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A lively look at the journey of a West Coast tugboat towing a log boom, as seen through the eyes of a young boy. 

"I’m helping Dad on the tugboat. We’re going to tow a log boom to the sawmill on the river… I look out for ferries and other boats in the harbor… Then I see it — a deadhead!"

Follow a child and his father through their workday on a tugboat on the West Coast as they watch a log boom being made, then tow it to a mill upriver. The pair must steer clear of other ships, race against the tide and weather a storm along the way. 

Told from a child's perspective, this fun, accessible picture book explores the key role of a tugboat in the logging process. As explained in the author's note, the story is inspired by Scot Ritchie’s childhood memories of seeing tugs and log booms off the coast of Vancouver, British Columbia, with additional information provided in the note about forestry on the West Coast today.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 6.

Key text features: author's note, diagrams, glossary, illustrations, facts, map, speech bubbles, writing inspiration

Additional Information
40 pages | 9.75" x 10.75" | Hardcover

Il y a très longtemps, dans un pays lointain, deux bandes d'oiseaux vivaient sur des territoires voisins : les paons et les cygnes. Leurs différences firent peu à peu naître la méfiance et chaque groupe se mit à accumuler des armes pour se défendre en cas de danger... 

Puis, un jour, aveuglés par leur propre frayeur, les paons déclenchèrent une guerre sanglante, jusqu'à ce qu'il ne reste que deux oeufs.

Comment se comporteront les oisillons qui en naîtront ?

Educator Information
This resource is also available in English: Feathers and Fools

Additional Information
Dès 7 ans | 32 pages | 28 x 21 cm

Leira is about to start her initiation as a priestess when her world is turned upside down. A violent earthquake leaves her home--and her family--in pieces. And the earth goddess hasn't finished with the island yet.

With her family, Leira flees across the sea to Crete, expecting sanctuary. But a volcanic eruption throws the entire world into darkness. After the resulting tsunami, society descends into chaos; the status and privilege of being noble-born are reduced to nothing. With her injured mother and elderly nurse, Leira must find the strength and resourcefulness within herself to find safety.

A thrilling new Bronze Age survival story from the award-winning author of Dragonfly Song and Nim's Island.

Reviews
"[Orr's] mixture of prose and free verse to tell Leira's story is lyrical and magnetic—and devastating. Not for readers searching for a simple or happy journey, this is a beautiful song of a book that shows that life isn't always fair, but change is always constant."—Kirkus Reviews

"Leira's lyrical first-person narrative advances the story along beautifully with a fitting sense of urgency, and free-verse songs clue readers in to her emotional development. Immersive historical fiction."—Booklist Starred Review

"Some chapters written in verse make the more emotional plotlines sing. An eye-opening look at how difficult it is when one's status changes in life, and how attitude can shape outcome. VERDICT: Beautiful writing and a fast-moving plot will give young historical fiction fans much to love."—School Library Journal

"Leira's protracted fall from grace is effectively punctuated by seamless narrative shifts among prose, verse, and song, which fans of Orr's Dragonfly Song will recognize. What she endures—the uncertainty of her family's fate and becoming a servant herself—makes for a gripping exploration of privilege during her journey toward womanhood."—Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books

"Swallow's Dance is a sweeping tale of courage, fortitude, hardship and perseverance against all odds. It is also a coming of age story, an intimate glimpse into the life of a young girl adjusting to puberty at a time when her family, friendships and her understanding of her place in the world are brutally torn apart. Wendy Orr has crafted a sympathetic, memorable heroine whose struggles and challenges transcend time from the Bronze Age to modern day....While suitable for middle-grade students and a wonderful introduction to mythology and discussions surrounding puberty, spirituality, class, mental health, death and disaster, Swallow's Dance is one of those rare books that is also just a great story, an epic tale for all ages. Highly Recommended."—CM Magazine

