Bee & Me debuted at #15 in the Children’s Illustrated Category of the Independent Bookstores Bestseller list for November 6-13, 2008.

The listing is based on reporting from many
hundreds of independent bookstores across the United States.

Bee & Me (Accord Publishing, LLC, $16.99) is the fantastic new storybook that everyone is buzZz-ing about! From author Elle J. McGuinness and illustrator Heather Brown, Bee & Me is an entrancing book that features vibrant full color illustrations introduced by the innovative technique of Ani-motion, created by Accord designers Jeff Cole and Katarina Ford. Bee & Me is the first book to feature Ani-motion applied in full color, providing the visually arresting Ani-motion panels in almost every spread to enhance the action and immediacy of the story.

Secrets of the Red Lantern: Stories and Vietnamese Recipes from the Heart
by Pauline Nguyen has been named Best Asian Cookbook of 2008 by epicurious.com:

BEST ASIAN
Secrets of the Red Lantern
by Pauline Nguyen (Andrews McMeel Publishing)
Recipe to try: Salt and Pepper Tofu

Whether you want amazingly accessible Vietnamese recipes or just a good, honest family story with food, this Sydney restaurateur delivers. Her family memoir is a great tale of what immigrants both give up and gain in choosing (or not) to pack up and try another country, and if it's not always pretty, it is inspiring, especially with both vintage photos and pictures of the contemporary food Nguyen creates. The book is so beautiful you can almost taste the braised duck with ginger and scallions or the banana fritters.

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/howtocook/cookbooks/bestof2008

Secrets of the Red Lantern
Stories and Vietnamese Recipes from the Heart

by Pauline Nguyen, with recipes by Luke Nguyen and Mark Jensen

Overflowing with sumptuous but simply prepared dishes that have been passed down through generations of the Nguyen family, Secrets of the Red Lantern: Stories and Vietnamese Recipes from the Heart is part Vietnamese cookbook and part family memoir.

More than 275 traditional Vietnamese recipes are presented alongside a visual narrative of food and family photos that follows the family's escape from war-torn Vietnam to the founding of the Red Lantern restaurant in Sydney, Australia.

At the heart of each recipe is the power of food to elevate and transform. From a recipe of Cari De that sparks a memory to the distinctly bitter melon soup that says, "I'm sorry," Secrets of the Red Lantern shares the rich culinary heritage of the Nguyen family and their personal story of reconciliation and success.

Recipes such as Bun Rieu (Crab and Tomato Soup with Vermicelli Noodles), Goi Du Du (Green Papaya Salad with Prawns and Pork), and Che Khoai Mon (Black Sticky Rice with Taro) unlock the family's secrets and see the family persevere through homesickness, heartache, and the upheavals of change to finally experience growth and celebration. The result is a beautiful journey through Vietnamese history, culture, and tradition that cooks everywhere will embrace.

The editors of AOL Food included The Art and Soul of Baking by Sur La Table with Cindy Mushet on their list of the Best Cookbooks of 2008:

http://food.aol.com/holidays/most-sought-after-cookbooks

The Art and Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet

Cindy Mushet, a pastry chef at the legendary Chez Panisse and a culinary instructor at Le Cordon Bleu in Los Angeles, reveals the science behind baking in a language the home cook can understand. Take the time to read through the Baker's Pantry, which provides useful tips.

Recipes to try: Baci Tart with Frangelico Cream and Herbed Chicken Pot Pie

Good Morning America food editor Sara Moulton’s picks for
Best Cookbook of the Year included Knives Cooks Love: Selection. Care. Techniques. Recipes. by Sur La Table with Sarah Jay.

The segment aired 12/23:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/HolidayTheme/story?id=6511192&page=1

The New York Times Book Review of January 18, 2009 features President Obama Election 2008: A Collection of Newspaper Front Pages Selected by the Poynter Institute at #28 on the Paperback NonFiction Best Seller List

About The Poynter Institute

Founded in 1975, The Poynter Institute is a school dedicated to teaching and inspiring journalists and media leaders. It promotes excellence and integrity in the practice of craft and in the practical leadership of successful businesses. It stands for a journalism that informs citizens and enlightens public discourse. It carries forward Nelson Poynter's belief in the value of independent journalism in the public interest. As a financially independent, nonprofit organization, The Poynter Institute is beholden to no interest except its own mission: to help journalists seek and achieve excellence.

