of Frankensweet's Candy Shoppe, under the last box of sour gumballs, there's a trapdoor. Knock five times fast, hand over the bag of squirmy worms, and you can crawl inside The Monstore. The Monstore is the place to go for all of your monsterly needs. Which is perfect, since Zack definitely has a monsterly need. The problem? His pesky little sister, Gracie, who never pays attention to that "Keep Out" sign on Zack's door--the one he has made especially for her. But when Zack's monsters don't exactly work as planned, he soon finds out that the Monstore has a few rules: No Refunds. No exchanges. No exceptions.