Best Selling Books by Nancy Van Laan

Young readers are given an emotionally powerful yet accessible introduction to what it is like having a close family member with Alzheimer’s disease in this deeply resonant story about the relationship between a girl and her grandmother. Grandma’s whole family is concerned as they start to notice that she is becoming more and more forgetful. After they find her wandering the neighborhood, they need to make an important decision on her behalf—that the time has come for her to move out of her house and into an assisted living community where she can have the best care possible. This Read & Listen edition contains audio narration.

Illus. in full color. "While Granny is a-rockin'' and a-knittin'' and Ma''s a-cookin'' and Pa''s a-fixin'', that old possum in his top hat and vest just keeps on knocking. The narrator, a redheaded boy, tries to tell family members about the possum, and when the family checks, the possum hides. Should be popular with story-hour groups."--Booklist.

Family members go to great lengths to rid their child of head lice.

A collection of Native American legends from North America about animals and nature.

A child climbs five different trees, looking for a place to hide and finding an increasing number of animals already in residence, until finally the perfect tree is found.

Moose has good friends in the woodland: Beaver, Squirrel, Rabbit, and Mouse. Together they count snowflakes, help one another out of fixes, and make practically perfect creatures out of snow. Set in the secure world of the woods, these tender, funny stories for beginning readers celebrate the simple joys of having friends both trusty and true. And the delicately silly illustrations capture the foibles and idiosyncrasies of each woodland creature, from Moose’s skinny legs to Rabbit’s long, floppy ears.

A retelling of the Chibcha Indian legend about how the treasure of El Dorado came to be.

In this rich, rousing anthology, Nancy Van Laan takes readers on a romp through the bayous, mountains and lowlands of the American South. Readers meet such unforgettable characters as Brer Rabbit, Fool John, and Ol'' Gally Mander, and learn a whole passel of poems, sayings, and superstitions. Full color. Author/illustrator tour.

Rhyming text asks what happens to different animals and plants "when winter comes and the cold wind blows."

One house seems to contain an entire menagerie of active animals, which get into all kinds of mischief and trouble, but in the end they are all found to be the young narrator.

A mother and toddler have fun at suppertime.

Shingebiss, a little merganser duck, can always find plenty to eat. In all seasons, the Great Lake is full of fish. But one cold year the lake freezes over, and Shingebiss has to find a way to fish through the thick ice. To do that, he must face the fierce Winter Maker. Gracefully told and illustrated with vigorous woodcuts, this ancient Ojibwe story captures all the power of winter and all the courage of a small being who refuses to see winter as his enemy. This sacred story shows that those who follow the ways of Shingebiss will always have plenty to eat, no matter how hard the great wind of Winter Maker blows.

Illustrations and rhythmic verses depict a mother and child and different animals on each of the seven continents.

Little Baby Bobby, who lives on a hill, just can''t seem to sit still. So it''s inevitable that, in the blink of an eye, his baby buggy goes careening down that hill with his babysitter in frantic pursuit. Whizzing through the park, scattering street vendors'' wares, crashing into a fire hydrant, there goes Baby Bobby, enjoying every minute of his wild buggy ride. A perfect read-aloud reminiscent of Nancy Van Laan''s "Possum Come a-Knockin'', this rollicking, rhythmic text gathers momentum as Baby Bobby''s buggy wends its way through the town. Laura Cornell''s hilarious, overflowing illustrations perfectly capture the lighthearted joy of Bobby''s raucous romp. A laugh-out-loud addition to any story hour!

A cumulative story in which a tiny, tiny boy tries to milk a big, big cow who will not stand still.

Describes the effects of the nation''s population growth in rhymed text and illustrations.

Filled with repetitive rhythm and captivating artwork, this charming tale about putting off a day''s work for a little bit of play helps share the lesson that sometimes it pays to plan ahead. u200b These tiny monkeys wouldn’t dare put an end to their play time to build a shelter…But when night time rolls around, they can’t help but realize their mistake as the rain starts to pour, the wind starts to blow, and the jaguar starts to growl. Based on a tale from the Brazilian rain forest about blackmouth monkeys, So Say The Little Monkeys is an irresistible read-aloud that gently reminds readers of all ages that you shouldn’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today.

What happens when... Old Doctor Wango Tango, along with his rosy, blowsy, noisy nose and crew of lightweight pets, travels to the tip of a very windy hill? Two dancing legs; two waving, whirling arms; and one big head piece themselves together? A little old lady buries the prickly, tickly, scary, hairy toe that she''s found, only to be chased by the something that wants it back? Children will tingle with terror and shriek with glee over Nancy Van Laan and Victoria Chess''s hilariously spooky -- but not too spooky -- read-aloud tales.

Scrubba dub dubba squigga giggle squash. Splash splish splish splosh time to wash. What little bunny can resist bathtime, especially with a tub full of bubbles...and boats...and rubber ducks...and more bubbles? In this delightful read-aloud treat, getting clean has never been easier, or more fun!

Mama recycles everything until the house is complete with walls covered with candy wrappers and shingles that used to be flap-jack flappers, and the whole town turns out to see her handmade rocketship.

Little Fish loses his mother in an African pond and searches everywhere for her, seeing all kinds of animals in the process.

A little Haitian girl describes how her parents'' house fills up with babies as relatives drop off their children on their way to work.

Cumulative verses follow an old man''s hat as it becomes a home for a spider, mouse, and other creatures before returning to its rightful owner.

Moose helps his little animal friends in many ways during the four seasons.

When the weather changes and the ever-falling snow threatens to engulf all the animals, it is Crow who flies up to receive the gift of fire from the Great Sky Spirit.

Sur les berges du Rio Negro aux eaux froides, sombres et profondes, de tout petits petits singes jacassent au soleil...

Everyone reacts to a mouse scratching at the wall in rhyme.

This pack includes eight miniature picture books, illustrated and written by children''s book creators, many of them well known. A handy Parents'' Guide includes tips on how to help children learn to read and a checklist to map their progress. Full-color illustrations.