The Red Apple

On a cold winter’s day, Rabbit leaves his burrow in search of food, but all he can find is a single red apple hanging far out of reach. Rabbit tries and tries to get his animal friends to help him reach it, but none of them can manage it. When they accidentally wake Bear from her hibernation, they all work together to figure out a way to get what they want.

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The First Drawing

Thirty thousand years ago, an imaginative child sees the shapes of animals in clouds and on the walls of the cave he shares with his family, but no one else can see them until he makes the world’s first drawing. Includes author’s note on cave drawings.

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Grandma Lives in a Perfume Village

Xiao Le’s grandmother lives in a faraway village. A visit with Grandma is always a special event, but this time she is frail. With encouragement from his mom, Xiao Le plays with and helps Grandma. When Grandma dies shortly thereafter, Xiao Le comforts his mom―reminding her that when it rains, Grandma is washing her clothes in the sky . . . and that although the Perfume Village in heaven cannot be reached by train, it can be accessed by the heart.

Why Dogs Have Wet Noses

Comprised of fun and playfully surprising contemporary illustrations and a satisfying tall tale, Why Dogs Have Wet Noses is a refreshing and memorable take on an old story. Told with dry humor, this is a secular story of how, not long after the world began, it started to rain, and it was the kind of rain that pounds down and never stops. Wise as he was, a man named Noah decided to build a lifeboat, and he set about gathering as many kinds of creatures as he could think of. And he had the good sense to invite slugs, spiders, and the other slimy, creepy-crawly creatures that most people try to get rid of by spraying or stepping on. He also let a funny looking dog with a big soft nose trudge on board all by himself. Had he not done so, the Ark, as you may not know, would definitely have sunk.

Tricky Vic: The Impossibly True Story of the Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower

In the early 1900s, Robert Miller, a.k.a. “Count Victor Lustig,” moved to Paris hoping to be an artist. A con artist, that is. He used his ingenious scams on unsuspecting marks all over the world, from the Czech Republic, to Atlantic ocean liners, and across America. Tricky Vic pulled off his most daring con in 1925, when he managed to “sell” the Eiffel Tower to one of the city’s most successful scrap metal dealers! Six weeks later, he tried to sell the Eiffel Tower all over again. Vic was never caught. For that particular scam, anyway. . . .

Thank You, Jackson

Jackson the donkey works very hard, carrying loads of mielies, carrots and potatoes up the hill to market every week, from the little farm where he lives with the farmer, his wife Beauty and his son Goodwill. But one day Jackson just stops, halfway up the hill. The farmer pushes him, pulls him, shouts at him. But Jackson WILL NOT BUDGE. Just as the farmer is about to beat his donkey, little Goodwill comes running up the hill. Quickly he whispers something in the donkey’s ear – and, straightaway, the old donkey gets to his feet. The farmer is astonished. What could be the secret of the boy’s message? “Well,” says Goodwill, “Mama told me it’s the little things like saying please and thank you, that make a big difference in this world.” And from that day on, the farmer remembers to thank his old donkey for helping him, and Jackson does his work willingly.

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.

Red

Striking red, white, and black illustrations mirror the emotions created by an innocuous comment that escalates into bullying within a school community. The students’ choices when confronted with their behavior create a sensitive and hopeful narrative.

Mr. Squirrel and the Moon

When Mr. Squirrel wakes up to discover that the moon is resting on his tree, he becomes desperate to return the moon to the sky before he is accused of stealing it.