Patrick McDonnell--bestselling author-artist and creator of the beloved MUTTS comic strip--shares the inspiring story of young Jane Goodall, the legendary and inspiring conservationist featured in the hit documentary film Jane.

★ This remarkable picture book is one of the few that speaks, in a meaningful way, to all ages.​ --Booklist, starred review

In his characteristic heartwarming style, Patrick McDonnell tells the story of the young Jane Goodall and her special childhood toy chimpanzee named Jubilee. As the young Jane observes the natural world around her with wonder, she dreams of a life living with and helping all animals, until one day she finds that her dream has come true. With anecdotes from Jane Goodall's autobiography, McDonnell makes this very true story accessible for the very young--and young at heart.

One of the world's most inspiring women, Dr. Jane Goodall is a renowned humanitarian, conservationist, animal activist, environmentalist, and United Nations Messenger of Peace. In 1977 she founded the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), a global nonprofit organization that empowers people to make a difference for all living things.

Don't miss these other picture books by Patrick McDonnell:
Me...Jane
The Gift of Nothing
The Gift of Everything
Art
Hug Time
Tek
The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC's (the Hard Way)
A Perfectly Messed-Up Story
The Monsters' Monster

Starry, starry night

Paint your palette blue and gray

Look out on a summer's day

With eyes that know the darkness in my soul.

(Don McLean, Vincent)

This book borrows from my song Vincent. At the time I was reading a book about the Dutch painter and was moved to compose a song that paid homage to the artist, his work, and his pain. But really, Judith Proffer hardly needed my song's inspiration since she has a beautiful imagination. We know Vincent's life didn't have a happy ending, but by honoring his illness we take a once cloistered conversation and bring it to the forefront. - Don McLean

A long, long time ago lived a shy and fairly quiet boy named Vincent.

Vincent saw things differently than other children. Where other children experienced light and joy, Vincent lived in shadows and a gloomy darkness. He was drawn to the beauty of the world that surrounded him, but Vincent struggled to recognize the beauty within himself. And so he made colorful drawings on his sketchpad to chase away the greyest of feelings. As he grew older and his sorrow deepened, Vincent turned to bold canvases, capturing the swirl of emotions with his mighty brushstrokes.

Lushly illustrated in the spirit of some of Van Gogh's greatest works, Vincent gently fosters empathy and understanding, painting a vivid and tender picture of sadness and strife to inspire compassion and kindness within the hearts of children of all ages.

Both accessible and hopeful, Vincent encourages readers to nurture their own creativity and tend to their own twirl of feelings, and also sparks conversation to understand that it's okay to seek help when faced with challenges - all while honoring Van Gogh's enduring legacy.

Don McLean's song Vincent poignantly reflects the profound melancholy of Vincent van Gogh, whose life was marked by intense emotional struggles. As the second single released from McLean's American Pie album, Vincent reached number one in the UK and was a top 20 hit in the US in 1972. It remains McLean's second most popular song after American Pie. It's been recorded by Josh Groban, Ellie Goulding, Julio Iglesias, and Jane Olivor.

Judith A. Proffer is the author of Patsy Cline's Walkin' After Midnight, Broadway Baby, Bondi & Poppy Help Heal the Planet (Moonbeam Spirit Award Recipient for Preservation and Stewardship) and When We Stayed Home.

Yoko Matsuoka is a professional fantasy artist living in northern Japan.

From Meteor 17 Books, publisher of Graham Nash's Our House, Broadway Baby, Heart's Dog & Butterfly, and Brandi Carlile's

In 1945 the war ended. The Germans surrendered, and the ghetto was liberated. Out of over a quarter of a million people, about 800 walked out of the ghetto. Of those who survived, only twelve were children. I was one of the twelve. For more than fifty years after the war, Syvia, like many Holocaust survivors, did not talk about her experiences in the Lodz ghetto in Poland. She buried her past in order to move forward. But finally she decided it was time to share her story, and so she told it to her niece, who has re-told it here using free verse inspired by her aunt. This is the true story of Syvia Perlmutter--a story of courage, heartbreak, and finally survival despite the terrible circumstances in which she grew up. A timeline, historical notes, and an author's note are included.

Many years ago, the four motherless children of the Brontë family -- Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne -- lived in a windswept house by the moors with their father. Although their lives were often filled with sadness and their world was only as large as the distance they could walk, their INNER worlds were bound only by their imaginations. Hungry for stories, these children devoured novels and poetry, history and fables. And with the gift of a group of toy soldiers, they were inspired to make their own stories, and their own tiny books . . . a passion that would last them a lifetime.

A moving and atmospheric story about the power of imagination, the joy of storytelling and the love of books, The Little Books of the Little Brontës will enchant both those who love these literary sisters and those who are learning about them for the first time. Includes an author's note, timeline of the Brontës' lives and a fun craft with instructions on creating your own little book.

This historical novel for young people is about the heroic life of Father Willie Doyle, S.J., an Irish Jesuit priest who sacrificed his life serving wounded soldiers in World War I.

Father Doyle enjoyed a happy, privileged Victorian childhood in Ireland. Growing up in a loving, faithful Catholic family, he heard the call to serve God as a priest from a very young age. Shortly after his ordination, the First World War broke out, and Father Willie volunteered to serve as a chaplain to the thousands of Irish soldiers fighting in France.

This joyful, holy, brave, and compassionate priest left the country he loved and ministered to soldiers in the hell of the trenches, dodging bullets and bombs to ensure that dying soldiers could receive the sacraments. By the time he was killed trying to help a wounded soldier, Father Willie had become greatly loved and esteemed by both Catholics and Protestants fighting in the war.

The cause for the canonization of Father Willie Doyle has recently been opened in Rome.

I had freckles.

