Wonders Of Nature

Bright-eyed birds, evanescent butterflies, tropical fish and other pleasures await the readers of this large format book that will appeal to young children’s curiosity about the natural world. Reminiscent of the watercolors of Ernst Haeckel, John James Audubon, and Maria Sibylla Merian, these charming and expertly rendered pictures of birds, insects, and fish will provide hours of exploration. Presented in double-page spreads, interspersed with informative texts, Guiraud’s illustrations capture the wondrous beauty that populates our oceans, forests, and fields. Her expressive illustrations create a sense of intimacy and empathy with the natural world and their exquisite detail rewards close investigation. Certain to captivate both children and adults, this magnificent book will instill in its readers a connection to the world around them and ignite a sense of wonder about all living things.

The War Below

Luka, a Ukrainian boy working in a slave labor camp, plays dead after an explosion at the factory and escapes, eventually joining a resistance group that opposes both the Nazis and the Soviets, and through the danger of the guerilla fighting he has two overriding goals–find out if his parents are still alive, and reunite with Lida, a girl who was a friend in the labor camp.

The Weight of a Thousand Feathers

Seventeen-year-old Bobby Seed, the devoted but exhausted primary caregiver for his terminally-ill mother and difficult younger brother, finds respite in a support group and good friends, but must face his mother’s impossible choice alone.

The Whale, the Sea and the Stars

When Gerda the blue whale was very small, her mother would sing a beautiful song telling her that if she were ever lost she should look to the stars and they would guide her. Then it’s time for the little whale to leave home. Her adventures take her from the warm waters of the equator to the freezing poles. Along the way she meets clever killer whales, playful penguins, a friendly polar bear and the ancient narwhale. Then one day, the little whale realizes she wants to find somewhere to stay forever. How will she know she’s found the right sea for her? With her mother’s song in her heart, Gerda follows the stars to a place she knows she can call home.

Una Huna?: What Is This?

Ukpik loves living in her camp in the North with her family and she especially loves thinking up names for her brand new puppy. When a captain from the south arrives to trade with Ukpik’s father, she’s excited to learn how to use forks, knives, and spoons. At first, Ukpik enjoys teaching the other children how to use these new tools. But soon, she starts to wonder if they’ll need to use the new tools all the time, and if that means that everything in camp will change. After a conversation with her grandmother, Ukpik realizes that even though she will learn many new things, her love for her family and camp will never change – and it even inspires her to find a name for her puppy!

The Lotterys More Or Less

Nine-year-old Sumac Lottery considers it her job to make sure none of the Lottery celebrations are forgotten, especially now at Christmas time, and in her large, gay, and multiethnic family there are a lot of occasions for celebration in the house they all call Camelottery–but when a terrible ice storm hits Toronto, one of her dads, and her favorite brother cannot make it home from India, and it becomes increasingly difficult to hang on to the holiday spirit.