Ping Meets Pang

PING MEETS PANG is a beautifully rendered 24-page picture book from author/illustrator Mary Jane Begin. Ping and Pang are both Pandas, but they don't look a thing like one another, and that's a problem. Each maintains they possess the true qualities of being a Panda; the correct color, the size and shape of their ears, and the even fluffiness of their tails. It is only when they haphazardly (but passionately) agree that "Pandas love bamboo" that they realize they are each Pandas of a different stripe and slowly appreciate each other's differences.

When Stick rescues Stone from a prickly situation with a Pinecone, the pair becomes fast friends. But when Stick gets stuck, can Stone return the favor? Author Beth Ferry makes a memorable debut with a warm, rhyming text that includes a subtle anti-bullying message even the youngest reader will understand. New York Times bestselling illustrator Tom Lichtenheld imbues Stick and Stone with energy, emotion, and personality to spare. In this funny story about kindness and friendship, Stick and Stone join George and Martha, Frog and Toad, and Elephant and Piggie, as some of the best friend duos in children's literature.

Kasie West meets Morgan Matson in this hilarious and heartwarming debut about a girl’s summer mission to get over her ex-boyfriend by kissing her way through the alphabet. Getting dumped by her boyfriend is not how Veda planned on starting her summer. When Mark makes it clear that it’s over between them, Veda is heartbroken and humiliated—but, more importantly, she’s inspired. So she sets out on the love quest of a lifetime: use the summer to forget about Mark, to move on, and move up. All she has to do is kiss twenty-six boys with twenty-six different names—one for each letter of the alphabet. From the top of the Ferris wheel at her hometown carnival to the sandy dunes of Lake Michigan, Veda takes every opportunity she can to add kisses (and boys) to her list, and soon the break-up doesn’t sting quite as much. But just when Veda thinks she has the whole kissing thing figured out, she meets someone who turns her world upside down.

"The Three Kingdoms gives us The Iliad of China. First of the five great works of traditional prose fiction, this master narrative transforms history into epic and has thereby educated and entertained readers of five centuries with unforgettable exemplars of martial and civic virtue, of personal fidelity and political treachery. Moss Roberts's translation, the first complete rendering in English, is one of surpassing excellence and impeccable scholarship. It should delight and captivate Western readers for many more years to come."—Anthony C. Yu, University of Chicago

A reassuring board book conveying unconditional love and the joy of reading together. Prompts on each spread encourage parent-child verbal interaction, aiming to bridge the word gap for babies. Celebrate the joy of reading together! Lively rhymes and book-loving animal families will capture little ones' attention in this colorful board book. No matter what the season or time of day, it's comforting to know that you can always count on your parent's love and the time you share together with books. Questions on every spread prompt new parents to interact with their child while reading, cementing the parent-child bond while instilling a love of books. This board book will help bridge the word gap. Also available in a bilingual English-Spanish language edition entitled ¡Te amo, te abrazo, leo contigo!

In the concluding book of the Mount Emily series, Patsy and Elena are now in Secondary Four and face having to leave Mount Emily Girls’ School by the end of the year. However, they soon find that graduating from their beloved school is the least of their concerns, as unexpected circumstances lead them to have a final showdown with the Midnight Warriors, and in so doing, change the course of time travel forever.

Little Allies is a beautifully illustrated children's story that inspires kids to be their best with everyone, especially for those who may need an ally from time to time. As Ally navigates through her school day, she watches her classmates face bullying and discrimination. Ally realizes that they all want the same thing - to be accepted as they are. Ally learns an important lesson, brought to light by her teacher, that our differences make each of us unique and special, and that we can be an ally to others to help them navigate through life. Little Allies is a touching tale that reminds us of the importance of accepting each other, celebrating our differences, and working to become an ally. The colorful pictures show Ally's willingness to stand by her friends, even when she doesn't know how else to help. Adults in the story are also important allies, helping kids navigate challenges, learn ways to support, and cherish their uniqueness. The bonus material at the end of the book will spark discussion at home or in the classroom.100% of online book sale proceeds will be donated to a nonprofit or organization focused on children's diversity and inclusion development or providing equitable access to opportunities for all children.

Unfinished at Puccini's death in 1924, Turandot was not only his most ambitious work, but it became the last Italian opera to enter the international repertory. In this colorful study two renowned music scholars demonstrate that this work, despite the modern climate in which it was written, was a fitting finale for the centuries-old Great Tradition of Italian opera. Here they provide concrete instances of how a listener might encounter the dramatic and musical structures of Turandot in light of the Italian melodramma, and firmly establish Puccini's last work within the tradition of Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi. In a summary of the sounds, sights, and symbolism of Turandot, the authors touch on earlier treatments of the subject, outline the conception, birth, and reception of the work, and analyze its coordinated dramatic and musical design. Showing how the evolution of the libretto documents Puccini's reversion to large musical forms typical of the Great Tradition in the late nineteenth century, they give particular attention to his use of contrasting Romantic, modernist, and two kinds of orientalist coloration in the general musical structure. They suggest that Puccini's inability to complete the opera resulted mainly from inadequate dramatic buildup for Turandot's last-minute change of heart combined with an overly successful treatment of the secondary character.

Three Heroes Swear Brotherhood In The Peach Garden; One Victory Shatters The Rebels In Battlegrounds. Domains under heaven, after a long period of division, tends to unite; after a long period of union, tends to divide. This has been so since antiquity. When the rule of the Zhou Dynasty weakened, seven contending kingdoms sprang up, warring one with another until the kingdom of Qin prevailed and possessed the empire. But when Qin’s destiny had been fulfilled, arose two opposing kingdoms, Chu and Han, to fight for the mastery. And Han was the victor. The rise of the fortunes of Han began when Liu Bang the Supreme Ancestor slew a white serpent to raise the banners of uprising, which only ended when the whole empire belonged to Han (BC 202). This magnificent heritage was handed down in successive Han emperors for two hundred years, till the rebellion of Wang Mang caused a disruption. But soon Liu Xiu the Latter Han Founder restored the empire, and Han emperors continued their rule for another two hundred years till the days of Emperor Xian, which were doomed to see the beginning of the empire’s division into three parts, known to history as The Three Kingdoms. But the descent into misrule hastened in the reigns of the two predecessors of Emperor Xian—Emperors Huan and Ling—who sat in the Dragon Throne about the middle of the second century. Emperor Huan paid no heed to the good people of his court, but gave his confidence to the Palace eunuchs. He lived and died, leaving the scepter to Emperor Ling, whose advisers were Regent Marshal Dou Wu and Imperial Guardian Chen Fan. Dou Wu and Chen Fan, disgusted with the abuses of the eunuchs in the affairs of the state, plotted the destruction for the power-abusing eunuchs. But Chief Eunuch Cao Jie was not to be disposed of easily. The plot leaked out, and the honest Dou Wu and Chen Fan were put to death, leaving the eunuchs stronger than before.