Through various examples, children learn about thankfulness and how to apply it to everyday life. At school, in one's community, and even at home, various situations are presented which teach readers about the importance of being thankful. Additional features to aid comprehension include informative captions, a Think-About-It section, a table of contents, a glossary, sources for further research, an index, and an introduction to the author.
A young bear and his siblings must learn to share and take turns when playing a game on a rainy day. Additional features to aid comprehension include a letter to educators and caregivers, an introduction to the authors and illustrator, a word list, and an activity.
After the ball they're playing with gets ruined, a young bear and his friend must find an alternative. In their attempts to trade items for another ball, the boys learn a lesson in sharing. Additional features to aid comprehension include a letter to educators and caregivers, an introduction to the authors and illustrator, a word list, and an activity.
A young bear wonders how best to show family members his appreciation for all they do. Additional features to aid comprehension include a letter to educators and caregivers, an introduction to the authors and illustrator, a word list, and an activity.
A young bear struggles with math problems, but learns to take his time, raise his hand, and answer correctly. Additional features to aid comprehension include a letter to educators and caregivers, an introduction to the authors and illustrator, a word list, and an activity.
Through various examples, children learn about respect and how to apply it to everyday life. At school, in one's neighborhood, and even at home, various situations are presented which teach readers about the importance of respecting others. Additional features to aid comprehension include informative captions, a Think-About-It section, a table of contents, a glossary, sources for further research, an index, and an introduction to the author.
Through various examples, children learn about responsibility and how to apply it to everyday life. At school, on the playground, and even at home, various situations are presented which teach readers about the importance of being responsible. Additional features to aid comprehension include informative captions, a Think-About-It section, a table of contents, a glossary, sources for further research, an index, and an introduction to the author.
A young bear loves to paint, but learns that some things are better off left as they are. Additional features to aid comprehension include a letter to educators and caregivers, an introduction to the authors and illustrator, a word list, and an activity.
Through various examples, children learn about patriotism and how to apply it to everyday life. At school and at home, various situations are presented which teach readers about the importance of forgiving others. Additional features to aid comprehension include informative captions, a Think-About-It section, a table of contents, a glossary, sources for further research, an index, and an introduction to the author.
Through various examples, children learn about patience and how to apply it to everyday life. At school, at home, and even during social activities, various situations are presented which teach readers about the importance of patience. Additional features to aid comprehension include informative captions, a Think-About-It section, a table of contents, a glossary, sources for further research, an index, and an introduction to the author.
Through various examples, children learn about loyalty and how to apply it to everyday life. With classmates, with friends, and with family members, various situations are presented which teach readers about the importance of being loyal. Additional features to aid comprehension include informative captions, a Think-About-It section, a table of contents, a glossary, sources for further research, an index, and an introduction to the author.
A young bear is scared to go underwater, but an imaginary adventure gives him the courage he needs. Additional features to aid comprehension include a letter to educators and caregivers, an introduction to the authors and illustrator, a phonetic glossary, and an activity.
A young bear loves storytime at his library, but spends more time asking questions than he does listening. He must learn to sit quietly to hear his favorite stories. Additional features to aid comprehension include a letter to educators and caregivers, an introduction to the authors and illustrator, a word list, and an activity.
Through various examples, children learn about honesty and how to apply it to everyday life. At school, with friends, and at home, various situations are presented which teach readers about the importance of being honest. Additional features to aid comprehension include informative captions, a Think-About-It section, a table of contents, a glossary, sources for further research, an index, and an introduction to the author.
Through various examples, children learn about generosity and how to apply it to everyday life. At school, in one's neighborhood, and even at home, various situations are presented which teach readers about the importance of being generous. Additional features to aid comprehension include informative captions, a Think-About-It section, a table of contents, a glossary, sources for further research, an index, and an introduction to the author.
Through various examples, children learn about friendliness and how to apply it to everyday life. At school and at home, various situations are presented which teach readers about the importance of forgiving others. Additional features to aid comprehension include informative captions, a Think-About-It section, a table of contents, a glossary, sources for further research, an index, and an introduction to the author.
