Wherever Adam Von Trapeze’s family circus performs they inspire audiences with their breathtaking feats. Grandma Antonia breathes fire, Uncle Artem builds dizzying human pyramids, and Papa Alexei and Mama Anastasia dance blindfolded on the tightrope. Only Adam, the youngest of the family, doesn’t show an interest in circus tricks and loud applause. The family is concerned. Where did they go wrong? But one day they are enchanted by the sound of a tuba. And from that day forward, the famous Von Trapeze family circus features a new performer—the one they never expected to be part of the family tradition. And he was a star.
Primary (ages 6-9)
Material appropriate for primary age groups
Mama Shamsi At The Bazaar
Samira is excited to go to the bazaar with her grandmother for the first time, but finds the bustling market to be intimidating, until Mama Shamsi helps her find a way to feel safe.
Pina
Pina explores the haunted country of the imagination where children struggle to place themselves in the big scary world. Pina’s fear to venture out of his little house into the wide world will resonate with timid kids.The techniques he uses to overcome his fear–mindful breathing, thinking of his favorite things, carrying a familiar, comforting object with him when he leaves the house–will prove useful to many children.
Forest Keeper
Indian Jadav Payeng has proven that each and every one of us can make a difference. As a boy, he began planting trees on a sandbank in the state of Assam. Nobody believed that he would succeed in doing so. But since 1979, a forest the size of Central Park has emerged, offering a home to countless animals and plants. It was not until 2007 that a photographer accidentally discovered the forest and made Payeng known to the world beyond India.
Bear Is Never Alone
Bear likes playing piano for all the other animals, but they keep asking him for more, and Bear has trouble setting boundaries and expressing that he needs time for himself until he finds sympathetic Zebra.
Eighteen Vats Of Water
Xian wishes to be a legendary Chinese calligrapher like his father, but struggles to focus. Following in his father’s footsteps, he uses eighteen large vats of water to visualize his progress: when all the vats have turned black with ink from his brush, Xian will have practiced enough to achieve greatness. However, Xian soon learns that rote practice is not enough. To be truly great, he’ll need to observe nature and capture the spirit of his subjects on the page.
Our Dragon
Two parents love their brand-new baby dragon…even though he is always breathing fire, especially when he’s hungry or tired. Dragon tries his best not to set any more fires, but sometimes accidents happen. And when he unwittingly coughs up another flame while playing, what are his loving-but-slightly-exasperated parents to do? He is a baby dragon, after all!
Egyptian Lullaby
A rich, beautifully layered ode to the great city of Cairo, Egypt, its people, and culture.
Akpa’s Journey
After thick-billed murre Akpa emerges from his egg, high on an Arctic cliff, he soon learns that he must embark on a long migration before he is even able to fly. Flinging himself into the icy water with his father to guide him, Akpa must swim 1,000 kilometres of his journey south before he is able to finally fly the final leg of his journey. Adult male murres are also unable to fly during this time of the year, due to their changing feathers, so father and son must navigate south on the choppy ocean waves, meeting new and unfamiliar creatures along the way.
Meanwhile Back On Earth . . .: Finding Our Place Through Time And Space
A new picture book from the creator of Here We Are and What We’ll Build that will give readers perspective on our place in space.