Most Popular Books by Kate Coombs

Bright, lyrical poems and lovely illustrations encourage children to immerse themselves in the natural world. Today I am sunlight! Heart happy, bright as a yellow bird flying to the top of the sky, shining and calling HOORAY! Goldlight, gladlight, today I am sunlight! Beautiful poetry and entrancing art inspire young readers to celebrate the natural world through movement, imagination, and play. As they pretend they are a skunk or a snake, sunlight or a stone, they will move their bodies and enjoy imaginative play. From the creative team who brought you Breathe and Be: A Book of Mindfulness Poems comes a perfect book for quiet time or bedtime, as well to spark activities for story time or in the classroom. Today I Am a River empowers children to imagine the world from a multitude of perspectives other than their own and instills in them an appreciation and reverence for the natural world.

Come down to the shore with this rich and vivid celebration of the ocean! With watercolors gorgeous enough to wade in by award-winning artist Meilo So and playful, moving poems by Kate Coombs, Water Sings Blue evokes the beauty and power, the depth and mystery, and the endless resonance of the sea.

"A dragon darkens our dells. A witch haunts our woods. Bandits roam our moors" . . . King Stromgard swept on. "In the tradition of so many monarchs, I offer my daughter''s hand in marriage and half my kingdom to the prince who can rid us of these evils, restoring peace and prosperity to our realm." And so the contest in the Kingdom of Greeve begins. But Princess Margaret is not your traditional princess. Meg firmly objects to her parents'' giving her away, and she certainly has no intention of remaining in the tower where she is sequestered. Instead, she sets out to win the contest herself by enlisting the help of her good friend, her loyal maid, an eager guardsman, a young wizard, and a tenacious witch. Does Meg find her distinct place in the kingdom, or is she doomed to fulfill her royal duties? Kate Coombs weaves a magical tale full of pesky princes, enchanted frogs, a beady-eyed scarf, and invisibility juice – a tale of wonder, but a story familiar to all who struggle to find their own place in the world. The Runaway Princess is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children''s Book of the Year.

It’s the Tooth Fairy against Nathan, a boy who’d rather keep his tooth than get the cash, thank you very much! Nathan’s lost his first tooth! And he’s thinking he’ll hold on to it, so thanks-but-no-thanks, Tooth Fairy. This is one tooth that is staying with its owner. Except the Tooth Fairy has other ideas. And we’re not talking about some run-of-the-mill garden fairy here. No, this is the Tooth Fairy. She’s on a tooth procurement mission—and she’s not about to let some little boy get the best of her. But she may have met her match in Nathan…

I breathe slowly in, I breathe slowly out. My breath is a river of peace. I am here in the world. Each moment I can breathe and be. Hear thunder crash, feel your toes touch sand, and watch leaves drift softly away on a quiet stream. The simple poems in Breathe and Be help children learn mindfulness as they connect to the beauty of the natural world. Mindfulness teaches us how to stay calm, soothe our emotions, and appreciate the world around us. Whether we’re watching tiny colored fish darting in the water or exploring the leaves, branches, and roots of a towering tree, the thoughtful words and the lovely art of Breathe and Be remind us how much joy we can find by simply living with awareness and inner peace. Ages 4–8

When Meg''s dragon, Laddy, flies away from home, she knows she must go on a quest to find him. But she hasn''t counted on her parents, the king and queen of Greeve, sending ten guardsmen along. Fortunately, she is also accompanied by her best friends: Dilly, a lady-in-waiting and a cool head in any crisis not involving heights; Cam, a gardener''s assistant who knows the exact value of a brick shed filled with sausages; Nort, a skinny guardsman who has never given much thought to crows; and Lex, a young wizard with bad taste in horses, magic carpets, and sorceresses. Of course, Meg''s quest goes topsy-turvy once she enters the enchanted forest—and her adventure is just beginning. What''s more, meeting up with the dashing bandit Bain again isn''t at all what she expected. Will this princess be able to rescue herself, let alone anybody else? In The Runaway Princess, Meg and her friends defeated a pack of princes. Now they''re going to need swordplay, magic, and a whole lot of courage to find Laddy and get back home!

Twilight''s here. The death bell rings. Everyone knows what the death bell brings—it''s time for class! You''re in the place where goblins wail and zombies drool. (That''s because they''re kindergartners.) Welcome to Monster School. In this entertaining collection of poems, award-winning poet Kate Coombs and debut artist Lee Gatlin bring to vivid life a wide and playful cast of characters (outgoing, shy, friendly, funny, prickly, proud) that may seem surprisingly like the kids you know . . . even if these kids are technically monsters.

