Waiting for the Whales

This book tells the simple story of an old man who lives alone in a house overlooking the sea. His life has assumed a cozy regularity to match the seasons: collecting firewood and clams in wintertime; planting his garden in the spring; and, in summer, watching his beloved orca whales swimming by. When his daughter comes to visit one spring with a new infant, the man has someone with whom to share his love of the natural world–especially the whales.

Big Red Lollipop

Having to take her younger sister along the first time she is invited to a birthday party spoils Rubina’s fun, and later when that sister is asked to a party and baby sister wants to come, Rubina must decide whether to help.

Join the discussion of Big Red Lollipop as well as other books centered around relocation on our My Take/Your Take page.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume 3, Issue 4

This book has been included in WOW’s Kids Taking Action Booklist. For our current list, visit our Boolist page under Resources in the green navigation bar.

Ducks Don’t Wear Socks

Emily is a serious girl. She enjoys serious things like bird-watching, math, and playing the cello. But one day while she’s taking a walk, Emily runs into Duck, who is anything but serious and wears socks. Ducks dont wear socks, said Emily. Cold feet! yelled Duck, and off he went. Through a series of humorous run-ins, Duck teaches Emily the importance of laughing especially at oneself.

If I Had a Dog

Six-year-old Maxine is dog crazy. She draws dogs, she has dogs on her T-shirts, she even drags home neighbors’ dogs in the hopes that her parents will let them stay. On a walk to the park with her big brother, Hugh, Maxine stops every time she sees a dog, hoping for a kiss or a tail-wag from the four-footed friends she adores. Hugh and some of the pet owners she meets along the way teach Maxine how to know when it is safe to approach, how to greet, and what to do to ensure a happy experience for both child and canine.Whether they’re small or big dogs, working or guard dogs, old or young dogs, even aggressive dogs, Maxine learns how best to deal with each situation. And though she aches to have them all, she is about to find out that the best dog is her own dog — the squiggly surprise her parents have waiting for her.Written so that young children can learn to “read” dog language, the veterinarian-approved information is presented in a charming storyline that is sure to appeal to young children.

The Trouble With Tilly Trumble

A sweet, read-aloud story of friendship for dog lovers everywhere in a tale about the relationship between a lonely person and a homeless pet that offers laughs and sincere emotion. Tilly Trumble collects chairs, but she’s still looking for the perfect four-legged, scruffy old thing to fill the space by the fire. When a scruffy dog arrives and doesn’t want to leave, Tilly finds the perfect companion for her chair collecting, sausage eating, and star gazing. Dog owners especially will find warm satisfaction in this story of a pooch who teaches his human friend a lesson in love, loyalty, and furniture arranging.

Emily’s Eighteen Aunts

All of Emily’s friends have someone special to take them to the ice cream parlor, or the ballet, or the park. Now that her mother is busy with the new baby, Emily doesn’t have anyone to entertain her — no uncles or big sisters or aunts. Emily sets out to solve her little difficulty and succeeds beyond her wildest dreams. The result is eighteen eager aunts, who cause mayhem wherever they go. If only they weren’t so. . .different. Now Emily has a much bigger problem. How can she stop the aunts from embarrassing her without hurting their feelings? Emily’s Eighteen Aunts is a warm, funny look at what happens when one thing leads to another — and another. And happily, Emily finds out that being different is far more fun than she thought possible.

Munschworks: The First Munsch Collection

What makes Robert Munsch’s stories so popular? They’re contemporary and zany, reflecting “a jaunty belief in the power of children…” says Horn Book Magazine. This first best-of collection features five all-time favorites: David’s Father, The Fire Station, I Have to Go!, The Paper Bag Princess, Thomas’ Snowsuit, Michael Martchenko’s exuberant artwork has been re-sized for this new format.

Moonsnail Song

April daydreams about the seashore and her search for the moonsnail. Gradually her daydreams become a bedtime lullaby as she drifts in and out of sleep. Reading this book is like holding a seashell to your ear; you can almost hear the pounding of the ocean and smell the sea fresh air.