Families Around the World

A successor to the popular Children Around the World written and illustrated by Donata Montanari, this book allows young readers to visit with fourteen children, each from a different country, to learn about their families. Based on real children, each one’s story fills a two-page spread and is told in the first person, beginning with a greeting in the child’s native language.

Loula and the Sister Recipe

Loula’s three brothers, the Rotten Pirate Triplets, don’t want to play with her. “Brothers,” mutters Loula, “the worst invention in the world.” She decides what she really needs is a sister, one just like her. So naturally, she asks her parents to make one for her. Only, it’s not that easy. Her father explains, “Making a sister is . . . well, it’s like making a cake. You need the right ingredients.” To make a sister, they say, you need a papa and a mama, butterflies in the stomach, a full moon, a candlelit supper, kisses and hugs and chocolate.

Stop, Thief!

“Max,” said the farmer to his dog one day, “can you catch a thief?” Of course! He can catch anything! And Max eagerly sets off on a quest to find the culprit who has been stealing the farmer’s fruits and vegetables. Within moments, the dog is confident he has spotted the thief — a tiny blue bug, working on a carrot top. “Stop, thief!” Max cries as the bug flies away.

Goodnight, You

In this heartwarming title from the Piggy and Bunny picture book series, the two friends explore what scares them as they prepare for their first campout together. When Bunny admits to being frightened of monsters, Piggy responds that “even if there WAS a monster, I wouldn’t scream like you!” When Bunny asks, “What if the monster GROWLS at you?” Piggy answers, “PWAAT! I can be loud, too!” Then, one by one, all of Bunny’s questions about what to do if a monster came near are countered confidently by Piggy.

Sam’s Pet Temper

The hero of this picture book, Sam, has to wait for everything on the playground one day, and this makes him mad. “He got madder and madder until he was the maddest he had ever been in his whole life.” And then, suddenly, an unusual thing appears. It runs around, shoving and tripping and pinching and stomping, until all the other children have run away. “It was hanging upside down from the monkey bars, grinning at him. Sam had never seen anything like it before, but he knew what it was. It was a Temper.”

Bob’s Hungry Ghost

Bob wants a dog for his birthday, but instead he gets a ghost and its name is Fluffy. Unfortunately, Fluffy doesn’t fetch, sit or go for walks. But he does eat everything, and soon all of Bob’s things and even Bob himself end up in Fluffy’s belly.

Dojo Daycare

One morning, six young ninjas are dropped off at Dojo Daycare. As soon as their ninja moms and ninja dads have left: KABOOM! KAPOW! The ninja boys and girls kick, push, punch, and quickly turn the place upside down in a full-blown ninja riot. Try as he might, the hapless master can’t control the children, and the disaster plays out through lunchtime and story time.

M Is for Maple Leafs

For nearly a century, the Toronto Maple Leafs have stood as one of the most popular hockey franchises in the NHL. With M Is for Maple Leafs, children across North America will discover the alphabet while being introduced to interesting Leaf history.