Mervin the Sloth is just standing there quietly when giant letters drop onto the page: “Mervin the Sloth is about to do the best thing in the world.” But what is the best thing in the world? What is Mervin about to do? 
It doesn’t take long for all of Mervin’s exuberant animal friends to barge in with their own ideas. Flying! Digging! Gazelling! Wait, gazelling? Is that even a word?
If only sloths weren’t so slow! Because maybe it’s something even better. But only Amy the red panda sticks around to see it.
This inventive picture book balances zany, pitch-perfect humor with warmth and heart—and irresistibly huggable animal characters. Fans of The Book with No Pictures and The Monster at the End of This Book will delight in the way it plays with form, makes you laugh out loud, and introduces us all to our new, very slow-moving best friend.

Mervin the Sloth Is About to Do the Best Thing in the World

Children's Books

Venable, Colleen AF

Animals

Greenwillow Books

An exuberant, hilarious guessing game about storytelling, creativity, friendship, and patience—with the most adorable animal menagerie you’ll find anywhere!
Amy the Red Panda starts to tell her best friend Mervin the Sloth a story when—uh-oh—a rainstorm of letters pours down! When it stops, Amy reads a sentence in the sky: Amy the Red Panda is writing the best story in the world.
The BEST story in the WORLD? That’s a tall order. Especially when all of the other animals have their own opinions on what the story should be about. Big animals or small ones? Acrobats? A pirate bird flying the Seven Seas? Oh, dear! Luckily, Mervin is there to give Amy just the right inspiration. 
A companion to Mervin the Sloth Is About to Do the Best Thing in the World, this funny-bone–tickling picture book brings back a cast of zany, irresistible animal friends and an inventive, playful format. Pitch-perfect, full of imagination, and just right for fans of Dragons Love Tacos, The Book with No Pictures, and The Monster at the End of This Book.

Amy the Red Panda Is Writing the Best Story in the World

No matter where you are, you can find the perfect instrument and join this band! A winning pick for young readers who adore books by Jory John, Mac Barnett, and Christian Robinson. The band director knows everything about all the instruments, and he can't wait to help find the perfect one for you. But an irrepressible young girl keeps interrupting with enthusiastic BOOM BOOM BOOMS on her drum. At least until the band director introduces one instrument that's even&nbsp;louder. This laugh-out-loud picture book from National Book Award-longlisted author Colleen AF Venable is packed with boundless energy and giggle-worthy jokes--as well as information about eight instruments commonly played in school bands. Illustrator Lian Cho's exuberant artwork matches the text note for note and practically leaps off the page. This joyous picture book will leave young readers eager to pick up an instrument and learn how to play! The Oboe Goes Boom Boom Boom celebrates music and will entertain young readers in the home and classroom alike. Each child in the band is inspired by a real-life musician, and biographies are included at the end of the book.

The Oboe Goes Boom Boom Boom

Arts, Music & Photography

Product Description 
Calling all Raina Telgemeier fans! Introducing an irresistible new middle-grade graphic novel series about growing up, friendship, heroes, and cats (lots of cats!)--perfect for fans of Guts, Awkward and Real Friends (not to mention anyone who loves cats!)\nKatie is dreading the boring summer ahead while her best friends are all away at camp--something that's way out of Katie and her mom's budget, UNLESS Katie can figure out a way to earn the money for camp herself. But when Katie gets a job catsitting for her mysterious upstairs neighbor, life get interesting. First, Madeline has 217 cats (!) and they're not exactly . . . normal cats. Also, why is Madeline always out EXACTLY when the city's most notorious villain commits crimes?! Is it possible that Katie's upstairs neighbor is really a super villain? Can Katie wrangle a whole lot of wayward cats, save a best friendship (why is Beth barely writing back? And who's this boy she keeps talking about?!), AND crack the biggest story in the city's history? Some heroes have capes . . . Katie has cats! 
 From School Library Journal 
Gr 3-6-Katie Spera, 12, lives in an alternate New York City where Yelp-related superheroes abound, but all she cares about is attending summer camp with her best friend, Bethany. Her mother can't afford it, so Katie tries job after job, all ending in comedic disaster, until she finds work caring for her neighbor's 217 genius felines. Herding cats is tough, but Katie figures it out, leaving her time to take part in fun activities in the city with her mom, worry that she and Bethany are growing apart, and wonder if her friendly, glamorous new employer is secretly the supervillain Mousetress. This middle grade comic from the creator of "Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye" is light and fun. Reminiscent of Raina Telgemeier's work, the art features a warm palette and lively, graceful linework that matches the upbeat characters and plot. While the story never gets too serious, there's a lot going on-friendships form and fade, Katie turns her love of animals into a plan for action, and many of the adults around Katie are not who she expected them to be. The book's final pages reveal that there will be a sequel; readers will also find a hilarious secret dossier on the 217 cats and brief bios that show how Venable and Yue used their passions as inspiration for the plot and design. Katie and her mother are white, Bethany is brown-skinned, and Katie's neighbor is Black. VERDICT A winsome mix of adventure, humor, and realistic middle grade problems, ideal for readers seeking the whimsy of Dav Pilkey's "Dog Man" tempered with the reassuring tone of Raina Telgemeier's work.-Amanda Charles, Los Angeles P.L.α(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. 
 Review 
“Who can possibly resist a team of super cats? Or a wonderful kid who gets swept up in the feline drama? I loved Katie!” 
—Lucy Knisley, New York Times bestselling author of Stepping Stones 
“A winner.” 
—Nick Bruel, New York Times bestselling author of the Bad Kitty series 
“Super fun and utterly delightful.” 
—Gene Luen Yang, New York Times bestselling author of 
American Born Chinese 
"Young readers will revel in the heroic antics, and older ones, like me, will be tickled by the Easter eggs strewn throughout. The 
sweet and funny nature of this book is expertly reflected in Yue’s energetic art and seemingly effortless line work." 
—New York Times★” 
Neko Atsume meets The Tick in this laugh-out-loud funny, well-paced series starter…Yue’s expressive cartoons complement this enchanting story, the first in a series with a promising cast of characters—feline and otherwise.” 
—Publishers Weekly, starred review\n“ 
A little evil and a whole lotta fun.” 
—Kirkus Reviews“A winsome mix of adventure, humor, and realistic middle grade problems, 
 ideal for readers seeking the whimsy of Dav Pilkey’s “Dog Man” tempered wit

