A Dream Of Birds

Sara has a thing for birds. They remind her of her grandfather, who loved birds, and the wonderful show the creatures would put on in his yard each day—like a cloud of colorful flowers carried by the wind.
As Sara walks to school in her island town, she longs for the freedom of those birds. Then she spots a new birdhouse full of parakeets in someone’s yard. Sara feels drawn to them and unable to forget them. So what happens the next time, when she finds the door to the birdhouse unlocked?
With poetic language and beautiful art, this story set on the African island of Mauritius brings to life a little girl’s deep love of nature, her brash but well-meaning choice, and ultimately, her redemption and dream for a better world.

Ratty’s Big Adventure

“Ratty is an enormous rat who lives deep inside the crater of an extinct volcano nestled in the rain forest. One day, he spies a particularly delicious-looking fruit high in the treetops and sets out to reach it. From this high vantage point a spectacular view stretches before him-the world outside his mountain crater. In this big outside world, Ratty imagines, the fruit must be much sweeter, the bird songs more beautiful, and the other animals far more interesting and sophisticated. So he sets off in search of better things. But when is he is asked to attend a dinner party by a crocodile who seems just a bit too friendly, Ratty realizes that perhaps there is no place like home after all”–

Bailey And Blanket

A heartwarming read-aloud about the special relationship between a child and their best friend in all the world . . . a soft, cozy blanket.

Everywhere Bailey goes, Blanket goes too. They love to adventure together. Until an uninvited guest joins the family picnic, and . . .disaster strikes.

What will life be like without Blanket? Determined to keep the duo on their path of adventure, Dad crafts a plan.

Lilting, lyrical text and comically detailed illustrations tell an uplifting tale about resilience, ingenuity and love.

Arthur Who Wrote Sherlock (Who Wrote Classics)

What if you wrote a story about a detective, and he became the most famous detective ever? Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Or . . . would it? Arthur has always loved stories. Even as he grew up poor, endured hardships at school and experienced danger on the high seas, Arthur was always thrilled and inspired by stories. Eventually, he writes his own, and after many years of struggle as a writer, he finally finds success with a series of mystery stories starring his genius detective, Sherlock Holmes. But is it possible for a character to become too successful? Too popular? And if that happens to Arthur, will he really throw his greatest literary creation . . . over a cliff?!

Bandoola

“When World War II comes to Myanmar, one special elephant becomes a hero. As people are forced to leave their home in the Burmese jungle, Bandoola, his keeper and war veteran James Howard Williams (Aka Elephant Bill), undertake a journey that will test their courage, and take their trust, understanding and bravery to the very limit. Together, they lead a group of 53 elephants and over 200 refugees to safety, scaling 6000ft mountains as they trek from Myanmar to northern India.”–Back cover.

The Musician

In ancient China, a young musician named Yu Boya gained fame for his talents. On the night of the Moon Festival, he encounters a mysterious woodcutter who is also a musician and admires Boya’s most famous song: Lofty Mountains and Flowing Water. Their friendship deepens and Boya vows to play the song for his new friend every year on the festival night. But the next year, upon hearing of his friend’s death, Boya smashes his instrument and never plays again. To this day, the word for “close friendship” means “understanding the music.”

Night Lunch

Noses sniff the air as mouthwatering smells waft down city streets, luring growling bellies to the Night Owl. Inside this elegant, horse-drawn establishment, a feathery cook works the grill, serving up tasty dishes for shift-workers and operagoers alike: a mince pie for Fox, a ham sandwich for Badger and puddings for little Possums. Mouse, a poor street sweeper, watches as the line of customers swells, ever hopeful that someone will drop a morsel of food — but Owl’s cooking is far too delicious for more than a crumb to be found. As the evening’s service winds down, weary Owl spots trembling Mouse. Has he found his own night lunch, or will he invite this small sweeper inside for a midnight feast for two?