Through various examples, children learn about forgiveness and how to apply it to everyday life. At school and at home, various situations are presented which teach readers about the importance of forgiving others. Additional features to aid comprehension include informative captions, a Think-About-It section, a table of contents, a glossary, sources for further research, an index, and an introduction to the author.
Through various examples, children learn about courage and how to apply it to everyday life. At school, on the playground, and even at home, various situations are presented which teach readers about the importance of courage. Additional features to aid comprehension include informative captions, a Think-About-It section, a table of contents, a glossary, sources for further research, an index, and an introduction to the author.
A young bear loves to draw, but doesn't like to clean up. Using his imagination helps to get him through the task. Additional features to aid comprehension include a letter to educators and caregivers, an introduction to the authors and illustrator, a word list, and an activity.
A family of mice offers ideas about how to warn themselves when their enemy--the cat--approaches. When it is suggested to tie a bell around the cat's neck, everyone agrees that the idea is a good one. But who will do the deed? Additional features include pages defining fables and morals, an introduction to Aesop, a Think-About-It section, activities for further learning, and an introduction to both the author and illustrator.
A young bear and his siblings and friends decide to build a fort, but must learn to cooperate and share their items to get the job done. Additional features to aid comprehension include a letter to educators and caregivers, an introduction to the authors and illustrator, a word list, and an activity.
Kenyan orphans, Kitoo and Nigosi, spend their days studying, playing soccer, helping their elders with chores around the orphanage and reading from the limited selection of books in their library. When the librarian gives Kitoo a copy of Sports Around the World he becomes fascinated by an image of the Canadian national men's ice hockey team. Then one day the fates align and Kitoo finds a pair of beat up old roller blades, he teaches himself to skate and dreams of one day playing hockey like the men in his book. But you can’t play ice hockey in Kenya, can you?
When the tsunami destroyed Makio's village, Makio lost his father . . . and his voice. The entire village is silenced by grief, and the young child's anger at the ocean grows. Then one day his neighbor, Mr. Hirota, begins a mysterious project—building a phone booth in his garden. At first Makio is puzzled; the phone isn't connected to anything. It just sits there, unable to ring. But as more and more villagers are drawn to the phone booth, its purpose becomes clear to Makio: the disconnected phone is connecting people to their lost loved ones. Makio calls to the sea to return what it has taken from him and ultimately finds his voice and solace in a phone that carries words on the wind. The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota's Garden is inspired by the true story of the wind phone in Otsuchi, Japan, which was created by artist Itaru Sasaki. He built the phone booth so he could speak to his cousin who had passed, saying, "My thoughts couldn't be relayed over a regular phone line, I wanted them to be carried on the wind." The Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in 2011 destroyed the town of Otsuchi, claiming 10 percent of the population. Residents of Otsuchi and pilgrims from other affected communities have been traveling to the wind phone since the tsunami.
With soft illustrations and soothing text, this is a quiet story about learning to find calm in the busy world around you. When the party's over and the baby finally falls asleep, when the dog is all barked out and the screens are dark, the Silence pads in on soft, furry feet. A warm, comforting presence, the Silence curls up in a sun-beam like a cuddly cat and helps you read, think and be still. The Silence is friends with the Dark. Together they soothe the jagged edges left when the Noise has rolled on and gently launch the boats of your dreams into the night. When the day becomes overwhelming or other feelings become too big, the Silence slips in.
It is 1945, and thirteen-year-old Gwen has been a prisoner at the Weihsien Internment Camp in northern China for nearly two and a half years. Gwen is one of 140 children who were enrolled at a boarding school in Chefoo when the Japanese Imperial Army invaded China. Life in the camp is difficult. There is not enough food or water, and even the children are forced to do hard labor. But Miss E., one of their teachers from Chefoo, has come up with an unusual scheme: she will follow the Girl Guide Code, treating Gwen and her friends as if they are part of a Girl Guide troop. Girl Guides promise not only to stay positive in the most challenging situations but also to do good turns, meaning they must be kind to others without any expectation of reward. Gwendolyn hopes that when she grows up, she will be as courageous and optimistic as Miss E. But then Gwen learns that Miss E. is not as full of answers as she seems, and she realizes that in order to protect a friend, she will have to do something that could never be considered a good turn.
