Award-winning author and illustrator Ashley Spires has created a charming picture book about an unnamed girl and her very best friend, who happens to be a dog. The girl has a wonderful idea. She is going to make the most MAGNIFICENT thing! She knows just how it will look. She knows just how it will work. All she has to do is make it, and she makes things all the time. Easy-peasy! But making her magnificent thing is anything but easy, and the girl tries and fails, repeatedly. Eventually, the girl gets really, really mad. She is so mad, in fact, that she quits. But after her dog convinces her to take a walk, she comes back to her project with renewed enthusiasm and manages to get it just right.

For the early grades' exploration of character education, this funny book offers a perfect example of the rewards of perseverance and creativity. The girl's frustration and anger are vividly depicted in the detailed art, and the story offers good options for dealing honestly with these feelings, while at the same time reassuring children that it's okay to make mistakes. The clever use of verbs in groups of threes is both fun and functional, offering opportunities for wonderful vocabulary enrichment. The girl doesn't just make her magnificent thing --- she tinkers and hammers and measures, she smoothes and wrenches and fiddles, she twists and tweaks and fastens. These precise action words are likely to fire up the imaginations of youngsters eager to create their own inventions and is a great tie-in to learning about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

New for fans of the runaway bestseller The Most Magnificent Thing, a story about the ups and downs of working with others.

A girl and her dog are ready to make something. She gathers her supplies, and they head to her favorite workspace - only to discover that her neighbor, along with her cat, got there first! Hmm, well, maybe they could make something together? Magnificent idea! So the girl starts cutting, hammering and gluing, while her neighbor considers, measures and calculates. Her neighbor believes in always measuring twice and cutting once, but the girl thinks that takes way too long. Tensions start to rise as it becomes clear they have very different styles of working. And even different ideas about exactly what they're making! Can they ever work things out as a team?

Blending humor with empathy to strike just the right note, Ashley Spires perfectly captures the emotional ups and downs of working with others in this celebration of collaboration in the creative process. As the girl perseveres through technical and emotional challenges, she learns that mistakes don't mean failure and setbacks are just part of the route to success. This amusing and inspiring picture book is part of the Most Magnificent franchise that includes books, a TV series and an award-winning short film. The series is a favorite among educators because of its growth mindset focus, and this title highlights another important theme in the classroom: teamwork.

Lou and her friends are BRAVE adventurers. They run FASTER than airplanes. They build MIGHTY fortresses. They rescue WILD animals. But one day, when they're looking for a ship to play pirates in, Lou's friend has an idea: Up there! The tree can be our ship! Ummm ... says Lou. This is something new. Lou has never climbed a tree before, and she's sure she can't do it. So she tries to convince her friends to play a not-up-a-tree game. When that doesn't work, she comes up with reasons for not joining them -- her arm is sore, her cat needs a walk, you shouldn't climb so soon after eating. Finally, she tells herself she doesn't want to climb the tree. But is that true, or is this brave adventurer just too afraid to try?

This delightful picture book from Ashley Spires, bestselling author of The Most Magnificent Thing, perfectly depicts what children go through when confronted with something difficult. With humor and endearing artwork, Spires sensitively portrays Lou procrastinating, making excuses, imagining alternatives and denying she cares. Ultimately, Lou faces her fear, and although she fails, the effort empowers her, encouraging a growth mindset. All the while, Lou's friends model compassionate friendship by offering to teach her how to climb and then moving the game. This book makes a perfect choice for a character education discussion about courage or resilience, or a life-skills lesson on facing challenges. The story also promotes the joy of imaginative play in the outdoors.

Lou and her friends are BRAVE adventurers. They run FASTER than airplanes. They build MIGHTY fortresses. They rescue WILD animals. But one day, when they're looking for a ship to play pirates in, Lou's friend has an idea: Up there! The tree can be our ship! Ummm ... says Lou. This is something new. Lou has never climbed a tree before, and she's sure she can't do it. So she tries to convince her friends to play a not-up-a-tree game. When that doesn't work, she comes up with reasons for not joining them - her arm is sore, her cat needs a walk, you shouldn't climb so soon after eating. Finally, she tells herself she doesn't want to climb the tree. But is that true, or is this brave adventurer just too afraid to try?