Llamacorn saves the day by bravely leading his horned friends to work together to rescue Mousicorn and Squirrelcorn. Dive into this feel-good story as Llamacorn and his friends work to save Mousicorn and Squirrelcorn from the pink Lemonade River. Goaticorn accidently ate a hole in the dam and caused a flood that swept the little horned ones into the river. Coombs’ poetry paired with adorable illustrations, endearing characters, and a gentle message of kindness will make this book an instant favorite.

In this modern fairy tale, Kalli--the town secret-keeper--grows ill from all the heavy secrets she hears over the years. Eventually, the townspeople realize that Kalli needs happy secrets as well as bad, and Kalli finally discovers the best secret of all. Full color.

Be silly! Lewis Carroll’s hilarious poetry will lead the way. Lewis Carroll, author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass, “Jabberwocky,” and “The Walrus and the Carpenter,” was the king of silly. Kate Coombs’ writing and Carme Lemniscates’ fun and silly art bring Carroll’s delightful nonsense poetry to life for little readers, encouraging them to be silly, Be Creative, and Be Yourself. “Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?” The silliest lines have been gathered from Carroll’s vast collection of poetry and stories for this one-of-a-kind board book.

Little Poet Walt Whitman: Miracles Everywhere shows little ones how to find the miracles of daily life with lines from Walt Whitman’s “Miracles” in Leaves of Grass. Learn to spot the miracles in houses and towns, birds, bees, and butterflies, the moon and stars, and more with Whitman’s famous poetry and Carme Lemniscates’ adorable artwork. Inspiring little readers to Be Creative, Be Brilliant, and Be Yourself, with Walt Whitman, everything is a miracle!

Tells toddlers how loved they are in Shakespeare''s own words with preceding text by Kate Coombs along with cheerful illustrations by Carme Lemniscates.

Introduces readers to Teddy Roosevelt, an American naturalist who became known as "Conservation President."

George loved plants but wasn''t allowed to go to school because of the color of his skin in his home state of Missouri, but he graduated from college in Iowa and became known as The Peanut Man.

"The children''s classic Goodnight Moon gets a classic lit makeover in this parody of Jane Austen''s Pride and Prejudice. In the great ballroom, there was a country dance, and a well-played tune, and Elizabeth Bennett; and Mr. Darcy surprised, by a pair of fine eyes. Jane with a blush and Mr. Bingley turned to mush, and a gossiping mother and father saying hush"--

Introduces young children to Rachel Carson, a renowned biologist and environmentalist considered to be the mother of the modern environmental movement.

Introduce your brilliant baby to children''s author, artist, and naturalist Beatrix Potter and teach young readers about this inspiring children''s author and artist, encouraging little naturalists to Be Kind and Be Adventurous.

Introduce brilliant babies to the world around them with Robert Frost''s "The Road Not Taken." Little Poet Robert Frost: Two Roads introduces toddlers to Frost''s beloved poem, "The Road Not Taken" through Kate Coombs'' sweet story, the entire Frost poem spread throughout the book, and Carme Lemniscates'' beautiful and engaging art, teaching them when you can Be Adventurous and Be Yourself, that can make all the difference. Take a walk, chose a path, and see what awaits you! Kate Coombs is an award-winning author of original fairy tales, poems, middle-grade fantasy novels, and picture books, including the critically acclaimed Water Sings Blue, which won the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award for 2012, and seven books in the bestselling BabyLit series. She lives in Bountiful, Utah. Carme Lemniscates is an award-winning author, illustrator, and designer of children''s books. In 2010 she founded Lemniscates Studio (www.lemniscates.com) in her home city of Barcelona to create her own children''s book projects, which she both writes and illustrates. Carme also illustrated best-selling author Jennifer Adams'' I Am a Warrior Goddess and Hillary and Chelsea Clinton''s Grandma''s Gardens.

Introduce your brilliant baby to the inspiring primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall. Jane Goodall loved animals from the time she was a child. She studied in Africa, and then traveled to Tanzania to learn all about chimpanzees. She befriended the chimpanzees, learning important things we didn’t know about how they make and use tools—and that they aren’t vegetarians! After decades of study, Jane works today to inspire people to conserve the environment and protect animals. Kate Coombs’ engaging narrative and Seth Lucas’ captivating art teach young readers about this award-winning primatologist, encouraging little naturalists to Be Kind and Be Adventurous.

