Follow along as Pup learns how to eat spiky sea urchins, somersault beneath the waves and groom himself. He still needs lots of help from Mother, but one day Pup will be old enough to dive down below the waves and search for food on his own. Accompanied by beautiful illustrations and set in the North Pacific, this heartwarming tale is perfect for little ones who still have lots to learn themselves.
An old man lives alone on a bluff overlooking the sea, tends his garden and waits. Only when the whales return each year to the bay in front of his cottage is his loneliness eased. Until, one day, an unexpected visitor arrives. Waiting for the Whales illuminates the unique friendship between grandparent and child and celebrates the restorative power of the natural world.
Beloved illustrator Wallace Edwards invites us into the world of Professor I.B. Doodling, a traveling artist who takes suggestions from schoolchildren in order to create fantastical hybrid animals. The result of these visits is Unnatural Selections, a collection of magnificent beasts, from the stately Whalephant to the talented Lizabouboon. Sure to inspire the imagination, Wallace Edwards’s intricate illustrations invite you to pore over them again and again. A supplementary index lists additional creatures to spot throughout the book’s pages, encouraging readers to go back for a second, and a third, look.
With a long list of activities and events to attend, cousin Thomas paints a picture of city life that makes Jessie’s world seem a little dull in comparison. When her mother suggests they invite Thomas to visit their island, Jessie wonders glumly what she could possibly write in her letter that would sound as exciting as zoos, planetariums or video arcades. But as Jessie looks out over her island home, she sees a world of endless variety, from killer whales in the strait and bald eagles soaring overhead to anemones in tide pools and tiny hermit crabs on the shore. She thinks of countless days spent exploring, fishing, swimming and canoeing.
After Morgan’s backyard is flooded by the nearby river, her dog, Shire, finds a baby beaver that has been washed out of its den. Realizing that its parents aren’t coming back, Morgan must quickly learn to care for the beaver, which she names Sammy. Morgan’s parents warn her that he can’t stay with them forever. Will Morgan be able to find a safe home for Sammy?
Hanna is fed up with her best friend, Lizzy, who is always trying to be better than her. When Lizzy tells Hanna she can throw her ball farther and succeeds, it’s the last straw. Hanna is tired of feeling second best, but what she doesn’t realize is that sometimes she makes Lizzy feel that way too. Maybe there’s a way they can still be best friends after all. A funny and relatable story about best friends, competition and learning to see things from another’s point of view.
Nine-year-old Skye has always had a fascination with flying. She’d love to be a pilot someday, like both of her parents, but deep down she really wishes she could be a bird. When Skye’s parents take her to Costa Rica, she is thrilled about all of the beautiful exotic birds she’ll get to see. What she doesn’t realize is that her parents have three big surprises planned, and each will offer her a different opportunity to feel what it’s like to fly. From snorkeling with baby sea turtles to parasailing out on the open ocean to zip-lining through the Costa Rican rainforest, Skye will have more than one chance to fly like a bird before this trip of a lifetime is through
Meet Justine McKeen, the Queen of Green. She's trying to save the planet, one person at a time, and when she decides to get something done, it's a lot of fun. When a small bird is injured after flying into a school window, the students are shocked and upset. But they are even more shocked when school bully Jimmy Blatzo rescues the bird and nurses it back to health. Blatzo may have saved one bird, but the problem is much bigger and not confined to the school grounds. Birds are flying into the windows at the town hall too. With the help of Justine, green activist extraordinaire, Blatzo gets the courage he needs to approach town council. Getting over his fear of public speaking will be one challenge. Getting used to his new nickname, Bird Nerd, will be another matter entirely.
Charlotte and her brother, Jacob, are thrilled to head off on an adventure in their grandpa's boat, The Seawind. As they set sail for Pirate Island, they look forward to a day of beachcombing, playing pirates and storytelling. There are plenty of great treasures to be found, but Charlotte, who can be very bossy, is having trouble sharing with Jacob. When Charlotte accidentally loses one of Jacob's best finds, a piece of driftwood that looks just like a pirate's cutlass, it's the final straw. Feeling horrible for upsetting her brother, Charlotte is determined to set things right.
When eight-year-old Josh and his family adopt an energetic puppy with a big personality and a talent for escaping, everyone is sure that obedience school will teach him good manners. But Bagels turns out to be a bigger handful than anyone predicted. He gets into the laundry, the groceries and the neighbor’s koi pond. He even gets expelled from obedience school. Josh and his little sister, Becky, are worried that if Bagels doesn’t shape up, their parents will send him back to the shelter. Can Bagels redeem himself before it’s too late?
One spring, a nine-year-old Cree boy is visited by a master soapstone carver named Lindy, who gives him four pieces of soapstone. The primary secret to carving, the boy learns, is recognizing that each piece of soapstone already holds its true form inside. Lindy teaches the boy to listen to the soapstone and look to the world around him for signs as to what to carve. As the seasons change, the young boy’s experiences lend him opportunities to develop his carving skills and become attuned to the signs around him. He eagerly awaits the following spring, which will bring Lindy’s return and a chance to show off his carvings.
