Europe

Materials from Europe

Brave Donatella and the Jasmine Thief

The jasmine plant was Duke Cosimo de Medici’s most treasured possession and he went to great pains to keep it all for himself. When the gardener Antonio clips a sprig of the forbidden jasmine for his love, he is sent to prison. Now brave Donatella, Antonio’s beloved, is his only hope for freedom. Antonio and Donatella flee the wrath of Duke Cosimo de Medici, and they use that rare plant to make a fresh start.

I Feel a Foot!

Between two trees, high above grass and ground, Turtle, Bat, Octopus, Bird and Buck are sleeping in a hammock. Suddenly, Turtle opens his eyes. ‘Hey,’ he whispers. ‘Do you hear what I hear?’ Each animal’s imagination runs wild with what wild creature may be making the sound they all hear. Is it a giant turtle? Or a bird with a giant beak? Perhaps it is Bat-Tur-Octo-Bird-Buck. Luckily for the small animals, it isn’t any of these creatures. It is just their old friend Elephant who was out wandering around. The animals invite him to join them in the hammock and soon the wild imaginings about the night noises begin all over again.

Kiss Kiss

“What is a kiss like?” That’s what a teddy bear asks a little boy in this sweet and enchanting picture book. From Grandmother’s noisy kisses, to Father’s prickly kisses, to Little Brother’s chocolate kisses, Teddy learns there are many different kinds of kisses—but the best kisses are from the ones you love!

Lola Loves Stories

Lola loves to hear Daddy read a new library book each night, an activity that spurs her imagination and results in inventive play the next day.

Noah Barleywater Runs Away

Eight-year-old Noah’s problems seem easier to deal with if he doesn’t think about them. So he runs away, taking an untrodden path through the forest. Before long, he comes across a shop. But this is no ordinary shop: it’s a toyshop, full of the most amazing toys, and brimming with the most wonderful magic. And here Noah meets a very unusual toymaker. The toymaker has a story to tell, and it’s a story of adventure and wonder and broken promises. He takes Noah on a journey. A journey that will change his life.

The Warlock

In the fifth installment of this bestselling series, the twins of prophesy have been divided, and the end is finally beginning. With Scatty, Joan of Arc, Saint Germain, Palamedes, and Shakespeare all in Danu Talis, Sophie is on her own with the ever-weakening Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel. She must depend on Niten to help her find an immortal to teach her Earth Magic. The surprise is that she will find her teacher in the most ordinary of places.

Desperate Measures

Vicky has always felt responsible for her mentally disabled twin sister, Rhianna, and their feisty little brother, Jamie. So when the foster care system threatens to split them up, they all run away together, heading for a distant relative’s home. After a difficult journey, they arrive only to find strangers living there. With nowhere else to go, they hide in a cave, and must survive by their wits. By the end of their adventure, Vicky is surprised to find that the sister she thought she was protecting is the one who saves her. This touching, funny, fast-paced novel was short listed for the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize. Vicky and Rhianna’s engaging dual-perspective narration offers a refreshing view of people with disabilities, and their wild adventure and fierce family bond will resonate with readers.

Seven Fathers

In the midst of a fearsome blizzard, a weary traveler seeks refuge from the cold “Good evening, Father, I’m so glad I found you. Would you, by any chance, have a room where I could spend the night?” “Oh,” said the old man. “I’m not the father of the house, You’ll have to ask my father. He’s around back, in the kitchen.” And so the travler is sent on a journey within his journey, arriving at a surprising destination.