This delightful picture book from Ashley Spires, bestselling author of The Most Magnificent Thing, perfectly depicts what children go through when confronted with something difficult. With humor and endearing artwork, Spires sensitively portrays Lou procrastinating, making excuses, imagining alternatives and denying she cares. Ultimately, Lou faces her fear, and although she fails, the effort empowers her, encouraging a growth mindset. All the while, Lou's friends model compassionate friendship by offering to teach her how to climb and then moving the game. This book makes a perfect choice for a character education discussion about courage or resilience, or a life-skills lesson on facing challenges. The story also promotes the joy of imaginative play in the outdoors.

The long-awaited sequel to the runaway bestseller The Most Magnificent Thing that readers have been clamoring for!

The girl in this story, with her dog at her side, loves to make things. Her brain, she says, is an idea machine, so full of ideas that she can hardly keep up. But then one day ... it isn't. All of a sudden, the girl can't come up with a single idea for what to make. She tries everything: brainstorming, gathering new supplies, even jumping up and down on one foot to shake an idea loose. But, nothing. The girl realizes, with no ideas taking up space in her brain, it's filling with sad instead. What if she never has another idea again?

Award-winning and bestselling author-illustrator Ashley Spires ingeniously captures the ups and downs of the creative process in this delightful picture book starring the beloved characters from The Most Magnificent Thing. With her signature wit and dry humor, Spires keeps the entertainment level high for readers, who will be rooting for their heroine to get her mojo back. The detailed and expressive artwork humorously captures the emotional arc of the girl's process. This book offers a terrific character education lesson in patience and perseverance. It will provide inspiration to makers and visionary creators everywhere, encouraging them to believe that an idea is sure to come if they just give it the opportunity -- and if it comes from the heart. The Most Magnificent Thing inspired an award-winning animated short film in 2019.

Holy fuzzbutt! A new Ashley Spires picture book series, based on the animated TV show Agent Binky: Pets of the Universe.

Binky the space cat is on duty, keeping watch for any aliens (bugs) attempting to breach his space station (house). Wait, there's one (caterpillar) on the windowsill! Hmm, false alarm. It's moving too slowly to be a threat. Except, over the next few days, it gets bigger. And bigger. Then, it builds itself a spaceship (cocoon) and emerges as a colorful flitting alien (butterfly) that - oh, no! - flies directly into the space station! It's time for Binky and his crew (other pets) to contact P.U.R.S.T. (Pets of the Universe Ready for Space Travel) headquarters.

Just like the original early graphic novel series, this TV tie-in series is full of high-camp drama, silly wordplay and delightful physical comedy. Bye Bye, Butterfly is perfect for fans who can't get enough of Binky and his pals!

Holy fuzzbutt! A new Ashley Spires picture book series, based on the animated TV show Agent Binky: Pets of the Universe.

When Agent Binky (the space cat) accidentally falls through a screen while he's chasing an alien (fruit fly) that got inside his space station (house), he and his beloved stuffed mouse, Ted, are catapulted into outer space (outside), and Ted lands right near an alien spaceship (wasp nest)! Though Binky is brought back inside, Ted is left behind -- in enemy territory! Knowing he must act quickly, Binky turns to P.U.R.S.T. (Pets of the Universe Ready for Space Travel) for assistance. But will they be able to rescue Ted in time?

Binky and his friends are in top (or, rather, over-the-top!) in this hilarious adventure based on the animated TV series Agent Binky: Pets of the Universe and the original Binky Adventure graphic novel series by award-winning, bestselling creator Ashley Spires.

This latest addition to The Most Magnificent series highlights all the words little makers need to know.

