New Releases by Phyllis Root

An ear-tickling, eye-teasing romp for little listeners, led by an award-winning author and illustrator. Do you really, really want to see a moose — a long-leggy moose — a branchy-antler, dinner-diving, bulgy-nose moose? Spurred by Phyllis Root''s sing-songy text and Randy Cecil''s buoyant illustrations, this hunt for an elusive moose through woods, swamps, bushes, and hills is just as fun as the final surprise discovery of moose en masse. Children will laugh at the running visual joke — what is that little dog looking at? — and ask for repeated reads of this satisfying tale.

Celia Thaxter grew up on a desolate island off the coast of Maine, where her father worked as lighthouse keeper. Amid the white and gray of the sea, the rocks, and even the birds, young Celia found color where she could: green mosses and purple starfish and pink morning glories by the shore. And she planted her first garden, tucking bright marigolds between rocky ledges. When she was twelve, Celia''s family moved to nearby Appledore Island, where her father built a large hotel, and Celia planted a bigger, ever-growing garden with nearly sixty types of flowers, from asters to wisteria.

“The cozy, humorous story is guaranteed to invite giggling kids into their parents’ beds.” —Kirkus Reviews On a stormy night in a little house, only Papa keeps snoring away—snurkle, snark—unaware of the wild weather outside and the growing number of nervous bedmates within. Can nothing wake him? Creak! says the bed. . . . With a cumulative series of comical events, this delightful story sends readers barreling toward bedlam.

The story of a forest “lost” by a surveying error—and all the flora and fauna to be found there A forest, of course, doesn’t need a map to know where to grow. But people need a map to find it. And in 1882 when surveyors set out to map a part of Minnesota, they got confused, or tired and cold (it was November), and somehow mapped a great swath of ancient trees as a lake. For more than seventy-five years, the mistake stayed on the map, and the forest remained safe from logging—no lumber baron expects to find timber in a lake, after all. The Lost Forest tells the story of this lucky error and of the 144 acres of old-growth red and white pine it preserved. With gentle humor, Phyllis Root introduces readers to the men at their daunting task, trekking across Minnesota, measuring and marking the vast land into townships and sections and quarters. She takes us deep into a stand of virgin pine, one of the last and largest in the state, where U.S. history and natural history meet. With the help of Betsy Bowen’s finely observed and beautiful illustrations, she shows us all the life that can be found in the Lost Forest. Accompanying the story is a wealth of information about the Cadastral Survey and about the plants and animals that inhabit forests—making the book a valuable guide for readers who might want to look even deeper into the history of Minnesota, the flora and fauna of old-growth forests, and the apportioning of land in America.

"Perfect for reading aloud, this counting book not only contains bright bold illustrations but also has lots of . . . sound effects that children will love to replicate." -- BOOKLIST Down by the marsh, by the sleepy, slimy marsh, one duck gets stuck in the muck . . . Can two fish, tails going swish, help? What about three moose, munching on spruce? Bright, spirited illustrations by Jane Chapman enhance this one-of-a-kind counting tale by Phyllis Root - a feast of sounds and numbers that will have listeners scrambling to join in the slippy, sloppy fun.

Five toads hop, four brook trout swim, three elk graze, two loons call, and one beaver gnaws on a paper birch tree, all under one North Star. Through bog and marsh, along river and lake, across prairie and into the woods, children learn what lives where by counting the creatures on foot or in flight, swimming or perching in exquisite woodcut and watercolor illustrations created by Beckie Prange and Betsy Bowen in an artistic collaboration. For those looking for more about the pictured wildlife, Phyllis Root includes fascinating facts and information on the state’s ecosystems and the plants and animals that make their homes there.

Author Phyllis Root and illustrator Betsy Bowen last explored the vast, boggy peatlands of northern Minnesota in their book Big Belching Bog. Now, in Plant a Pocket of Prairie, Root and Bowen take young readers on a trip to another of Minnesota’s important ecosystems: the prairie. Once covering almost 40 percent of the United States, native prairie is today one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Plant a Pocket of Prairie teaches children how changes in one part of the system affect every other part: when prairie plants are destroyed, the animals who eat those plants and live on or around them are harmed as well. Root shows what happens when we work to restore the prairies, encouraging readers to “plant a pocket of prairie” in their own backyards. By growing native prairie plants, children can help re-create food and habitat for the many birds, butterflies, and other animals that depend on them. “Plant cup plants,” Root suggests. “A thirsty chickadee might come to drink from a tiny leaf pool. Plant goldenrod. A Great Plains toad might flick its tongue at goldenrod soldier beetles.” An easy explanation of the history of the prairie, its endangered status, and how to go about growing prairie plants follows, as well as brief descriptions of all the plants and animals mentioned in the story. With Betsy Bowen’s beautiful, airy illustrations capturing the feel of an open prairie and all its inhabitants, readers of all ages will be inspired to start planting seeds and watching for the many fascinating animals their plants attract. What a marvelous transformation could take place if we all planted a pocket of prairie!

PICTURE STORYBOOKS. This is a tale about a rat who follows his dreams and goes to sea, with pictures by the illustrator of "The Gruffalo". Sam, the river rat, dreams of going to sea. Day and night, whatever he is doing, his thoughts turn seawards. His neighbours tell him to think of practical matters like fixing his fence and getting his garden in order. But Sam decides to build his own boat. His neighbours are sceptical, "You''ll be swallowed by a shark," they warn. By spring his boat is ready and Sam sets off on his voyage. The neighbours tell each other that that''s the last of Sam. But as they return to their vegetable patches, Sam is skimming over the wild green waves, and one day a passing seagull drops a note that reads, "Dear friends, please do not worry, I am happy. Love, Sam." Written in lyrical prose by Phyllis Root and illustrated in bright bold colours by Axel Sheffler, this book is the story of a river rat who follows his heart and realizes his dreams. Ages 4+.

