Introverted party animal Snail is back in this delightfully hilarious SHHHelebration of homebodies

Snail is an epic explorer ... kind of. He loves the quiet things about adventures, like reading maps, hiking along slime trails, and collecting souvenirs. On big vacations, he finds the sights, sounds, and unfamiliar foods--like escargot!--way too overwhelming. In fact, his favorite part of a vacation is when he gets to return to his home SHHHweet home.

So, while his friends take a trip to the city, Snail and his buddy Stump decide to have an adventure in their own backyard--a staycation! The pair smell the silence, listen to the SHHH SHHH of the waterfall, and read their guidebooks with their indoor voices. Just when they start to wonder if they've run out of things to do, they notice something new: parachute seeds falling from the sky! The seeds have arrived for a vacation, and who better to show them around than Stump and Snail?

Snail's second adventure is just as witty and charming as his first, with laugh-out-loud moments and hidden puns on every page. Snail and Stump's staycation reveals the unexpected joys of staying home and promises that readers will find wonder around every corner, however close to home they may be.

The beloved duo returns in a third set of little stories with big themes about friendship, facing fear, sadness, and spontaneity

Otis and Peanut are back with more playful and profound stories in the third instalment of this critically acclaimed junior graphic novel series. Together, the iconic long-haired guinea pig and naked mole rat continue to navigate deep truths about life and human nature while letting their sweet and supportive friendship shine.

In The Trip, Peanut helps Otis overcome his fear of leaving home by practicing going somewhere without going anywhere. In The Stone, Otis begins to discover how time can help to smooth over sadness. And in The Visit, during a very short time with his sister Marion, Otis comes to realize the joys of losing the plan and embracing spontaneity.

Bold, comic artwork with contrasting hues and delightful detail brings the endearing characters to life in these stories that expertly tackle heavy themes of fear, grief, and anxiety with humor and a lighthearted touch.

An introverted snail throws his own kind of party to celebrate all things quiet

Snail is a party animal. Well...kind of. He loves the quiet things about parties: confetti, making new friends (using his indoor voice, of course), and the silence before everyone yells, SURPRISE! But when parties get loud, Snail retreats into his shell. He's still partying, but no one can tell he's having a good time while he's tucked inside. His friends don't understand why he doesn't love loud parties like they do, and soon Snail's party invites begin to dry up.

In response, Snail decides to plan his own quiet party, complete with warm milk and lullaby lip-syncing. But something is missing--does Snail long for the loud after all? That's when Stump, a fellow introvert, chimes in with an idea. Maybe Snail isn't missing the loud...maybe he's just missing a friend to share the quiet. Together, Stump and Snail turn the lullabies down low and celebrate the shush together.

With comics-style storytelling and lovable characters, this hilarious tale makes quiet so fun that even the most extroverted readers will want to SHHHelebrate!

The Frog and Toad-style duo returns in a new series of stories about celebrating loved ones, past and present

Otis and Peanut are back! Grounded in the tender, supportive friendship between a long-haired guinea pig and a naked mole rat, the second book in this junior graphic novel series explores themes of celebrating life's simple pleasures, grief, and making new memories with sensitivity, humor, and optimism.

The three stories in this book reveal how the pair feel the loss of Pearl, Peanut's sister and Otis's friend. In The Cake, Peanut bakes a sweet treat for Otis using Pearl's recipe and teaches him that there's always a good reason to eat cake--even if it's for no reason at all! In The Dream, Peanut is missing his sister, but finds a way to keep her memory close. And in The Collection, the two friends celebrate old memories, and make some new ones.

Author Naseem Hrab brings wit and lightness to challenging subject matter. The profound lessons she shares about missing someone you love while holding them in your heart will resonate with young readers. Poignant, funny, and sweeter than a slice of Pearl's Strawberry Layer Cake, Otis & Peanut Forever and Ever is a treat to be enjoyed at any time.

A quirky and iconic new series of stories about friendship and belonging, in the style of Frog and Toad

A long-haired guinea pig and a naked mole rat may seem like unlikely friends, but Otis and Peanut are a perfect pair!

