Daisy has more toys than she knows what to do with. In this story, inspired by an Eastern European folktale about a house that's too small, Daisy thinks she needs a bigger bedroom for all the gifts on her birthday list. Her clever mom helps her realize less is more, and Daisy decides to donate many of her things to a Mitzvah Day rummage sale. In the process, Daisy learns about sharing and the satisfaction that comes from choosing what's important.
Matthew lives in an orphanage. He wanted a dog. He received other gifts and things through the years - stuffed animals, toys, snails, even lice - but never a dog. One day Matthew was finally getting new parents, and what did the parents have for him - a dog.
Times are hard for Mommy, Daddy, and Ivan. They live in a tiny apartment and only have room for an imaginary dog, Ronny, who behaves badly--especially at night. They love him, anyway. One day they are able to move to a larger apartment and have room for The Real Ronny! A real dog! He's wonderful, of course. And they love him. But sometimes you can't help missing the things you left behind.
Ben's Bunny Trouble is set in a near future in which the world has lost all its green space. When Ben decides that the city is not the best place for his bunnies, he embarks on an out-of-this-world journey to find them a better home. It takes a few false landings and help from a variety of aliens, but in the end, Ben finds his bunnies - which seem to have multiplied - a new place to live.
Brave and smart and big at heart. Kylie Bell may be the smallest one in her first-grade class, but when it comes to standing up to mean ol' bully-boy Rusty Jacks, her courage is monumental. Life isn't easy when you can't reach the water fountain, but Kylie Bell's big heart and good manners prove that sometimes it takes the most courage to do what's right. Frank Dormer's playful art extends the funny animal metaphors and appeals to both girls and boys. This book is good for your brain because: Building character, Problem solving, Bullying
A question scritches and scratches at the back of Emma's throat. Emma is a curious kid. She loves to ask questions - and she loves the silly answers that her grandmother always gives. But now Emma has a very important question, one that she is bursting to ask, one that scritches and scratches at the back of her throat. Her grandmother is sick and has to stay in the hospital. Emma wonders if Grandma will still be able to read to her kindergarten; if she will still make up funny stories over bagels on Wednesdays; if she will still be able to watch her after school. But mostly Emma wonders if Grandma is going to die. Emma's Question helps families to answer the question that all kids face at one time or another. Geared toward young children, the story uses gentle humor and simple explanations to describe what is happening to Grandma in the hospital. Funny, sweet illustrations show the depth and closeness of Emma and Grandma's relationship. Dealing With Loss, Family, Intergenerational
Everyone knows that sinking feeling in the pit of the stomach just before diving into a new situation. Sarah Jane Hartwell is scared and doesn't want to start over at a new school. She doesn't know anybody, and nobody knows her. It will be awful. She just knows it. With much prodding from Mr. Hartwell, Sarah Jane reluctantly pulls herself together and goes to school. She is quickly befriended by Mrs. Burton, who helps smooth her jittery transition. This charming and familiar story will delight readers with its surprise ending. Fun, energetic illustrations brighten page after page with the busy antics surrounding Sarah Jane. First Day Jitters is an enchanting story that is sure to be treasured by anyone who has every anticipated a first day of school.
A cowboy poet who can't rope, whip, or ride? Who ever heard of that? Slim knows he could be a real cowboy if the ranch hands would just give him a chance. Action-filled drawings capture the excitement of a cattle run to Dodge City. This book is good for your brain because: Poetry, Problem Solving, Determination.
It can feel good to earn money. But sharing what we earn with others can help many more people enjoy the benefits of hard work. With this introduction to financial literacy, you will learn how sharing time, goods, and money can help those in need.
Grown-up people earn money in different ways. But kids can earn too. Learn about age-appropriate jobs kids can do and how money earned can add up to spend, save, and share wisely.
There are many things a person needs. But there are also things we want. With this introduction to financial literacy, you can learn why it's important to save a part of what you earn for things you want in the future.
Your body needs food, but do you need ice cream? Learn the difference between what you need and things you want.
Are you a good citizen? Read about how to be a good citizen everywhere you go.
I like to help those who need it. Learn how you can make people feel better, too.
This important book shows our connection to the natural world and to one another. It asks children to put aside their differences and to work together for the common good. What are our common goals? How can we work toward peace, safety, tolerance, and integrity in our lives? How can we live together with respect, kindness, and friendship?
This book introduces children to the important people who make our communities cleaner, safer, and better. Action shots feature people working in construction, at schools, in hospitals, fighting fires, doing police work, and volunteering. An activity asks children what kinds of things they could do to volunteer in their own communities.
Families are built in many different ways. This interesting book describes the different members who make up a family including sisters and brothers, parents and stepparents, and grandparents. A creative activity asks children to write a book or a story about their families and add family photos.
Children love to take an active role in helping around their homes. This busy book shows children helping out inside the house by cleaning and washing dishes, as well as outside by raking leaves and sorting materials for recycling.
The farmer loves his garden. Worm loves to work in her home. Can the two learn to work together? Concept: Working together. Book features: Big Words and Big Questions; original illustrations.
Owl and Lizard are as different as night and day. Can they work out their differences and band together? Concept: Cooperating. Book features: Big Words and Big Questions; original illustrations.
When the dollmaker creates Zigzag from clothing scraps, she promises him, some child will love you. Her promise gives the strange-looking doll hope. But the other dolls and stuffed animals in the shop don't want such an ugly toy hanging around so they force Zigzag to leave. Clinging to the promise that a child will someday love him, little Zigzag sets out on a journey in search of happiness and a new home. Young readers will be intrigued by this heart-warming story of perseverance and compassion. Children love to explore the simple bold illustrations that make the story look like it was quilted from scrapes.
Sandpiper finds her daily stroll on the beach interrupted by Whale, who boasts that he is ruler of the sea. Sandpiper responds with equal bravado, asserting her rights to the sand and seawater. Soon the rivals are calling in their cousins, and the beach and sea are filled with shorebirds and sea mammals of every stripe. The standoff grows ominous as Whale leads his cousins in an assault on the beach, eating the sand from under the birds. Sandpiper retaliates by ordering her cousins to drink up the ocean. Soon the landscape is filled with fish, crabs, and sea creatures gasping for survival. How will this end? The outcome of this timely yet timeless nature tale suggests that we are all connected in the ecological chain.
A wise rabbi uses a pillow full of feathers to teach a gossipy villager a lesson on what happens when a person's reputation and trust are harmed by someone's negative, mean-sprited remarks.
In this fresh take on a classic tale, a magic meat grinder helps a poor Jewish couple learn a little gratitude after the three wishes it grants them go awry. A cautionary story that questions today's consumerism and excessiveness, Kishka for Koppel, like the best folktales, can help children and adults alike to look both beyond and within.
Maxine loves her giant tree in the Walbran Valley, but as she gazes at clearcuts from the car window, she worries. What if her tree is gone? Her family and friends trek through the old growth forest, and Maxine runs on ahead to check. Yes, her tree is there. She stands at its foot and listens, but it doesn't make its special sound, "Keer, keer." She will soon learn that "Keer, keer" is the sound a marbled murrelet (a mamu) makes. The mamu is an endangered seabird that flies far from the sea to nest in the high flat branches of the Sitka spruce. When a tree-climber confirms the presence of a mamu nest, Maxine's tree will be safe forever.
