Munschworks: The First Munsch Collection

What makes Robert Munsch’s stories so popular? They’re contemporary and zany, reflecting “a jaunty belief in the power of children…” says Horn Book Magazine. This first best-of collection features five all-time favorites: David’s Father, The Fire Station, I Have to Go!, The Paper Bag Princess, Thomas’ Snowsuit, Michael Martchenko’s exuberant artwork has been re-sized for this new format.

Moonsnail Song

April daydreams about the seashore and her search for the moonsnail. Gradually her daydreams become a bedtime lullaby as she drifts in and out of sleep. Reading this book is like holding a seashell to your ear; you can almost hear the pounding of the ocean and smell the sea fresh air.

My Mom Is So Unusual

“My Mom and I live alone. That makes our family different from the families of most of my friends.” A young girl and her unusual mother share affection, humor, sometimes anger, and more humor, and a whole lot of love. And because of her mother’s unusual ways, the youngster is content about their being an unusual family.

Waiting for the Whales

This book tells the simple story of an old man who lives alone in a house overlooking the sea. His life has assumed a cozy regularity to match the seasons: collecting firewood and clams in wintertime; planting his garden in the spring; and, in summer, watching his beloved orca whales swimming by. When his daughter comes to visit one spring with a new infant, the man has someone with whom to share his love of the natural world–especially the whales.

The Inuit Thought Of It: Amazing Arctic Innovations (We Thought Of It)

Dazzling inventions from the far north.Today’s Arctic communities have all the comforts of modern living. Yet the Inuit survived in this harsh landscape for hundreds of years with nothing but the land and their own ingenuity. Join authors Alootook Ipellie and David MacDonald as they explore the amazing innovations of traditional Inuit and how their ideas continue to echo around the world.Some inventions are still familiar to us: the one-person watercraft known as a kayak retains its Inuit name. Other innovations have been replaced by modern technology: slitted snow goggles protected Inuit eyes long before sunglasses arrived on the scene. And other ideas were surprisingly inspired: using human-shaped stone stacks (lnunnguat) to trick and trap caribou.Many more Inuit innovations are explored here, including: Dog sleds Kids’ stuff Shelter Food preservation Clothing Medicine.In all, more than 40 Inuit items and ideas are showcased through dramatic photos and captivating language. From how these objects were made, to their impact on contemporary culture, The Inuit Thought of It is a remarkable catalog of Inuit invention.

From Then To Now

Just 50,000 years ago, our hunter-gatherer ancestors ventured off the African Savannah and into the wider world. Now, our technology reaches far out into the cosmos. How did we get to where we are today? With lively text and colorful illustrations,From Then to Now explains how individual societies struggled to find their own paths, despite war, disease, slavery, natural disasters, and the relentless growth of human knowledge. From Hammurabi to Henry Ford, from Incan couriers to the Internet, from the Taj Mahal to the Eiffel Tower, from Marco Polo to Martin Luther King, from Cleopatra to Catherine the Great, from boiled haggis to fried tarantulas this is no less than the story of humanity. It’s the story of how we grew apart over all those years of migration and division, and how as we recognize our common heritage and our often mixed ancestry we can come together. An index, maps, and notes make this a must-have reference, as well as a delight to read and to discuss. From Then to Now is bound to create a generation of history buffs!

No Monsters Here

It’s bedtime.  This little boy is ready to climb the stairs and say goodnight.  But father isn’t ready at all.  He’s afraid of monsters;  he doesn’t want to be left alone downstairs.

This brave lad knows how to handle Father.  He’ll patiently lead his parent through the bedtime routine.  Naturally the boy won’t mind looking in the closet, behind the drapes and everywhere in between if it will make his anxious father feel better.  The boy will cheerfully hop into bed for a bedtime story.  And he’ll say, after a final hug, “I’ll hear you if you need me in the night.”  Father should feel much better now.  But what’s going to happen when he has to go downstairs alone?

Maybe there are monsters in the house after all.  But can you guess what they are really after? A reassuring story for confident children and timid parents everywhere.