How the Ladies Stopped the Wind

Iceland is a very windy place.Going for a walk can be challenging. The ladies in one village, with the help of the chickens, set out to stop the wind. But the hungry sheep have other plans. Why aren’t there any trees in the Icelandic countryside? This original tale will tell you why and leave you smiling at the determination of the ever singing Icelandic ladies and their steadfast chickens.

Stories by Firelight

The magic of winter is captured perfectly in this collection of prose, lyrical poetry, and dramatic pictures. The festive spirit of the winter season is captured in stories dealing with cold weather, winter nights, and Christmas.

William Blake: The Gates Of Paradise

Journey back to the 1700s to meet one of the most fascinating people in history. Dreamer, craftsman, poet, madman, and genius — William Blake. Born in 1757 in London, as a boy he apprenticed as an engraver and began a career that would include masterpieces of art.Blake lived during times of incredible change and upheaval, including the Gordon Riots and the French Revolution. Spiritualism and the allure of magic were being replaced by a belief in rationalism. Blake celebrated the beauty of small things. His work showed, “…a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower….” [William Blake] Yet, with the noise and dirt of mills (factories), the Industrial Revolution was drowning out a quiet, rural way of life. The value of things made carefully by hand was being lost.At the same time, the printing press was making it possible for more and more people to read. The rise of printed books and book illustration was revolutionary and Blake was part of it.On the 250th anniversary of Blake’s birth, master storyteller Michael Bedard brings this Renaissance man and his times to vivid life in this biography that is lavishly illustrated with Blake’s work.

Cherry Heaven

Kat and Tanka J leave the war-torn city, move with their adoptive parents to the New Frontier, and are soon settled into a home called Cherry Heaven. Luka, an escaped factory worker, confirms their suspicion that New Frontier is not the utopia it seems to be.

Eulalia!

Lord Asheye of Salamandastron has a prophecy: A new Badger Lord must take his place and reign over the legendary badger fortress. But who is this young warrior who shuns both armor and sword? And how is he to be found? Mad Maudie, a feisty haremaid of the Long Patrol, is just the one to track him down. Meanwhile, the unsuspecting future Badger Lord has been captured by a scurrilous group of Sea Raiders led by the infamous fox, Vizka Longtooth, who intends on conquering Redwall Abbey. It is up to our young hero to defend Redwall so that he may fulfill his destiny as leader of Salamandastron.

Come Fly with Me

When Woggy, the stuffed dog, and Cosmos, the wooden airplane, decide it is time to get away from the toy box and to go somewhere, they figure the only way to go is to fly, and the only way to fly is together. So in a grand adventure, out and up they swoop, Satomi-style: whirling up stairs, and past sleepy apartment windows, and over enchanting rooftops until they meet the Cloud Monster.

Addis Berner Bear Forgets

When Addis Berner Bear arrives in the city, it’s so big and confusing, and so loud and fast, that he forgets why he has come. With help from some, and hindrance from others, Addis Berner Bear must rediscover why he’s there and what he’s supposed to do. His great realization that he’s a trumpet player gives true meaning to his life and brings pleasure and joy to others.