Synopses & Reviews
In 1983, beloved Caldecott-winning illustrator, Chris Van Allsburg, first invited readers to peer over the edge of a cliff to consider the wreck of a small sailboat. Had a churning sea carried the Zephyr up in a storm? Could waves ever have been so impossibly high? And what of the boy who had believedand#8212;dared to chase the windand#8212;no matter where it lead? Now, thirty years later, the winds have shifted once again and youand#8217;re invited back to the wreck of the Zephyr, to hear the story of the boy and his obsession to become the worldand#8217;s greatest sailor, and a storm that carried them to a place where boats sail on the wind, instead of on the water. Told in spare text and haunting, full-color pastels, Chris Van Allsburgand#8217;s spectral sailboats once again take impossbile flight. In illustrations so vivid one can feel the whisper of wind and hear the flutter of canvas, depart this world for another to entertain the marvelous possibility of dreams. This 30th anniversaryand#160;giftand#160;edition includes a bonus digital audio file to download, read by Chris Van Allsburg, and aand#160;stunning new jacket!
Review
"The full-color pastel drawings are the work of a master: stunning, luminescent, and conveying a sense of the mystical and magical." Publishers Weekly
Review
"The immigrant experience has rarely been so poignantly evoked as it is in this direct, lyrical narrative that is able to stir emotions through the sheer simplicity of its telling." Horn Book, Starred
Library Media Connection
Review
"Van Allsburg reaches a new pinnacle of excellence in both illustration and storytelling . . . His fable builds to an urgent plea for action as it sends a rousing message of hope."and#8212;Publishers Weekly
Review
"This is fun both in its text and gray crayon drawings. Mike Mulligan remains faithful to his steam shovel Mary Anne, against the threat of the new gas and diesel-engine contraptions, and digs his way to a surprising and happy ending." The New Yorker
Review
"It is difficult to believe that this very modern feminist tale was originally written in 1939. A gem of a fantasy in which kindness and cleverness win out over size and brawn."--Learning Magazine
Synopsis
Translated into more than sixty languages, this classic tale of a peaceable bull has been a favorite of readers across the world for generations. To celebrate Ferdinand's seventy-fifth anniversary, Viking is issuing his story in a handsome slipcased edition. Perfect for those who love Ferdinand, and for those who have yet to meet him.
Synopsis
A true classic with a timeless message, The Story of Ferdinand has enchanted readers since it was first published in 1936. All the other bulls would run and jump and butt their heads together. But Ferdinand would rather sit and smell the flowers. So what will happen when our pacifist hero is picked for the bullfights in Madrid? This new edition contains the complete original text of the story and the original illustrations with watercolor tones added.
Synopsis
A 30th anniversaryand#160;giftand#160;editionand#160;to celebrate the majesty and mystery of The Wreck of the Zephyr that includes a bonus digital audio file to download, read by Chris Van Allsburg.
Synopsis
In this special anniversary edition with a new introduction and downloadable audio of his Caldecott-winning classic, Allen Say gives us a poignant acount of a family's unique cross-cultural experience in America and Japan. He warmly conveys his own love for his two countries, and the strong and constant desire to be in both places at once.
Synopsis
When he was a young man, Allen Sayand#8217;s grandfather left his home in Japan to explore the world. He began his journey by crossing the Pacific Ocean on a steamship, then wandered the deserts, farmlands, and cities of North America. Allen Say lovingly tells the story of his own familyand#8217;s cross-cultural history in elegant watercolor paintings that earned him a Caldecott Medal in 1994. This twentieth-anniversary gift edition of the modern classic features downloadable audio and a new introduction by Allen Say.
Synopsis
A true classic with a timeless message, The Story of Ferdinand has enchanted readers since it was first published in 1936. All the other bulls would run and jump and butt their heads together. But Ferdinand would rather sit and smell the flowers. And he does just that, until the day a bumblebee and some men from the Madrid bullfights give gentle Ferdinand a chance to be the most ferocious star of the corridaand the most unexpected comic hero. This cherished hardcover is perfect for those who love Ferdinand, and those who have yet to meet him.
