Something For Nothing

Dog lived in the noisiest part of Bialystok. All day long he heard the hubbub of the nearby marketplace, and all night long he heard the banging and clanging of workmen unloading their goods. When he could take the racket no more, Dog set off for the country to find a quieter place to live. On his first night in his new home, a gang of howling and yowling, hissing and screeching cats terrorize him, destroying his newfound peace and quiet. Inspired by a Jewish folk tale, how Dog outwits the rascally cats makes for a humorous, satisfying story, exuberantly illustrated with stunning jewel-toned paintings reminiscent of Marc Chagall’s. Afterword.

Aesop Accolades (Awards)

The Snow Dog’s Journey

Anna builds a dog of snow, which the Frost King admires and takes away with him, but when Anna’s love and faith eventually reunite her with Snow Dog, they each get their fondest wish.

Splash, Joshua, Splash!

Joshua enjoys water splashing when he feeds the ducks, walks his dog, and especially when he and his grandmother splash in the swimming pool.

Diamond Willow

There’s
more to me than
most people
see.

Twelve-year-old Willow would rather blend in than stick out. But she still wants to be seen for who she is. She wants her parents to notice that she is growing up. She wants her best friend to like her better than she likes a certain boy. She wants, more than anything, to mush the dogs out to her grandparents’ house, by herself, with Roxy in the lead. But sometimes when it’s just you, one mistake can have frightening consequences . . . And when Willow stumbles, it takes a surprising group of friends to help her make things right again.

Using diamond-shaped poems inspired by forms found in polished diamond willow sticks, Helen Frost tells the moving story of Willow and her family. Hidden messages within each diamond carry the reader further, into feelings Willow doesn’t reveal even to herself.

C’mere, Boy!

In a charming twist on the “boy wants dog” story, this time it’s a dog who begs his mama for a boy, promising to feed it, play with it and walk it; Mama points out that boys are very difficult to train, but Dog knows what he wants and in the end, the determined little canine’s perseverance pays off.

Tango

When a Yorkshire Terrier washes up on the shores of Prince Edward Island, his adventure is just beginning. Tango–the privileged pet of a Manhattan couple–will have to adjust to life in a rustic fishing village, make friends with a tribe of feral cats, rescue a runaway girl, and find his way home again…