Canada

Materials from Canada

Motion, Magnets and More

Where do the bubbles come from in a piece of cake? Why do triangles make a structure stronger? And how come magnets don’t stick to the wall? This colorful and straightforward introduction to the physical sciences gives young readers an easy-to-understand overview of such concepts as materials, forces, structures, solids, liquids and gases. Explanations are accompanied by simple, fun activities, including building a structure out of dried spaghetti and inflating a balloon with a gas made by combining vinegar and baking soda. Parents and teachers will find more explanations, activity ideas and a helpful glossary in the back.

Welcome to the World

Plenty of books tell parents what’s in store when a new baby arrives. But this one lets a new baby in on what he or she might expect. Styled as a sweet and simple letter to a newborn, this picture book introduces Baby to several first-year splendors, such as feeling warm sunlight, watching the movements of clouds, hearing birdsong and experiencing a loving embrace.

Ninja Cowboy Bear Presents the Call of the Cowboy

When the bear wants to spend the afternoon photographing birds, the exuberant cowboy inadvertently makes a nuisance of himself as he loudly chews bubble gum, hops on a pogo stick and slurps a pop. When the ninja just wants to read quietly, the cowboy is wildly distracting as he drums on rocks, bats a paddleball and gabs on his cell phone. The cowboy’s boisterous mood prompts the ninja and the bear to drop their respective activities, leaving their pal alone to wonder why no one wants to be with him. Can he find the peace and quiet he needs to figure it out?

Kitten’s Winter

Winter comes to Kitten’s world, and the little calico leaves her cozy home for an afternoon of exploration and discovery. Kitten learns that even on a frosty day, animal life flourishes: a squirrel forages, an otter goes fishing and a woodpecker taps the side of a bare-limbed tree. At the same time, readers discover that for many animals, winter is a time of rest. Softly, Kitten treads past a burrowing turtle, a napping beaver and a hibernating bear. Told in rhyming couplets, Kitten’s Winter is a perfect introduction to animal behavior and habitats.

The Sign of the Black Rock

Young readers (and adults, too) will feel transported by the clever, intricate plotline and superb, sweeping illustrations of this second title in the Three Thieves series. The action resumes as our three goodhearted fugitives stop at a roadside inn during a ferocious thunderstorm. Narrow escapes ensue as Grig, the scheming and selfish innkeeper, endeavors to capture the trio and secure a reward from the Queen. Tensions mount further as the Queen’s Dragons arrive at the tavern, hot on the trail of the fugitives and immediately suspicious of the smarmy Grig. Will Grig get his due? Will the fugitives escape? And why hasn’t Grig’s gentle wife spoken a word in ten years? You can bet she’s got a secret.

My Name Is Elizabeth!

Elizabeth has an excellent pet duck, a loving granddad and a first name that’s just awesome. After all, she’s got a queen named after her! So she’s really not amused when people insist on using nicknames like “Lizzy” and “Beth.” She bears her frustration in silence until an otherwise ordinary autumn day, when she discovers her power to change things once and for all. In the process, Elizabeth learns about communication and respect — and their roles in building better relationships with family and friends.

Reaching

This soon-to-be-classic picture book centers on a large, adoring family with a new baby to love. Rhyming couplets describe different scenes, each built around the simple human gesture of “reaching.” A new mother reaches up to hold her laughing baby aloft. Dad reaches over to tickle Baby’s toes as the family lounges on a picnic quilt. Grandparents, cousins and other family members reach out to play and cuddle with the growing child. The little one also gets to “reach,” using his arms and hands to explore the wonderful world around him as he grows from a baby into a curious toddler. It’s only a matter of time (Mom realizes wistfully) before he’s “reaching” for the stars.

Biomimicry: Inventions Inspired by Nature

Biomimicry examines the extraordinary innovations of the natural world and the human inventions they have inspired. Readers will learn about marvels such as high-performance swimsuits modeled after sharkskin and the sleek front ends of Japanese bullet trains based on the long, streamlined beak of the kingfisher. There’s also plenty about what glimmers on the horizon: A Brazilian beetle may be key to developing computers that run on light, and the gecko’s humble foot may hold the secret to revolutionizing the way surgical wounds are closed. Best of all, nature’s inventions are lean, green machines that are self-sustaining and generate zero waste — yet another cue humans are taking from the natural world.

Binky Under Pressure

In Binky’s third adventure, our intrepid, sometimes accident-prone hero is shaken out of his routine when he’s forced to contend with Gracie, a dainty striped foster kitty who comes to live at Binky’s space station (aka his home at 42 Sentinel Parkway). Binky instantly resents the new arrival, whose cute face and perfect manners are downright annoying. Indeed, Gracie seems too perfect. So Binky decides to do some undercover investigating and discovers a shocking truth about the family guest. Soon Binky is thrust full-throttle into a situation that puts all his Space Cat skills to the ultimate test!

Munsch at Play Act 2: Eight More Stage Adaptations

This book presents simple stage adaptations, suitable for school use, of eight stories along with staging suggestions and ideas for easily obtainable sets, props, and costumes.