A tiny island is experiencing extreme weather, a rash of shipwrecks and the disappearance of whole swaths of marine life. Is it climate change? A bad storm season? Or is something else going on?
What if Goldilocks was held accountable for her actions? In this graphic retelling of the fairy tale "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," author/illustrator Bee Waeland reimagines the story of a self-involved little girl who commits a crime and is arrested for breaking and entering. Having tracked deer poo into the Bear family’s house, broken a number of things, eaten all their porridge and fallen asleep in Baby Bear's bed, the family comes home and calls the authorities. Told without words, readers of all ages will delight in this hilarious and vibrant twist on the classic.
Jacky notices that the climate is changing and the summers are becoming hotter and drier... Little Jacky is a Jack pine cone who loves living in the woods with all of her animal friends. When a fire breaks out in her forest, all her friends run to safety and the firefighters battle the flames. The fire threatens to get too close to a neighboring village and Jacky watches as the people who live there, and the fire crew, take measures to make sure everyone is safe. While the village is protected from the fire, Little Jacky is scorched by the flames and finds out that the heat is important for her to continue her life cycle. Beautifully detailed illustrations integrate science with storytelling, and children will enjoy finding new bits of information with every read.
This wordless picture book in graphic novel format tells the story of Saya, her dad and her well-loved stuffed bunny, Kunoichi, to go to the park. On their way, Saya stealthily stops a fight by flinging her floppy four-legged ninja-bunny between two snarling cats. Later on, on the bus, Saya throws Kunoichi under the wheels of a child’s stroller, halting its dangerous roll toward the stairs. Dad doesn't notice as Saya uses Kunoichi to save the day time and time again on their outing and on the bus home, proving small actions can have a great impact.
In 2010 a Winnipeg-based charity raised funds to build and ship a mosque to Inuvik, one of the most northern towns in Canada’s Arctic. A small but growing Muslim community there had been using a cramped trailer for their services, but there just wasn't enough space. The mosque travelled over 4,000 kilometers on a journey fraught with poor weather, incomplete bridges, narrow roads, low traffic wires and a deadline to get on the last barge heading up the Mackenzie River before the first winter freeze. But it made it just in time and is now one of the most northern mosques in the world. This beautiful picture book reminds us that the collective dream of fostering a multicultural and tolerant Canada exists and that people of all backgrounds will come together to build bridges and overcome obstacles for the greater good of their neighbors.
Grumble Yawn follows the onomatopoeic antics of a young girl and her cat as they resist the bedtime routine. This book is composed entirely of sounds and humor in a silly story that calls out to be read aloud with emphasis and humorous inflection. Howl moan squawk stomp—readers may recognize their own cacophonous bedtimes as the main character thwarts going quietly to sleep.
Eleven-year-old Charlie Dembinski lives by the rules he writes down in his notebook. He knows that animals behave in predictable ways and it's easy for him to understand them. What Charlie doesn’t understand is why people aren’t the same way. Faced with a swarm of bees attached to a car, a cat with an unusual lump, a large dog who eats jewelry, a little dog who’s lost his confidence, and a best friend who’s upset for reasons he doesn’t understand, Charlie is put to the test. Can his rules help solve these problems? The third book in the Charlie's Rules series from bestselling author Sigmund Brouwer, Hush, Puppy is sure to delight young animal lovers. The straightforward plot, black-and-white illustrations and unique animal stories make this the perfect chapter book for early readers.
Now that his parents are separated, Ludo has two homes: one in the country with his mom, and the other in the city with his dad. The young boy doesn’t like leaving the countryside and his friends to go to his father’s apartment in the city, but he does find some entertainment in the flashing traffic lights on the street corner under his window. Ludo convinces himself (with the help of his father) that the lights are controlled by a tiny gentleman who sits inside the signal pole, flipping switches all day and night. Ludo starts sneaking out to leave food for the man, and he soon makes a new friend in the big city. A tender story, complemented by vibrant illustrations, that reminds us empathy and generosity are marvelous tools to overcome one’s troubles.
Voici une histoire tout en douceur, aux illustrations vaporeuses et au texte réconfortant, sur la façon de trouver le calme dans l’agitation qui nous entoure. Quand la fête est finie et que le bébé s'endort enfin, quand le chien a épuisé ses jappements et que les écrans sont éteints, le Silence s'avance à pas feutrés sur ses pattes poilues. Le Silence—une présence chaleureuse et réconfortante—se blottit douillettement comme un chat dans un rayon de soleil et nous aide à lire, à réfléchir et àtre calmes. Le Silence est un ami de l’Obscurité. Ensemble, ils adoucissent les contours déchiquetés laissés par le passage du Bruit et relâchent doucement dans la nuit les bateaux chargés de nos rêves. Quand la journée devient pénible ou que certaines émotions prennent trop de place, le Silence se glisse à côté de nous.