To purchase: http://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/products/?isbn=0740784803

The New York Times Book Review of January 18, 2009 features Bee & Me at #8 on the Children’s Best Seller List

When a young boy discovers a bee trapped in his bedroom he hides for fear of being stung. But when the amiable bee frantically explains all that bees do, the boy comes to understand how good things come in different packages: "Bees make honey. That much we know. Bees also spread pollen, which makes all things grow."

The subject of honeybees' mysterious dwindling population throughout the world has been a growing concern in the news in recent years. Bee & Me brings the critical importance of bees to light for young children through the innovative, full color process of ANIMOTION™ in an engaging story of friendship and understanding. Bee & Me will charm readers while providing valuable information about how important bees are to sustainable agriculture. Bee & Me is sure to fascinate, entertain and engage readers of all ages.

Features:

• Unique animated windows on almost every spread enhancing the action of the story.

  The first time ever that such a technique has been applied in full color through the ANIMOTION™ process.

• Enchanting full color illustrations.
• Special appendix full of fun and important bee facts.

Library Journal included The Art and Soul of Baking by Sur La Table with Cindy Mushet on its list of Best How-To Books of 2008.

This addition to renowned culinary authority Sur La Table's cookbook series, The Art and Soul of Baking (Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC; $40.00 hardcover), guides readers through the world of baking, where the tantalizing aromas of chocolate, vanilla, butter, and cinnamon fill the air and tempt the palate. Whether turning out a rustic olive and thyme bread or crafting a show-stopping triple-layer chocolate cake, pastry chef and baking instructor Cindy Mushet provides indispensable tips and tricks to help home bakers achieve professional-looking—and professional-tasting—results.

More than 275 tested and delectable recipes cover all the bases from tasty pies, tantalizing tarts, melt-in-your-mouth meringues, and delicious cookies to more complicated creations such as flaky pastries, decadent cakes, and lighter-than-air soufflés. Novice bakers and pastry perfectionists alike will be tempted by such treats as Dulce De Leche Éclairs with Milk Chocolate Glaze; Pumpkin Spice Cake with Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting; Gingerbread Shortcakes with Caramelized Apples and Cider Sabayon; and Warm Cranberry Crumble Tart. Of course, there are savory recipes, too, including fragrant Parmesan-Herb Popovers; Potato, Onion, and Gruyère Galette; and a perfect Herbed Chicken Pot Pie. And for a delicious twist on tried-and-true favorites, there are recipes for Bananas Foster Bread Pudding; Citrus-Goat Cheese Cheesecake; Chocolate Velvet Pound Cake; and Peanut Butter Thumbprints with Peanut Caramel.

Congratulations to author Lisa Alcalay Klug, recipient of an honor in the "Jewish Pulitzers." Her book, Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe, published by Andrews McMeel in September 2008, has been named a 2008 National Jewish Book Awards finalist.

Cool Jew is a loving and irreverent celebration of Jewish culture. In addition to its fervent call for positive Jewish identity and affiliation, and embrace of Jewish multiculturalism, language, and more, the 250-page humor book also chronicles contemporary Jewish arts and culture with approximately 400 images. These include original line drawings, vintage Israeli and Jewish posters, t-shirt designs, kabbalistic paintings from Israel, album covers, kitsch and more. Cool Jew also features extensive back-of-the-book resource guides on ways to enjoy Jewish community called "Da Tribe Online" and contemporary Jewish music called "Da Heebster Jewkebox."

Cool Jew placed in the category of "Contemporary Jewish Life and Practice." It is the only humor book among the 2008 National Jewish Book Award honorees.

Each year, the National Jewish Book Awards honor some of the best and most exciting authors in the field of Jewish literature. After more than fifty years of presenting these awards, hundreds of books have received the prestigious National Jewish Book Award, including titles by the top authors on the American Jewish literary scene. For the full list of winners and finalists, click here.

The 58th Annual National Jewish Book Awards Ceremony will be held at 7:30 pm, March 5th at the Center for Jewish History in New York City. The ceremony is free and open to the public.