A lost, lonely, scrawny cat who is hungry and afraid unexpectedly meets someone who takes him in and loves him, in a heartwarming tale about finding home in unlikely places.

Cold, wet, and acidic, bogs appear to be extremely hostile to life, yet numerous plants and animals have adapted in fascinating ways in order to survive there. In Big Belching Bog, Phyllis Root lets us in on the secrets of the mysterious bog, describing such special inhabitants as plants that eat insects, bog lemmings, and frogs that stay frozen through the winter and thaw out in the spring. But what''s that coming up from the bottom of the bog? The biggest bog secret of all, we learn, is the remarkable process of methane gas belching out of the bog. The gas is created by decaying peat moss and forms a bulge in the surface of the moss six inches or taller before breaking through. Does this "belch" make a sound? No one knows, says Root, because no one has ever heard it. In fact, bogs are known as some of the quietest places on earth. Maybe you will be the first to hear the big bog belch! Illustrated by renowned woodcut artist Betsy Bowen, Big Belching Bog also contains a section of bog facts, including more information about the plants and animals mentioned in the book as well as tips for visiting a bog. Big Belching Bog will stir the imagination of young readers and teach them about the landscape and environment of these mysterious and, ahem, gassy places.

Follows five little ducklings as they flip their wings, wobble their tails, follow their mother in a dash, find a puddle, and splash! On board pages.

The nonstop antics of five baby bunnies have them bumping, tumbling, zigging, zagging, wiggling, twitching, thumping, and lunching. On board pages.

Ten-year-old Lilly, a worrier who greatly fears the sea, leaves the home of her librarian great-uncle and sets out with an old woman pirate to rescue her parents, who were shipwrecked while seeking the elusive frangipani fruit fly on an uncharted island.

"Here’s a happy story hour choice. . . . A picture book that passes the fun test with flying fizz." — Booklist It’s hot, hot, hot! So Junie and Jake and Poppa and the baby want to go to the lake. But can they make it there in their rattletrap car? It doesn’t go fast, and it doesn’t go far. . . . Inventive wordplay and expressive illustrations make this a readaloud road trip to remember.

Living alone at the foot of the mountain, Pierre decides to take a ride to the other side in the hopes of making new friends and gets more than he bargained for when he picks up helpful Goat, Sheep, and Bear before ever reaching the top!

A lack of rain causes everyone on Bonnie Bumble''s farm to be dry and thirsty, but when a little cloud finally blows past, Bonnie comes up with a clever plan that calls for interspecies cooperation.

Big Books meet our Brand New Readers with short, funny stories by top authors and illustrators. What better way to share the joy of beginning to read?Join the spirited Mouse in four amusing adventures:Cat and Mouse It''s Super Mouse Picnic Pizza

"Perfect for reading aloud, this counting book has lots of sound effects that children will love to replicate. . . . Great fun." — Booklist One duck is stuck in the muck. Can two fish, tails going swish, help? What about three moose, munching on spruce? Will four crickets, chirping in the thickets, manage to pull the unlucky duck out of the muck? Bright, spirited illustrations by Jane Chapman enhance this one-of-a-kind counting tale by Phyllis Root — a feast of sounds and numbers sure to have listeners scrambling to join in the slippy, sloppy fun.

Although Aunt Nancy is known for her hospitality, she is determined to make sure Cousin Lazybones, Old Man Trouble, Mister Death, and Old Woeful don''t overstay their welcome by using her sharp wits and a dose of old-fashioned trickery to get them moving right along!

One winter in the Far North the sun disappears and Lucia, accompanied by her milk-white cat, braves the freezing cold and trolls who want to eat her, trying to find the sun and bring it back.

After building a house for herself and her cat, Tomasa adds on rooms for her friends and family. Doors and windows open and close, showing what''s inside each addition to the house.

Jill builds a cozy house just for her and her cat, but each of her neighbors, who are nursery rhyme characters, wants a room, so Jill keeps adding rooms to her house until it is not so cozy anymore.

Through a selection of talented writers and photographers, the North is embodied in the stories and photographs of the pursuit of albino deer in the central woods of Wisconsin, of the lifelong search to encounter a moose in the wilds of northern Minnesota, of one family''s half century old tradition of fishing in Ontario, of trailing timber rattlesnakes in the Mississippi River bluffs in southeastern Minnesota, and in many others. Each of the artist''s chapters offers a dramatic perspective of the region we love?each of them welcoming us North. Non-Fiction Hardcover: 112 pages Dimensions (in inches): 11 X 8.5 Publisher: Crotalus Publishing: (October 2004) ISBN 0-9741860-4-X

If you really want to see a woodland caribou, you might try going to a place forgotten by time. It should be a hushed place, with perhaps rocky green hills and blue water, home to loons and beaver, lichen and yellow buttercups. With every step, this gentle journey brings us to a deeper and more unique connection with nature. Phyllis Root’s mesmerizing text, together with Jim Meyer’s outstanding woodblock prints, makes the very heart of the forest come alive and reveals that if you are patient and quiet, sometimes what you are seeking will, in the end, find you.

Various disasters threaten to stop Poppa and the children from getting to the lake in their rattletrap car, but they manage to come up with an ingenious solution to each problem.

Ten little lambs want to play. But the sun is sinking, the stars are twinkling and sleepy eyes start to droop. Ten, nine, eight, seven - count the sheep as they fall asleep

En este libro ilustrado para niños, una madre, acompañada por su bebé, crea el mundo.