With stunning artwork and a rhyming text, the illustrator of the Mercy Watson books tells a tale of human-animal connection full of humor and heart.

When a circus ship runs aground off the coast of Maine, the poor animals are left on their own to swim the chilly waters. Staggering onto a nearby island, they soon win over the wary townspeople with their kind, courageous ways. So well do the critters blend in that when the greedy circus owner returns to claim them, villagers of all species conspire to outsmart the bloated blowhard. With buoyant rhymes and brilliantly caricatured illustrations evoking the early nineteenth century, Chris Van Dusen presents a hugely entertaining tale about the bonds of community -- and a rare hidden-pictures spread for eagle-eyed readers of all ages.

In this Caldecott Medal-winning picture book, the true story of Wilson Bentley and his singular fascination with snowflakes is rendered in rich prose and gorgeous artwork, perfect for the holidays, snow days, and everyday.

Wilson Bentley was always fascinated by snow. In childhood and adulthood, he saw each tiny crystal of a snowflake as a little miracle and wanted to understand them.

His parents supported his curiosity and saved until they could give him his own camera and microscope. At the time, his enthusiasm was misunderstood. But with patience and determination, Wilson catalogued hundreds of snowflake photographs, gave slideshows of his findings and, when he was 66, published a book of his photos. His work became the basis for all we know about beautiful, unique snowflakes today.

This biographical tribute to a very special farmer is the perfect holiday gift or snow day read.

Words, Peter learned, were powerful things. And when he put them in long, neat rows, he felt as if the world itself clicked into order.

For shy young Peter Mark Roget, books were the best companions -- and it wasn't long before Peter began writing his own book. But he didn't write stories; he wrote lists. Peter took his love for words and used it to organize his ideas and find exactly the right word to express just what he thought. His lists grew and grew, eventually turning into one of the most important reference books of all time.

This book is an inviting, visually engrossing portrayal of Peter Mark Roget and the creation of the thesaurus. Readers of all ages will marvel at Roget's life, depicted through lyrical text and brilliantly detailed illustrations. This elegant book celebrates the joy of learning and the power of words.

Awards and Recognition

Parents' Choice Foundation Parents' Choice Award Gold Winner (2015)
American Library Association Caldecott Honor Book (2015)
American Library Association Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal (2015)
American Library Association Notable Children's Books (2015)
Junior Library Guild Selection
2014 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature Finalist
2014 American Booksellers Association Best Books for Children Catalog
Society of Illustrators, The Original Art annual exhibition (2014)
California Reading Association Eureka! Honor Award (2014)
2015-2016 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List
School Library Journal Best Books of 2014
Kirkus Best of 2014
Publishers Weekly Best Books (2014)
Horn Book Fanfare (2014)
Huffington Post Best Picture Books of 2014: Best Biography (Non-Artist)
New York Times Notable Children's Books of 2014
Booklist 2014 Editors' Choice: Books for Youth
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2015
2015-2016 Georgia Children's Picturebook Award Finalist
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators 2015 Golden Kite Award
National Council of Teachers of English 2015 Orbis Pictus Honor
The Children's Literature Assembly 2015 Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts List
Bank Street College Best Children's Books of the Year, 2015 Edition
Teachers' Choice 2015 Reading List
Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle (CLSC) 2015 Young Readers Selection

Donn Fendler's harrowing story of being lost in the Maine wilderness when he was just twelve, was made famous by the perennial best-seller, Lost on a Mountain in Maine. In Lost Trail, more than 70 years after the event, Donn tells the story of survival and rescue from his own perspective. Lost Trail is a masterfully illustrated graphic novel that tells the story of a twelve year old boyscout from a New York City suburb who climbs Maine, s mile-high Mt. Katahdin and in a sudden storm is separated from his friends and family. What follows is a nine-day adventure, in which Donn, lost and alone in the Maine wilderness with bugs, bears, and only a few berries to eat, struggles for survival.

The true story of the young immigrant who led the largest strike of women workers in U.S. history. This picture book biography about the plight of immigrants in America in the early 1900s and the timeless fight for equality and justice should not be missed.

When Clara arrived in America, she couldn't speak English. She didn't know that young women had to go to work, that they traded an education for long hours of labor, that she was expected to grow up fast.

But that didn't stop Clara. She went to night school, spent hours studying English, and helped support her family by sewing in a shirtwaist factory.

Clara never quit, and she never accepted that girls should be treated poorly and paid little. Fed up with the mistreatment of her fellow laborers, Clara led the largest walkout of women workers the country had seen.

From her short time in America, Clara learned that everyone deserved a fair chance. That you had to stand together and fight for what you wanted. And, most importantly, that you could do anything you put your mind to.

This picture book biography about Ukrainian immigrant Clara Lemlich tackles topics like activism and the U.S. garment industry. The art, by Caldecott Honor winner Melissa Sweet, beautifully incorporates stitching and fabric. A bibliography and an author's note on the garment industry are included.

2009 Caldecott Honor Book
An ALA Notable Book
A New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book
A Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book
NCTE Notable Children's Book

When he wrote poems, he felt as free as the Passaic River as it rushed to the falls. Willie's notebooks filled up, one after another. Willie's words gave him freedom and peace, but he also knew he needed to earn a living. So he went off to medical school and became a doctor -- one of the busiest men in town Yet he never stopped writing poetry. In this picture book biography of William Carlos Williams, Jen Bryant's engaging prose and Melissa Sweet's stunning mixed-media illustrations celebrate the amazing man who found a way to earn a living and to honor his calling to be a poet.

Bright, bold pictures incorporating clever wordplay accompany this highly original tale from Kate Banks and illustrator Boris Kulikov about a younger brother's ingenuity.

Max's brothers have grand collections that everyone makes a big fuss over. Benjamin collects stamps and Karl collects coins, and neither one will share with their little brother. So Max decides to start a collection of his own. He's going to collect words. He starts with small words that he cuts out of newspapers and magazines, but soon his collection has spilled out into the hall.

All the while, his brothers are watching. Benjamin brags that he has one thousand stamps. Karl is just a few coins short of five hundred. But a thousand stamps is really just a bunch of stamps, and a lot of coins is only a heap of money. A pile of words, however, can make a story.

Max's Words is a Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Times were tough in the small New England fishing village where Marcie lived. No one had any money, and work was hard to find. So the villagers rejoiced one glorious fall when an unexpected bounty of scallops filled their little bay. For young Marcie, a week of harvesting scallops also brought an unexpected adventure and a lesson about love that she would never forget. The Scallop Christmas, illustrated by rising star Astrid Sheckels, was the winner of the 2009 Maine Lupine Honor Award, given annually to a picture book of outstanding merit.

Balloons are bright and floaty and shiny and perfect.

More than anything else in the whole wide world, Isabel wants a balloon. Everyone will get one on Graduation Day--everyone except the porcupines, because Porcupines + Balloons = Trouble

But Isabel isn't going to settle for another boring bookmark. She has a plan. . . .

In Weaver Falls, New Hampshire, in 1975, seventeen-year-old Jocelyn looks for answers when her lifelong neighbor and friend, Gabe, turns up missing and she learns that, while her boyfriend has been telling everything to a priest, Gabe has been keeping terrible secrets.