Throughout his career – from its beginnings in the creative maelstrom of fifteenth century Florence to his role as genius in residence at the court of the king of France – Leonardo created a kind of private universe for himself and his work.Leonardo also spent a great deal of time away from his easel, pursuing his interest in engineering, natural science, sculpture, poetry, fables, music, and anatomy. In the time that another artist would finish a series of paintings, he would work on one. Sometimes a painting would take decades, accompanying him on his travels as he worked on other commissions.Leonardo's private world was both vibrant and active. It sometimes did and at other times did not interact with the wider world. But what emerged from it has established Leonardo as the definition of the Renaissance Man.

    She dreams and muddles her way through her days, bumbling her chores and exasperating her mother. But when evening comes, and with it the Talemeet, Calantha comes to life. She is open and attentive to everything: the Gathering, the words of release, the Tale itself, and the harmony after, when the villagers, their worries put away for a while, peacefully watch the seeds waft way.And then something dreadful happens. In every field, in every ditch across the Plains where Story Pods used to grow, there is no new growth. Calantha is sickened, and not just by thinking about the end of the Tales. She can't stand that no one else seems to care: the threat from the northern king is worry enough, they believe. So she decides it's up to her to do what's necessary: to seek the legendary Sower of Tales, and find out what's really happening on the Plains.In The Sower of Tales, Governor-General's Award-winning author Rachna Gilmore has created a fantastic world and a stirring adventure; and Calantha, impatient and stubborn, dreamy and single-minded is an entirely human heroine whose personal journey goes straight to the heart.Winner of the National Chapter of Canada IODE Violet Downey Book Award for 2005Winner of the 2005 Jane Addams Children's Book Awards in the category of Honor Books for Older ChildrenA 2006 Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award Honour BookRed Maple Award shortlist, 2005

    It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children.Volcanoes don’t always look like mountains; they aren’t always full of fire. Some are holes in the ground; some form under the sea. And despite their reputation for destruction, volcanoes produce new mountains, new islands, and new soil. Visit some of the world’s most remarkable volcanoes in this masterful introduction from Seymour Simon. It’s an extraordinary—and unforgettable—trip.With clear, simple text and stunning full-color photographs, readers will learn all about these amazing natural structures in this informative picture book!Perfect for young scientists’ school reports, this book supports the Common Core State Standards.Check out these other Seymour Simon books about the Natural World:Coral ReefsIcebergs & GlaciersMountainsOceansRocks & MineralsTropical RainforestsWater

    Shed a little humor on the subject by reading your child "Poop! There it is!".  Kids will giggle and laugh along with this silly book while learning the basics of potty training.

    cummings describes the wonder and excitement of a young brother and sister who find a little tree on a city sidewalk and carry it home, where they adorn it with Christmas finery.

    She casts off her old reputation, grows close with her four rowdy cast-mates, and kisses the extremely handsome Charlie Lamb onstage. Even Mr. McFadden, the play’s critical director, can find no fault with Rebecca. Though “The Essential Five” vow never to date each other, Rebecca can’t help her feelings for Charlie, leaving her both conflicted and lovestruck. But the on and off-stage drama of the cast is eclipsed by a life-altering accusation that threatens to destroy everything…even if some of it is just make believe.

    Lovely Meg, talented Jo, frail Beth, spoiled Amy: these are hard lessons of poverty and of growing up in New England during the Civil War. Through their dreams, plays, pranks, letters, illnesses, and courtships, women of all ages have become a part of this remarkable family and have felt the deep sadness when Meg leaves the circle of sisters to be married at the end of Part I. Part II, chronicles Meg's joys and mishaps as a young wife and mother, Jo's struggle to become a writer, Beth's tragedy, and Amy's artistic pursuits and unexpected romance. Based on Louise May Alcott's childhood, this lively portrait of nineteenth-century family life possesses a lasting vitality that has endeared it to generations of readers.From the Paperback edition.

    Kids will delight in discovering animals from A to Z living together in an old Victorian mansion. They'll meet an elephant in the ballroom playing with a model train, an octopus hanging from the foyer chandelier — and even a zebra enjoying a soak in the bathtub!Using watercolours and colored pencils, Wallace Edwards has created a bizarre and luxurious world, rich in texture and detail. An engaging mix of art and alphabet book, Alphabeasts provides the basis for hours of animated discussion and quiet contemplation.

