Spring into March--or march into spring--with this month’s wild, windy Cricket. Who would celebrate New Year’s in spring? Lots of people. The holiday is called Nowruz, and it’s filled with happiness, peace—and lots of sweets!

Do you think space aliens are afraid of dogs? The little ones in “A Close Encounter of the Frisbee Kind” are, when fun-loving Rolf gives them the ride of their lives. And speaking of dogs, veterinarian James Herriot helps Mrs. Donovan when she loses her best friend, but finds another furry friend in need.

In “Farzad and Saeed,” a group of boys withstands the harsh winds of change as the Iranian Revolution closes their school and endangers their families. And in “Message in a Bottle,” a new two-part serial based on a true tragedy, Christopher Dooley’s dream of starting a new life in America is threatened when his famine ship from Ireland sinks in a storm off the coast of Massachusetts.

Add some sleeping puppies on the cover (but, uh-oh, what’s happened while Mom’s napping?), some silly seasick riddles, and a new contest to write a poem in a bottle, and you’ve got this month’s pet-friendly Cricket. Woof!