“Buzz off,” said the king, shooing the bee from his flower. “Don’t you know I’m the king?” “And I’m the queen,” said the bee, stinging the king’s nose. These stunningly illustrated, ultra-short stories are seemingly simple but ultimately profound tales. In each story, the king has an encounter which he tries to rule over. But of course the rain doesn’t stop just because a king orders it, and tired eyelids can be much stronger than a king’s will. The king sees that his power has limits; the world is diverse and much of it operates under its own rules.
Age
Catalog sorted by age group
Franky
Sam loves robots. He is certain they live in outer space among the stars. His family laughs at him, and no one seems to understand. No one except for Franky, that is.
The Mouse Who Reached The Sky
One morning, Little Mouse spots something red and shiny hanging from a branch. It must be a marble! Too short to reach it alone, she enlists her friends Mole (who thinks it’s a balloon) and Rabbit (who’s sure it’s a ball) to help out.
How to be Famous
Take a trip through the zoo with this irrepressible pigeon as it preens and poses alongside all the animals, right up to the sharp teeth of a grumpy lion. A cheeky, layered story full of deadpan humor and a fresh illustrative style.
The Secret Of The Kelpie
Flora is playing with her brothers and sisters by the loch when she notices a stunning white horse. While her siblings clamour for a chance to ride the beautiful animal, Flora is worried.
Beatrix Potter and the Unfortunate Tale of a Borrowed Guinea Pig
Master of the historical fiction picture book, Hopkinson takes readers back to Victorian England and the home of budding young artist and animal lover Beatrix Potter. When Beatrix brings home her neighbor’s pet guinea pig so that she can practice painting it.
The Water Princess
“The story of one young girl’s quest to bring clean drinking water to her African village.”
Featured in WOW Review Volume XIV, Issue 2.
Ben Says Goodbye
When Ben’s best friend Peter moves away, Ben decides that he will move, too into a “cave” under the kitchen table. Caveman Ben doesn’t need any friends except his tame (stuffed) lion. He hunts for his food (thoughtfully left on a plate by Mom and Dad) and communicates in grunts. And in the safety of his cave he can imagine a world where friends control their own destinies and distance is no obstacle
Sea Change
Follows a young boy who is reluctantly sent to spend the summer in a remote part of Nova Scotia. As the summer wears on, the hero forges solid friendships with other kids in the small fishing community and is changed forever by the experience
A Year Of Borrowed Men
When World War II “borrows” the men in seven-year-old Gerda’s family, the German government sends them three new men in return: Gabriel, Fermaine, and Albert, French prisoners of war who must sleep in an outbuilding and work the farm until the war is over. Gerda knows they are supposed to treat the men as enemies, but it doesn’t seem fair.