Best Selling Books by Heidi E. Y. Stemple

Children see that people come in many different shapes, and then are asked to pick which shape they are.

Birds fill the stands to watch a thrilling flag football match between the Eagles and Turkeys--and one chicken.

A Schneider Family Book Award YA Honor Book A School Library Journal Best Book NCTE Notable Children''s Verse Novel 2026 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers “This beautifully crafted novel sings and soars.” —Nikki Grimes, author of Ordinary Hazards Dylan seeks solace through birdwatching and poetry in the woods behind his grandfather’s auto shop—but when he rescues an injured hawk, he must learn to confront the broken parts in himself in this powerful middle-grade novel-in-verse. 15-year-old Dylan has always felt like an outsider in his small town. Isolated when he was younger as the result of his unpredictable, now absent mother and feeling like a disappointment to his grandfather who has stepped in to raise him, Dylan finds relief in the woods behind his grandfather''s auto shop. Amidst the cool quiet of the trees, Dylan thrives on bird watching and writing poetry. But one afternoon after spotting an injured hawk, Dylan finds himself pushing out of his comfort zone to track down help for the bird—and ends up rescuing a part of himself in the process. In this luminous middle-grade novel-in-verse on navigating the lonely tumult of self-discovery amid complicated family history, Dylan relays his story with bracing emotional clarity.

A very talented Toucan juggles cans in this laugh-out-loud Level 1 Ready-to-Read! Can Toucan juggle two cans? He can! What about three cans? Or four? Young readers will root for Toucan and his can juggling act in this silly story that ends with a colorful surprise!

With rhyming text, this soothing bedtime book is an ode to baby birds everywhere and sleepy children home safe in their own beds. As a mother describes to her child how many species of birds nest, from pigeons on concrete ledges to owls in oak tree boles to swallows above barn doors. The soothing refrain of "you nest here with me" eases her little one and readers alike to slumber. Combining their poetic writing and their love of birding, mother and daughter Jane Yolen and Heidi Stemple have written what is sure to become a bedtime classic.

A celebration of seven different winter holidays observed in the US and the traditions that unite them all. Diwali, Solstice, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Bodhi Day, and Lunar New Year are visually depicted in turn, accompanying a stunning, read-aloud text that speaks of the traditions that link them all together. The warm yet accurate imagery is explained in simple secondary text on each spread, and further in the backmatter. Beloved author Jane Yolen and daughter, author Heidi Stemple, have crafted a loving and poignant story with true reverence for our shared traditions of celebrating light, love, food, and family. An empowering, informative, and inclusive holiday book for families of all traditions.

Eek, you reek, You make a funk. Where you have been Things stink, stank, stunk. You''ve left a path, A swath of smell, And—yuck! You did it very well. Warning: this book reeks! It''s rotten, rancid, foul, and funky. Within these pages, you''ll find stinkbugs, weasels, Tasmanian devils, and a particularly pungent musk ox. Fourteen foul poems from Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple introduce this repugnant selection of animals, and magnificently malodorous illustrations from Eugenia Nobati showcase them in all their noxious glory. Ready to find out more? Plug your nose and read on . . .

Based on a true story to the beginning of the storied career of children’s book author Jane Yolen, written by her very own daughter. Janie Yolen loves to read, write, dance, and sing. So when her teacher announces Janie''s elementary class will perform a play, Janie is thrilled. There''s just one problem . . . the play is boring. With the support of her teacher and classmates, Janie rewrites the play, resulting in a hit class musical. An inspiring and funny look at how a writer became a writer, told by another prolific author--Heidi E. Y. Stemple, Jane''s own daughter!

Birdwatching! Borrrring, right? Not to these avian adventurers from Maynard Elementary as they fight a snowstorm in order to save a rare snowy owl. An adventurous read for 7 to 10 year olds about forging long-lasting friendships in this new chapter book series about a junior birdwatching club. Michael, the star of the soccer team, is about to kick his first practice shot when he hears a noise from behind him. Jet, a bird nerd and member of the Junior Birdwatching Club, appears and shows Michael what he would have missed by being so singularly focused on the ball—a rare snowy owl on the goal post. While they watch, the owl captures a rat and devours it. The next day, a hoard of birders arrive and Michael thinks he may never get his soccer field back. But Jet has discovered that the owl is not well and the Junior Bird Club enlists Michael to help get the bird help during a snowstorm. Michael promised his parents he''d be home before the snow started, but with a hurt owl, will he? Join Michael and his new friends as they use all their talents and knowledge to rescue the snowy owl.