Synopsis
This 25th anniversary edition celebrates two-time Caldecott-winning Chris Van Allsburg's eco-friendly, timeless picture bookand#160;Justand#160;aand#160;Dream: a fantastic journey to the futureand#160;that teaches one boy the importance of being good to his planet in the present. Thisand#160;timely environmentaland#160;storyand#160;includes a bonus digital audio file to download, read by theand#160;author himself.
Synopsis
In this 25th anniversary edition of Just a Dream, travel with youngand#160;Walter on a fantastical adventure as he travelsandmdash;by way of hisand#160;bedandmdash;into a polluted dreamscape world that wakes him up to a more eco-friendly way to live. Chris Van Allsburgand#39;sand#160;pitch-perfect narrative, paired with his full-color pasteland#160;illustrations, renders this picture book a story that has stood the test of time.and#160;This anniversary edition includes bonus downloadable audio, read by Chris Van Allsburg and a stunning new jacket!
Synopsis
From Caldecott-winner Virginia Lee Burton, a 75th anniversary edition with bonus downloadable audio read by Tony Award winner Matthew Broderick to celebrateand#160;this timelessand#160;picture book tale of transportation and cooperation.
Synopsis
Mike and his trusty steam shovel, Mary Anne, dig deep canals for boats to travel through, cut mountain passes for trains, and hollow out cellars for city skyscrapers. When Mary Anne is destinedand#160;for the scrap heap, the duo must dig their way out of troubleand#160;in thisand#160;timeless tale ofand#160;friendship, old-fashioned hard work, and ingenuity. Includes bonus audio download performed by theand#160;Tony Award winner Matthew Broderick.
Synopsis
Seventy-five years ago, a spirited little red-headed girl stepped out of the pages of a book and into the hearts of readers. Madeline may have been the smallest of the twelve little girls who always walked in two straight lines, but she was the bravestto the tiger in the zoo, Madeline just said poo poo”.
Madeline went on to inspire eight sequels, as well as television and movies, dolls and teasets and games. She is loved by millions of readers all over the world.
To commemorate this anniversary, this lavish slipcased edition of the original Madline book includes a full-color panoramic pop up spread of Paris, with all the famous landmarks, including Madelines house.
Happy 75th birthday, Madeline!
Synopsis
The country bunny attains the exalted position of Easter Bunny in spite of her responsibilities as the mother of twenty-one children.
Synopsis
With twenty-one baby bunnies to look after, mother bunny Cottontail abandons her dream of becoming an Easter Bunny. But when Grandfather Bunny spies her perfectly behaved brood, heand#8217;s so impressed that he makes Cottontail the most important Easter Bunny of all! Originally published in 1939, Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes celebrates the timeless values of equality, hard work, and patient ambition. Featuring theand#160;Caldecott Award winner Marjorie Flackand#8217;s original hand-drawn illustrations, a beautifully redesigned cover, and bonus downloadable audio, this seventy-fifth anniversary heirloom edition is perfect for sharing with a new generation of young readers.
About the Author
Ludwig Bemelmans was a painter, illustrator, and writer for both children and adults. A world traveler, he spent most of his time in New York City or Paris. The original inspiration for Madeline was the result of a bicycle accident of an island of France. Hospitalized after being hit by the only car on the island, Mr. Bemelmans recalled, The sisters in that small hospital wore large, starched white hats that looked like the wings of a giant butterfly. In the room next to mine was a little girl who had had her appendix out. In the ceiling over my bed was a crack that had the habit of sometimes looking like a rabbit.” A year later, back in New York City, he penned the first draft of Madeline on the backs of menus in Petes Tavern. The Madeline books rank among the most honored childrens books series. Madeline was named a Caldecott Honor Book, and the first of its five sequels, Madelines Rescue, won the Caldecott Medal and was a New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year. Mr. Bemelmans died in 1962, after completing Madelines Christmas.