Introduce brilliant babies to the mysterious poetry of Edgar Allan Poe through his poem “The Raven.” Little Poet Edgar Allan Poe: Nevermore! introduces toddlers to Poe’s renowned poem “The Raven.” Exploring love, loss, and grief, Kate Coombs’ tender story, Poe’s own lyrical words, and Carme Lemniscates’ charming, cheeky, and adorable art will teach your child to Be Creative and Be Brilliant and familiarize them with a great American poet. “Nevermore,” quoth the raven!

Introduce your brilliant baby to the American icon Johnny Appleseed. John Chapman, known as "Johnny Appleseed," planted apple tree nurseries all over Pennsylvania, Ontario, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and West Virginia. He believed nobody should ever harm a living thing, so he advocated for animal rights, became a vegetarian, and planted seeds instead of grafting tree branches like most other orchardists. Kate Coombs and Seth Lucas recreate Johnny Appleseed''s adventures for young readers, encouraging them to Be Adventurous and to Be Kind to every person, animal, and plant they meet. Kate Coombs is an award-winning author of original fairy tales, poems, middle-grade fantasy novels, and picture books, including the critically acclaimed Water Sings Blue, which won the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award for 2012, and seven books in the bestselling BabyLit series. She lives in Bountiful, Utah. Seth Lucas is an illustrator and designer with a BFA in graphic design. He is the co-creator of Ello There Outdoors selling prints and accessories supporting the National Parks and outdoors. He lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, with his wife and daughter.

Introduce your brilliant baby to famous naturalist and photographer Ansel Adams. Ansel Adams was twelve years old when he received his first camera on a trip to Yosemite National Park. He spent the rest of his life taking photographs and advocating for conservation. Kate Coombs’ engaging story and Carme Lemniscates’ beautiful art bring Adams to life for young readers, encouraging little naturalists to Be Adventurous and Be Creative.

Introduces John James Audubon and the work he did painting bird species, detailing their physical characteristics, nests, and eggs.

"Llamacorn land is filled with special creatures. Meet the well-known and beautiful Unicorn, the clumsy Buffalocorn, a big, blue Walruscorn, the fearsome Tigercorn, and more in this playful introduction to the land of the Llamacorn."--Amazon.com

Introduces readers to John Muir, a Scottish-born American naturalist who became known as "Father of the National Parks."

Introduce your brilliant baby to famous naturalist and painter of the Southwest Georgia O’Keeffe. Georgia O’Keeffe went to art school in Chicago and New York, but when she saw the New Mexico desert, she fell in love. She moved to New Mexico and wanted to share its beauty with the world through her paintings. Kate Coombs’ engaging story and Seth Lucas’ beautiful art bring Georgia O’Keeffe to life for young readers, encouraging little naturalists to Be Adventurous and Be Creative.

Introduces readers to naturalist, philosopher, and writer, Henry David Thoreau and the time he spent on Walden Pond.

As a Kenyan scientist and feminist, Wangari raised money to pay poor women to plant and care for new trees in the parts of her country where the forests had been cut down, earning her the Nobel Peace Price.

Introduce your brilliant baby to the young climate change activist Greta Thunberg. Greta Thunberg first heard about global warming when she was 8 years old and she was very troubled by it. She was 15 when she started a school strike. Greta led protests at home in Sweden and abroad, and soon began speaking to groups including the World Economic Forum, the British and European parliaments, and the United Nations Climate Action Summit and Conferences. She has received many awards for her efforts. Greta has an autism spectrum disorder, known as Asperger’s syndrome, which she calls her superpower because it helps her strongly focus her attention on climate change. She continues to work to get countries to decrease emissions, and she has inspired so much awareness and activism that the result is known as the “Greta Effect.” Kate Coombs’ engaging narrative and Seth Lucas’ captivating art teach young readers about this inspiring conservationist.

"Lines and couplets from Dickinson''s poems paired with Carme Lemniscates'' ... illustrations bring In Emily''s Garden to life, letting toddlers take a stroll in Emily''s garden of verses"--Publisher''s description

The people of Maldinga and the surrounding area bring their deep, dark secrets to Kalli, who keeps them all safe until they become too much for her to bear.

Nearly paralyzed by grief over her own dead, Aubrey is looking for birds for a science assignment when she stumbles across a murdered boy in the park. The boy has a mysterious red flower tattoo on his arm, and the next morning the red flower appears on Aubrey''s arm. Driven to find out what happened to the boy and his missing girlfriend, Aubrey enlists the help of her little brother, a basement video game player, and the dead boy''s best friend. But someone is playing increasingly ruthless tricks on her, a mysterious owl is watching, and the three old ladies on Sycamore Street may not be what they seem. Based on a Grimm''s fairy tale, The Red Flower gives tweens and teens a determined new hero in a story of magic, suspense, and a little romance.