When the tsunami destroyed Makio's village, Makio lost his father . . . and his voice. The entire village is silenced by grief, and the young child's anger at the ocean grows. Then one day his neighbor, Mr. Hirota, begins a mysterious project—building a phone booth in his garden. At first Makio is puzzled; the phone isn't connected to anything. It just sits there, unable to ring. But as more and more villagers are drawn to the phone booth, its purpose becomes clear to Makio: the disconnected phone is connecting people to their lost loved ones. Makio calls to the sea to return what it has taken from him and ultimately finds his voice and solace in a phone that carries words on the wind. The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota's Garden is inspired by the true story of the wind phone in Otsuchi, Japan, which was created by artist Itaru Sasaki. He built the phone booth so he could speak to his cousin who had passed, saying, "My thoughts couldn't be relayed over a regular phone line, I wanted them to be carried on the wind." The Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in 2011 destroyed the town of Otsuchi, claiming 10 percent of the population. Residents of Otsuchi and pilgrims from other affected communities have been traveling to the wind phone since the tsunami.
Lou passe tous ses samedis avec Grand-Papa et Papi. Ils se rendent à la bibliothèque main dans la main, comme une guirlande de personnages en papier. Grand-Papa lit des livres sur la science et le design, Papi écoute des disques de rock and roll et Lou va de l’un à l’autre. Mais un jour, tout bascule. Papi fait une chute qui a des conséquences terribles: il sera confiné à un fauteuil roulant pour toujours, tout le temps. Incapable d’accepter son état, il se renferme et ne sort plus de sa chambre. En entendant Grand-Papa essayer d’égayer Papi, Lou a une idée. En utilisant des compétences qu’il a apprises de Grand-Papa et avec un peu d’aide des voisins, Lou élabore un plan pour Papi.
Lark and Connor are judges for the annual baking contest at the community center. When they arrive, they discover that someone has destroyed a contestant's entry. And not just any contestant’s entry—Sophie's! Sophie is Lark's best friend (she just doesn't know it yet). The twin sleuths can't simply roll with it. To save the contest they'll have to take a whisk risk and start investigating the other contestants. With the timer ticking, Lark and Connor have to find the culprit before someone actually takes the cake. Lark and the Dessert Disaster is the fourth title in the Lark Ba Detective series.
With soft illustrations and soothing text, this is a quiet story about learning to find calm in the busy world around you. When the party's over and the baby finally falls asleep, when the dog is all barked out and the screens are dark, the Silence pads in on soft, furry feet. A warm, comforting presence, the Silence curls up in a sun-beam like a cuddly cat and helps you read, think and be still. The Silence is friends with the Dark. Together they soothe the jagged edges left when the Noise has rolled on and gently launch the boats of your dreams into the night. When the day becomes overwhelming or other feelings become too big, the Silence slips in.
An engaging introduction for very young children to the basic facts of life in a way that is gentle, age-appropriate and accessible. Research shows that children are learning about sex at an increasingly young age and often from undesirable sources. The Q&A format, with questions posed in the child’s voice and answers starting simply and becoming gradually more in-depth, allows the adult to guide the conversation to a natural and satisfying conclusion. Additional questions at the back of the book allow for further discussion. Child psychologist Dr. Jillian Roberts designed the Just Enough series to empower parents/caregivers to start conversations with young ones about difficult or challenging subject matter. Other books in the series deal with diversity, death, separation and divorce.
Mysteries seem to follow Lark and Connor Ba wherever they go, and today is no exception! The part-time detectives head to their local community theater to rehearse the play they are in, only to discover that someone is playing pranks on the theater company. The twin sleuths need to work quickly to catch the culprit before one more prank closes down the play for good. It's showtime, Lark and Connor! Lark Takes a Bow is the third title in the Lark Ba Detective series.
Rookie detectives Lark and Connor Ba are back on the case! When a pair of diamond earrings goes missing from the neighborhood general store, Lark and Connor just happen to be in the right place at the right time. Carefully mining the adults for clues, the twin sleuths work together to solve the mystery. Lark and the Diamond Caper is the second title in the Lark Ba Detective series.
Simon tries to be kind. But sometimes he loses his temper and acts without thinking, which almost always gets him into trouble. As Simon begins to understand his outbursts, he imagines himself in a boxing ring with his emotions. Can he come out on top and learn how to acknowledge his feelings?
