A cast of nocturnal creatures are the surprise stars in a funny tale about nighttime fears, set in southwest Kenya. The latest tale in the best-selling Handa series. When Handa sleeps over at her friend Akeyo's house, she hears lots of strange sounds in the night: snorts, chattering, rattling, squeaks, slurps, wails, a big thud. Akeyo says it's just her family, laughing, talking, playing music, riding a bike, drinking their bedtime milk. Or maybe the baby crying. Or a door slamming. But is she right? Young readers will be happy to be in on the joke as a sequence of animals pay a visit on the facing pages: a pig, fox, porcupine, bat, pangolin, bush baby, owl, and woodpecker. Illustrated in luminous colors, Eileen Brown's humorous take on things that go bump in the night includes endpapers picturing and naming all the nocturnal creatures.

Handa carries seven delicious fruits to her friend Akeyo as a surprise, but meets some hungry animals along the way. READ AND SHARE is a unique first library for parents and children that helps build early readers’ confidence. Grouped in four progressive levels, Read and Share books - available individually for the first time - are specially selected for qualities that encourage literacy skills and a love of reading. Sixteen top-quality books with notes for extending reading fun inspire the confidence parents and children need to experience the joys of reading . . . together. Plus an informative Parents’ Handbook! What is Read and Share? —An expert selection of sixteen high-quality picture books by superb authors and illustrators, featuring a multicultural array of subjects, including poetry and rhymes, traditional songs, stories, and information books —Four progressive levels - Beginnings, Early Steps, Next Steps, and Taking Off - each including four fabulous picture books —Two full spreads inside each book offering suggestions and activities inspired by the story, designed to help parents and children get the most out of each book - and build a foundation for reading success —A separate 24-page, full-color Parents’ Handbook providing extensive practical information and detailed answers to many of the questions parents ask about encouraging their children’s literacy