How do you measure a life? One story at a time can be used as a good yardstick; it encompasses great deeds of valor as well as little private moments. Who doesn’t like to be heard? Come to dinner and ‘listen in’ on tales told by guests who have past the mid century mark and are invited, one evening at a time, to savor a memory. The listener is as important as the storyteller because our host for the evening, though never saying a word, is a silent witness to the past.

The garden is an oasis, a pocket of nature in our busy modern lives, full of plants, animals, insects – and a fair bit of magic. Folk Tales from the Garden follows the seasons through a year of stories, garden lore and legends. Explore the changing face of nature just outside your front door, from the tale of the Creator painting her birds and the merits of kissing an old toad, to pixies sleeping in the tulips, and an unusually large turnip.

Take a rhythmic journey through riddles and rhymes to the secret world of the plants in your backyard. Your questions are finally answered by the keepers of their secrets. Readers learn both the good and the not-so-good secret powers of common weeds in this backyard adventure book. A fairy guardian will guide you to meet the plants in their magical world. You will meet the cute Dandelion as you rhyme your way through its edible uses or learn to be wary of Bittersweet Nightshade with its toxic berries. Tales of the Plant Guardians: Backyard Adventures will create a world of wonder in your own backyard while introducing botany to your children.

Learn from home and explore the world with these fun and easy board books! Young children love to look at bugs. Here’s a Hello, World! board book that teaches toddlers all about the insects in their backyards—with colors, sounds, sizes, and super-simple facts. Hello, World! is a series designed to introduce first nonfiction concepts to babies and toddlers. Told in clear and easy terms and featuring bright, cheerful illustrations, Hello, World! makes learning fun for young children. And each sturdy page offers helpful prompts for engaging with your child. (“Chomp! A bright red ladybug munches on a leaf. Point to each of its spots.”) It’s a perfect way to bring science and nature into the busy world of a toddler, where learning never stops. Look for all the books in the Hello, World! series: • Solar System • Weather • Backyard Bugs • Birds • Dinosaurs • My Body • How Do Apples Grow? • Ocean Life • Moon Landing • Pets • Arctic Animals • Construction Site • Rainforest Animals • Planet Earth • Reptiles • Cars and Trucks • Music • Baby Animals • On the Farm • Garden Time • Planes and Other Flying Machines • Rocks and Minerals • Snow • Let's Go Camping • School Day

In Leaves from the Garden of Eden, Howard Schwartz, a three-time winner of the National Jewish Book Award, has gathered together one hundred of the most astonishing and luminous stories from Jewish folk tradition. Just as Schwartz's award-winning book Tree of Souls collected the essential myths of Jewish tradition, Leaves from the Garden of Eden collects one hundred essential Jewish tales. As imaginative as the Arabian Nights, these stories invoke enchanted worlds, demonic realms, and mystical experiences. The four most popular types of Jewish tales are gathered here--fairy tales, folktales, supernatural tales, and mystical tales--taking readers on heavenly journeys, lifelong quests, and descents to the underworld. There is a dybbuk lurking in a well, a book that comes to life, and a world where Lilith, the Queen of Demons, seduces the unsuspecting. Here too are Jewish versions of many of the best-known tales, including "Cinderella," "Snow White," and "Rapunzel." Schwartz's retelling of one of these stories, "The Finger," inspired Tim Burton's film Corpse Bride.

Fairies are real, and they're all around us! Award-winning author-illustrator Phoebe Wahl offers a fanciful and beautifully illustrated peek into the hidden world of fairies, sprites, and other magical creatures. A girl searches for fairies in her backyard and the woods beyond, following little clues and traces of magic. Fairies and other magical creatures can be found on every page, hidden among the flowers, trees and pebbles. But although readers can see them, the girl keeps searching, just one step behind... In the end, it is clear (both to the girl and readers) that there is magic all around, even when it's hidden in plain sight. Phoebe Wahl takes us deep into the world of fairies, and her vibrant, multi-textured woodland scenes are every bit as enchanting as the creatures therein. A gorgeously illustrated paean to imagination and the natural world. "Delightful . . . This gently magical outing will appeal not only to longtime lovers of European folklore, but also to fans of the popular "fairy door" phenomenon."--Kirkus Reviews

Board book edition of the best-selling winner of the Waterstones Childrens Book Prize, Illustrated Book Category.

Tree Of Dreams is a masterful collection, Newbery Honor author Laurence yet ascends the tree of dreams, taking young readers on a journey through its branches to offer a new perspective on dreams and dreaming.

Children will delight in this charming collection of stories featuring plants and animals often seen in Hawaii's gardens. A lone orchid finds friendship among roses; a kind albatross teaches a young frog about the joy of discovery; two greedy mynahs learn about sharing; a lazy blue ginger is encouraged to blossom. As a good fable should, each of these wondrous tales offers a valuable lesson at the end -- but it's one that goes down with a smile. Here are ten stories from a Hawaiian garden that will entertain and guide young and old, all illustrated in brilliant watercolors. Recommended for ages 4 and up.