New Releases by Darcy Pattison

He''s an alien. She''s not quite human. Can they survive an epic battle under the sea? Book 2 (large print) of The Blue Planets Worlds series

What if alien refugees were already living in Earth''s oceans-and you were one of them? Book 1 of a pulse-pounding story of alien first contact.

When Papa breaks his leg, it heals, but he won''t try walking again. The family becomes sad-and sadder. A neighbor tells Liana that Papa has lost his courage. Determined to help, she asks everyone in the neighborhood, "What is courage?"The answers are simple, a recognition of courage in small daily tasks. But will it be enough to help Papa find his courage to try to walk?Gorgeous illustrations join the simple text for an inspirational story that helps each of us find courage in the small moments of life. Those small acts of courage build a foundation for the hard times, for the times when you take that next step only because of courage-that never slows down, never gets tired, and never gives up.

7-12 years old In January 1776, George Washington had a problem: the British army controlled the city of Boston. The colonial army needed to force the British to leave. But how? Washington had a solution: ask his engineer Rufus Putnam to solve the problem. They needed to take control of the high ground, Dorchester Heights, just south of Boston. They could place cannons there to bombard the British army. Cannons on Dorchester Heights meant the colonials needed to build walls to protect their soldiers. But January in Massachusetts was so cold that the ground was frozen. No one could dig foundations for walls. Putnam needed an engineering miracle. Courage and engineering ingenuity are celebrated in this intriguing story of the role of engineering in the Revolutionary War.

Did you know that you have a little bit of dinosaur in you? And it’s your brother’s fault. That egg fight meant there were only two eggs left and one of them had a carbon atom that used to be in the bones of a Spinosaurus. This humorous story follows a carbon atom as it journeys from dry bones to your spinal column – and beyond! Book 1, A Little Bit of Dinosaur has quickly become a beloved book. It received a starred Kirkus review and has had over 2 million reads on the EPIC! app. A Little Bit of THIS Dinosaur continues the playful humor around the amazing circle of life—or the conservation of mass—and adds a touch of empathy. Sisters Elleen Hutcheson and Darcy Pattison team up to bring the circle of life to kids. Each is shaking her finger at their mother wondering why she fed them those scrambled eggs.

Quincy Persian wants two things: a great roommate and a chance to become a food-cat on KittyTube. But Joaquin Maine coon, the largest kitten, has taken over their dorm room. Quincy is forced to take the top bunk and hides in fear of this bully. Videotaping new food cat videos should be his refuge. Instead, Quincy must work with kittens like Mirko Bengal, who bungles every scene. Lonely, Quincy turns to Ismo Bobtail, an international kitten from Japan who is studying the KittyTube operation and hopes to help start something similar in Japan. Life in the Kitten Dorm is hard! In this exciting return to the KittyTube world, Angel’s brother, Quincy takes center stage. Somehow Quincy must keep his relationships straight and still manage to make the cut when the kitten actors are cut to only twenty kittens who will move on to the next phase. Follow Quincy’s path toward stardom.

When your name is Love Truly, you need to act with, well, love. But the new rhino in town, PeeWee is big, blue, and scary. When he spills his food tray, will Love Truly and her friends, Faith Deep and Hope Big, conquer their fear and step up to help? Or will they turn away?Learning to act with love may be the most courageous thing Love Truly ever does."Three things will last forever-faith, hope, and love-and the greatest of these is love." I Corinthians 13:13 NLTThis simple, yet profound story will challenge kids to think about their actions toward others in new ways. Come along on the emotional journey of learning to accept people who are different from you.

2022 Eureka! Nonfiction Honor Book – California Reading Association Kirkus Best Indies Book List - 2022 Starred Kirkus Review: “This well-crafted success story of a species’ salvation will encourage budding environmentalists.” “A worthwhile addition to Pattison’s Another Extraordinary Animal series.” Booklist Can humans save a species from extinction? Yes! With patience, persistence, and a full dose of hope. This is the heartbreaking tale of a Galápagos giant tortoise species that was almost extinct, the herculean task of conservation work by scientists and volunteers, and a heartwarming tale of hope for our planet. In 1959, Ecuador established a national park to protect the Galápagos Islands. When they did a census, scientists found only 14 individual Española Island tortoises. The species was almost extinct. Then, they found one more Española tortoise—in the San Diego Zoo! They named him Diego and brought him back to the Galápagos for a breeding program. Ecuador established one of the most successful breeding programs in scientific history. For sixty years, scientists and hundreds of volunteers have fought valiantly to save this amazing giant tortoise species. Would it be enough? Would they be able to save the species? Read the amazing story of Diego, the giant Galápagos tortoise. Conservation is a numbers game. Each time a tortoise census is counted, it is presented in a larger font to emphasize its importance.

