Primary (ages 6-9)

Material appropriate for primary age groups

Binky The Space Cat (Binky Adventure)

Binky is a space cat – at least in his own mind. He’s really a house cat who has never left the family “space station.” Unlike other house cats, Binky has a mission: to blast off into outer space (outside), explore unknown places (the backyard) and battle aliens (bugs). Binky must undergo rigorous training so he can repel the alien attacks that threaten his humans. As he builds his spaceship, he must be extremely careful with his blueprints – the enemy is always watching. Soon Binky is ready to voyage into outer space. His humans go out there every day and he’s sure they need a certified space cat to protect them. But just as he’s about to blast off with his co-pilot, Ted (stuffed mousie), Binky realizes that he’s left something very important behind … and it’s not the zero-gravity kitty litter. In the first book in the Binky Adventure series, graphic-novel readers will delight in watching where this lovable and quirky cat’s imagination takes him.

Children Around The World

No matter where they live, children are always curious about the world. But nothing proves more fascinating to them than other children. Exploring the themes of commonality and diversity, this informational picture book introduces young readers to 12 children from around the world. Speaking in the first person, the children briefly describe such things as the language, food, clothing, schooling and daily life of their region. One of the most appealing aspects of this book is the artwork, which features the use of fabric, paper, mesh, string and felt in multimedia collage. Through the use of colors and textures, each child emerges with a distinctive and endearing personality.

Faith

With simple text and stunning photographs from many different countries and religious traditions, this book describes the many faiths practiced around the world. Thematically-organized back matter gives additional information on common expressions of faith, and a glossary describes particular religions and elements of faith depicted in the book.

Grandma’s Gift

The author describes Christmas at his grandmother’s apartment in Spanish Harlem the year she introduced him to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Diego Velazquez’s portrait of Juan de Pareja, which has had a profound and lasting effect on him.

Amazing Greek Myths of Wonder And Blunders

From Hercules’s snake assassin slippers to Arachne’s wicked weaver rap songs, these are the mythic monsters and Hellenic heroes that have captured Western culture for centuries, but are a whole lot more fun. Each story showcases the wondrous and blunderful antics of gods and mortals in bright graphics that rival the super-heroic action of The Lightning Thief, burst with the knock-your-socks-off humor of Jeff Kinney, and still remain unerringly faithful to the original myth. Kids won’t be able to resist the bickering sheep, unruly rulers, and undercover details of Amazing Greek Myths, while teachers, librarians, and parents can relish this new way to share moral messages that remain as relevant today as they were a thousand years ago.

Counting on Snow

Maxwell Newhouse, folk artist extraordinaire, has created a unique counting book. The premise is simple. He invites children to count with him from ten crunching caribou down to one lonely moose, by finding other northern animals – from seals to wolves to snowy owls – as they turn the pages. But as the animals appear, so does the snow, until it’s a character too, obliterating light and dark, sky and earth. A gorgeous exploration of the isolation and the beauty of northern winter, Maxwell Newhouse has created a deceptively simple picture book that can be enjoyed by all ages.