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Picture books

  • Author:
    Higgins, Carter
    Summary:

    This book is not a valentine. It doesn't have lacey edges or sugary hearts. But it is full of lucky rocks, secret hiding spots, and gumball machine treasures. This is a book about waiting in line and wishing for cinnamon buns. About recognizing that if you care so much about someone not thinking you care, maybe you really do. But wait'isn't that exactly what love is about' Maybe this book is sort of a valentine after all. A testament to handmade, wacky, bashful, honest love'sure to win over the hearts of all readers'this offering from debut picture book author Carter Higgins and children's book veteran Lucy Ruth Cummins is the perfect gift to celebrate every relationship, from parent to child, sibling to sibling, partner to partner, crush to crush.

  • Author:
    Lamothe, Matt
    Summary:

    Follow the real lives of seven kids from Italy, Japan, Iran, India, Peru, Uganda, and Russia for a single day! In Japan Kei plays Freeze Tag, while in Uganda Daphine likes to jump rope. But while the way they play may differ, the shared rhythm of their days'and this one world we all share'unites them. This genuine exchange provides a window into traditions that may be different from our own as well as a mirror reflecting our common experiences. Inspired by his own travels, Matt Lamothe transports readers across the globe and back with this luminous and thoughtful picture book.

  • Author:
    Cotterill, Samantha
    Summary:

    A sensitive boy gets overwhelmed by all the sights, sounds, and sensations at the beach, but his dad has a trick to help his son face these unexpected obstacles.

  • Author:
    Tamaki, Jillian
    Summary:

    A young girl describes where she finds colors in both the world around her and beyond what she can see.

  • Author:
    Adeyoha, Angel
    Summary:

    It's Father's Day craft time in Akilah and Kai's class, but they don't have dads! So, they hatch a plan to create a special club. It's for all the kids in their grade who don't have a dad, but want to celebrate other family members instead. See what they make in The Zero Dads Club!

  • Author:
    Gravel, Elise
    Summary:

    Bob’s tricycle is broken and he needs a wrench to fix it. He ventures out to buy one at the Megamart, where slick salesman, Mr. Mart, convinces Bob that it’s not a wrench he needs, but a fridge hat…singing pajamas…a screaming machine! Bob spends all his money on things that he really doesn’t need and before he knows it has no money and no wrench.

  • Author:
    Ward, Meghan J.
    Summary:

    Vibrant, whimsical illustrations accompany this thoughtful poem, which will quickly become a favourite for both parents and children to read together. It's a beautiful summer day and Geneva's parents have something special in mind: a hike to a scenic viewpoint in the mountains. So, they load up their car and drive to their chosen trail - a steep but rewarding hike called "Climb into the Sky." With her teddy in tow, Geneva tries to keep up with her parents, who are eager to show her the view up high. A bird's-eye view is what they promise, one that shows a winding river and trees down low, and rows of peaks that stretch into the distance. But, as she walks, she's distracted by the wonders of nature that catch her eye and beckon her to take a closer look. What does she see along the trail that's so fascinating? Does she ever reach the top? The Wonders That I Find taps into a child's curiosity about the world - something we all possess but often neglect as we grow older. The book asks us to slow down as we join Geneva on the trail, to appreciate the smaller things and savour the journey as much as the destination.

  • Author:
    Cowley, Joy
    Summary:

    In Ireland, a young girl who cannot sing, dance, or control her temper stumbles across a faerie village, where a beautiful boy asks her to name her three wishes--but does not promise to grant them for her.

  • Author:
    Stewart, Todd
    Summary:

    This picture book takes place in the serenity of a forest as a new pine seedling strikes up a conversation with a nearby older tree that will last for many years. Each beautifully illustrated spread shows the two trees, one on each side, as they discuss the wind, the younger tree learning from the experiences of the older: Wind feels good but it stretches trees and dries them out. It also makes trees dig in and build strength. Wind scatters seeds, and it carries messages and signals to other trees in the forest. As time passes, the younger tree becomes visibly larger, fuller, and more robust as the older tree thins and droops, needles stripped away, until it's little more than a trunk when a fierce storm blows through and takes it down, clearing old growth to make room for new. The story ends with the younger tree--now mature--greeting a seedling that floats in on the wind, taking root in the old tree's spot in the forest. Gorgeous multilayered screen prints show the trees in a wide variety of unexpected lights and colours, different on every spread, to reflect changing seasons, weather, moods, life stages, and more in this beautiful, textured art. On one level, the story sweetly honors intergenerational relationships, highlighting the value both trees have to offer, such as wisdom, nurturing, and mentoring on the part of the elder tree, and enthusiasm, physical strength, and passing on knowledge by the younger. On another level, this is a moving, lyrical story about the circle of life, and as such it offers a starting point for discussions about life, loss, and growing up to care for others as our elders did for us. The story also hints at recent research into tree communication, which postulates that trees are more social and sophisticated than previously thought. It also subtly encourages environmental stewardship, which is timely in this era of devastating forest fires amidst global warming and climate change.

