Materials from the Americas
Bob wants a dog for his birthday, but instead he gets a ghost and its name is Fluffy. Unfortunately, Fluffy doesn’t fetch, sit or go for walks. But he does eat everything, and soon all of Bob’s things and even Bob himself end up in Fluffy’s belly.
“Max,” said the farmer to his dog one day, “can you catch a thief?” Of course! He can catch anything! And Max eagerly sets off on a quest to find the culprit who has been stealing the farmer’s fruits and vegetables. Within moments, the dog is confident he has spotted the thief — a tiny blue bug, working on a carrot top. “Stop, thief!” Max cries as the bug flies away.
Loula’s three brothers, the Rotten Pirate Triplets, don’t want to play with her. “Brothers,” mutters Loula, “the worst invention in the world.” She decides what she really needs is a sister, one just like her. So naturally, she asks her parents to make one for her. Only, it’s not that easy. Her father explains, “Making a sister is . . . well, it’s like making a cake. You need the right ingredients.” To make a sister, they say, you need a papa and a mama, butterflies in the stomach, a full moon, a candlelit supper, kisses and hugs and chocolate.
For nearly a century, the Toronto Maple Leafs have stood as one of the most popular hockey franchises in the NHL. With M Is for Maple Leafs, children across North America will discover the alphabet while being introduced to interesting Leaf history.
One morning, six young ninjas are dropped off at Dojo Daycare. As soon as their ninja moms and ninja dads have left: KABOOM! KAPOW! The ninja boys and girls kick, push, punch, and quickly turn the place upside down in a full-blown ninja riot. Try as he might, the hapless master can’t control the children, and the disaster plays out through lunchtime and story time.
In this heartwarming title from the Piggy and Bunny picture book series, the two friends explore what scares them as they prepare for their first campout together. When Bunny admits to being frightened of monsters, Piggy responds that “even if there WAS a monster, I wouldn’t scream like you!” When Bunny asks, “What if the monster GROWLS at you?” Piggy answers, “PWAAT! I can be loud, too!” Then, one by one, all of Bunny’s questions about what to do if a monster came near are countered confidently by Piggy.
Dylan is someone who notices things. His mom is someone who doesn’t. So try as he might, Dylan can’t get his mom to listen to the man playing the violin in the subway station. But Dylan is swept away by the soaring and swooping notes that fill the air as crowds of oblivious people rush by. With the beautiful music in his head all day long, Dylan can’t forget the violinist, and finally succeeds in making his mother stop and listen, too.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 7, Issue 1
In Pay It Forward Kids, readers will meet ordinary kids from across North America who have done extraordinary things, all on their own initiatives. They have set out to “pay it forward” to someone else, with astonishing results. The ripple effect of their deeds have inspired others to join their causes, and in some cases, to start missions of their own.
Santiago stays. He does not budge when offered a walk. He does not budge when offered a treat. Not even a hamburger can lure this stubborn French bulldog away from his post, much to the disappointment of the little boy trying to engage him. When the boy’s frustration bubbles over into a yell, it wakes the baby and the reader realises whom it was that Santiago was guarding in the first place.
Mamá says she has the best daughters in the world. The two women live near their mother—Rosa with her husband and children, Blanca by herself. They both have flourishing gardens. Rosa and Blanca are so generous and kind and thoughtful—well, everyone, including Mamá, ends up with too much corn, tomatoes, and red hot chiles.