"Top notch historical fiction for those who like it ancient!... The scenes of devastation – earthquake in Santorini, tsunami in Crete – are riveting to experience through the lens of a survivor."—Youth Services Book Review

"Orr's attention to character development is extremely well done....Swallow's Dance could be used in conjunction with the grades-five-to-eight Language Arts or Social Studies curriculum and would be great to teach students how to incorporate symbolism and imagery through free verse and poetry. In addition, Swallow's Dance could also be used to teach students about family, culture, history and the importance of the role of women in society. A fantastic novel to use as a read-aloud or novel study!"—Canadian Children's Book News

Educator Information
Recommended Ages: 10-14

Themes/Subjects: Legends, Myths, Fables - Greek & Roman / Historical - Ancient Civilizations / Action & Adventure - Survival Stories / Coming of Age.

Additional Information
288 pages | 5.50" x 8.00"

A child's first experience of death involves love, laughter, and some big questions about life.

Norma and her parents are going to her great-uncle Frank’s funeral, and Norma is more excited than sad. She is looking forward to playing with her favorite cousin, Ray, but when she arrives at the church, she is confronted with rituals and ideas that have never occurred to her before. While not all questions can be answered, when the day is over Norma is certain of one thing — Uncle Frank would have enjoyed his funeral.

This sensitive and life-affirming story will lead young readers to ask their own questions about life, death and how we remember those who have gone before us.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4-7.  

Curriculum Connections

• Health / human development
• Social studies / heritage and identity 

Additional Information

40 pages | 8.75" x 12.00"

In 2007, when a new edition of the Oxford Junior Dictionary — widely used in schools around the world — was published, a sharp-eyed reader soon noticed that around forty common words concerning nature had been dropped. Apparently they were no longer being used enough by children to merit their place in the dictionary. The list of these “lost words” included acorn, adder, bluebell, dandelion, fern, heron, kingfisher, newt, otter, and willow. Among the words taking their place were attachment, blog, broadband, bullet-point, cut-and-paste, and voice-mail.

The news of these substitutions — the outdoor and natural being displaced by the indoor and virtual — became seen by many as a powerful sign of the growing gulf between childhood and the natural world. 

Ten years later, Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris set out to make a “spell book” that will conjure back twenty of these lost words, and the beings they name, from acorn to wren. By the magic of word and paint, they sought to summon these words again into the voices, stories, and dreams of children and adults alike, and to celebrate the wonder and importance of everyday nature. The Lost Words is that book — a work that has already cast its extraordinary spell on hundreds of thousands of people and begun a grass-roots movement to re-wild childhood across Britain, Europe, and North America.

Reviews
“Gorgeous to look at and to read. Give it to a child to bring back the magic of language - and its scope.” — Jeanette Winterson

“The most beautiful and thought-provoking book I've read this year.” — Frank Cottrell-Boyce

Educator Information
All over the world, there are words disappearing from children's lives. These are the words of the natural world. The rich landscape of wild imagination and wild paly is rapidly fading from our children's minds. The Lost Words stands against the disappearance of wild childhood. It is a joyful celebration of nature words and the natural world they invoke. With acrostic spell-poems by award-winning writer Robert Macfarlane and hand-painted illustrations by Jackie Morris, this enchanting book captures the irreplaceable magic of language and nature for all ages.

Additional Information 
128 pages | 10.75" x 14.50"

In this young reader novel, ten-year-old Jeanie Leclare has just moved to the West Coast from Saskatchewan. She's desperately lonely and longs for a new friend. When the girl sitting in front of her at school seems friendly, she feels a little better. Then an excavator arrives and demolishes the cute house next door. Everyone, including Jeanie's new friend, Isabelle, is aghast. But Jeanie has a secret, a secret that she knows will turn her new classmates against her. At recess time, the excavator heads for a huge and beautiful cedar next to the school. Isabelle leads a band of kids, including Jeanie, to stop it. That's when they discover Jeanie's secret: the contracting company that destroyed the house belongs to Jeanie's uncle and father. Jeanie promises her new classmates that she'll do whatever it takes to protect the cherished tree. Trouble is, she can't convince her uncle and father to agree not to cut it down. So now it's totally up to Jeanie and Isabelle to come to the cedar tree's defence. They are the Tree Musketeers.

