An innovative exploration of a butterfly’s life cycle — in reverse.

“If you want to be a butterfly, then arise, unfurl and welcome the waiting world,” the narrator of this playful book begins. Readers will flit from flower to flower with an adorable butterfly … hold on tight with a chrysalis through all sorts of weather … munch away with a greedy little caterpillar … sit very, very still and dream big with a teeny tiny egg. It’s a magical journey back in time, ending up … at the beginning!

Award-winning author Muon Thi Van’s lyrical language and use of the second person make this delightful picture book a perfect choice for interactive read-alouds, sure to spark the imagination and free the butterfly in every child. Lively and engaging, it promotes curiosity, observation, interpretation and discussion. Charming illustrations by Andrea Armstrong add personality to the butterfly that befits each stage of its development. This is a unique and captivating introduction to a key life science curriculum topic. The book ends with a full description with illustrations of the butterfly’s life cycle that highlights the important role butterflies play in ecosystems.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Kids Can Press, October 2023

A thoughtful and unique meditation on the shapes found in everyday life, sure to expand young children’s thinking.

In lyrical language, a mother tells her small daughter about the shapes that make up their lives. At first, the shapes are literal. The shape of their door is a rectangle, their table, a square. Water can be shaped like a cube or a cloud. And then she moves on to the figurative. The shape of learning is a question. The shape of warmth is a space waiting to be filled. Some shapes change, like a child growing up, while some remain the same, like the triangle of the mountain behind their house. The shape of her heart, she concludes, “will always be you.”

Bestselling and award-winning author Mượn Thị Văn has written an innovative, poetic and philosophical exploration of shapes and the many forms they can take, touching on objects, families and love. The meditative and heartwarming text is beautifully complemented by Miki Sato’s layered, multitextured and three-dimensional-looking illustrations created from different papers and fabrics. A soothing read-aloud, this picture book has the feel of a classic and promotes observation, curiosity, interpretation and discussion. It’s an excellent choice for exploring critical thinking, shapes and measurements with young children.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Kids Can Press, May 2023

• Kirkus Reviews Starred Review
• Publishers Weekly Starred Review

“Destined to become a classic.”
—Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

“Shapes become the vocabulary used to suggest a child’s experience of the world in this evocative picture book. Simple grammar yields philosophical meanings in Van’s incantatory lines. Sato’s collages layer vibrant colors, textiles, and embroidery, successfully visualizing that which feels elusive.”
—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

Author Muợn Thị Văn and Stonewall Book Award-winning artist Jessica Love detail all the big and small reasons why we love the people we do within a call-and-response picture book that features families across the spectrum.

“I love you because you tell the best stories.

Because I love you, my best story is you.”

What are all the big and small reasons why we love the people we do? And what does it look like when we voice it out loud?

To be read aloud by one or even two people, this affirming prose demonstrates that love is a dialogue. Love is complex. Love is utterly simple.

This is what love looks like.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Katherine Tegen Books, January 2022

• School Library Journal Starred Review
• 2022 Kids’ Indie Next List Pick
• CBeebies Bedtime Stories Selection 

“Beautifully written and illustrated, this title presents and grows the concept of love in so many ways that it cannot fail to inspire children to assess the ways they share love and are affected by it.”
—School Library Journal (Starred Review)

“Love is what makes the world go round. Tender and emotive . . . the book gently teases out the relationship between love and various qualities like playfulness, emotional strength, forgiveness, courage, and loyalty. An inclusive, affirming, warmhearted book with lots to love.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“In this call-and-response celebration of love’s power to grow and endure, individuals in inclusive pairs tell the other what their bond means to them. All are drawn with grace and humor. Throughout, words and images testify to acceptance, joy, and intimacy over time, and they are worth visiting again and again.”
—Publishers Weekly

