Educational

Liling and her family have moved from their rural farm to an overwhelming urban city. Because of Chinese law, Liling can't go to school and spends her days with Mama or Baba at work. At the playground, the other children throw sand at her and tease her old red coat and dirty shoes.
    
But after she shares a smile with a girl in a bright yellow jacket who lives in an apartment beneath hers, Liling has a big idea! She draws a picture and lowers it down to the girl--Qiqi--who returns it with a drawing of her own. When the new friends meet face to face, Liling takes Qiqi's hand, and they walk bravely into the park--together.

With luscious watercolor illustrations and lovely poetic text, this achingly beautiful story is about our universal desire for connection, and the comfort we feel when we find a true friend.

Follow baby from day to night--around town and home again--and discover opposites aplenty!

From New York Times best-selling author Jonathan Balcombe comes this charming and affecting tale of young Jake, who on his first fishing trip with his grandfather, makes a crucial discovery when he meets Ava, an archerfish, caught on his line.

Learn about the astonishing engineering feats that animals accomplish when building their habitats. This creative approach puts readers inside a squirrel's nest, beaver dam, and more.

This book is a fun and creative way for kids to learn the basics of animal habitats. Several beautifully illustrated scenarios are presented where the reader has to imagine what it would be like to live in the way that animal lives. From tree squirrels and mount termites, to alligators and pack rats, readers learn all about these animals' habitats and then compare them to how we live. Backmatter includes a glossary and a STEM challenge activity to use at home or in the classroom.

How do you survive when danger is near and you are rooted in the ground? Plants use their defenses and fight back!

As readers turn the pages of this beautifully illustrated book, they will find fun and poetic language describing various situation where different plants find themselves under attack. This is followed by informative, science-based lessons about these plants and their survival methods. Backmatter includes a glossary and a STEM challenge activity to use at home or in the classroom.

Backmatter Includes:

• Explore More for Kids: photos and information about the plants and animals in this book.

• Explore More for Teachers & Parents: STEAM connections!

2020 Mathical Book Honor Book

Two is not a lot of pennies, but it is a lot of smelly skunks. Ten is not a lot of popcorn pieces, but it is a lot of chomping dinosaurs. One thousand is not a lot of grains of sand, but it is a lot of hot air balloons!

While Joey’s mom explains the context of numbers in vivid ways, Joey’s imagination transforms their ordinary car ride into a magical odyssey through a land of make-believe.  

Is Two a Lot? is a wonderfully charming and authentic exchange between mother and child. Annie Watson’s story makes numbers tangible, and Rebecca Evans’s illustrations bring them to life.

2020 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award gold winner
2020 Children’s Choices reading list

Math, science, sports, and games come together to delight young readers in a fanciful look at what would happen if kids played games with animals. Would they win a pie-eating contest with a hippo, a wrestling match with an anaconda, or a game of tag with a porcupine? Win or lose, the competitions are hilarious as twelve different animals display their amazing natural abilities. "Fun Facts and Fascinating Feats" complement the fast-paced storyline. Parents and teachers will appreciate the literacy and STEM activities in the back of the book.

2020 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award gold winner
2020 Moms Choice Award Gold winner
2019 Purple Dragonfly Book Award Honorable Mention

A little bird, a big sky, and the first time out of the nest! A robin's first flight is a gentle reminder about what we can accomplish if we just keep trying. As reviewer Sue Lowell Gallion says, "Children (and parents!) experiencing the many firsts of growing up will relate to this lively story of a young robin learning to fly. Playful, rhyming text and winsome water color illustrations give readers a birds' eye view of he baby birds' emotions and adventures on its way to solo flight."

Kirkus Star
2019 Junior Library Guild Gold Selection

More than two centuries before Einstein, using a crude telescope and a mechanical timepiece, Dutch astronomer Ole Romer measured the speed of light with astounding accuracy. How was he able to do this when most scientists didn’t even believe that light traveled? 

Twins Martina and Mateo wanted a hamster as a pet but find caring for Jeannie a chore. Their younger sister, Sophia, loves Jeannie and sets out to solve the mystery of why Jeannie continues to escape from her cage. This endearing and engaging story of a growing friendship is also instructive about the needs of small animal companions, often referred to as pocket pets.

In this beautifully illustrated picture book, Noah finds out from his animal friends why fur belongs on animals, not people. Sitting on his bed with his cat Mango and his furry toy animals, Noah asks, “Why do you get to have fur coats, but I don’t?” In his dream that night, Noah’s animals offer a variety of answers. He learns how vital each animal’s coat is to its survival and happiness.

Children with disabilities often struggle to fit in, but church can be a place where everyone is welcome and included!When I Go to Church, I Belong follows the story of six children, helping us better understand the experiences and feelings of those with special needs. And it reminds us that even though we have our differences, we also have so much in common.

Written by Elrena Evans and illustrated by Rebecca Evans, this message of inclusion and belonging can be enjoyed by children and the adults who read with them. Also included is a note from the author to encourage further conversation about the content.