Katie the Catsitter: (A Graphic Novel)

Random House Graphic

Calling all Raina Telgemeier fans! It's back to school for Katie the Catsitter in this purr-fectly irresistible graphic novel series about friendship, heroes, and cats (lots of cats)! Katie loves skating with the Wheelas and the fact that she's officially a superhero sidekick. But now that school's starting, everything's changing. The Mousetress is getting blamed for things Katie knows she didn't do. Sidekick training is NOT as exciting as she'd hoped. Katie's best friend Beth is back in town and Beth's new boyfriend is always hanging around (ugh!). Not to mention that all of Katie's friends are mad at her. Fixing this will be harder than any skateboarding trick. But with the help of 217 slightly out of the ordinary cats, Katie's going to try! Can she clear the Mousestress's name, uncover the real supervillain, and become the sidekick (and the friend) she's always dreamed of being? "Readers will revel in the heroic antics." -The New York Times

Katie the Catsitter 2: Best Friends for Never: (A Graphic Novel)

Katie the Catsitter 3: Secrets and Sidekicks: (A Graphic Novel)

Calling all graphic novel fans! Get ready for sidekick training (and friendship drama!) with Katie the Catsitter in book 3 of the purr-fectly irresistible, bestselling middle-grade graphic novel series about growing up, friendship, heroes, and cats (lots of cats)! "Readers will revel in the heroic antics." --The New York Times What's better than BFFs? Super sidekick BFFs! Katie can't wait to have Beth join her for sidekick training! Until . . . it turns out Beth might be a way better sidekick than Katie! And now Beth and Marie are hanging out all the time, Jess is acting super weird, and Katie still needs to tell her mom about being a sidekick. Oh yeah, and giant robots are attacking the city. So. That's not great. Can Katie and 217 super-unusual cats work together to save the city (and seventh grade)? Or is Katie about to be in super trouble? Bonus- includes instructions to make your own friendship bracelet! Looking for more cats and more fun?! Don't miss Katie the Catsitter and Katie the Catsitter- Best Friends for Never!

Humor

Calling all graphic novel fans! Get ready for sidekick training (and&nbsp; friendship drama!) with Katie the Catsitter in book 3 of the purr-fectly irresistible, bestselling middle-grade graphic novel series about growing up, friendship, heroes, and cats (lots of cats)! "Readers will revel in the heroic antics." --The New York Times What's better than BFFs? Super sidekick BFFs! Katie can't wait to have Beth join her for sidekick training! Until . . . it turns out Beth might be a way better sidekick than Katie! And now Beth and Marie are hanging out all the time, Jess is acting super weird, and Katie still needs to tell her mom about being a sidekick. Oh yeah, and giant robots are attacking the city. So. That's not great. Can Katie and 217 super-unusual cats work together to save the city (and seventh grade)? Or is Katie about to be in super trouble? Bonus: includes instructions to make your own friendship bracelet! Looking for more cats and more fun?! Don't miss Katie the Catsitter and Katie the Catsitter: Best Friends for Never!

Katie the Catsitter #3: Secrets and Sidekicks: (A Graphic Novel)

Katie the Catsitter 4: The Purrfect Plan: (A Graphic Novel)

Katie the Catsitter is back with her next adventure, and this time she may need the help of an . . . elephant? This irresistibly fun, bestselling, girl--and cat--power graphic novel series is perfect for fans of Sweet Valley Twins and the Babysitters Club! "A little evil&nbsp;and&nbsp;a whole lotta fun." --Kirkus Reviews WANTED: TOP SECRET PLAN Katie is rocking 7th grade and being a superhero sidekick, so when a new threat puts the whole city in danger she's ready to spring into action! She'll just need one super secret plan, a little help from her friends (okay a lot of help!), an invitation to the city's fanciest party, 217 slightly unusual cats, and . . . maybe a new superhero outfit. Can Katie pull off the plan of the century?! Get ready for more drama, more disguises, more fun, more friends, more secrets and more surprises than ever before! (Plus cats, definitely more cats!) Bonus: Don't miss the Which Cat Are You Quiz inside!

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Venable, Colleen AF. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Venable, Colleen AF

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Venable, Colleen AF. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Mervin the Sloth Is About to Do the Best Thing in the World

Amy the Red Panda Is Writing the Best Story in the World

The Oboe Goes Boom Boom Boom

Katie the Catsitter: (A Graphic Novel)

Katie the Catsitter 2: Best Friends for Never: (A Graphic Novel)

Katie the Catsitter 3: Secrets and Sidekicks: (A Graphic Novel)

Katie the Catsitter #3: Secrets and Sidekicks: (A Graphic Novel)

Katie the Catsitter 3: Secrets and Sidekicks: (A Graphic Novel)

Katie the Catsitter 4: The Purrfect Plan: (A Graphic Novel)

Katie the Catsitter 4: The Purrfect Plan: (A Graphic Novel)