Un enfant marche sur un chemin de campagne pour aller voir un défilé au village. Ce qu’il voit lors des événements de la journée jusqu’à son retour à la maison et l’heure du coucher lui fait penser au soleil : un jaune d’œuf, une bobine de fil, l’œil d’un oiseau, un cornet de sorbet et un pissenlit. Tous les cercles jaunes lui font penser à la grosse boule orangée dans le ciel. Les merveilleuses illustrations de Josée Bisaillon expriment comment notre imagination façonne notre environnement. Ce livre cartonné démontre aux enfants que leur façon de voir le monde – par le cœur, l’esprit et l’imagination – est tout à fait valable. Grâce à ses métaphores savoureuses, Le soleil est une pêche invite les lecteurs à faire le saut magique dans leur imagination et à voir les objets du quotidien sous un autre angle. Le soleil est une pêche complète La lune est un étang d’argent, écrit lui aussi par Sara Cassidy.
Both the shepherd and the wolf live on the mountain. They love their home and want to feel safe there. This book tells the same story, in identical words, from both the wolf’s perspective and that of the shepherd. Read the wolf’s story then flip it over and read the shepherd’s story and see the landscape that each of them sees. A good reminder of how humans should behave in the wild and on this earth that we share.
In Big Whales, Small World you will meet whales from around the world. This rhyming photographic picture book visits the oceans of places like New Zealand, Russia and South America. Writer, filmmaker and orca activist Mark Leiren-Young introduces young readers to blue whales bigger than dinosaurs and tiny vaquitas who swim close to shores.
Follow our little cloud on an adventure through the sky and learn the science behind how it transforms from a simple cumulus cloud to a full-blown hurricane. Beautifully detailed illustrations from award-winning artist Julie McLaughlin integrate science with storytelling. Children will enjoy finding new gems of information even after several reads, thanks to a whimsical and rich layout. And meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe weaves a comprehensive narrative about a powerful weather system that’s so compelling readers won’t even realize they are on their way to becoming budding meteorologists.
Every morning, a young girl walks her grandmother to the Aajibaichi Shala, the school that was built for the grandmothers in her village to have a place to learn to read and write. The narrator beams with pride as she drops her grandmother off with the other aajis to practice the alphabet and learn simple arithmetic. A moving story about family, women and the power of education—when Aaji learns to spell her name you’ll want to dance along with her. Women in countless countries continue to endure the limitations of illiteracy. Unjust laws have suppressed the rights of girls and women and kept many from getting an education and equal standing in society. Based on a true story from the village of Phangane, India, this brilliantly illustrated book tells the story of the grandmothers who got to go to school for the first time in their lives.
This illustrated nonfiction picture book by child psychologist Dr. Jillian Roberts introduces children to the important topic of the environment. Crafted around a conversation between a grade-school-aged child and an adult, this inquiry-focused book using age-appropriate language and tone will help children shape their understanding of the natural world and how they participate in protecting it. Dr. Roberts starts the discussion with the types of pollution and trash that children might notice on a nature walk or a trip to the beach, how they are caused and how to work to improve things in their own lives and communities. The World Around Us series introduces children to complex cultural, social and environmental issues they may encounter outside their homes, in an accessible way. Sidebars offer further reading for older children or care providers who have bigger questions. For younger children just starting to make these observations, the simple question-and-answer format of the main text will provide a foundation of knowledge on the subject matter. This is the newest title in The World Around Us series, following books that address poverty, tragedy, prejudice, online awareness and body safety and body image.
Every summer morning, Ellie and her Nonna go to the beach. They swim and build sandcastles, and while Nonna reads, Ellie watches the other children play. One day Ellie builds up the courage to approach an older girl playing on her own in a beached rowboat. Piper has a gift, an imagination so great that she whisks Ellie off on grand adventures, going high in the air, deep below the ocean and everywhere in between in their little blue boat, their magic boat. When Piper has to leave, Ellie discovers she has her own vivid imagination.
A young child walks along a country road into town where there’s a parade on. The experiences of the day, and the child’s eventual homecoming and bedtime, are chronicled and compared to the sun. The sun takes the form of the yolk of an egg, a spool of thread, the eye of a bird, an ice-cream cone and a dandelion. Each round, yellow item on the page hints at the big golden ball in the sky. Stunning illustrations by Josée Bisaillon capture how imagination shapes the environment around us. This simple board book shows children that the way they see the world—by heart, mind and imagination—is just right. Revelling in metaphor, The Sun is a Peach encourages that magical leap of imagination and asks the reader to look at everyday objects from a different perspective.