When an osprey nest atop an electrical pole catches fire, the whole town of Waterton loses power. Being a park warden’s daughter, Jenna (whom everyone calls Cricket) is there at the scene, where she finds three abandoned baby ospreys. Caring for the chicks proves to be challenging for Cricket. The birds are noisy, hungry and very picky eaters. But when she discovers that the power company is building a new anti-nesting device on the electrical pole, Cricket has an even bigger problem. How will she reunite the baby birds with their parents without a place for them to build a nest?
Theo is brokenhearted when he accidentally lets go of the string of his party balloon. As he watches it float out of sight, Theo wonders where his balloon might have gone. Luckily, his older brother Zeke knows everything about everything. Zeke explains that it is a little-known fact that all lost balloons end up in Chicago, the Windy City. Then he tells Theo about Frank, who is responsible for collecting all the balloons in the world. Theo is so touched by Frank's story that he decides to send him a message of hope the only way he knows how.
Miranda has one messy desk. It's full of books, pencils, science projects and…other stuff. Too much stuff, says her teacher, Ms. Basil. On a family visit to her Uncle Aldo's one night, Miranda wonders if some of his magician's tools might offer a solution to her messy-desk problem. Sneaking off to the magic room, Miranda finds Uncle Aldo's impressive collection of top hats. Miranda knows that magic top hats can hold lots of things—why not the mess from her desk? At first, the hat seems to do the trick, but soon things start to go horribly wrong. As Uncle Aldo says, you have to be careful with magic.
In their fourth adventure together, Jake and his younger brother, Tommy, visit their grandparents' farm, Thunder Creek Ranch. When Jake spots a kid on the neighbor's farm, he goes over to investigate and meets Cory McNash, a city kid. Cory thinks he's tough and likes to brag. He offers Jake a ride on a quad bike, and Jake can't resist. When Cory leaves a gate open and a young calf chases Tommy over the creek and into the woods, Jake and Cory follow on the quad. There's a storm coming, and they soon discover why the trickle of water in the creekbed is called Thunder Creek. The boys are stranded, and the tiny creek in now a raging torrent too dangerous to cross
Mooncakes is the lyrical story of a young girl who shares the special celebration of the Chinese Moon Festival with her parents. As they eat mooncakes, drink tea and watch the night sky together, Mama and Baba tell ancient tales of a magical tree that can never be cut down, the Jade Rabbit who came to live on the moon and one brave woman's journey to eternal life.
With the help of his wild imagination and enthusiasm, DJ, the hero of Adventures at Camp Lots-o-Fun, deals with one disaster after another—Super Stackers, "weeding" his mom's garden, facing Tiger the Terrible and a misspelled sign. But when DJ mistakenly sells the wrong box of jewelry to his new friend Sam at his grandma's garage sale, those disasters seem minor. Riding his beloved skateboard, Speedwell, DJ sets out to search for Sam, which is a challenge in itself. When he finally finds Sam, DJ is not prepared for the enormous sacrifice he will have to make to get the jewelry box back.
Justine and her friends are all about being green and helping the planet, one fun-filled environmental project at a time.
In this delightful tale of the power of the imagination, Art's supplies come to life in the studio, creating mayhem and magic -- and art! Pastels, pencils and paints, crayons, brushes and markers, everything gets in on the act of creating a mess-terpiece of fun. Chris Tougas' brilliant illustrations and clever text explore the essence of the creative process in a way that children will understand.
Elsie is about to have puppies, and Elizabeth is going to help. Her grandmother shows her exactly how to make the den for the dog and how to be ready when the puppies come out. After they are born, Elizabeth helps Elsie care for them. Most important of all, though, she helps her grandmother find just the right home for each, especially the very last one.
The alien robots are back! Googol and Googolplex are back from space, ready to continue their scavenger hunt. Pippa and Troy are eager to help, but runaway bulls and disappearing rainbows make their task difficult. And dangerous!
Reg and Keely and Burt and Shawna are back, and ready for new adventures from hunting for treasure to sledding together and building fearsome creatures in the snow.
Kate has decided on a pirate theme for her party. She thinks that seven is going to be the best age to be. Her friend Jake is going to teach her to ride a two-wheeler. And her party is going to be fabulous. That is, until Violet starts spreading stories. Kate goes right on with her planning, but she is worried. When Violet is the only one to show up on the big day, Kate thinks that her worst fears have come true.
Long, long ago, Johnny's grandpa found a bottle on the beach. When Johnny roots it out of the back of Grandpa's closet, he can see a mysterious shadow through the green glass. "We should break it," Johnny says. "Maybe later," says his grandpa. And so the story begins.
Kelly loves the cabin she has made from a refrigerator box. It has a window with curtains, pictures on the walls, a cabin-sized table and a wonderful view. It sits in the vacant lot next door, transformed into the rugged farm of a pioneer family. Now if only Kelly can find the right person to share it with.