Reviews
"Norma Charles shows exactly what it's like to feel new and different and judged, and leaves us knowing we're going to be okay" - Jennifer Mook-Sang 

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 9 to 12.

Tree Musketeers is a successful portrait of kid-sized eco-warriors and finding one’s voice – a homespun tale of triumph with a touch of socially responsible charm.

Additional Information
110 pages | 5.25" x 7.63" | Paperback

Dominique passe la fin de semaine chez son cousin Étienne. Celui-ci en profite pour l’initier à son sport favori : mieux que le hockey, le hockey bottine ! La seule et unique règle est de s’amuser, en marquant le plus de buts possible. Le match s’annonce mouvementé. Actions d’éclat, culbutes et fous rires sont au rendez-vous !Un album qui sent bon l’hiver et les copains.Une histoire signée David Bouchard et Dean Griffiths, à la fin surprenante qui plaira aussi bien aux garçons qu’aux filles.

Lila vient tout juste de déménager dans une nouvelle ville. Excitée à l'idée de se faire de nouveaux amis, elle est abasourdie lorsque, dès le premier jour d'école, un petit garçon montre du doigt ses cheveux couleur ébène et la traite de corneille. Les autres élèves chuchotent et ricanent, et le coeur de Lila devient lourd. Le jour suivant, Lila cache ses cheveux. Mais cette fois, le petit garçon montre du doigt sa peau foncée en riant. Et quand Lila cache sa peau, ce sont de ses yeux que le petit garçon se moque.

Lila aperçoit une corneille sur sa route. Elle tente de chasser l'oiseau, mais il semble l'attendre chaque soir. Doucement, cet oiseau si sombre donnera un peu d'espoir à Lila et lui insufflera le courage d'être elle-même et de briller.

Une histoire poignante sur l'intimidation et sur l'acceptation de nos différences et de celles des autres.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5 - 8.

This resource is also available in English as Lila and the Crow.

Subjects/Themes: diversity; self-esteem; conflict resolution; Native peoples; prejudice; bullying; school; animals

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.94" x 8.96"

When Malaika moves to Canada, there’s a lot to get used to, especially Carnival in the wintertime!

Malaika is happy to be reunited with Mummy, but it means moving to Canada, where everything is different. It’s cold in Québec City, no one understands when she talks and Carnival is nothing like the celebration Malaika knows from home!

When Mummy marries Mr. Frédéric, Malaika gets a new sister called Adèle. Her new family is nice, but Malaika misses Grandma. She has to wear a puffy purple coat, learn a new language and get used to calling this new place home. Things come to a head when Mummy and Mr. Frédéric take Malaika and Adèle to a carnival. Malaika is dismayed that there are no colorful costumes and that it’s nothing like Carnival at home in the Caribbean! She is so angry that she kicks over Adèle’s snow castle, but that doesn’t make her feel any better. It takes a video chat with Grandma to help Malaika see the good things about her new home and family.

Nadia L. Hohn’s prose, written in a blend of standard English and Caribbean patois, tells a warm story about the importance of family, especially when adjusting to a new home. 

Reviews
"Hohn contrasts Caribbean and Canadian cultures tenderly, with deep understanding of both, and she and Luxbacher have created a sweet, immersive and loving book that will benefit both young new arrivals to a country and those just meeting them." — Kirkus Reviews, July 2017

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 7.

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.6
With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

Additional Information
36 pages | 10.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover 

Follow along as Pup learns how to eat spiky sea urchins, somersault beneath the waves and groom himself. He still needs a lot of help from Mother, but one day Pup will be old enough to dive down below the waves and search for food on his own.
Accompanied by beautiful illustrations and set in the North Pacific, this heartwarming tale is perfect for little ones who still have lots to learn themselves.