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Foreign

• Korean: Prooni Books
• UK English: HarperCollins UK

Wishes tells the powerful, honest story about one Vietnamese family’s search for a new home on the other side of the world, and the long-lasting and powerful impact that makes on one of the youngest members of the family. Inspired by actual events in the author’s life, this is a narrative that is both timely and timeless. Told through the eyes of a young girl, the story chronicles a family’s difficult and powerful journey to pack up what they can carry and to leave their world behind, traveling to a new and unknown place in a crowded boat. With sparse, poetic, and lyrical text from acclaimed author Mượn Thị Văn, thoughtful back matter about the author’s connection to the story, and luminous, stunning illustrations from Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree Victo Ngai, Wishes tells a powerful and timely story in a gentle and approachable way for young children and their families.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Orchard Books, May 2021

• Publishers Weekly Starred Review
• Booklist Starred Review
• Kirkus Reviews Starred Review
• Shelf Awareness Starred Review
• BookPage Starred Review
• The Horn Book Starred Review

• Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis / German Children’s Literature Award 2024 Nominee

• Named #1 Best Picture Book of 2021 by BookPage
• 2022 Margaret Wise Brown Prize Winner
• 2022 California Book Awards Winner, Juvenile Category
• 2022 ILA Notable Books for a Global Society Award Winner
• 2022 I’m Your Neighbor Book Awards, New Arrival Book Winner
• 2021 Golden Poppy Award Co-Winner, Children’s Picture Books
• An NPR Best Book of the Year
• Horn Book 2021 Fanfare Pick
• 2021 New York Public Library’s Best Books for Kids List Pick
• Evanston Public Library’s 2021 101 Great Books for Kids List Pick
• Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Books of 2021
• About Crossing Borders Pick
• Red Tricycle’s “Best Children’s Books of 2021, so far” Pick
• Indies Children’s Illustrated “Another Indie Pick”
• Children’s Book Council Hot Off the Press Pick
• ABA Kids Indie Next List Pick
• A Junior Library Guild Selection
• Featured on ABC News Live Prime

“The collaboration between text and illustration is impressive; Văn’s lyrical and poetic writing gently propels the story forward, while Ngai’s honest and detailed pictures depict the heartbreaking reality of separation and extend the tale beyond its words.”
—The Horn Book (Starred Review)

“A seamless interweaving of elegant prose and atmospheric art marks this affecting immigrant narrative.”
—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“This story of escape makes refugees’ experiences more lucid and will summon deep feeling from readers.”
—Booklist (Starred Review)

“A superb, beautifully moving collaboration of text and illustration.”
—Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

“This rich and nuanced tale illuminates the closely held wishes of refugees the world over. It’s unforgettable.”
—BookPage (Starred Review)

“The author’s choice of narrators elicits a surprising wealth of emotion, evoking distinct and tactile sensations of hardship, perseverance and hope upon arriving at a new shore. The understated wording is enhanced by the art of Victo Ngai (illustrator of Dazzle Ships), which is stylized though realistic, in a lush subdued palette.”
—Shelf Awareness (Starred Review)

“The personal story combined with the pitch perfect storytelling and jaw-dropping art means that this book is special. Its story may be set in the past, but its message cannot age or decay.”
—Elizabeth Bird, School Library Journal’s A Fuse #8 Production

“A poignant, poetic ode…hopeful and moving picture book.”
—Parents Magazine

“Beautifully illustrated, a book like WISHES gives your deepest sorrows, biggest fears, and dearest hopes a magic container, one you can slide across the table or open together in bed, and let it speak volumes for you in just a few words.”
—Thi Bui, author of National Book Award winner The Best We Could Do and illustrator of Caldecott Honor winner A Different Pond

“A gorgeous story capturing the refugee immigrant experience.”
—Kelly Yang, New York Times bestselling author of the Front Desk series

“A heart-wrenching journey captured via the wishes of the light, the night, a dream, the sea, and more. A universal story of leaving and arriving and remembering, illuminated by wistful and lush illustrations.  WISHES encapsulates our commonality, our humanity, our wish for safety for ourselves and our families.”
—Pam Muñoz Ryan, author of Mañanaland and the Newbery Honor Book, Echo.