I had sandy hair. I was too short.

Would my feet even touch the ground if I sat on the throne?

These are the words of lady Jane Grey, as imagined by celebrated author Ann Rinaldi. Jane would become Queen of England for only nine days before being beheaded at the age of sixteen.

Here is a breathtaking story of English royalty with its pageantry, privilege, and surprising cruelty. As she did in her previous novel Mutiny's Daughter, Ms. Rinaldi uses powerful, evocative writing to bring to life a teenage girl caught in the grip of stirring times.

Ages 12+

George Sand was the most popular novelist of the mid-19th century, and the pen name of Amandine Aurore Dupin. Sand wasn't looking for scandal or subterfuge by using a pseudonym, but for freedom to live and to write, which she found by dressing as a man, writing under a man's name, and loving who and how she chose. Her actions were an affront to the prejudices of the 19th century and a formidable lesson in courage.

Young Aurore grew up torn between two women and two worlds: the conventional and narrow bourgeoisie of her paternal grandmother, who raised her in the countryside, and the modest, Parisian environment of her whimsical mother. Refusing to become the stereotype of femininity, she dreams of another world, where she can breathe, uncorseted, away from the strictures of social expectation. She ignores the slander and rumors that follow her, and builds a free woman's life, deeply respected by friends and contemporaries like Victor Hugo, Honore de Balzac, Gustave Flaubert and many others. Using her fame as a writer, she fights for women's and workers' rights. She is the model of an emancipated woman.

How many different ways can you say, I love you?

Rosie loves spending time at her grandmother's house. They cook, sew, and read together, but best of all, Oma tells Rosie stories about her childhood. Even though they are generations apart, Rosie and Oma are not so different at all. And Rosie discovers that every interaction is another opportunity to say I love you.

Join Rosie as she learns about love, tradition, history, and the importance of connection.

One afternoon, Jonathan Harker Weeks didn't feel like practicing the piano. So his grandfather decided to tell him a story to show how much of an impact music can have. When he was a child growing up poor in Ireland, his mother made sure he learned to play the fiddle, despite their challenges.

After his mother passed away and he was on his own, Jonathan's grandfather fell asleep hiding in a mail sack and was taken to a ship. When he woke up, he realized he was on the Titanic on its maiden voyage, and it was there that he met Wallace Hartley and Mrs. Weeks, a kind man and woman who took him in. Then one night, the majestic ship hit an iceberg. He and Mrs. Weeks were put on a lifeboat--and Mr. Hartley and his band bravely continued to play to calm the crew and passengers.

The story of Wallace Hartley is true and he is known throughout the world as a hero. The New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of The Keeping Quilt Patricia Polacco offers this stunning and heartbreaking picture book to celebrate the memory and bravery of a single man who used the power of music to comfort thousands of people during a catastrophic situation.

What if you wrote a story about a detective, and he became the most famous detective ever? Wouldn't that be wonderful? Or . . . would it? Arthur has always loved stories. Even as he grew up poor, endured hardships at school and experienced danger on the high seas, Arthur was always thrilled and inspired by stories. Eventually, he writes his own, and after many years of struggle as a writer, he finally finds success with a series of mystery stories starring his genius detective, Sherlock Holmes. But is it possible for a character to become too successful? Too popular? And if that happens to Arthur, will he really throw his greatest literary creation . . . over a cliff?!

From the author of Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein comes a riveting and humorous picture book about the incredible life of Arthur Conan Doyle: doctor, adventurer, tireless campaigner for justice . . . and creator of the world's most famous detective!

Discover the unexpected beginnings of author Robert Louis Stevenson in this story about following your dreams.

Inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson's letters and life, this book imagines the author as a child with dreams of becoming a writer. As he and his father visit one of the many lighthouses along the Scottish coast that were built by their family, young Louis begins composing a story in his head--one with storms, shipwrecks, and pirates--that will one day be published as Treasure Island.

The midwife ushered Parisio into the bedchamber. Her tear-stained face told him that something was not right. When the midwife slowly pulled back the blanket, Parisio gasped.
It's a girl, my Lord, the midwife whispered.
It is a monster Emilia sobbed.

Little Margaret is the true story of Margaret's short life (1287-1320). She was born disfigured, blind, lame, and a dwarf. You will cheer for her as she first overcomes imprisonment and then abandonment by her family. She learned about God's love for her from the castle priest. God used a girl others labeled as crippled to become as an angel to the sick, imprisoned, and dying.

It's no wonder Margaret was beatified by the Church

Jennifer Uman and Valerio Vidali discovered a mutual interest in this story and overcame language obstacles with the help of translators. Jemmy Button, a native of Tierra del Fuego, was brought to England in the mid-1800s to be educated and civilized. The book illustrates Jemmy's adventures in England, his extraordinary encounters, his homesickness and experiences as an outsider in a strange land, and his return home.

Once she was a traveling player . . . Now called La Jardinière, a resourceful and clever jester to the queen's court, Nicola was a most unlikely person to end up fool and friend to Mary, Queen of Scots. But Nicola isn't an ordinary comedian tumbling and clowning before the court; her quick wit and sharp tongue are rare amongst the fawning nobles. As fate takes Mary from France to Scotland, and into confrontations with rebellious lords and devious advisors, Nicola remains deep in the queen's inner circle. But when the Scots start to turn on Queen Mary, Nicola struggles to find something--anything--that she, just a fool, can do to save her friend.

Based deeply in fact and full of detail both luscious and sordid. . . . [Yolen and Harris] spin a historical tale of great immediacy and impact.--Kirkus Reviews

This rich and involving novel of Mary Queen of Scots and her court will have readers clamoring to know more about this dramatic period in French and Scottish history. Readers are treated to a fascinating look at royal politics.--School Library Journal