Chris Barton

Every December, The Nutcracker comes to life in theaters all across the United States. But how did this 19th-century Russian ballet become such a big part of the holidays in 21st-century America? Meet William, Harold, and Lew Christensen, three small-town Utah boys who caught the ballet bug in the early 1900s. They performed on vaudeville and took part in the New York City dance scene. Russian immigrants shared the story of The Nutcracker with them,...

When Hattie's bulldozer cousins visit, Clarence offers to watch them on his day off.

"During World War I, British and American ships were painted with bold colors and crazy patterns from bow to stern. Why would anyone put such eye-catching designs on ships? Desperate to protect ships from German torpedo attacks, British lieutenant-commander Norman Wilkinson proposed what became known as dazzle. These stunning patterns and colors were meant to confuse the enemy about a ship's speed and direction. By the end of the war, more than four...

Friends Fire Truck and Dragon demonstrate what a good team they make at campfires, cookouts, birthday parties, and more, but in unexpected and unimpressive ways.

Chronicles the life and achievements of the NASA engineer and inventor, from his childhood to his accidental invention of the Super Soaker water gun.

From the impoverished young woman who enchanted 19th-century British society as a faux Asian princess to the lonely but clever Frank Abagnale of "Catch Me if You Can" fame, these 10 vignettes offer riveting insight into mind-blowing masquerades. Illustrations. 6 cx 9.

A shark and a train compete in a series of contests on a seesaw, in hot air balloons, bowling, shooting baskets, playing hide-and-seek, and more.

"A picture book biography on Alton Yates, a Black man who served in the Air Force in the 1950s and contributed to key research on flight safety for pilots and passengers. After returning home, Alton dedicated his life to standing against Jim Crow and fighting for racial equality"--

Ahora en español, la verdadera historia del juguete favorito de todos los niños en el verano, la Súper Pistola de Agua, y cómo fue inventado por accidente. Mientras trataba de crear un sistema de enfriamiento para refrigeradores, Lonnie Johnson inventó sin quererlo el mecanismo de este emblemático juguete. Cuando era niño le encantaban los cohetes, los robots, todo tipo de inventos y, sobre todo, la creatividad. Gracias a su pasión y persistencia...

Clarence joins his neighbor, Mr. Dent, and his cat Throttle for a day of surfing at the beach, but when Throttle gets into trouble and cannot swim, it's up to Clarence to save the day.