    The prospect of a new baby in the house leaves her feeling strange and left out. But Grandma knows how to make Ariel feel a part of things. Together, secretly, they will make a beautiful quilt as a special gift for the baby. Then Grandma suffers a stroke, and Ariel is left lost and afraid. Determined to complete their gift, Ariel struggles to piece the quilt together. But will that inspire her grandmother to get better and share in her efforts? Little does Ariel know her grandmother has a secret gift planned just for her, a gift that will wrap Ariel in the warmth and love of family.

    When she goes outside, she meets a groom, on his way to a church, but his shoes need fixing, and so Jillian takes a part of the ribbon from her dress to help. Then Jillian uses her ribbons to help the bride with her hair and next, to wrap a wedding gift. Soon, Jillian's dress is disheleved mess! But Jillian's efforts are rewarded when the bride and groom ask her to be their flower girl. And so Jillian walks down the aisle in her worn-out ribbon dress!

    The stories are familiar, and there's lots of silly fun as the dragon is transformed into fairy-tale characters. But danger lurks in the form of strangers --- including the hungry wolf from ?Little Red Riding Hood? and Snow White's evil stepmother. And it's up to the girl to keep an eye on the dragon, who walks alone through deep dark woods and takes treats from people he doesn't know. Little by little, the girl teaches her irrepressible friend to be careful about strangers.The winning combination of fairy-tale adventure and concrete safety information --- including the Dragon's Stranger Safety Rhyme and the checklist of rules at the end of the book --- provide the perfect starting point for discussions with children about stranger safety.

    And if an octopus loses an arm, it will eventually grow another one. Amazing! Read and find out about the many other ways an octopus is amazing. This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 4 to 6. It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children."[Here is] a charming introduction to the truly amazing octopus [from its intelligence to its ability to change colors to the camouflaging black ink it squirts to escape predators]. Lauber's chatty, fact-filled text makes the book a good read-aloud, and Keller's amusing and colorful drawings enhance it—a perfect match of text and illustration." —SLJ.This is a Level 2 Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science title, which means the book explores more challenging concepts for children in the primary grades and supports the Common Core Learning Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards. Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.

    This hilarious 233 page full-color book contains over 400 of cartoonist, Chad Carpenter's latest comic creations. Consisting of anything animal, vegetable or mineral, but with a decidedly outdoorsy slant, this award-winning comic strip takes an offbeat view of the woodsy side of life. Find out for yourself why TUNDRA is one of the fastest-growing comic strips on the planet!

    So they decide that Hetty is old enough to go by herself. Although she practices walking smoothly up the hill so she won’t break the precious eggs, she can’t help running all the way down. Young readers will hold their breath as Hetty tries her very best to get those eggs home safely. “The story is remarkable for its evocative imagery, and the loving interchange between the characters sets a charming tone. The words are perfectly complemented by Lewis’s dazzling, impressionistic watercolors that show the joyous power of love and depict a warmly supportive world in which Hetty ventures forth toward independence. A fine book that speaks straight to the heart.”--Booklist

    He was doing a public access show up north when MTV heard about him and brought him to New York to see what he could do in the big city. Tom became an instant smash, slicing up dead raccoons on stage, introducing his parents to Monica Lewinsky in the middle of the night, and pioneering a type of shocking humor that begat Jackass, Fear Factor, and other reality shows.In the next few years, Tom starred in the hilarious Road Trip and three other movies (Freddy Got Fingered, Stealing Harvard, and Charlie’s Angels), married and divorced Drew Barrymore, and recorded his surgery for testicular cancer in a well-received, hysterical, and oddly moving documentary for MTV. But the fearless Canadian with the outrageous sense of humor, hit show, and tabloid-hyped marriage got a taste of the darker side of Hollywood, too, as the media that made him the toast of Tinseltown cut him down to size in the wake of his divorce, illness, and some professional bumps in the road.Hollywood Causes Cancer not only tells the full story of Tom’s wildly entertaining trip to celebrity but is also an absorbing and even revelatory look at a dramatic, excessive, ruthless place called Hollywood, and how one man survived his journey into the heart of it all.