Primary (ages 6-9)

Material appropriate for primary age groups

Stanley’s Beauty Contest

Stanley’s people are so preoccupied with primping him for the dog show in the park that they forgot his breakfast. This makes Stanley “very” grumpy. At the park, Stanley meets up with his old friends Nutsy, Alice and Gassy Jack. Together the friends look longingly at the grand prize: the biggest, most scrumptious-smelling dog cookie ever. Once Stanley gets a whiff of its bubbling cheese, sizzling bacon and apple pie aromas, he’s determined to win. So what if he’s not the fastest, most talented or most beautiful dog in the show? We know that Stanley’s rumbling tummy always leads him into adventure — or a big pile of trouble — and this time is no exception. Join Stanley and his friends in the best dogpile ever as they show us humans that dogs know best, and that what really counts is having fun!

A Seaside Alphabet

Whether it’s a treasure hunt on Jewell Island, Maine, a sunny afternoon on the rocks at Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia, or a dip in the ocean on Prince Edward Island, life by the sea is fun. This gloriously illustrated picture book is a celebration of all things coastal: humpback whales, teeming wildlife, and most of all, people who make their homes by the ocean. Seaside life is shown in twenty-six magnificent illustrations. The alliterative text and the detailed notes at the back make the book as informative as it is beautiful. For those lucky enough to have visited the coast, as well as those who only dream of the sea, this book is a feast for the eyes and for the spirit. From the Hardcover edition.

A Prairie Alphabet

When most people think of the prairies, they picture endless flat plains, miles of farms with grain waving in the wind, gentle, undulating hills, and vast cattle ranches. But to the people who live there, particularly the children, the prairies are much more. A Prairie Alphabet offers the adult and child alike a remarkable tour – from the grain elevators that are an integral part of the landscape, to oil rigs that pop up like “grasshoppers,” to fairs and rodeos, to auctions, barns, combines, and dugouts. From the Hardcover edition.

The Red Scarf

Amazing stories can be told with almost no words, as Anne Villeneuve demonstrates in The Red Scarf, originally published in French as L’echarpe rouge. One day, a taxi driver finds a red scarf left behind in his cab by a customer. Determined to find the scarf’s owner, the cabbie unknowingly walks into a world filled with strange characters: a friendly lizard, a mischievous bear, a fearsome lion and his tamer, a daredevil, and a mysterious magician. Before he knows it, the cabbie becomes part of the show. Young readers will relish this almost wordless picture book about a seemingly ordinary day, which quickly turns into an extraordinary adventure.

A Mountain Alphabet

Mountains are an impressive sight anywhere in the world but those of the western mountain region of North America offer riches that are truly unique. This lavishly illustrated picture book presents snowcapped peaks, emerald lakes, tall pines and magnificent maples, and a range of birds and animals that will fill readers of all ages with wonder. The treasures and mysteries of nature are depicted in twenty-six full-color paintings, each with a line of alliterative text. Objects that begin with that letter of the alphabet are waiting to be discovered in each illustration. Complete with detailed information about each setting painted, this is a visually and mentally stimulating experience – from A to Z. From the Hardcover edition.

50 Burning Questions

A red-hot feast of fiery facts — the first book in Annick’s new 50 Questions seriesIf we took the time to examine flames in our world — fires that have built civilizations, sparked entire religions and literally changed the surface of the Earth — can you imagine how many questions we would have? The 50 questions in this book may be just the beginning, but they will intrigue and excite young readers.From “Who’s for dinner?” (before mastering fire, humans were more likely to be prey than predators) to “Who were the first firefighters?” (Romans over 2,000 years ago), the amazing questions and answers in this book reveal fire’s crucial role in our world.With a humorous touch (“Who was the first hairy potter?”), Tanya Lloyd Kyi presents fascinating facts alongside innovative activities for kids, like sending breath through a glass jar and playing spy games with a flashlight. Sidebars turn up the heat on the subject, while comical illustrations make for a fun and fiery visual presentation.

Coyote Winter

In the worst winter in living memory. The people in the tiny northern Alberta Hutterite colony are confined by the relentless snow. Finally the thaw comes and the colony’s school children and their teacher are able to take their first walk of spring.To their dismay, the children discover a coyote caught in a trap. When they release it they are amazed to find that the animal makes no attempt to bite or to run away. Instead, it scampers like a dog, delighting in a freedom that every living creature can understand.The recording of this extraordinary event was the teacher’s dying wish. Her sister, Jacquelinne White, has told the story in evocative words and paintings.