In this delightful twist on a vocabulary book, the beloved characters from The Most Magnificent Thing walk with readers from A to Z, defining all the words they need to know about making. It perfectly captures the ups (I is for IDEA. A gift from the imagination that wants to be made) and the downs (P is for PATIENCE. Most things don't work the first time ... or the third time ... or even the twelfth time) all makers face and includes kid-perfect explanations of key concepts (B is for BRAINSTORM. When ideas of all shapes and sizes rain onto the page). It's a fun and clever alphabet journey, sure to inspire magnificent making of every kind!

Fans of the first two Most Magnificent books will be thrilled to discover the wit and wisdom their favorite girl and her dog have to offer in this new title. Bestselling and award-winning author-illustrator Ashley Spires brings her one-of-a-kind humor, empathy and keen understanding of human nature to this informational picture book, providing children with vocabulary to help them navigate the creative process. It's an excellent motivational tool that showcases a growth mindset; the importance of imagining, innovating and making mistakes; and the character traits of perseverance and resilience. The first book in the series was adapted into an award-winning animated short film in 2019, and Millie Magnificent, an animated TV series based on the books, is currently in production for 2024.

Everyone's favorite june beetle learns about the many different places insects call home, in this charming graphic novel from Ashley Spires.

Burt the Beetle wants to find the perfect home to settle down in. But what might that look like for a june beetle? He's impressed as he checks out the amazing homes his insect friends have built for themselves -- the chrysalis of a monarch caterpillar, the underground tunnels of the yellow meadow ants, the wax hive of the bees. Only none of these wonderful homes seem to quite suit Burt's size, his building skills -- or his sticky legs! Burt is starting to get discouraged. But then a rainstorm sends him scurrying for cover under a leaf. And Burt finally begins to understand what home feels like for him!

Bestselling author and illustrator Ashley Spires brings her beloved wit and wisdom to this playful graphic novel that celebrates the true meaning of home -- and the amazing world of insect life! With its engaging blend of fact and fiction, offered up with loads of hilarity, it's sure to keep readers laughing and learning. Burt is a sweet, endearing character whose kindness and unrelentingly positive attitude provide character education lessons on initiative, resilience and perseverance. Part of the Burt the Beetle series, this book is a perfect pick for emerging readers and young fans of comics. It's also a terrific, easy-to-digest resource for life science lessons on insects and their habitats and homes.

Ashley Spires brings her signature deadpan humor to this hilarious story about one bug's quest for greatness (with some cool insect facts mixed in!).

Meet Burt, a ten-lined june beetle. He's sure he belongs in the category of bugs with superpower-like abilities. No, he can't carry 50 times his weight, like ants. No, he's not able to spray paralyzing venom, like some termites. No, he can't release a bad smell to repel predators, like stink bugs. What june beetles are known for is chasing porch lights and flailing their legs in the air -- does that count? Hmm ... Maybe Burt will just have to accept the truth. June beetles don't have any special abilities. But when some other bugs find themselves in perilous trouble that even their superpowers can't get them out of, Burt suddenly realizes there is one thing that he can do to save his friends -- and it's something that only a june beetle can do!

Bestselling author-illustrator Ashley Spires's signature mix of slapstick and dry humor is front and center in this winning story that highlights how being special is as much about character as it is about abilities. Full of simply drawn panels prominently featuring the ever-plucky Burt, it's a perfect pick for emerging readers and young fans of comics. Burt's positive attitude toward himself and others offers many opportunities for character education lessons on caring, positive thinking and initiative. Snuck into the pages are facts about bugs and their traits, making this a fun choice for a science unit on the characteristics of living things.

Binky is a space cat - at least in his own mind. He's really a house cat who has never left the family space station. Unlike other house cats, Binky has a mission: to blast off into outer space (outside), explore unknown places (the backyard) and battle aliens (bugs). Binky must undergo rigorous training so he can repel the alien attacks that threaten his humans. As he builds his spaceship, he must be extremely careful with his blueprints - the enemy is always watching.

