Ruler of the Courtyard

Is it just Saba, or do chickens scare everyone? The chickens in her yard are especially mean, chasing her and pecking at her toes. But when she sees a snake in the bathhouse, Saba realizes that chickens aren’t her only problem. She has to act fast to protect herself and her nani, her grandma, from the snake. Can she conquer the chickens and the snake to become the Ruler of the Courtyard? Does she really have to conquer them at all?

Set in Pakistan, this suspenseful picture book has text that is ideal for reading out loud, and award-winning illustrator R. Gregory Christie’s bold and imaginative illustrations will captivate readers and bring Saba to life.

Doctor on an Elephant

Riding elephants, crossing flooded rivers, outrunning rogues, and avoiding tigers are not the things that most doctors face in an average workday, but then they don’t work in the province of Bengal. Dr. John Symington did. As the doctor for several tea plantations in a region along India’s northeastern border in the early part of this century, and adventure was simply part of his day.