This stunning nature alphabet book explores the fascinating ecosystem of the Pacific west coast — a magnificent area that combines an ancient rainforest, a rugged beach and a vast, open ocean, and where whales, bears, wolves, eagles and a rich variety of marine species thrive in an interconnected web of life.

Author Deborah Hodge has spent more than forty years on the west coast, frequently visiting the Pacific Rim region, and she knows it intimately. From A to Z she describes in vivid language the rainforest, ocean and beach, and a great variety of animals that a child might see walking along the shore — from tiny sea jellies to inquisitive sandpipers to leaping orcas. Illustrator Karen Reczuch brings her remarkable talent to the book, and has created image after image that is simply breathtaking. The text and art have been carefully checked for scientific accuracy.

Includes a note about the Pacific west coast and suggestions for exploring the region and further reading.

Children are aware that they should not waste water -- "turn off the tap when you brush your teeth", "take a quick shower". But do they understand why? And that they could do more?

In Enough Water? children will discover the reasons that water warrants concern. In simple text, the book explains the actual "cost" of the water that sustains their lifestyle. This "water footprint" is the amount of freshwater used to produce the goods and services they consume, including manufacturing, growing, harvesting, packaging, and shipping to market where they buy it. The human water footprint contributes to an irreversible loss of Earth's finite water supply.

Aimed at children, the clear info-graphics show how much water is used to make everyday things -- what they wear, what they eat, and so on. The examples will shock: 240 gallons of water (visually comparable to 240 ice cream containers!) to make a smartphone; 92.5 gallons to make a T-shirt and 2,100 for jeans; and 634 gallons to make a cheeseburger (no toppings). The water footprint of just one bottle of cola is equivalent to 350 bottles of water which if stacked on top of each other would reach the roof of a 25-story building.

Enough Water? introduces a cross-section of water issues, including personal and industrial consumption, pollution, irrigation, Earth's limited freshwater supply, and drought which affects all continents. The clever, easily understood info-graphics raise awareness of how our all-consuming lifestyle is literally made of water.

For home, school and the library, Enough Water? is essential for this generation of inquisitive children facing an uncertain future.

Educator Information
Recommended Ages: 9-12.

Introduction from Steve Conrad, the Associate Director of the Pacific Water Research Centre at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. He is a content expert on assisting organizations, municipalities, and regional governments reach sustainability goals in energy, water demand and supply, greenhouse gas management, and operational efficiency. 

Additional Information 
72 pages | 9.00" x 9.00" | color infographics and photographs throughout, bibliography, glossary, index | Corporate Author: Editors at Firefly Books

Teachers! This book is like a whole unit on migration wrapped in a winning combination of easy verse, factual language, and beautiful illustrations.

For animals, migration is a powerful compulsion to travel, sometimes over long distances, often skipping many meals. Sometimes, as in the case of the monarch butterfly, a round-trip takes several generations. Why do they do it? How do they succeed? The ten featured species offer a broad representation of migration: loggerhead turtles, monarch butterflies, manatees, ruby-throated hummingbirds, Pacific salmon, Canada geese, California gray whales, caribou, Arctic tern, and emperor penguin.

The book is loaded with additional tips for teachers. Once again Marianne Berkes combines her teaching, writing, and theatrical skills to combine entertainment with education--creative non-fiction at its best.

