“What is a school? Is it a building with classrooms? Or can it be any place where children learn?” The fascinating stories that follow will expand how young readers think of school, as they learn about the experiences of real children in thirteen different countries around the world.
International
Water Rolls, Water Rises
A series of verses, in English and Spanish, about the movement and moods of water around the world and the ways in which water affects a variety of landscapes and cultures. Includes Author’s Note.
Over The Hills And Far Away
Nursery rhymes have entertained and comforted children for centuries. Over the Hills and Far Away is a unique collection of rhymes and verse from across the globe, rhymes from the English-speaking world as well as verse that entered English from Chinese, Latino, African, and other cultures. With illustrations from seventy-seven artists, many celebrated throughout the world, and some just emerging, this volume is truly an adventure in language, image, and imagination.
Historical Animals
Throughout history, animals have shaped the world as we know it. But rarely have they received the recognition they deserve. Until now. It’s not only people who make history; sometimes animals do, too. Whether it’s because of their amazing strength, courage under fire, or just being in the right place at the right time, every one of the animals you will learn about here is famous.
Decorated Horses
This nonfiction picture book about horses has a fresh focus: how people over the ages have decorated horses in special ways. Organized into three categories—warfare and hunting, performance and competition, performance, and ceremony—the book introduces horses such as the chariot-pulling war horse of the Persians to the rose-decorated winner of the Kentucky Derby.
The Book of Languages
We use language all day, every day – probably without thinking much about it. But if you stop and consider it, language is not only extremely important, it’s fascinating, too! Use of language is one of the key things distinguishing humans from other animals, and nearly 7,000 languages are spoken around the world. Without it, we’d be hard pressed to communicate, express ourselves, or understand others.
Call Me Tree
A bilingual poetic tale that follows one child/tree from the depths of Mami/Earth to the heights of the sky, telling a story about being free to grow and be who we are meant to be and honoring our relationship with the natural world.
The Cobbler’s Holiday: Or Why Ants Don’t Wear Shoes
Long ago ants only cared about two things—fashion and dancing—and stylish shoes, the link between the two, became their biggest obsession. When the ants’ only cobbler leaves town, the ants find themselves in trouble. How are stylish ants supposed to keep in vogue without new shoes? When one ant finally does the shocking thing: shows up to a dance BAREFOOT, she creates a scandal…and eventually a new fashion trend. A witty tale of change, gracefully matched with chic art depicting high-fashion in ant-sized form.
A Ticket Around the World
Join a young boy as he hops around the globe, visiting friends in 13 different countries spanning all 6 populated continents. Along the way, he introduces us to each friend’s environment and customs, and shares interesting facts about each country’s culture, language, food, geography, wildlife, landmarks and more. Each country has a dedicated spread with a small map that shows geography and landmarks, letting readers imagine they are traveling, too. The format makes it easy to spot similarities and differences between countries.
Extraordinary People
Inside this book, you’ll find stories of 50 extraordinary people such as: Evel Knievel, who jumped his motorcycle over 14 Greyhound buses; The Iceman, the most well-preserved human, found in the ice after 5,300 years; Sam Patch, who jumped Niagara Falls for $75; Helen Thayer, who walked to the North Pole alone; Roy Sullivan, who was struck by lightning 7 times. These intriguing facts and hundreds more await curious readers, amateur historians, and anyone who aspires to the altogether extraordinary.