Europe

Materials from Europe

This Baby

Kate Banks’s lyrical poetry pairs with Gabi Swiatkowska’s playful dreamlike images to create this must-have book for all children who are about to be new siblings. While Mama’s busy knitting a wardrobe for her unborn baby, big sister is preparing in her own way: imagining, asking, wondering what this baby will like. As the seasons pass, this baby grows, too–and soon big sister will have the answers to all of her questions.

A Daisy Is a Daisy Is a Daisy (Except When It’s a Girl’s Name)

Many girls are named after flowers (or even forms of the word “flower,” such as Flora). Girls’ names in different languages accompany her imaginative illustrations of flowers, so that the reader discovers, for example, that Gul means rose in Turkish, but that it is Rosa in Spanish and Rodanthe in Greek. Flowers named in the book include rose, heather, buttercup, sunflower, lily of the valley, daisy, bluebell, snowdrop, hyacinth, myrtle, camomile, cherry blossom, jasmine, violet, tulip, poppy. This can be used in the classroom to talk about culture, language and botany.

Benedict

Benedict, also known as Benny, is tired of living in such a hot place. And so he cleverly springs on his coiled tail from one habitat to another. He visits the North Pole, the desert, the jungle and finally the ocean in search of perfection.

A Place To Call Home

Seven little junkyard critters venture out of their small, dark hole on a charmingly madcap quest for a new home, with laugh-out-loud results. When a band of brothers outgrows the dim confines of their birthplace, there is no other choice but to set out into the world on a grand adventure. Timid and terrified at first, they soon find ingenious ways to simulate the safety of their familiar hole. They bravely cross a muddy sea, climb a discarded mountain, survive an appliance-like labyrinth, and finally reach the edge of the world.

Baby Badger’s Wonderful Night

“I don’t like the night,” Baby Badger whispered. Papa Badger took him by the hand. “There’s no need to be frightened,” he said. “The night is wonderful. Let me show you.” Baby Badger is afraid of the night. It’s dark and lonely. But Papa Badger promises there is nothing to fear.  Together they take a nighttime walk, and Papa shows Baby the beautiful colors and shining stars, and just how magical the world becomes when the sun goes down.

Fire World

After destroying a trace of dark fire, David, Zanna, and the Pennykettle dragons vanished. In a brand-new world, Co:per:nica, which runs parallel to that of Crescent Lane, firebirds roam the ancient librarium, a museum for books. But when 12-year-old David and Rosanna accidentally injure one of the firebirds, they are suddenly thrust into a remarkable adventure. The evil Ix have taken over one of the firebirds, turning it to the side of darkness, but the birds have a secret: They know about the existence of dragons. And from across the universe, one may come to their aid.

Frangoline and the Midnight Dream

Good Girl Gone Bad! An adorably dark picture book about the naughty midnight exploits of an impish litttle girl.During the day, Frangoline’s a perfect little angel. But in the darkest shadows of night, when all good children are sleeping tight, this little imp dons her jet-black cape and makes a break for it! Out the window, across the grass, screeching like a banshee, twirling like a dervish! The worried Moon looks down, warning, “Little ones should be in bed!” “You can’t tell me what to do. I’m Frangoline!” she says. But when Frangoline’s dancing antics wake the dead and they chase her to the tippy-top of the church steeple, how will she escape? And will she learn her lesson?

 

Meow Said the Cow

A hilarious send-up of animal sounds! It’s a noisy morning in the barnyard: roosters crowing, cows mooing, mice squeaking! And the farmer’s cat has had enough. With a flick of his tail, the cat casts a spell and the barnyard is turned upside-down. The chickens are oinking, the sheep are barking, and the sheepdog can only let out a confused “Baa?” It’s not long before the animals figure out who’s to blame.