Elementary

From the time he was a small boy in Vermont, Wilson Bentley saw snowflakes as small miracles. And he determined that one day his camera would capture for others the wonder of the tiny crystal. Bentley's enthusiasm for photographing snowflakes was often misunderstood in his time, but his patience and determination revealed two important truths: no two snowflakes are alike; and each one is startlingly beautiful.

Expanding on traditional alphabet forms for children, the author uses graphic illustrations that retain the natural shape of the letter as well as represent the meaning of the word.

Twelve poems follow a family and their friends through the seasons. A Caldecott Honor Book.

A Caldecott Honor Book
""It's snowing, said boy with dog."
""It's only a snowflake," said grandfather with beard."

Everyone knows the song about the old lady who swallowed a fly, a spider, a bird, and even worse, but who's ever seen what's going on inside the old lady's stomach? With his inventive die-cut artwork, Simms Taback, illustrator of The Road Builders, gives young readers a rollicking, eye-popping version of the well-loved poem.

Take advantage of the appeal and power of Caldecott award literature to extend and promote learning across the curriculum. In these three volumes the author demonstrates how to use award-winning books as springboards to science, social studies learning, and language arts in the library and classroom-and to expand student awareness and appreciation of illustration techniques. For each Caldecott title there is background information on the illustrations, curriculum connections, lesson plans, and support materials for teaching.

Can you fathom a time when no one knew what a dinosaur was?That was true in the mid-nineteenth century, until a Victorian artist named Waterhouse Hawkins brought these ancient animals to life for all to see. Originally in his native England, and later in New York City, he devoted more than three decades to building the first life-size models of dinosaurs, and he dazzled the world with his awe-inspiring creations.

"And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout; But there is no joy in Mudville-mighty Casey has struck out." Those lines have echoed through the decades, the final stanza of a poem published pseudonymously in the June 3, 1888, issue of the San Francisco Examiner. Its author would rather have seen it forgotten. Instead, Ernest Thayer's poem has taken a well-deserved place as an enduring icon of Americana.

The first "manned" hot-air balloon is about to take off! But what are those noises coming from the basket?Based on the (POSSIBLY) true report of a day in 1783, this si the story of (PERHAPS) the bravest collection of flyers the world has ever seen, as (SORT OF) told to Marjorie Priceman.

From spring’s first thaw to autumn’s chill, the world of the pond is a dramatic place. Though seemingly quiet, ponds are teeming with life and full of surprises. Their denizens—from peepers to painted turtles, duckweed to diving beetles—lead secret and fascinating lives. A unique blend of whimsy, science, poetry, and hand-colored woodcuts, this Caldecott Honor-winning collection invites us to take a closer look at our hidden ponds and wetlands. Here is a celebration of their beauty and their mystery.

This is a love song devoted to that special relationship between grandparents and grandchild. The kitchen window at Nanna and Poppy's house is, for one little girl, a magic gateway. Everything important happens near it, through it, or beyond it. Told in her voice, her story is both a voyage of discovery and a celebration of the commonplace wonders that define childhood, expressed as a joyful fusion of text with evocative and exuberant illustrations.The world for this little girl will soon grow larger and more complex, but never more enchanting or deeply felt.

Michael," says Karl, "there's a really big bear in the backyard." This is how three children meet Stillwater, a giant panda who moves into the neighborhood and tells amazing tales. To Addy he tells a story about the value of material goods. To Michael he pushes the boundaries of good and bad. And to Karl he demonstrates what it means to hold on to frustration.

With graceful art and simple stories that are filled with love and enlightenment, Jon Muth (and Stillwater the bear) present three ancient Zen tales that are sure to strike a chord in everyone they touch.

Ada Ruth's mama must go away to Chicago to work, leaving Ada Ruth and Grandma behind. It's war time, and women are needed to fill the men's jobs. As winter sets in, Ada Ruth and her grandma keep up their daily routine, missing Mama all the time. They find strength in each other, and a stray kitten even arrives one day to keep them company, but nothing can fill the hole Mama left. Every day they wait, watching for the letter that says Mama will be coming on home soon. Set during World War II, Coming On Home Soon has a timeless quality that will appeal to all who wait and hope.

Have fun with Olivia...
-dressing up
-singing songs
-building sand castles
-napping (maybe)
-dancing
-painting on walls
-and -- whew! --
going to sleep at last.

In 1974, French aerialist Philippe Petit threw a tightrope between the two towers of the World Trade Center and spent an hour walking, dancing, and performing high-wire tricks a quarter mile in the sky. This picture book captures the poetry and magic of the event with a poetry of its own: lyrical words and lovely paintings that present the detail, daring, and--in two dramatic foldout spreads-- the vertiginous drama of Petit's feat.