“WISHES is an exquisite and emotive offering that deepens our understanding of migration. Van and Ngai together have given the world a luminescent story of human longing for safety and home.”
—Aida Salazar, author of the NCTE Notable Poetry and Verse Novel Award winner, The Moon Within and Jane Addams Peace Award finalist, The Land of Cranes

“It is incredible how you can say so much with so little. Like a perfect marriage, the words and pictures of WISHES complete each other, bringing the reader along an epic journey full of experiences and emotions within just 17 spreads and 75 words. I was immediately moved to tears.
—Yuko Shimizu, illustrator of the Caldecott Honor Book, The Cat Man of Aleppo

“Powerful, hopeful, and timely.”
—The Fan Brothers, creators of The Night Gardener and When Ocean Meets Sky

“This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever seen. A masterpiece.”
—Jessica Love, creator of the Stonewall Book Award winner, Julián is a Mermaid

“My heart was with this refugee family through every stunningly illustrated page. By sharing one child’s simple, vital wish for safety and compassion, WISHES reminds us of our common humanity.”
—Christina Soontornvat, Newbery Honor winning-author of A Wish in the Dark

“With spare, ‘packs-a-punch’ text and lush illustrations, this journey of leaving home to begin anew nearly took my breath away.”
—Tami Charles, New York Times bestselling author of All Because You Matter

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Foreign

• French: Scholastic
• German: HoramiVerlag
• Korean: Prooni Books, Inc.

Book Club

• Junior Library Guild
• Weston Woods

A poetic and evocative exploration of the natural world at night illustrated in illuminating paper-cut dioramas. This dreamlike picture book asks the question: if you were night, what would you do? If you saw the moon tiptoe past your window, would you nestle under the covers? Or would you step outside to follow it? What if you felt a tail brush your ankle, would you freeze? Or skitter away? And if you saw an owl swoop from a branch, would you hide? Or join the hunt? All the while, the child pictured in the book chooses adventure, and thrillingly experiences a night like no other.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Kids Can Press, September 2020

“A quirky but appealing story, suited for a one-on-one bedtime reading or inspiring imaginations in story hours.”
—School Library Journal

“Librarians, teachers and parents will enjoy using If You Were Night to reinforce the use of colourful vocabulary, to talk about the life of the nighttime world, and just for its reassuring tone as a bedtime lilt.”
—CM Magazine

“… stylish, evocative …”
—Publishers Weekly

“Pousette’s cut paper, diorama art plays with green shades of moonlight and shadow, drawing us into night’s magic.”
—The Toronto Star

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Foreign

• Vietnamese: Crabit Kidbooks

2 is a little. 0 is nothing. 1 is not enough. Well, sometimes … 1 sun is a lot. 1 dog is a lot. 2 can even be too much. And when it comes to rain clouds, 0 is perfect. It’s curious, but true. It all depends on what you’re counting!

Bestselling and critically acclaimed author Mượn Thị Văn offers an innovative and thought-provoking look at the question, How many is enough? Simple page by simple page, young readers are shown examples of how, when counting things, the smallest numbers — 0, 1 and 2 — can mean a little, a lot or just the right amount. With its playful spirit and lyrical text, this unique, philosophical picture book promotes critical thinking, observation and discussion, even among the youngest children, and introduces a new way to appreciate numbers. 

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Kids Can Press, October 2019

• Kirkus Reviews Starred Review
• Globe and Mail “October’s best bet for children’s books” selection

“One unique picture book with much to say equals quite a lot.”
—Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

“One Is A Lot (Except When It’s Not) is a delight for both children and the adults who will read with them.”
—CM Magazine

“… simple and deep …”
—ABQLA (l’Association des bibliothécaires du Québec – Quebec Library Association)

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Foreign

• Vietnamese: Crabit Kidbooks

Magical mayhem and hilarity ensue when a clever little witch tries to turn her baby brother into a goldfish in this funny and imaginative picture book about sibling rivalry.

Little Linh is the cleverest little witch on Mãi Mãi island. She has everything she could need: a trusty broomstick, a powerful spell book, and a magical pet mouse. She also has a new brother named Baby Phu, and she does not like him one bit. He crashes her broomstick, eats pages out of her spell book, and keeps her up all night. Little Linh tried giving Baby Phu away, but nobody will take him, not even the Orphanage for Lost and Magical Creatures.

