Follow the line from the camels of the Sahara Desert to the blue whales of Greenland, from the giraffes of Kenya’s grasslands to the kangaroos of Australia’s Outback. This book takes young children around the world to see animals in their natural habitats.
Early Years (ages 2-6)
Sir Lofty and Sir Tubb
When two neighboring kingdoms argue over a beautiful flower it turns into war. The couples learn to share and bring peace to their lands.
Colors! Colores!
Noted Mexican poet Jorge Luján and South Africa’s illustrious illustrator Piet Grobler have teamed up again to produce this exquisite celebration of color. As day turns into night, young readers see fleeting, evocative glimpses of the qualities inherent in a range of colors. An antelope and a group of children are pictured inhabiting this delicate world. This bilingual book presents a gorgeous vision of a planet in which nature, words, and the rising and setting of the sun and the moon exist in harmony.
Berkeley’s Barn Owl Dance
This is a lyrical and reassuring story about growing up and leaving the barn to dance on one’s own. At the biggest barn owl dance of the year, the Leave the Nest Fall Fest, keen dancer Berkeley shines as usual. Next moonrise, however, she and her fellow fledglings Bo and Bree must leave home. Though Berkeley is frightened, the winking, smiling, laughing moon lights her way. After thousands of silent wingbeats, she finds a new audience, and Flippity, Tappity, Clap Clap Clap, Berkeley’s new barn dance begins. Berkeley’s Barn Owl Dance ushers children into an unseen animal world, while the young owl’s journey will help them prepare to spread their wings and fly on their own.
Footprints in the Snow
Wolf is feeling offended and indignant: All the wolves he’s ever read about are nasty, scary, and greedy! To set the record straight he decides to write a story about a nice wolf. But will his wolfish instincts get the better of him after all? Author/illustrator Mei Matsuoka’s simple yet sophisticated art imbues Wolf’s story of searching for a friend with wry humor and subtle wit.
It’s Moving Day!
Tucked away beneath a big tree on the edge of a field lies a home — a small burrow — for many. In every season, a different creature makes its home here and then moves on, making room for the next occupant. After a long winter’s sleep, the woodchuck relocates to another burrow, but its former home is not left vacant for long. A cottontail rabbit raises her family there. After the kits have all hopped away, a salamander takes refuge in the same safe place. Through this engaging and informative introduction to woodland animals in their habitats, young readers will delight in learning about natural science as it is integrated into an inviting picture book.
Tweedle Dee Dee
The award-winning creator of HELLO TWINS offers a joyous celebration of nature as it springs to life.Come into the woods, where the green leaves grow around and around and where, high in the branches, a nest is full of cheeping birds. With radiant, expressive artwork, Charlotte Voake captures the essence of a forest as it comes alive in the spring, illustrating a simple text based on the traditional song “The Green Grass Grew All Around.” Includes a musical score to inspire musicians of all ages.
Kiss! Kiss! Yuck! Yuck!
Every time Auntie Elsie comes to visit she gives Andy two big sloppy kisses. Kiss! Kiss! on the left cheek. Kiss! Kiss! on the right cheek. Yuck! Yuck! Andy says to himself.
Andy is a fast runner. But not fast enough to outrun Auntie Elsie. Andy is good at hiding. But Auntie Elsie always finds him. When he ducks down in a pig pen, she climbs right over the fence. When he climbs a tree, she follows right after him.
But then Auntie Elsie breaks her leg and stops coming to visit. Andy realizes he misses Aunt Elsie and her sloppy kisses. One day, a taxi pulls by the gate and out come two crutches. Now it s Andy s turn to get Aunt Elsie. Kiss! Kiss! Hug! Hug!
Kyle Mewburn s funny story of an overly affectionate aunt and her long-suffering nephew will resonate with readers, who will instantly recognize the bond of love that unites the two characters. Ali Teo and John O Reilly s colorful and quirky multimedia illustrations, which combine freehand drawing and photographic collage, exaggerate the humor of the story.
Monsoon Afternoon
It is monsoon season in India. Outside, dark clouds roll in and the rain starts to fall. As animals scatter to find cover, a young boy and his dadaji (grandfather) head out into the rainy weather. The two sail paper boats. They watch the peacocks dance in the rain, just as the colorful birds did when Dadaji was a boy. They pick mangoes and Dadaji lifts up his grandson so he can swing on the roots of the banyan tree, just as Dadaji did when he was young. Finally, when the two return home, hot tea and a loving family are waiting.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 3, Issue 1
The Sleeping Porch
When the intense heat drives young Brando to sleep on the porch, he is awoken around midnight by a cat from a nearby graveyard. Together, Brando and Graveyard Cat embark upon a rollicking adventure: leaping up to the rings of Saturn, visiting the Arctic seas, scaling cliffs and sliding down slopes. Brando is certain his journey with Graveyard Cat was just a dream, but finds that he can’t be entirely sure . . . This imaginative tale is perfectly complemented by Ian Wallace’s charming illustrations.