  • Author:
    Rylant, Cynthia
    Summary:

    Whistler and Lila, two of the mice children who live in a lighthouse, meet a young octopus when they visit the beach during low tide.

  • Author:
    Harvey, Sarah N.
    Summary:

    Combining evocative haiku, informative text and luminous illustrations, The West Is Calling is a celebration, for our youngest readers, of one hundred and fifty years of British Columbia's history. Each detail-rich illustration depicts a particular moment in the province's dynamic saga, from pre-contact Haida culture, to the natural resources-fueled economic boom in the 1960s and beyond, to Expo 86, to the opening up of the North and the growing appreciation of First Nations' traditions.

  • Author:
    Burningham, John
    Summary:

    Discovering a magical door in her bedroom that leads her to the zoo, a little girl is tempted to bring one little bear back to her room, and then a menagerie of smaller animals, and then a medley of big animals, until pandemonium ensues.

  • Author:
    Cain, Janan
    Summary:

    Feelings are a normal part of life for children as well as adults, believes author Janan Cain, who wanted kids both to understand the concept of emotions and be able to express their feelings with words. Her delightful The Way I Feel has drawn praise from parents, educators and medical professionals across the country. It's used at bedtime, when parents want to talk about what happened that day; in classrooms, when teachers want to talk about pride and disappointment; and with sick children who are suffering from fear and confusion as well as pain. Illustrations and rhyming text portray children experiencing a range of emotions, including frustration, shyness, jealousy, and pride. Feelings are neither good nor bad, they simply are. Kids need words to name their feelings, just as they need words to name foood, clothes, toys, people, etc. Strong, colorful, and expressive images go along with the verses to help children connect the word and the emotion.

  • Author:
    Gertsberg, Inna
    Summary:

    A celebration of public transit systems around the world. Five different characters' journeys through the imaginary city of Zoom explore the fascinating world of urban public transit systems. From a zany family of traveling street performers, to a spy on a top-secret mission, to a curious little boy touring the city for the first time, all of their trips start from different locations but end up in the same one. And as the quirky characters make their journeys, their stories are embellished with definitions, labels and explanations of how things work. All aboard! Whether by subway, bus, light rail or ferry boat—the city's accessible to everyone!

  • Author:
    Base, Graeme
    Summary:

    Graeme Base takes young readers on an exhilarating journey of discovery from the plains of Africa and the jungles of the Amazon to the woodlands of North America and the deserts of outback Australia. The animals come together to drink from the water hole. But their water supply is diminishing. What's going on?

  • Author:
    Harper, Maika
    Summary:

    When the earth was new, words had the power to breathe life into the world. But when creating animals from breath, sometimes one does not get everything right on the first try! Based on a traditional Inuit story passed forward orally for generations in the South Baffin region of Nunavut, this book shares with young readers the origin of the caribou and the walrus--and tells of how very different these animals looked when they were first conceived.

  • Author:
    Tomova, Veselina
    Summary:

    In the middle of the twentieth century, in the middle of Eastern Europe, a young girl dreams of adventures. One day, a huge wall appears that separates East from West, and dreamer from dreams. No ladder is tall enough, no tunnel deep enough to get past that wall. But then a crack appears in the wall...

  • Author:
    Grant, Shauntay, Banks, Erin Bennett
    Summary:

    It's Halloween and Amayah doens't have a costume to wear to school. She dressed as a ghost for the last three years in a row, witches are overdone, and fairies are not her style. She wants to be something different, something creative, something no one else in the world has ever been in the history of Halloween. A sweet story of standing out and fitting in, The Walking Bathroom is the newest book from award-winning author and spoken-word poet Shauntay Grant (Up Home). With fun, vibrant artwork from Erin Bennett Banks (Change of Heart), this imaginative tale is bound to inspire some unique costumes and become a Halloween favourite!

  • Author:
    Carle, Eric
    Summary:

    A collection of four books by Eric Carle. Includes "The very hungry caterpillar," "The grouchy ladybug," "The very busy spider," and "Walter the baker." Grades K-3. 1979.

  • Author:
    Meadows, Sally
    Summary:

    When Quinn's mom gets sick and Quinn has to go live with his grandfather in the big city, a nearby pond becomes a place of comfort and peace for him. But when Quinn spots a duckling all on its own, his own feeling of not belonging bubbles to the surface. How will Quinn get through this time in his life when everything seems so upside down? With gorgeous illustrations and thoughtful, beautiful words, this story of Quinn finding his place in a complicated world is told simply and vividly.

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