So, she’ll just have to try something else…like turning him into a goldfish. The only problem is, Baby Phu ate the second half of the spell. Still, there’s a reason Little Linh is the cleverest little witch. She can guess the second half of the spell…but it might take a few tries.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Margaret K. McElderry Books, July 2019

• Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration

“A magical and humorous, but entirely relatable tale of sibling rivalry (and reconciliation).”
—School Library Journal

“A charming take on sibling conflict.”
—Kirkus Reviews

A little monster discovers that true terribleness can come in a very tiny package in this bold, funny exploration of sibling rivalry.

Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who’s the most terrible one of all?

Every morning, Smugg’s magic mirror tells him that he’s the most terrible monster there is. Until one day, when the mirror tells him there’s an even worse monster, right next door! More terrible than Smugg? How can that be?

When Smugg marches next door, he learns that his neighbors have a new baby. She doesn’t look so bad—after all, she’s tiny. Smugg is sure he can be more terrible than she is. But the little beast is just getting started. She writes on the walls, devours the books, and—oh no!—she won’t stop crying. But the worst part is that she just might be getting attached to Smugg himself! He wouldn’t want a terrible tiny baby clinging to him…would he?

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Margaret K. McElderry Books, April 2019

• Irma Black Honor Award
• Bank Street College of Education’s Best Children’s Books of the Year 2020 – Under 5

“Funny, adorable, and gross in just the right fashion for kids.”
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

When the Little Tree sees the world around her narrowing, she worries about what life will be like for her Little Seed. She decides to take the biggest risk of all, and let Little Seed find a richer life on her own.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Creston Books, October 2015

• Kirkus Reviews Starred Review
• Publishers Weekly Starred Review
• Children’s Book Council Hot Off The Press Selection
• Los Angeles Times Holiday Books List Selection
• National Geographic Learning Program Selection

“Full of gentle rhythm and repetition, this deceptively simple, layered poetic tale will charm its way into readers’ hearts and begs to be read over and over again.”
—Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

“The idea that letting someone go can sometimes be the best way to love them isn’t an easy one to share with children (or parents, for that matter), but Van and Adinolfi do so with grace and aplomb.”
—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Foreign

• Sepedi: Room to Read

Written in a spare, lyrical style using fresh, evocative imagery, Village by the Sea tells the story of longing for the comforts of home. A perfect book for teaching about diverse cultures and lifestyles through rich pictures and words, moving from the wide world to the snugness of home and back out again.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Creston Books, May 2015

• Kirkus Reviews Starred Review
• Publishers Weekly Starred Review
• Northern California Book Awards Winner for “Children’s Literature, Younger Readers” (2016)
• Huffington Post Best Pictures Books of 2015, “Best Surprise” Winner
• Kirkus Best Picture Books of 2015 Selection
• New York Public Library’s 100 Notable Titles for Reading and Sharing 2015
• New York Public Library “Best Books for Kids” Selection (2015)
• Pennsylvania Center for the Book Best Children’s Books of 2016 Selection
• Junior Library Guild Selection
• Georgia Book Award Finalist (2016-2017)
• Cybils Award Finalist
• Nutmeg Book Award Nominee
• Star of the North Book Award Nominee

A delightful and quiet read that effectively evokes the book’s setting.
—School Library Journal

“In circular fashion, this simple story’s narration unfolds, with great power behind the few words on each page.”
—Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

“A lovely, resonant portrait of family life that hums with quiet magic.”
—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“As minimal as the text might initially appear, Muon Van’s debut picture book is as deep as the Sea she references in her title . . . Van and Chu’s paper and ink manifestation of family and history is magnificent to behold. Read it, love it, share it.”
—Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Foreign

• Chinese: Liaoning Science & Technology Publishing House
• Gujarati: Room to Read
• Hindi: Room to Read
• Kannada: Room to Read
• Marathi: Room to Read
• Nepali: Room to Read
• Sepedi: Room to Read
• Sinhala: Room to Read
• Tamil: Room to Read
• Telugu: Room to Read
• Vietnamese: Crabit Kidbooks