Ages 6-9 She arrived on Halloween Eve, in the Year of Acorns. Benjy named her Tricks. Mom said, "No pets." Then, they discover the cat''s owner. Erika has just moved next door to stay with her grandmother while she attends the Deaf School. She brought Fluffy, her cat, with her. Fluffy likes to wander the neighborhood and make friends. This delightful Halloween story is about cats, sign language, and a surprising friendship. It''s perfect for the elementary reader who needs to build confidence in their reading skills. Need a great read-aloud for Halloween? This will delight and entertain the kids, even during this busy holiday.

The delightful story of Friday, a dog who discovers that the world of art is filled with many wonderful friends. A dog in an art museum? Maybe not most dogs, but Friday goes to the museum every Tuesday to visit his friends. One day Friday must say goodbye for the winter. Join the fun as Friday trots through the galleries, taking selfies and saying goodbye to all of his friends-Maman the spider, Rosie the Riveter, George Washington, and many others. Later, looking at his photos, Friday realizes that the works of art in a museum are more than just bronze and steel, paint and canvas, ink and paper. Instead, the art connects him-and us-to stories, lessons, inspiration, and dreams. And through the art collection at Crystal Bridges, all of us-even a dog-become part of the American experience.

Have you heard of Goldilocks? Of course, you have! She''s the name-fame-dame. That long-strong, bold-gold hair has earned her an international reputation. And she knows it. Goldilocks thinks she can do anything she wants. Breaking and entering? No problem. Theft? No problem. Damaging property? No problem. Until‚ the glitzy-see neighbours are tick-tock-talking. And they decide to take action. Will Goldilocks be able to use her fame-name to get out of trouble? Or will she wind up in folktale-jail? This fun spoof on Goldilocks is rollicking with word play: Papa Troll clomped-stomped. Someone ate my meal for real. It''s all woebegone-gone. This retelling of the folk/fairy tale creates a children''s picture book that is sure to become a read-aloud classic.

A team of kids struggle to create the perfect gingerbread house. The project guidelines are clear: the winning house must stand upright on its own and a gingerbread boy and girl must fit inside. Sounds easy? But creating is hard. Cookie burn, the icing it too thin, the house caves-in, someone is eating the candy decorations, and—Oh!—they forgot about putting the gingerbread boy and girl inside the house. Engineering is a creative process. That means you must learn to overcome problems and persevere. Inspire budding engineers to think about the classic gingerbread house in new ways. Written in a lyrical rhyme, it’s sure to please the language arts folks, too. Kirkus Reviews says, "Pattison’s text begs to be read aloud and Joven’s spreads offer dynamic visuals… Come one, come all! The Gingerbread Fair opens soon! For fans of Dr. Seuss, Chris van Allsburg, Clement C. Moore, Barbara Robinson, Karma Wilson, Matt Haig, and Eric Litwin.

"The text of the book is wonderfully clear and easy to follow, and the illustrations are great, both lively and informative. The story of the eclipse unfolds dramatically, and the science is explained vividly and correctly." Daniel John Kennefick, Astrophysicist and Science Historian “… Pattison takes a complicated scientific theory and makes it not just fairly understandable, but entertaining as well.” Kirkus Reviews In 1915, British astronomer Arthur Stanley Eddington was fascinated with Einstein’s new theory of general relativity. The theory talks about how forces push and pull objects in space. Einstein said that the sun’s gravity could pull and bend light. To test this, astronomers decided to photograph a solar eclipse. The eclipse would allow them to photograph the stars before and during the solar eclipse. If the star’s position moved, then it was evidence that that light had bent. Eddington and his team traveled from England to the island of Principe, just off the African coast, to photograph the eclipse. In simple language, this nonfiction illustrated picture book explains how the push (acceleration) and pull (gravity) of space affects light. Back matter includes information on Einstein, Eddington, and the original photograph of the 1919 solar eclipse.

