Bestselling Author Jane Yolen Pays Tribute to Spring in New Books for Kids

CHAPPAQUA, N.Y., April 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Love, nature, and baseball are just a few of the seasonal themes that crop up in spring books by Jane Yolen, the award-winning author of nearly 300 books for children and adults.  Leading the list is Foiled, Yolen's first graphic novel, a funny, action-packed story about a prickly-but-sensitive girl who likes to fence literally and figuratively.  The novel combines fantasy and realism as Aliera explores feelings about family, fitting in, and the eternal springtime theme of first love.

Nothing announces the beginning of spring like baseball, and All Star!: Honus Wagner and the Most Famous Baseball Card Ever sets the scene for baseball season by introducing picture book fans to Honus Wagner, a homely shortstop with a lot of heart.

April is Poetry Month, and perfect for An Egret's Day, which captures the beauty and magic of nature.  Yolen's thoughtful poems and Jason Stemple's breathtaking color photographs, offer a unique look at the majestic, comical, and quirky Great Egret.

Just in time for spring comes Good Night, Little Bunny, a rhyming story that provides an engaging interactive way to tuck in the littlest bunnies.  Animals are also featured in How Do Dinosaurs Love Their Dogs? and How Do Dinosaurs Love Their Cats?, from Yolen's bestselling "How Do Dinosaurs" series.  Pet lovers of all ages will appreciate Yolen's hilarious rhymes and Mark Teague's irresistible illustrations, which come just in time for National Pet Month in April.

For Father's Day there's My Father Knows the Names of Things, a beautifully-illustrated love letter from a child to the wise and loving dad who knows the names of every kind of dog, bird, fish, and bug.  Jaunty watercolor illustrations add lively humor to Yolen's rhyming text.

Jane Yolen, www.janeyolen.com, has been called a "modern day equivalent of Aesop" by The New York Times, and Newsweek dubbed her "the Hans Christian Andersen of America."  Her books and stories have been honored with a Caldecott Medal, a Caldecott Honor, two Nebula awards, the Jewish Book Award, and two Christopher Medals.  Yolen's body-of-work awards include the Catholic Library Association's Regina Medal, the University of Minnesota's Kerlan Award, and World Fantasy's Life Achievement Award.  She is the recipient of six honorary doctorates.

SOURCE Jane Yolen