Below is a list of 11 the books by this author.
A child and beloved grandma bond over birds during the grandma’s final days. When Grandma gets sick and comes to stay at her grandchild’s... [Read More]
A child and beloved grandma bond over birds during the grandma’s final days. When Grandma gets sick and comes to stay at her grandchild’s house, she brings her bird feeder. Grandma loves birds. And the child loves the time they spend together, drawing bird pictures and “talking about interesting things.” Grandma’s health declines, however. She moves to the hospice, where the child hangs the bird feeder outside her window. There, though the grandma’s ability to interact diminishes over time, their love for each other never wavers. Simple and deep, this quiet book speaks with empathy about the loss of a treasured grandparent, and with hope about the tomorrows — and the birds — that always come.
Theme: Death & Grieving , Inter-Generational
Here is a boy who is sure of one thing: he does NOT like stories. Not stories about waking up in the morning, or people in space, or fish in the sea,... [Read More]
Here is a boy who is sure of one thing: he does NOT like stories. Not stories about waking up in the morning, or people in space, or fish in the sea, or planes, or trains, or boring old buildings. The one thing this contrarian boy loves is his cat - whose day is depicted through graphic panels in a funny, parallel side narrative. The cheerful cat searches for the boy all day, chasing anything yellow, the colour of the boy’s bright backpack, and causing mess and mayhem throughout the city. In the end, the boy concedes he might like a story - if it’s the right one (do you know any stories about a cat?).
Theme: Writing, Story Time, Humour
In this wondrous picture book bursting with mixed-media art, an imaginary garden is the center of a special relationship between a girl and her... [Read More]
In this wondrous picture book bursting with mixed-media art, an imaginary garden is the center of a special relationship between a girl and her grandfather.
In this playfully illustrated picture book, a group of neighbors come together to help their much-loved apartment cat when his outside adventure goes... [Read More]
In this playfully illustrated picture book, a group of neighbors come together to help their much-loved apartment cat when his outside adventure goes awry.
Vincent is staying with his aunt Mimi for the summer while his mom recuperates from surgery. Mimi's drab city neighborhood, complete with an empty... [Read More]
Vincent is staying with his aunt Mimi for the summer while his mom recuperates from surgery. Mimi's drab city neighborhood, complete with an empty dirt lot across the street, doesn't seem too promising. But then Vincent meets Toma, a boy who lives nearby, and things start looking up. Mimi has a mysterious box of ?dirt balls? in her apartment. When she asks Vincent to get rid of them, the fun Vincent and Toma have throwing them into the lot becomes the start of a budding friendship. Then one day, they notice new shoots sprouting all over the lot. Maybe those balls weren't just made of dirt after all! Bestselling author Andrew Larsen brings a light touch and gentle humor to this picture book story about several kinds of growth --- of the boys and their friendship, the flowers in the newly thriving lot, and the community that comes together around it. Award-winning artist Anne Villeneuve's illustrations add a visual layer to the storytelling as they show the transformation from mostly gray to vibrant color, both literally, in the blossoming garden, and figuratively, in the now engaged neighborhood. This book highlights the value of connecting to nature, even in urban areas, and the sense of community that comes from civic engagement. It's an excellent choice for character education lessons on kindness, generosity and citizenship.
?Theo's Poppa was an explorer. He had been everywhere. He kept an old trunk packed with the pictures, postcards, maps and menus that he had collected... [Read More]
?Theo's Poppa was an explorer. He had been everywhere. He kept an old trunk packed with the pictures, postcards, maps and menus that he had collected on his adventures.? Someday, Theo wants to be an explorer, too. For now, it's Poppa's birthday, and Theo has planned a special trip to the beach with him to celebrate. They plot out their course on a map they've drawn and then take the streetcar to the local beach, where they stroll in the sand, hunt for stones and slurp gazpacho at the beachside restaurant. It's a perfect day, and Theo is so happy to have given Poppa just the right gift. But best of all, Theo has also had her first lesson in being an explorer: you don't have to travel far from home to have an adventure! In this heartwarming picture book, popular author Andrew Larsen has created a rich story that captures the magic of turning an ordinary day into an adventure. The closeness between Theo and Poppa is touching, and offers a terrific opportunity for classroom discussions about family relationships. The emphasis on discovering the world right outside your door is a wonderful springboard for projects in which children can do the same in their own communities. With subtle and imaginative details in the cityscape, the beach and Poppa's home, Irene Luxbacher's fresh and expressive illustrations add depth to the story. The endearing Poppa and Theo also star in The Imaginary Garden, written and illustrated by the same creators.
Lovable pup Sally is looking a little shaggy, so her owners are taking her to the groomer. It smells like a garden and Sally sees brushes and bows... [Read More]
Lovable pup Sally is looking a little shaggy, so her owners are taking her to the groomer. It smells like a garden and Sally sees brushes and bows galore. Then it's time for a bath. Once she's squeaky clean and blow-dried, Sally gets brushed, snipped and clipped. When her owners arrive--surprise!--everyone has fancy new hairdos!
A young boy wants to write a story, just like his big sister. But there's a problem, he tells her. Though he knows his letters, he doesn't know many... [Read More]
A young boy wants to write a story, just like his big sister. But there's a problem, he tells her. Though he knows his letters, he doesn't know many words. ?Every story starts with a single word and every word starts with a single letter,? his sister explains patiently. ?Why don't you start there, with a letter?? So the boy tries. He writes a letter. An easy letter. The letter I. And from that one skinny letter, the story grows, and the little boy discovers that all of us, including him, have what we need to write our own perfect story. This picture book from award-winning author Andrew Larsen playfully and imaginatively explores a young child's process of learning to express himself. It promotes the idea that stories are available for everyone to tell, whatever way we can, and will inspire pre-readers to try writing stories of their own. The lively, fun illustrations by Mike Lowery incorporate story panels with dialogue bubbles, adding visual texture. Also helpful, the boy's story is shown both as he actually writes it --- with just a few letters, some punctuation marks and typographical symbols --- and as he imagines it. Celebrating self-expression, self-discovery and imagination, this book would enhance an early language arts lesson on writing, particularly on the parts of a story. It beautifully highlights the exciting worlds that are opened up when children begin to read and write. In a sweet touch, the boy and his sister model a close and supportive sibling relationship.
Theme: Writing
Andrew Larsen’s latest story celebrates the eternal hope and joy of baseball. Lenny loves playing baseball. He also loves reading about it. He... [Read More]
Andrew Larsen’s latest story celebrates the eternal hope and joy of baseball. Lenny loves playing baseball. He also loves reading about it. He wants to be in the big leagues, and, he figures, the more he knows, the better his chances. The only thing is, when he’s in the outfield, the ball somehow always ends up by his feet and not in his glove. But he and his dad practice. And practice. Lenny doesn’t give up. And it pays off. He makes a game-changing catch! Now he’s proven he can be great some of the time. Which makes him just like the greatest Hall of Famers, right? All you need is glove — as long as you believe!
Theme: Sports - Baseball