NOVEDADES

What do we do when we can't fall asleep? The child in this story has racing thoughts--funny, silly, and scary--that are running on a cycle they can't stop. It's only when they begin to think to themselves: Do any of these thoughts have merit? Am I in any danger right here and now? that they are finally able to settle down. This lovely picture book is a simple but complex message about acknowledging anxiety without succumbing to it that will appeal to so many little ones (and adults) out there who find that nighttime is when their thoughts carry the most weight.

Teeming with tension, this immersive, rhapsodic story transports readers to the Swiss mountainside, bringing to mind the writing of Thomas Mann while offering character studies as vivid and bracing as Eudora Welty’s. Feed is running low in a rural village in Switzerland. The town council meets to decide whether or not to ascend a chimerical mountain in order to access the open pastures that have enough grass to “feed seventy animals all summer long.” The elders of the town protest, warning of the dangers and the dreadful lore that enfolds the mountain passageways like thick fog. They’ve seen it all before, reckoning with the loss of animals and men who have tried to reach the pastures nearly twenty years ago. The younger men don’t listen, making plans to set off on their journey despite all warnings. Strange things happen. Spirits wrestle with headstrong young men. As the terror of life on the mountain builds, Ramuz’s writing captures the rural dialog and mindsets of the men. One of the most talented translators working today, Bill Johnston captures the careful and sublime twists and turns of the original in his breathtaking translation.

The Lorax describes nine kid-friendly inventions from around the world that are helping keep our planet green! From a googly-eyed garbage eating machine to Living Seawalls to edible water “bottles” these amazing inventions will inspire children to think creatively about the world around them and take a fresh look at life’s challenges! Illustrated with bright, cheerful art and full-color photographs, Green Machines includes brief biographies on the diverse inventors included in the book, plus a brainstorming activity to encourage young readers to think like inventors. It’s a perfect choice to nurture a love and respect for the natural world—as well as a love of reading and creative thinking!