Canada

Materials from Canada

The Adventures of Cosmo: The Chain Reaction

Cosmo remembers a time when dodos lived happily on Earth. But with humans came their guns, and soon the only dodos left were Cosmo and two friends. Then comes the terrible day when Cosmo finds himself all alone, the last of the dodos. If he is to survive, he must leave the planet he loves. He is lucky to make a trusty friend in the form of an almost-human space robot, and, together, they set out across the universe to find other dodos. But soon they realize that many creatures, and even the planet Earth, need protection and care. The survival of all living things depends on it. In fast-paced text and eye-catching art, The Adventures of Cosmo encourages children to learn about their environment and the reason why it is important for them to protect it.

Cat Found

A heartwarming tale about the importance of caring for strays. In Billy’s small town, stray cats are running wild, and there’s growing pressure to get rid of them. The school bullies don’t even hesitate to throw rocks at the poor creatures! So when Billy finds a wounded, starving kitten and sneaks her home, he has to be extra-careful to keep her hidden while he nurses her back to health. However precious little Conga is to him, he knows his dad would take her away if he discovered her, safe and warm in Billy’s bedroom. Can Billy and his friends confront the cat abusers, convince the town of the importance of caring for abandoned animals, and find a safe haven for strays?

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.

Look at that Building

Learning about buildings and how they are constructed has never been so much fun. This gem of a book introduces young readers to basic construction concepts through the eyes of five friends keen on building a doghouse for their pet pooch, Max. To find out more about the task, Yulee, Martin, Nick, Sally and Pedro head to the library, where they learn about foundations, beams, frames and other building fundamentals. Fun facts, bright illustrations and comic-book-style discussions among the characters add to the mix. An activity at the end of the book invites readers to make their own mini doghouse out of marshmallows, paper, glue and craft sticks.

Hocus Pocus

This zany tale pits a grouchy pooch against Hocus Pocus, a mischievous blue bunny who lives in a magician’s hat. When Hocus Pocus spots a bunch of tantalizing carrots poking out of a shopping bag, he decides he must have them. But to reach the kitchen counter, he must risk waking Dog, a pet canine who snoozes nearby. Tiptoeing in a pair of bunny slippers works beautifully at first — until a peanut shell gets crunched loudly underfoot. Soon, Dog is wide awake, and the two begin a hilarious battle, trading victories and defeats and ultimately attracting the attention of the none-too-pleased magician.A classic retro feel gives the illustrations and story a fun punch.

The Busy Beaver

The busy but careless beaver spends his days following random impulses, rarely thinking things through and leaving in his wake a devastated forest filled with stumps, half-nibbled trees and injured, homeless animals. But then one day the beaver finds himself on the wrong side of a falling tree, which as it turns out, is just the thing to knock some sense into him. After reflecting on his behavior, he decides to make some changes. Soon, the now wiser and gentler beaver is getting down to the business of making things right, much to the delighted surprise of his forest friends.

My Noisy Body

My Noisy Body describes the digestive system and the meaning of the noises it creates, including burps, hiccups, stomach growls, farts, sneezes, and coughs. This book describes the body’s various systems and why they are important to overall health, along with a helpful Glossary.