Rejected by the tribe for his club foot, Tao's success as a cave artist depended on choosing between his tribe's mystical traditions and the truth of his own experience.
Tao knew his life was forever in the balance. His mother's shocking fight —against the elders and tribal custom— had saved her only child from being thrown to the hyenas. Despite his club foot, he grew to be quick and nimble. As an outcast he often violated tribal taboos. He befriended a wolf, hunted in the swamp of demons, and loved to draw animals —a taboo punishable by death! Could a low ranked and deformed youth survive, to become a cave painter? How is the battle between natural knowledge and religion & authority different today?
This unique story shows a child thinking: Sarah has outgrown her boots and, after a struggle to stretch them, realizes that growing up is natural, happy and irreversible.
Sarah's wonderful old rain boots wouldn't fit her feet. Nothing she tried made them bigger. The dog pulled on them, she filled them with rocks, and she planted them in the ground. Mathew inherited them, to Sarah's annoyance, and her mother bought her new ones. When Mathew worried her boots would shrink for him too, what would Sarah say? The illustrations show Sarah's thought processes and her appropriate, emotional, reactions delightfully.
Bright humorous writing helps even young children understand the Emperor Penguin's extraordinary effort at laying and caring for a single egg, and then chick, through an Antarctic winter.
Imagine sitting for two months without food, in driving snow, high winds, -40C temperatures, and you have to keep an egg on top of your feet! Jenkins writes, "... I'd be very, very miserable. Luckily the penguins don't seem to mind too much. They have thick feathers and lots of fat..." In this way kids can enjoy learning the amazing way Emperor Penguins care for their young. Even the well executed illustrations are informative.
Hilariously, a five year old is confused by convincing 'evidence' that his body is disassembling, like a cheap doll.
The pop-eyed characters of Parts completely complement the crazy fear the main character experiences. More importantly, Arnold shows children how true facts can be misconstrued. Laugh with your children. Then, see if you can find real world examples to show older children that the logic error in Parts is horrifically common, even among information specialists such as journalists & academics.
Franklin faces surgery and learns that bravery means acting properly in spite of one's fears.
Franklin's shell is cracked. Dr. Bear has to put a pin in it, and that means surgery and being anesthetized. Everyone tells Franklin that he is brave, but really he is scared. When he tells Dr. Bear, he learns why he really is brave. This. 'must have' Franklin story is useful to children who face medical or dental work, but it shows any reader the true nature of courage.
Kids enjoy this anthology of intelligent poems, answering such questions as why popcorn pops –it's terrific.
"Would clouds feel fluffy,/ Soft and grand,/ If I could touch them/ With my hand?" Amy Koss takes children's minds seriously, without losing sight of the beauty and magic of discovery. Her 14 factual poems are both entertaining and fascinating to children without ever being silly. Even the adult reader will likely learn something from Where Fish Go in Winter. It is an extraordinary work.
By learning to read, old Jeremiah discovers the beauty in literacy, and a shared joy.
Wise old Jeremiah farmed his whole life, and now wants to read. "You are wonderful as you are", said his wife. "But I can be better", he responds. Perhaps his way of learning was unusual, but he soon discovers that reading offers more than simple facts. Juliana asks, "When are you going to read to me?" He answers, "When the time is right". He has found a special new reason for reading!
Princess Elizabeth uses her distinctly independent judgment to face a Dragon and her betrothed.
Princess Elizabeth's castle is destroyed by a dragon that also kidnaps her betrothed. She sets out to rescue the Prince. A smart judge of character, she manipulates the dragon by appealing to his vanity, to rescue Prince Ronald. Watch out for the surprise ending! The bold illustrations successfully convey the Elizabeth's bold character ...& the fun!
Red is Best portrays Kelly's admirable and fun, intellectual, independence as she happily tells us all her cute reasons for preferring red.
We can't give away too much of Kelly's clear delight with red. She knows her values, and when it comes to color, its red! Kelly says, "I like my red barrettes the best. My mom says, 'You wear pink barrettes with a pink dress.' But my red barrettes make my hair laugh." The simple illustrations provide all we need to appreciate her pleasure with red; Surely you too can see that red boots make bigger steps!
Arthur's own pet sitting business proves he is responsible enough to own a pet.
Arthur's Pet Business demonstrates that problems will always develop in a business, but it is responsible handling of those problems that make a person & business trustworthy and deserving.
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