“An enthralling, contemporary tale of man versus machine.” Kirkus Reviews “An attractive informational picture book on an unusual topic.” Booklist The stage was set for a showdown: Man v. Machine. On March 9, 2016, the AlphaGo artificial intelligence computer program played the board game, GO, against the world champion, Lee Sedol. The Game: Go is the oldest board game in the world. Games are perfect tests for A.I because they keep score. It’s easy to see when the A.I. is improving. The Man: Korean Lee Sedol was the world’s top Go player. He expected to win all five games of the match. Could the A.I. teach him anything? The Machine: Developed in 2014, AlphaGo was a computer artificial intelligence program designed to play Go by using deep learning to recognize patterns in the game. It had already beaten the European champion. Could it defeat Sedol? The exciting historic meeting of minds unfolded across five difficult games. This story introduces concepts of artificial intelligence and helps kids understand the challenges and the promise of working with A.I. “The book also includes kid-friendly explanations of AI…The work will especially be enjoyed by young readers interested in technology, programming, or gaming.” Kirkus Reviews MOMENTS IN SCIENCE COLLECTION, Book 6 This exciting series focuses on small moments in science that made a difference. · BURN: Michael Faraday’s Candle · CLANG! Ernst Chladni’s Sound Experiments (2019 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book) · POLLEN: Darwin’s 130 Year Prediction (Junior Library Guild selection, Starred Kirkus Review. 2020 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book) · ECLIPSE: How the 1919 Eclipse Proved Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity · EROSION: How Hugh Bennett Saved America’s Soil and Ended the Dust Bowl (2021 NCSS Notable Social Studies Book) · AI: How Pattern Recognition Helped Artificial Intelligence Defeat World Champion Lee Sedol

"...Pattison's characters delight..." Kirkus Review of Book 1 Angel Persian, a kitten born into a famous KittyTube family, faces her biggest acting challenge yet. The clock is ticking! By the month’s end, only ten kittens will be offered acting contracts. Stardom! Will she be chosen? Angel must visit the different kennels, work with each director, and rack up views on KittyTube. Will she find a kennel to call home? The five kennels are so different! Some aim for slow and steady growth, but some love fast and flashy. One kennel is known for its encouragement while another is competitive. Which would suit her better: a laid-back or a work-hard attitude? Angel’s decision now will affect the rest of her life. In this final chapter book of The KittyTubers trilogy, Angel Persian searches for a home where she can use her talents. Read this heartwarming story about Angel Persian’s search for her future.

Follow Angel Persian as she tries to follow in her parents'' footsteps and become a KittyTube star.

"...Pattison''s characters delight..." Kirkus Review of Book 1 Kittywood is all abuzz trying to guess which of the 27 kittens will be cut. Angel and Jazz hope to make the final twenty, but to do that, they need views. That means, more pressure on every video. They need stronger ideas and better acting. To make it even harder, Director Stanley gives them all a new challenge. Ex-Marine Captain Piper Crouch will teach the kittens acrobatics. Angel is shocked! From a height of ten feet, they expect her to do a double flip and land safely. Landing isn’t the problem for cats, of course. It’s the double-flip. It becomes Angel’s new passion. In this continuing chapter book series of The KittyTubers, the kittens grow and mature, developing their acting skills. Join the kittens as they work—and hope—for stardom!

Of course, you have! She’s the name-fame-dame. That long-strong, bold-gold hair has earned her an international reputation. And she knows it. Goldilocks thinks she can do anything she wants. Breaking and entering? No problem. Theft? No problem. Damaging property? No problem. Until…the glitzy-see neighbors are tick-tock-talking. And they decide to take action. Will Goldilocks be able to use her fame-name to get out of trouble? Or will she wind up in folktale-jail? This fun spoof on Goldilocks is rollicking with word play: “Papa Troll clomped-stomped. ‘Someone ate my meal for real. It’s all woebegone-gone.’” This retelling of the folk/fairy tale creates a children’s picture book that is sure to become a read-aloud classic.

Five fantasy chapter books that are perfect for 9-14 year olds. 1143 pages of reading! Included in this 5-book Box Set: THE WAYFINDER – Book 1 Can Win find what his heart longs for—healing for his land and for his broken heart. This riveting middle-grade fantasy combines the intriguing abilities to Find what’s missing with pulse-pounding suspense. Read to discover what one person can accomplish. THE FALCONER – Book 2 She strode out of the north country and into legend, a courageous falconer and her bird. Together, they must leave behind all they know and stop the fierce Zendi who have invaded her country. Brittney must find a heart of courage to boldly defend the Heartland. LIBERTY – Book 3 When your heart dreams of the impossible, where do you find the courage to push forward? From the fascinating world of tall ships comes this unlikely tale of humble pigs who fight for their dream. Come and join Penelope and Santiago on their journey. GARGOYLES – Book 4 When construction on the Cathedral of St. Stephens stops because of lack of money, Laurel’s father, the architect, must move on. But how can Laurel leave the only home she’s ever known? In this rich, surprising tale, Laurel risks her heart to find a treasure large enough to finish building the cathedral. She needs not one, but two miracles. VAGABONDS – Book 5 Galen’s heart longs for a safe home for his family and his people. Instead, destiny thrusts him into a dangerous quest for a permanent home. Can he lead a band of armadillos to find the fabled Faralone Falls? Read this gripping American fantasy set in Ozark mountains, the heartland of America.