While the ducks and dodos play dodgeball, Chick sits nearby reading her book.

Warning: this book sucks! It bites, slurps, and sticks too. Dare to open these pages and you''ll find ticks, mosquitos, stingrays, elephants, jellyfish, and the particularly sucky lamprey. Sixteen slurpy poems from Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple introduce a suction-filled selection of animals, and spectacularly sticky illustrations from Eugenia Nobati spotlight these stupendous suckers. Ready to find out more? Prepare to get sucked in and read on . . .

From Cleopatra to Lizzie Borden, meet 26 of history''s most notorious women. Each bad girl has a rotten reputation, but there are two sides to every tale. Each chapter ends with comic panels featuring caricatures of the authors discussing the women. Illustrations.

In this spooky book from the nonfiction An Unsolved Mystery from History picture book series, set off on the high seas to a ghost ship left completely abandoned and adrift on the waves. The Mary Celeste was discovered adrift on the open sea by another ship in 1872—with no sign of captain or crew. What happened? Did the crew mutiny? Were they attacked by pirates? Caught in a storm? No one ever found out. Inside this book are the clues that were left behind and the theories of what people think happened aboard that ship. Become a detective, study the clues, and see if you can help solve this chilling mystery from history!

Celebrate girl power in this exuberant, mischievously illustrated picture book that shows little princesses that they can be whoever they want to be! Not all princesses dress in pink. Some play in bright red socks that stink, blue team jerseys that don’t quite fit, accessorized with a baseball mitt, and a sparkly crown! Princesses come in all kinds. Some jump in mud puddles and climb trees, play sports and make messes—all while wearing their tiaras! Not every girl has a passion for pink, but all young ladies will love this empowering affirmation of their importance and unlimited potential.

In this spooky book from the nonfiction An Unsolved Mystery from History picture book series, tragedy strikes Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692 as the community is torn apart by accusations of witchcraft. When a group of girls came down with a horrible, mysterious bout of illness, they pointed the finger at people in their community they claimed were witches. Soon, the whole town was convinced they were in danger from supernatural forces. Today, we have details about the accusations, trials, and those who lost their lives, but the question remains: What caused the mass hysteria? Become a detective, study the clues, and see if you can help solve this chilling mystery from history!

Bingo is for the birds in this hilarious new Level 1 Ready-to-Read from the same team who created Toucan with Two Cans! Come one, come all to Flamingo Bingo! Balls spin and feathers fly. Who will be the lucky duck who shouts out “BINGO!” first?

Discover the wonderful world of insects as Lydia collects bugs for show-and-tell in this picture book perfect for little entomologists. Lydia loves bugs. She loves big, bouncing bugs and small, squiggly bugs. You know who doesn’t love bugs? Lydia loves bugs, but her father and brother do not! Scared of all things creepy crawly, they often run away or set her bugs free. But you know who else loves bugs? Lydia’s mom. She’s an entomologist, and she helps Lydia collect bugs for a very special day at school, when Lydia gets to show and tell her classmates all about her bugs. And now everybody loves bugs! Packed full of adorable insects, Lydia Loves Bugs is the perfect picture book for any little nature lover or aspiring bug collector. It has singing bugs and silent bugs, slightly stinky bugs and fly-away bugs, with an underlying message about being seen and understood. Every page comes with fun wordplay from Heidi Stemple and cute illustrations from Yuliya Pankratova that make creepy-crawly insects seem not so scary, and young readers can discover facts about their favorite bugs at the end of the book. Who knows? After reading this story, even your child might develop a love for STEM and all things creepy-crawly.

A tornado, a blizzard, a forest fire, and a hurricane are met, in turn, with resilience and awe in this depiction of nature''s power and our own. In the face of our shifting climate, young children everywhere are finding themselves subject to unfamiliar and often frightening extreme weather. Beloved author Jane Yolen and her daughter Heidi Stemple address four distinct weather emergencies (a tornado, a blizzard, a forest fire, and a hurricane) with warm family stories of finding the joy in preparedness and resilience. Their honest reassurance leaves readers with the message: nature is powerful, but you are powerful, too. Illustrated in rich environmental tones and featuring additional information about storms in the back, this book educates, comforts, and empowers young readers in stormy or sunny weather, and all the weather in between.

Sing with birds of a feather in this laugh-out-loud Level 1 Ready-to-Read from the same team who created Toucan with Two Cans and Flamingo Bingo! The big night is finally here! Tonight, the birds gather for the Chicken Karaoke Show! Duck wants to shine in the spotlight, but can she overcome her stage fright and soar to new heights? Find out in this sweet and silly rhyming story.