Leaping leopards! It’s the February issue of Cricket!

Beginning with the glistening eyes of the sleek leopard on our cover, Cricket takes you to Africa,where a beautiful--but proud--girl marries the only man handsome enough to be worthy of her, only to find out ... well, you’ll see! What was as rare and important as gold in West Africa? And why was it traded in secret outside ancient Timbuktu? Find out in “The Drums Speak.” Who knew that Cricket’s ancestors in China were once not only favorite pets but famous fighters? In “Chirping Champions” learn about the special diet of Chinese fighting crickets and the beautiful art created by their owners to pamper them. On a more peaceful note, you’ll ponder the thoughtful poetry of the Chinese philosopher Lao Tse. And if crickets do not strike you as being ideal pets, you might sympathize with Claire’s reaction to her birthday present in “Surprise Pets.” There’s the next episode of “The Princess and the Golden Fish,” the first part of an explosive story “The Dog of Pompeii,”and a rumble in Cricket Country, when Cricket is prodded with a traditional rat whisker to float like a firefly and sting like a ladybug. Ready for Round 1? There’s the bell. Clang!