Oloyou (Libro Tigrillo)

Oloyou the Cat, the very first creature that the God-child creates, is also the very first friend. God-child and Oloyou play together for hours on end, until one day the cat falls into the void and lands in the dark, featureless, sea kingdom of ferocious Okún Aró. Oloyou is terribly lonely until he meets Aró’s mermaid daughter and falls madly in love. Infuriated, the father flings the pair into the heavens, where they become an everlasting part of the night sky. This imaginative tale, sparked by the author’s mesmerizing text, is the perfect introduction to the vibrant Santería/Yoruba culture.

Buttercup’s Lovely Day

In poetry that lyrically winds like a creek through a farmer’s field, we journey through one lovely day in Buttercup’s life.  Whether she is ruminating on the mud beneath her feet or the moon and the stares in the blue-black sky, she draws us deep into her rich and wonderful world.

The Snow Show

Tune into The Snow Show to see Chef Kelvin and his trusty sous-chefs, Snow White and Jack Frost, investigate evaporation, condensation, and precipitation—all while cooking up the lightest, fluffiest batch of snow ever to fall from the sky. The critics agree: This is one snowy science-filled cooking extravaganza that’ll make kids wish every day were a snow day! Includes an author’s note with additional information about snow, suggested reading, and a link to the author’s website, which features an exciting animation of snow-crystal formation and a free activity kit.

Chee-Lin: A Giraffe’s Journey

Eighty years before Columbus, China sent ships to explore the world. The Chinese discovered many marvelous things, but one discovery stood out above the others: the chee-lin. This chee-lin was just a giraffe, but to the Chinese it was an omen of good fortune so rare that it had appeared only once before—at the birth of Confucius. In a storybook in which each page evokes the richness of far away places and long-ago days, James Rumford traces the chee-lin’s journey from Africa to Bengal to China, weaving a tale not just of a giraffe but of the people he meets along the way.

Dancing to Freedom: The True Story of Mao’s Last Dancer

In a poor village in northern China, a small boy named Li Cunxin was given the chance of a lifetime. Selected by Chairman Mao’s officials from among millions of children to become a dancer, Li’s new life began as he left his family behind.

At the Beijing Dance Academy, days were long and difficult. Li’s hard work was rewarded when he was chosen yet again, this time to travel to America.

From there his career took flight, and he danced in cities around the world—never forgetting his family, who urged him to follow his dreams.

Marwe: Into the Land of the Dead

Marwe lives in a village where food is scarce. She tries to be obedient, but it’s hard to spend every day working in the field. When her carelessness ruins the village’s crops, she’s too scared to face her angry family and runs away to the strange Land of the Dead. Marawe knows she doesn’t belong there. But can she find the right sort of courage to return to the land of the living.

On a Road in Africa

Baskets empty on the seat. Must be filled with things to eat…On a road in Africa, On a road in Africa. Where you gonna go, Mama O, Mama O? Follow real-life animal rescuer Chryssee Perry Martin (a.k.a. “Mama `O’rphanage”) as she makes her daily trek down a dusty road in Africa. Along the way she fills her sisal baskets to the brim with mangoes, bananas, peanuts, and even poop–all to feed and entertain the rescued animals staying in the Nairobi Animal Orphanage. Kim Doner’s detailed oil wash and pencil paintings transport readers to Nairobi, Kenya, where children prepare snacks for hungry baboons and buffalo feast on sugar cane.

Midsummer Knight

Gregory Rogers is back with a new wordless adventure every bit as funny and inspired as The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard. Here the Bear returns as a soldier whose daydreams are interrupted by Shakespeare’s fairy, Puck–the Boy in the previous book. Soon Bear finds himself hurtled into an enchanted world replete with treacherous doings, sinister plots and, of course, palace dungeons. Is Bear truly a swashbuckler? Will he ever escape?

The Story of Growl

Growl is a little purple monster who lives alone in a big castle at the end of Eucalyptus Drive. Growl likes to hop and skip, and jump, and sing. But best of all, Growl loves to growl! She loves to growl inside and out. She loves to growl all morning, and even at night. One afternoon Growl sneaks across her garden and growls over the neighbor’s fence! When they telephone the police, a special rule is made and Growl is banned from doing what she loves best. But what will Growl do? How will Growl get her growl back?