Each time a girl visits a bear in a zoo, she listens to his tales of the vast and wondrous Land of the Bears, his home that he will never see again.

"After a long journey, a child finds someone in this world who will listen to their stories, even the scary ones"--

Enthusiastic Hannah Sparkles is overjoyed to start first grade, and learns along the way that sometimes being a good listener is the best way to be a good friend.

Owen McPhee doesn't just like to talk, he LOVES to talk. He spends every waking minute chattering away at his teachers, his classmates, his parents, his dog, and even himself. But all that talking can get in the way of listening. And when Owen wakes up with a bad case of laryngitis, it gives him a much-needed opportunity to hear what others have to say. From the author-illustrator team behind The Invisible Boy comes a bright and lively picture book...