Discover the secret world behind the scenes of your favorite cat videos. On a glittering night of destiny, a cat star is born. The Majestic Kennels, home to the famous cats of KittyTube, welcomes a new kitten, Angel Persian. Angel is eager to follow in the footsteps of her famous mother and father and become a Kittytube sensation. When DaddyAlbert’s new movie goes bankrupt, leaving him stranded in France, Angel desperately works harder. Her videos must go viral, so she’ll win a cash prize and bring him home. Will Angel become a water cat, a piano cat, a ghost cat, or something new? Will this tiny kitten find her courage—and her audience on KittyTube? Will she have what it takes to win? What will it take for this tiny kitten to become a star?

“…deftly crafted and original fantasy novel that is very highly recommended…” Midwest Book Review This riveting middle-grade fantasy combines the intriguing abilities to Find what’s missing with pulse-pounding suspense. A great loss has frozen Win’s heart. He cares for nothing. But a plague is spreading like wildfire across the Heartland. Win must use his Wayfinding skills to descend into the great Rift, for beyond it lies the Well of Life. Only its waters will heal the plague. No one has ever returned from a journey into the Rift. But the Heartland depends on him. Can he put his loss behind him and fight for the Heartland? Discover what one person can accomplish. Read this story of how one person fights the plague, the pandemic that threatens the land.

“…an impressive fantasy…” Kirkus Reviews Britt and her falcon, Tatty Mog, are partners in life, hunting, and growing up together. Together, they will face the challenge of leaving behind all they know and searching for a way to stop the fierce Zendi who have invaded the Heartland. Her grandfather, Winchal Eldras (the main character of the companion book, THE WAYFINDER) is a Wayfinder, someone who can Find anything: a missing ring, the best melon in the market, or a lost child. He gives Britt a Finding for a missing Bell. The Zendi know that the Finder’s Bell holds the key to their victory in the Heartland. Britt mustn’t let them know that she can Find it. But to Find the Bell, she must travel across the Heartland with just Tatty Mog at her side. Kirkus Reviews says, “…a visionary palette over which the author executes fine control.” In the tradition of Tamora Pierce, this fantasy presents a heroine of wit, strength, and savvy. Read this story of a falconer, a courageous girl who strides out of the north country and into legend.

Junior Library Guild Selection Starred Kirkus Review Elementary Science - POLLEN How long does it take for science to find an answer to a problem? On January 25, 1862, naturalist Charles Darwin received a box of orchids. One flower, the Madagascar star orchid, fascinated him. It had an 11.5" nectary, the place where flowers make nectar, the sweet liquid that insects and birds eat. How, he wondered, did insects pollinate the orchid? It took 130 years to find the answer. After experiments, he made a prediction. There must be a giant moth with a 11.5" proboscis, a straw-like tongue. Darwin died without ever seeing the moth, which was catalogued by entomologists in in 1903. But still no one had actually observed the moth pollinating the orchid. In 1992, German entomologist, Lutz Thilo Wasserthal, Ph.D. traveled to Madagascar. By then, the moths were rare. He managed to capture two moths and released them in a cage with the orchid. He captured the first photo of the moth pollinating the flower, as Darwin had predicted 130 years before. Backmatter includes information on the moth, the orchid, Charles Darwin, Lutz Wasserthal. Also included is Wasserthal's original photo taken in 1992.

Who holds the world record triple jump record - for bullfrogs? Rosie, the Ribeter.She set the record in May 1986 at 21 feet 5 3⁄4 inches. Her record has stood for over 30 years. This is her story. It all started with Mark Twain and his famous story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." After it was published, the Calaveras County fair started the Jumping Frog Jubilee TM which has run since 1928.Over the years, the frogs have jumped farther. Why? Scientists say it's because of the frog jockeys, the men and women who catch and jump the frogs. Read this extraordinary story of a man and a frog.