'Iran has an ancient tradition of storytelling and poetry where musicians play instruments to bring stories to life. The most important epic in Iran is called the Shahnameh (pronounced Shaah-naah-meh), which means The Book of Kings. It was written by the poet Abolqasem Ferdowsi who lived about a thousand years ago. It took over 30 years to write, and has over 50,000 rhyming couplets. The Shahnameh is considered to be one of the greatest epics of world literature. The Phoenix of Persia is about a mythical bird, the Simorgh, one of the most magical characters in the Shahnameh. The Simorgh takes care of a tiny baby, who grows up to become Prince Zal - the hero of many other stories in the Shahanameh.' -- from introduction.

In a garden a seed grows to sprout to bud to flower, thriving in harmony with living creatures, especially insects.

When four babies arrival on an island with notes saying, Please keep this baby safe, the islanders come together and help raise them.

A feisty little girl learns who the real monsters are in this brilliantly funny medieval adventure. Once, there lived a little girl called Bo. Bo wanted to be just like her brothers and capture a fearsome monster. Bo is small, too small to catch a monster--or so her brothers say. But Bo isn't one to take no for an answer, so she sets off on a quest to catch a monster of her own. Can she defeat the furious griffin, conquer the hideous kraken, and triumph over the monstrous dragon? Or has Bo got the wrong idea who the real monsters are?

In this companion to When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree, a boy is disappointed with his grandfather's gift--until he learns he can use it to build exactly what he wanted with his own two hands, and a little help from grandpa, of course! You asked for a special house for your dolls; but instead Grandpa gives you a toolbox! What do you do? Launching it into outer space is a bad idea. So is feeding it to a T. rex! Instead, be patient, pay attention, and you might find that you're pretty handy. And just maybe, with grandpa's help, you'll get that dollhouse after all. This clever story celebrates kindness, hard work, and community.

A little girl's creativity, dedication, and imagination turn a vacant city lot into a beautiful community garden.

Newcomer Salma and friends cook up a heartwarming dish to cheer up Mama. All Salma wants is to make her mama smile again. Between English classes, job interviews, and missing Papa back in Syria, Mama always seems busy or sad. A homemade Syrian meal might cheer her up, but Salma doesn't know the recipe, or what to call the vegetables in English, or where to find the right spices! Luckily, the staff and other newcomers at the Welcome Center are happy to lend a hand--and a sprinkle of sumac. With creativity, determination, and charm, Salma brings her new friends together to show Mama that even though things aren't perfect, there is cause for hope and celebration. Syrian culture is beautifully represented through the meal Salma prepares and Anna Bron's vibrant illustrations, while the diverse cast of characters speaks to the power of cultivating community in challenging circumstances.--

Macca is a small, kind and friendly alpaca. He spends his days splashing in puddles and chasing butterflies... until he runs headfirst into Harmer -- a big, unkind llama who is never, ever friendly. Can brave little Macca teach that bully of a llama a very important lesson?

Mimi is a writer and when she finds that some of her favorite words for natural things, such as wren, violet, and dandelion, are disappearing she appoints her granddaughter, Brooke, as the keeper of wild words, and shows her how to bring them to life by knowing, appreciating, and using the things they stand for.

Leaving Thailand and moving to Chicago, Krit tries to adjust to this unfamiliar place by solving a Zen riddle that his mother gives him.

Sophia Spencer has loved bugs ever since a butterfly landed on her shoulder--and wouldn't leave!--at a butterfly conservancy when she was only two-and-a-half years old. In preschool and kindergarten, Sophia was thrilled to share what she knew about grasshoppers (her very favorite insects), as well as ants and fireflies . . . but by first grade, not everyone shared her enthusiasm. Some students bullied her, and Sophia stopped talking about bugs altogether. When Sophia's mother wrote to an entomological society looking for a bug scientist to be a pen pal for her daughter, she and Sophie were overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response--letters, photos and videos came flooding in. Using the hashtag BugsR4Girls, scientists tweeted hundreds of times to tell Sophia to keep up her interest in bugs--and it worked!

Water is the first medicine. It affects and connects us all... When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth and poison her people's water, one young water protector takes a stand to defend Earth's most sacred resource. Inspired by the many indigenous-led movements across North America, this bold and lyrical picture book issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth's water from harm and corruption.

Gloria loves to sing and play with her friends, but her Big Problem follows her around and tells her that she can't.

Die-cut pages invite reader to explore how Earth is a friend to all creatures, watching over us as the year cycles through the seasons.

Little Unicorn is just like you... except he has a magical rainbow mane that changes color to show exactly how he feels! Today, Little Unicorn is sad. His friends don't want to play with him at recess! But he has a special trick to teach you.... Come and see how he gets his good mood back!

A little unicorn feels all kinds of emotions, including shyness, and uses a breathing exercise to calm down.