“Look at the snow!” says Mommy.Danny watches the white flakes dance outside his window.But what is snow? Danny wonders, and he goes out to see for himself. Snow is friendly, but it can also be fierce. It just depends on your imagination!
The First Tortilla is a moving, bilingual story of courage and discovery. A small Mexican village is near starvation. There is no rain, and the bean and squash plants are dying. Jade, a young village girl, is told by a blue hummingbird to take a gift to the Mountain Spirit. Then it will send the needed rain. Burning lava threatens her, but Jade reaches the top of the volcano. The Mountain Spirit is pleased. It allows the ants in a nearby cave to share their corn with Jade. The corn was sweet and delicious and Jade took some back to save the village. Jade grinds the dry corn, adds water, and makes dough. She pats the masa and places it on hot stones near the fire. She has made the first tortilla. Soon the making of corn tortillas spreads throughout Mexico and beyond.Reading level: grade 3 and up
A non-fiction journey through the musical universe, Jukebox is filled with details, revealing as much about the people who listen to music as it does about those who create it. From disco to opera, hip hop to jazz, David Merveille’s unique style makes this practically wordless book sing.
The prince must choose his princess, but does not know which one to pick. And each girl tries to think of ways to impress the prince and beat out the other girls.
Thorfinn’s father is obsessed with power while his mother cares only for wealth. When it is time to choose a bride, Thorfinn decides he must listen to his own heart. He seeks the wisdom and experience of his friends, the court jester and the old tabby cat. In which direction will they lead him? Will he chose the princess who promises him wealth, the princess who promises power, or the princess who is full of love and happiness? And, just as important, will that princess chose Thorfinn in return?
In a drab village nestled between the mountains and the sea, an old chocolate maker lives alone with his cat, making uninspired chocolates to display in his dusty shop. One day he does something different and makes chocolate mice with crunchy pink-sugar tails—but he won’t eat them. Cat soon discovers there’s something truly special about these little mice, and everyone who tastes them is inspired to create something new and different, something the little village has never seen.
With trouble apparently following him everywhere he roams, lovable Paddington Bear must use his charm and wit to straighten out dilemmas involving a grouchy neighbor and a strange mishap that lands him center stage at a concert.
Caramba is a fat, furry, striped cat with a big problem. “Every single cat in the world can fly,” he sighs, “except me!” Caramba would love to swoop and glide between the clouds, to feel the wind whistling through his fur. He tries to soar into the sky over and over again but always lands flat on his face, until finally he sadly accepts that he is earthbound. “Don’t be such a scaredy-cat,” cry his cousins. “All cats are meant to fly!” They grab his paws and whisk him up into the sky for an impromptu flying lesson that ends with a big splash and a surprising discovery.
The Kamishibai man used to ride his bicycle into town where he would tell stories to the children and sell them candy, but gradually, fewer and fewer children came running at the sound of his clappers. They were all watching their new televisions instead. Finally, only one boy remained, and he had no money for candy. Years later, the Kamishibai man and his wife made another batch of candy, and he pedaled into town to tell one more story—his own. When he comes out of the reverie of his memories, he looks around to see he is surrounded by familiar faces—the children he used to entertain have returned, all grown up and more eager than ever to listen to his delightful tales.
Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley are the best of friends. But they are different in almost every way.