Reviews
"Teachers especially will welcome this poetic look at animal migration patterns. Ten critters, ranging from Canada geese to caribou and loggerhead turtles, celebrate their “going home” with a rhyme, a small paragraph of information, and a colorful, realistic illustration spreading across facing pages. A large map helps readers follow migratory patterns, and a closing section contains a look at the “mystery” of migration, further data on the creatures in focus, and a handy-dandy passel of suggestions, such as to “Write Your Own Story” about an animal not included in this book.... [T]he book is a pleasant way to tie creative writing and natural history in a simple package." — School Library Journal

"A winning combination of verse, factual language, and beautiful illustrations that describe the mysterious migration patterns of animals from loggerhead turtles to monarch butterflies to ruby-throated hummingbird to caribou. Resources at the end of the book include websites to learn more about the featured animals, and several lesson and activity ideas for educators." — ForeWord Reviews – Teresa Scollon

Educator Information
A poetic, yet factual, book on animal migration patterns that includes a map of migration routes, detailed information on each species mentioned, teaching tips, activities, and a list of books and websites for further study.

Recommended Ages: 4-10

Additional Information
32 pages | 10.50" x 9.00"

These twenty-five rhyming poems invite children to believe in themselves, learn from mistakes, cooperate, share, help others, solve problems, be kind, tell the truth, make positive choices, and more. The short poems are quick to read, easy to learn, and fun to recite—making them perfect for teaching social skills to young children. Children can memorize their favorite poems, talk about them, act them out, and get ideas for creating their own. Accompanying photographs show children from diverse backgrounds in realistic settings, and back matter provides adults with ideas for thought-provoking discussion, activities, and learning. This charming update to a popular volume of poetry for children is a book that adults and children will love sharing again and again.

Educator Information
Reading Level: Grade 2
Interest Level: Ages 4–8
Guided Reading Level: L

Additional Information
64 pages | 8.23" x 7.83"

Would you be surprised if you came face to face with a Drumming Katydid, Red-eared Slider or Brown Bullhead? Would you know what to do if Dalmatian Toadflax or Giant Hogweed landed in your neighbourhood? Alex Van Tol can help. In Aliens Among Us, she identifies more than 50 species of animals and plants that have invaded British Columbia. With the help of colour photographs and illustrations, she exposes the invaders, explains how they got here and what they’re doing to the environment.

In this first-ever children’s book published by the Royal BC Museum, Van Tol has harvested the knowledge of museum biologists to alert the next generation of responsible environmentalists. Her list of serious invaders includes the colourfully named Purple Loosestrife, Violet Tunicate, Eastern Grey Squirrel and Yellow Perch, species that tend to take over an area and crowd out or destroy native species. She names the creatures that can eat their way through an ecosystem, like Smallmouth Bass, Gypsy Moths and American Bullfrogs, as well as vandals like Norway Rats and European Starlings that cause damage to property. And she points out the species that might do serious harm to humans and other animals, such Rockpool Mosquitoes, Giant Hogweed and Poison Hemlock. Some aliens, like European Wall Lizards and Giant Garden Slugs, haven’t yet posed problems in BC, at least not that we’re aware of – but they still need to be watched. And finally, Van Tol raises the alert on species that haven’t yet arrived but may be coming soon, like Northern Snakeheads, Fence Lizards and Zebra Mussels. This readable and alarmingly informative book will help young people prepare for the invasion, and arm them with the tools to stop the spread of unwanted aliens in British Columbia.

Reviews
"Chapters include examples within every class of animal and a selection of herbaceous and woody plants found in BC. One chapter discusses three animals (e.g. zebra mussel) not yet in the province, but likely to appear soon. Another chapter looks at native species (e.g. northern raccoon) that can dominate enough to upset ecology. Finally, the author offers a few examples of aliens that have become so familiar (e.g. cattle) that we forget they are not native here. An important feature is the section “You Can Help” which outlines ways to stop the spread of aliens and urges the reporting of sightings. There’s a Glossary of terms, several pages of scientific names and a useful list of sources, both print and web. The book is packed with concise, intriguing details gathered by the BC author, a former teacher who loves to research. It is published by the Royal BC Museum which attests to its relevancy and accuracy." - CM Magazine, 2016

Additional Information
128 pages | 7.50" x 9.00"