Soon Binky is ready to voyage into outer space. His humans go out there every day and he's sure they need a certified space cat to protect them. But just as he's about to blast off with his co-pilot, Ted (stuffed mousie), Binky realizes that he's left something very important behind ... and it's not the zero-gravity kitty litter. In the first book in the Binky Adventure series, graphic-novel readers will delight in watching where this lovable and quirky cat's imagination takes him.

La idea más maravillosa es un cuento infantil que trata sobre la creatividad y los pasos del proceso creativo. Una historia que motivará a niños y niñas a no desanimarse, a cambiar su perspectiva y a probar de nuevo.

Un día, una niña amanece con una magnífica idea en su cabeza. Con la ayuda de su perro y asistente decide dedicarse a construirla.

Sabe cómo será. Sabe cómo funcionará. Y piensa que será muy fácil crearla.

Pero cuando se pone manos a la obra, se da cuenta de que es una tarea más difícil de lo que ella pensaba... Trabaja, trabaja y trabaja, pero no consigue que funcione!

Pero entonces su ayudante logra convencerla de que se tome un descanso, para regresar a su proyecto más tarde con entusiasmo renovado, y volverlo a intentar.

Será suficiente para conseguir construir el invento más maravilloso jamás visto?

ENGLISH DESCRIPTION

Award-winning author and illustrator Ashley Spires has created a charming picture book about an unnamed girl and her very best friend, who happens to be a dog.

The girl has a wonderful idea. She is going to make the most MAGNIFICENT thing! She knows just how it will look. She knows just how it will work. All she has to do is make it, and she makes things all the time. Easy-peasy! But making her magnificent thing is anything but easy, and the girl tries and fails, repeatedly. Eventually, the girl gets really, really mad. She is so mad, in fact, that she quits.

But after her dog convinces her to take a walk, she comes back to her project with renewed enthusiasm and manages to get it just right.

For the early grades' exploration of character education, this funny book offers a perfect example of the rewards of perseverance and creativity. The girl's frustration and anger are vividly depicted in the detailed art, and the story offers good options for dealing honestly with these feelings, while at the same time reassuring children that it's okay to make mistakes.

From the creator of the Most Magnificent Thing and the Binky Adventures Series, a hilarious story about an unconventional little pirate.

Ahoy there! Will this sweet little pirate find his place aboard The Rusty Squid or will he be forced to walk the plank?

When Small Saul joins the crew of The Rusty Squid, it doesn't take long for the other pirates to notice something is very different about this tiny fellow. He was born to sing sea shanties, bake pineapple upside down cakes and redecorate, not to hold a sword and plunder. Being rough and tough just isn't in his nature.

Small Saul learned at Pirate College that pirates only care about three things: their ship, being tough and lots and lots of treasure. Can Small Saul show these ruffians that despite his gentle spirit, he's worth his weight in gold? With treasure chests of laughs, Small Saul's high-seas adventure is a light-hearted celebration of individuality, perseverance and being true to one's self.

In Binky's third adventure, our intrepid, sometimes accident-prone hero is shaken out of his routine when he's forced to contend with Gracie, a dainty striped foster kitty who comes to live at Binky's space station (aka his home at 42 Sentinel Parkway). Binky instantly resents the new arrival, whose cute face and perfect manners are downright annoying. Indeed, Gracie seems too perfect. So Binky decides to do some undercover investigating and discovers a shocking truth about the family guest. Soon Binky is thrust full-throttle into a situation that puts all his Space Cat skills to the ultimate test!