In three stories told in graphic-novel form, Otis and Peanut explore themes of loss, fear of change, and cooperation, while demonstrating what it means to be a supportive and caring friend. In The Haircut, Otis worries about getting a haircut because he's afraid he'll look so different that he'll no longer be himself. In The Swing, Peanut helps Otis come to terms with missing a beloved friend. And in The House, Otis struggles to make his house a home but succeeds with Peanut's help.

Otis and Peanut are brought to life with delightful comic illustrations from Kelly Collier, and author Naseem Hrab's humor and sensitivity shines through in each tale of true friendship. The author-illustrator team of How to Party Like a Snail serves up laugh-out-loud moments, profound life lessons, and a new iconic literary duo that kids will love.

Ira's tummy hurts, his chin is wibbling, and his eyes are leaking. What's happening? Any efforts to cheer him up fall flat. When Malcolm finally returns and asks what's wrong, Ira tells him: I had all these feelings...and I didn't have you.

The second Ira Crumb book marks the return of an endearing character full of personality, humor, and heart. With lots of laughs and comics-style storytelling, it's a funny, touching look at how feelings can be confusing, and how processing emotions can take time--and a bit of help from a pretty good friend.

A little boy spends the weekend at his dad's new apartment in this picture book about how things change when parents separate -- and the important things that stay the same.

This home is home because my dad is here, and it's nothing like home because my mom isn't here, thinks the boy in this story when he enters his dad's new apartment for the first time. His dad moved out on Monday and now it's Friday night, the start of his weekend with his dad.

The boy and his dad follow their normal weekend routine -- they eat eggs for breakfast, play cards and spend time at the park. And then they do the same things on Sunday. It is hard to say goodbye at the end of the weekend, but Dad gives his son a letter to remind him that, even if they can't always be together, the boy is loved.

Naseem Hrab has written a poignant yet hopeful story, strikingly illustrated in Frank Viva's signature style, about what happens when parents separate, and the new reality of having two homes.

Key Text Features
author's note
writing inspiration

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.

A heartwarming look at love, loss, and memorable objects through the eyes of a child by critically-acclaimed creators Naseem Hrab and Nahid Kazemi

Deeply evocative ... A beautifully poignant celebration of memories of a loved one that live on in those that remain. -- Kirkus Reviews - STARRED REVIEW

After her grandfather's death, a young girl wanders through his house. As she tours each room, the objects she discovers stir memories of her grandfather--her baba bozorg. His closet full of clothes reminds her of the mints he kept in his pockets. His favorite teacup conjures thoughts of the fig cookies he would offer her. The curtains in the living room bring up memories of hide-and-seek games and the special relationship that she and her baba bozorg shared, even though they spoke different languages.

The Sour Cherry Tree is an authentic look at death and loss centred on the experiences of a child, both strikingly whimsical and matter-of-fact. Drawing on the Iranian-Canadian author's childhood memories, this tender meditation on grief, love, and memory is at once culturally specific and universally relatable.

Just as Ira decides school will be HORRIBLE, a comical misunderstanding connects him with Malcolm, who was the new kid last year and totally gets it -- and who, it turns out, will make a pretty good friend.

Full of comedic touches, comics-style storytelling, and a diverse cast of quirky characters, this hilarious debut picture book puts an endearing spin on the anxiety that accompanies change and making friends.

Snail and Stump return in this sweetly humorous story about finding the courage to share your feelings

Snail's not afraid of (certain) loud noises, exploring the glade, or lullaby karaoke. But he is afraid of asking for help, making mistakes, and believing in himself. And so, it's only with support from his best friend Stump that he finds the courage to enter a local paper airplane contest.

However, after the contest, it's Stump who needs support when he becomes heated and upset after not winning a ribbon. Fortunately, Snail knows just what to do to help Stump work through his difficult feelings. Together, they find the courage to tell each other exactly how they feel--prickly thoughts and all!--and then they write their feelings down on paper airplanes and let them go.

In their third laugh-out-loud adventure, Snail and Stump discover that the best kind of brave is finding the courage to share your feelings, even when your bravery is playing hide-and-seek.