Sometimes she feels like a bird, flying north in the spring and south in the fall. Sometimes she feels like a jack rabbit living in an abandoned burrow, as her family moves into an empty house near the fields. But most of all she wonders what it would be like to stay in one place.The Low German-speaking Mennonites from Mexico are a unique group of migrants who moved from Canada to Mexico in the 1920s and became an important part of the farming community there. But it has become increasingly difficult for them to earn a livelihood, and so they come back to Canada each year as migrant workers in order to survive. And while they currently have the right to work in Canada, that right may be challenged. Working conditions are difficult for all migrant workers, most of whom have to leave families far behind. And yet countries like Canada and the United States benefit greatly from their labor.Beautifully written by Maxine Trottier and imaginatively illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault, this book describes what it is like to be a child in a migrant family.

    Full color.

    You just need to know where to look—and this whimsical picture book is the perfect place to start.Have you ever wished for something extraordinary? Like the ability to fly? Or to breathe underwater? What if you could talk to animals?It’s fun to wish for amazing things. But take a look around, and you just might find that the most “ordinary” things…can be extraordinary.

    Whether he’s cranky on the slide or stubborn in the sandbox, both parents and children alike will relate to this beloved story. A perfect way to teach children about their emotions!

    

    As they pass swirling leaves, bobbing boats, and flapping scarves, breezes become gusts and the sky darkens. Rain is on the way! Can they squeeze in one more adventure before the downpour? Scenes rich with springtime details for little eyes to follow and lyrical verse that captures the changeable mood of the weather make this perfect for spring story times.

    It certainly wasn't the day that Alan Mitz stumbled into the garden of Abdul Gasazi. For in this bizarre and eerie place—where strange topiary trees loomed—the evil visage of Gasazi casts its shadow. And even after Alan escaped, the spell of Gasazi still seemed to penetrate into his everyday world. In this extraordinary, unusual, and unique picture book, Chris Van Allsburg explores both the real and surreal worlds with incredible deftness. In doing so, he has created exquisite and beautiful images that will continue to haunt readers long after they have left the enchanted garden of Abdul Gasazi.

    Pumpkin is heartbroken to find out he's too little to go, and when Penguin tries to say good-bye, his brother is nowhere to be found! At the farm, all the pumpkins Penguin sees remind him of his own special Pumpkin.So Penguin and Bootsy bring a special surprise home to share a little touch of Autumn with Pumpkin. Prolific author/illustrator Salina Yoon's spare text and bright, energetic illustrations bring to life this endearing story celebrating Autumn and family in many forms!

    But not Fred. He has far too much to do!Armed with plenty of imagination, this determined little boy resists bedtime with adventurous flair. Drowsy animals of all stripes look on in disbelief as he just keeps going and going and going, until...Could it be that, after so much activity, even Fred needs to rest? Shhh. Close the book softly, and please let Fred sleep.

    But one day he gets carried away . . . literally. His tongue accidentally sticks to a dragonfly when he tries to catch a mosquito, and off he’s pulled across the swamp, through town, and into the big city of New Orleans, causing some very funny havoc along the way. When he finds himself stranded at the seashore, far from his mom, will he finally be ready to ask for help? Author/illustrator Steve Breen is a Pulitzer Prize–winning editorial cartoonist and the creator of the comic strip Grand Avenue. Stick, his picture-book debut, is rambunctious, silly, and couldn’t be more endearing.

    Little ones and their parents will be charmed and delighted as a patient father offers up increasingly creative responses to his child’s nighttime wonderings. Any child who has ever asked “Why?” — and any parent who has attempted an explanation — will recognize themselves in this sweet storybook for dreamers who are looking for answers beyond “Just because.”Curious minds are rewarded with curious answers in a fantastical bedtime book by Mac Barnett and Isabelle Arsenault.

    "My mother carries me through the quiet streets," the bunny explains. "Most of our neighbors are already home." The bunny can see their lights in the windows, and hear and smell what they might be doing: talking on the phone, pulling a pie out of the oven, having a party, saying goodbye. When they reach home, the father rabbit tucks the bunny into bed. But the bunny continues to wonder about the neighbors' activities. "Are the party guests saying goodnight? Is the person on the phone getting ready for bed?" And what of the footsteps that can be heard in the street as the bunny falls asleep? "Will she take the last train home?"This beautiful picture book captures the magical wonder a child feels at being outside in the night. Award-winning author and illustrator Akiko Miyakoshi's softly focused black-and-white illustrations with just a touch of neutral color have a dreamlike quality, just right for nodding off to sleep with. The book is intriguing in that it contains twice-told stories, once as they are observed and second as the bunny imagines them. This offers a perfect prompt for young children to create extensions of other stories they have read or heard. A deeper reading could encourage critical thinking by comparing the different pastimes of the neighbors or, ultimately, what it means to be home.

    But he's a smart cookie and heads out to find them. He'll run, slide, skip, and (after a mishap with a soccer ball) limp as fast as he can because: I can catch them! I'm their Gingerbread Man!With help from the gym teacher, the nurse, the art teacher and even the principal, the Gingerbread Man does find his class, and he's assured they'll never leave him behind again.Teachers often use the Gingerbread Man story to introduce new students to the geography and staff of schools, and this fresh, funny twist on the original can be used all year long. Includes a poster with fun activities!

    An abandoned gray cat shivers alone in the cold, snowy forest. In a nearby farmhouse, a young boy worries that Santa Claus might not be able to come in such bad weather. But soon the bitter wind stops howling, and the sound of sleigh bells rings clearly through the woods. Neither the cat nor the boys know it, but a small Christmas miracle is about to occur. Beloved illustrator Tasha Tudor's classic style gives this holiday tale a timeless appeal.

    The thing is a large, freakish creature but no-one else really notices it--it's simply not a part of their familiar day-to-day reality. So the kid takes it upon himself to try to find where the lost thing belongs...The Lost Thing is a gently humorous story that will be read and enjoyed by a wide range of ages. While the narrative is full of typical thoughts of an observant and caring young person, the illustrations provide a surreal and thought-provoking backdrop for this 'lost dog story' with a definite twist. The Lost Thing is the first book that Shaun Tan both wrote and illustrated.