Binky the Space Cat, star of this junior graphic novel series, has been assigned an important mission: to train a new space cadet recruit. But when the youngster named Gordon shows up at Binky's house, he's not the kitten Binky expected. In fact, he's not a kitten at all. He's a dog! Because of a new diversity program, dogs are now allowed into P.U.R.S.T. --- Pets of the Universe Ready for Space Travel (formerly Felines of the Universe Ready for Space Travel). Ever dutiful, Binky and his colleague Gracie give it their best effort to train him, but Gordon just seems too simpleminded to be up to the task. It's not until they've nearly given up in exasperation that the two cats learn the surprising truth about Gordon --- he's not the dimwitted dog they thought he was!
Author-illustrator Ashley Spires has created a hilarious premise for this unique series. The artwork, with its limited palette of soft neutral colors, keeps the focus on the animals' antics. The dialogue is mainly in cat- or dog-speak (roooph!), but Spires also includes many other sound effects (including pssssssss for peeing and poot for gas passing). This book is clever and funny, with lots of action, melodrama and laugh-out-loud physical comedy, making it enormously appealing to emerging readers. In addition, the inclusion of the topic of diversity here provides an opportunity for classroom discussions about differences and our expectations about others. The book also speaks to the character education concepts of initiative, responsibility and teamwork.

Discover the magic of STEM in this fairy-filled picture book from the award-winning author-illustrator of The Most Magnificent Thing!

All the fairies in Pixieville believe in magic...except Esther. She believes in science.

When a forest tree stops growing, all the fairies are stumped including Esther. But not for long! Esther knows that science can get to the root of the problem--and its solution!

Whether you believe in fairy magic or the power of science, you will be charmed by Esther, the budding fairy scientist.

An enchanting STEM-and-fairy-filled picture book from the award-winning author-illustrator of The Most Magnificent Thing!

All the fairies in Pixieville believe in magic--except Esther. She believes in science.

When a forest tree stops growing, all the fairies are stumped--including Esther. But not for long! Esther knows that science can get to the root of the problem--and its solution!

Whether you believe in fairy magic or the power of science, you will be charmed by Esther, the budding fairy scientist.

Binky the Space Cat along with fellow space pets Gordie and Gracie have been left at the pet hotel while their humans go on vacation. Only it's not a hotel at all -- it's the vet! No way are they staying, Binky thinks. They are an elite space team. There is no chance that a 'pet hotel' will contain the likes of them. So the trio hatch a plan to escape through the building's vents. But along the way, their mission takes a precarious turn when they stumble upon the secret lab of the notorious Professor Tuffy in the vet's basement. A former space pet, Tuffy switched allegiances years ago to work with the aliens. Since then, she's been perfecting the ultimate anti-human weapon, and it's finally complete! Does the team have what it takes to thwart the evil fugitive before she unleashes her ingenious creation on the world?

This is the final book in the popular graphic novel adventure series starring the irresistible Binky, beloved for his deadpan humor and unwavering dedication to the cause. With high drama, unexpected twists and loads of physical comedy -- punctuated with comical animal sound effects throughout -- bestselling author and illustrator Ashley Spires's series provides hilarious, page-turning fun. It's perfect for beginning readers who are looking for lively stories without too much text. The mission-oriented perspective of the team also lends this title to character education lessons on courage, initiative and teamwork.

While in hot pursuit of an alien invader (a bug), Binky accidentally falls out the space station porthole (bathroom window) and finds himself in outer space (outside) for the very first time. But just as Binky begins to explore, he discovers that his copilot, Ted (stuffed mousie), is trapped beneath an enemy warship (wasps' nest)! Binky must rescue Ted from the clutches of these evil aliens. Will he be able to save his best friend? Can Ted survive his ordeal? Does Binky still suffer from space gas? This book will delight graphic novel readers of all ages.

Debate. French film club. Bagpipes. Can Andrew do it all? From the award-winning creator of The Most Magnificent Thing comes a book about an charming chickadee who learns - with the help of a deer friend - that busy isn't always better.

Andrew loves putting on plays so he decides to join the drama club at school. Determined to make his performance the best it can be, he joins the debate club to practice his public speaking. He signs up for dance and karate to help with his coordination. Then he's asked to play for the tennis team and edit the school newspaper. Before long he's learning to play the bagpipes, attending Spanish classes and joining the French film club. Suddenly Andrew doesn't have time for anything or anyone else, not even his best friend Edie. And he definitely doesn't have time to sleep. Will Andrew figure out how to balance all his favorite activities and his best friend at the same time? A hilarious look at over-scheduling, a common issue many kids today face.