Grandpa's favourite thing is a stopwatch, and he and his grandchild use it to time everything: racing to the end of the street and back (best speed: 24 seconds); the time it takes to eat a whole bubble gum ice cream cone (1 minute, 58 seconds - brain freeze: 6 seconds); a snore-filled nap on the couch (20 minutes). When Grandpa dies, his grandchild inherits the beloved stopwatch. But the child doesn't want the stopwatch... 'I want him.' The child throws the stopwatch into the back of a drawer, sadness overwhelms, and everything feels different. Nothing seems right, now that Grandpa is gone. But with the passage of time, the comforting tick, tick, tick of the stopwatch, and happy memories, life does move forward...

Grandpa's favourite thing is a stopwatch, and he and his grandchild use it to time everything: racing to the end of the street and back (best speed: 24 seconds); the time it takes to eat a whole bubble gum ice cream cone (1 minute, 58 seconds - brain freeze: 6 seconds); a snore-filled nap on the couch (20 minutes). When Grandpa dies, his grandchild inherits the beloved stopwatch. But the child doesn't want the stopwatch... 'I want him.' The child throws the stopwatch into the back of a drawer, sadness overwhelms, and everything feels different. Nothing seems right, now that Grandpa is gone. But with the passage of time, the comforting tick, tick, tick of the stopwatch, and happy memories, life does move forward...

When a child is asked to “Please, be quiet!� they sit silent … and their imagination sweeps them away on a breathtaking journey.  Through the window, the child can hear the trees breathe and watches them sway back and forth as they begin to dance. Then bears join in, accompanied by the child on their drum, making so much noise they wake up a dragon! The dragon’s smoky breath fills the sky, and the wind forms a knight on a steed that gallops through the stars. The child’s adventure continues, as one wonderful flight of fancy leads to the next, from pirates to mermaids to whales, until they find themselves sitting silent once again among the trees.  Jean E. Pendziwol has written a charming story-poem that looks at silence and stillness as an opportunity for the imagination and creativity to flourish. Carmen Mok’s magical illustrations flow from one spread to the next like animation, in a palette inspired by vintage printmaking. Key Text Features dialogue illustrations Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.7 With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

In this powerful story from Christine Baldacchino, author of Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress, a young girl navigates social anxiety at family gatherings and works with her father to find a solution. Violet Shrink doesn’t like parties. Or bashes, or gatherings. Lots of people and lots of noise make Violet’s tummy ache and her hands sweat. She would much rather spend time on her own, watching the birds in her backyard, reading comics or listening to music through her purple headphones. The problem is that the whole Shrink family loves parties with loud music and games and dancing. At cousin Char’s birthday party, Violet hides under a table and imagines she is a shark gliding effortlessly through the water, looking for food. And at Auntie Marlene and Uncle Leli’s anniversary bash, Violet sits alone at the top of the stairs, imagining she is a slithering snake way up in the branches. When Violet learns that the Shrink family reunion is fast approaching, she finally musters up the courage to have a talk with her dad. In this thoughtful story about understanding and acceptance, Christine Baldacchino’s warm text demonstrates the role imagination often plays for children dealing with anxiety, and the power of a child expressing their feelings to a parent who is there to listen. Carmen Mok’s charming illustrations perfectly capture Violet’s emotions and the vibrancy of her imagination. A valuable contribution to books addressing mental health. Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3 Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

Kids will look forward to their next nature walk after reading this playful yet calming book about wonderful forest sounds. The forest has lots to say... if you listen. When a child steps into the forest, her ears are open and her heart is too. She listens carefully and hears marvelous things. She hears the rustling of leaves sharing their secrets. She hears a beetle balancing on a branch. And the more she listens, the more she learns. I Hear You, Forest is a perfect book for outdoor education, classroom learning and homeschooling, helping to teach: Empathy and connection with all living things Mindfulness and appreciation with the world around us That the forest is full of magical sounds-you just have to listen!

This joyful and soothing book about ocean sounds for kids 3-7 will transport readers to the seaside. When a child visits the ocean with his little brother, he whispers to him, "The ocean has lots to say, if you listen." Together, they hear wondrous things, like the rumble of pebbles tumbling and filling the beach with shiny gems, the bark of a seal playing peekaboo, and the whooshing of a shell murmuring messages. The second book in the Sounds of Nature Series for young children, I Hear You, Ocean is an excellent resource for outdoor education and social-emotional learning, helping to teach: How to engage with nature in fun and respectful ways Mindfulness and empathy with the world around us Positive and gentle play with younger siblings The ocean makes magical sounds-you just have to listen!

Grace says goodbye to Grandmother in this touching book about love and loss. Grandmother lives with Grace’s family. She teaches her how to measure water for rice. She tells her stories about growing up in China and together they savor the flavors of her childhood. Grandmother says goodbye when she drops Grace off at school every morning and hello when she picks her up at the end of the day. Suddenly, Grandmother stops walking Grace to and from school, and the door to her room stays closed. Father comes home early to make dinner, but the rice bowls stay full. One day, Grandmother’s room is empty. And soon after, she is buried. After the funeral, Grace’s mom turns on all the outside lights so that Grandmother’s spirit can find its way home for one final goodbye. Carmen Mok’s gentle illustrations show the love between a child and her grandmother in this story that will resonate with anyone who has lost a loved one. Betty Quan’s picture-book debut is haunting yet hopeful. Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.6 Identify who is telling the story at various points in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3 Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.7 Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.7 >Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting) CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

Waiting for a new baby is hard, and waiting for her to grow up into a playmate is even harder. Luckily Liam's Nana is just downstairs and always ready to help. When the two of them build a Get-Older-Faster Machine, Liam is surprised to find it's not Sophie who does the most growing up. Waiting is hard. Liam waited through half of kindergarten for his baby sister to be born. Then, when little Sophie finally comes home, he discovers she won't be ready to play with him for a long, long time. As the months pass, everyone says that Liam is Sophie's favourite. He is the best at making her laugh and burp, but laughing and burping are not enough for Liam. With the help of Nana-Downstairs, he designs and builds a Get Older Faster Machine. It doesn't seem to work on Sophie, but maybe Sophie is not the only one doing some growing up. In Waiting for Sophie, multi-award-winning author Sarah Ellis, known for her winsome way with words, introduces a warm, funny, down-to-earth family gracefully navigating a time of change together. Illustrator Carmen Mok renders them sweetly in approachable color illustrations. Appealingly packaged in a hardcover book with a reinforced binding, Liam's trials, mishaps, and triumphs will speak to young readers who are making the transition to chapter books.

A sweet story about embracing change, the excitement of discovery and the wonder of nature and new friends. A young boy moves from the city to a new home in the country. He misses his friends, but at least it's summertime - flowers are blooming, baby birds are hatching, and caterpillars are transforming into butterflies. Enraptured by the natural world, Percy climbs trees, tastes wild strawberries and tries to catch fish in the river with his bare hands. Percy also likes to draw pictures of what he has seen that day. He collects interesting leaves and rocks, and insects in jars. Percy discovers that being alone doesn't have to be lonely, but explorers often share their findings. So, he creates a way to share his collection with others ... Percy's Museum is a sweet story about embracing change, the excitement of discovery and the wonder of nature and new friends. Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3 Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.