New Releases by Nancy Van Laan

Young readers are given an emotionally powerful yet accessible introduction to what it is like having a close family member with Alzheimer’s disease in this deeply resonant story about the relationship between a girl and her grandmother. Grandma’s whole family is concerned as they start to notice that she is becoming more and more forgetful. After they find her wandering the neighborhood, they need to make an important decision on her behalf—that the time has come for her to move out of her house and into an assisted living community where she can have the best care possible. This Read & Listen edition contains audio narration.

Family members go to great lengths to rid their child of head lice.

A mother and toddler have fun at suppertime.

Big one? Small one? Skinny one? Tall one? Which tree will be perfect for climbing? Not the tree with one owl nesting. Not the tree with two possums dangling. Not the tree with three worms crawling. Uh-oh! Oh, no! Will there ever be a tree that’s just right? Filled with colorful animals to count and name, this bouncing story will have even the youngest listeners chiming in.

Moose has good friends in the woodland: Beaver, Squirrel, Rabbit, and Mouse. Together they count snowflakes, help one another out of fixes, and make practically perfect creatures out of snow. Set in the secure world of the woods, these tender, funny stories for beginning readers celebrate the simple joys of having friends both trusty and true. And the delicately silly illustrations capture the foibles and idiosyncrasies of each woodland creature, from Moose’s skinny legs to Rabbit’s long, floppy ears.

Rhyming text asks what happens to different animals and plants "when winter comes and the cold wind blows."

Little Baby Bobby, who lives on a hill, just can''t seem to sit still. So it''s inevitable that, in the blink of an eye, his baby buggy goes careening down that hill with his babysitter in frantic pursuit. Whizzing through the park, scattering street vendors'' wares, crashing into a fire hydrant, there goes Baby Bobby, enjoying every minute of his wild buggy ride. A perfect read-aloud reminiscent of Nancy Van Laan''s "Possum Come a-Knockin'', this rollicking, rhythmic text gathers momentum as Baby Bobby''s buggy wends its way through the town. Laura Cornell''s hilarious, overflowing illustrations perfectly capture the lighthearted joy of Bobby''s raucous romp. A laugh-out-loud addition to any story hour!

In the middle of the wide Argentine pampas there once grew a magic tree. Above this tree slept a bird so evil it could stop the rain from falling. And not far from this tree lived a brave boy who one day set out to save his village and all the creatures from dying of thirst. Illustrated with charming folk-art-like paintings and retold with simplicity and drama, this legend of a child''s courage and faith explains why Argentineans believe that good luck can be found in the shade of a carob tree.

In this rich, rousing anthology, Nancy Van Laan takes readers on a romp through the bayous, mountains and lowlands of the American South. Readers meet such unforgettable characters as Brer Rabbit, Fool John, and Ol'' Gally Mander, and learn a whole passel of poems, sayings, and superstitions. Full color. Author/illustrator tour.

Shingebiss, a little merganser duck, can always find plenty to eat. In all seasons, the Great Lake is full of fish. But one cold year the lake freezes over, and Shingebiss has to find a way to fish through the thick ice. To do that, he must face the fierce Winter Maker. Gracefully told and illustrated with vigorous woodcuts, this ancient Ojibwe story captures all the power of winter and all the courage of a small being who refuses to see winter as his enemy. This sacred story shows that those who follow the ways of Shingebiss will always have plenty to eat, no matter how hard the great wind of Winter Maker blows.

One house seems to contain an entire menagerie of active animals, which get into all kinds of mischief and trouble, but in the end they are all found to be the young narrator.

A collection of Native American legends from North America about animals and nature.

Illustrations and rhythmic verses depict a mother and child and different animals on each of the seven continents.

When the weather changes and the ever-falling snow threatens to engulf all the animals, it is Crow who flies up to receive the gift of fire from the Great Sky Spirit.

A cumulative story in which a tiny, tiny boy tries to milk a big, big cow who will not stand still.

Describes the effects of the nation''s population growth in rhymed text and illustrations.

A retelling of the Chibcha Indian legend about how the treasure of El Dorado came to be.

A cumulative tale in verse about a mysterious stranger that interrupts a family''s daily routine.