This is the second honor for author Lisa Alcalay Klug since the September release of her first book. She was previously named Erma Bombeck Humor Writer of the Month by the University of Dayton.

Publisher’s Weekly’s Children’s Picture Book Bestsellers
(1/19/09) features Bee & Me at #7

The New York Times Book Review Children’s Best Seller List (2/1/09) features Bee & Me at #9

The subject of honeybees' mysterious dwindling population throughout the world has been a growing concern in the news in recent years. Bee & Me brings the critical importance of bees to light for young children through the innovative, full color process of ANIMOTION™ in an engaging story of friendship and understanding. Bee & Me will charm readers while providing valuable information about how important bees are to sustainable agriculture. Bee & Me is sure to fascinate, entertain and engage readers of all ages.

Features:

• Unique animated windows on almost every spread enhancing the action of the story.

  The first time ever that such a technique has been applied in full color through the ANIMOTION™ process.

• Enchanting full color illustrations.
• Special appendix full of fun and important bee facts.

Publisher’s Weekly’s Children’s Picture Book Bestsellers (2/16/09) features Bee & Me at #8

When a young boy discovers a bee trapped in his bedroom he hides for fear of being stung. But when the amiable bee frantically explains all that bees do, the boy comes to understand how good things come in different packages: "Bees make honey. That much we know. Bees also spread pollen, which makes all things grow."

The subject of honeybees' mysterious dwindling population throughout the world has been a growing concern in the news in recent years. Bee & Me brings the critical importance of bees to light for young children through the innovative, full color process of ANIMOTION™ in an engaging story of friendship and understanding. Bee & Me will charm readers while providing valuable information about how important bees are to sustainable agriculture. Bee & Me is sure to fascinate, entertain and engage readers of all ages.

Coming soon: Baby Turtle's Tale

Two Andrews McMeel Publishing 2008 cookbooks have been named finalists in the 2009 International Association of Culinary Professionals Cookbook Awards:

The Art and Soul of Baking
By Sur La Table with Cindy Mushet
Baking Category

Things Cooks Love: Ingredients. Implements. Recipes.
By Sur La Table with Marie Simmons
General Category

The winners in each of the thirteen categories, as well as the Cookbook of the Year,
will be announced April 4 at IACP’s annual international conference in Denver.

The Art & Soul of Baking has been named a nominee in the James Beard Foundation Awards 2009 in the Books: Baking Category

The James Beard Foundation Awards shine a spotlight on the best and brightest talent in the food and beverage industry.

The winners will be announced May 4th at a Black Tie Ceremony in New York

The Art and Soul of Baking guides readers through the world of baking, where alluring aromas of chocolate, vanilla, and cinnamon fill the air and tempt the palate. Culinary authority Sur La Table teams with professional pastry chef and baking instructor Cindy Mushet to create the ultimate book for bakers. The Art and Soul of Baking demystifies the friendly science of baking through delicious recipes and photography sequences that illustrate proper techniques for carmelizing sugar, or working with croissant dough.

Sudhamma, a forest guide at Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary, is an authority on birds in the region and provides valuable information to visitors

The inaugural ceremony featured a march past with student athletes from 14 districts and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) parading from Durbar Hall Ground to the college ground

PWD pursuing the matter with NHAI, since such amenities will help drivers and others to take a break. ‘Humsafar policy’ of the Centre, launched a month ago, aims to accelerate development of wayside amenities beside highways, if need be with private participation

Landowners along the stretch seek adequate compensation for small tracts of additional land that will be acquired in keeping with the revised alignment

The deadline for the ₹18.6-crore project is December 31, and failure to complete it in time will lead to the Corporation losing the Central share of ₹7.75 crore

The duo has been performing stand-up comedy for around three years now.

Actors Sagar Surya and Junaiz VP talk about becoming Don and Siju and working in the actor-director’s directorial debut

Though not a very popular game like cricket, more youngsters are getting drawn into the sport, says a baseball coach

Expression by the media of any definitive opinion regarding the guilt or innocence of a party in an ongoing criminal investigation will not get protection under Article 19(1)(a), observes an HC bench

Court exempts Palakkad Collector from personal appearance on condition that she will appear through virtual mode