Browse Series

Written and illustrated by Kaya Doi
Translated from Japanese by Yuki Kaneko

The first in a wonderfully imaginative series about two girls that is marked by revealing and lyrical small details.

The first book in a completely charming series by a well-known Japanese author and illustrator, Chirri & Chirra introduces us to two little girls who go on wonderful adventures together through the natural world. Vibrant, lively, and astonishingly sweet in a pure, unsentimental way, these pages present us with relatable children, small animals, lots of food, atmosphere, and many mysteries.

ISBN: 978-1-59270-199-5
9.25" (W) x 6.5" (H) • 40 pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 4-8

Publication Date: September 6, 201

Written & illustrated by Kaya Doi
Translated from Japanese by David Boyd

From beloved Japanese author-illustrator Kaya Doi, this ninth volume in the Chirri & Chirra series is set amidst the cherry blossoms of Japan, giving readers a gorgeous explosion of petaled pinkness!

Chirri & Chirra, Among the Cherry Blossoms, the ninth book in our beloved Chirri & Chirra series, takes readers on yet another charming adventure filled with delicious food, animal friends, and the beauty of nature. Here, Chirri and Chirra ride their trusty bicycles to a giant cherry tree. After tasting delicious cherry-blossom sweets, they go inside the tree, where they find a sakura-themed beauty parlor! Decked out in chiffon scarves and spritzed with sweet perfume, their next stop is the viewing deck, where they sip cherry-blossom tea and enjoy the most amazing experience of all: the moment when the petals, shaken loose by a gust of wind, float down to the ground in a gorgeous shower. 

A translator’s note about sakura trees is included.

ISBN: 978-1-59270-482-8

9.25” (W) x 6.5” (H) • 40 pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 4-8

Publication Date: May 5, 2026

Written and illustrated by Kaya Doi

Translated by David Boyd

Chirri and Chirra frolic in the moonlight in the latest whimsical adventure of this much-beloved picture-book series.

With the light of their trusty bicycles and a glorious full moon illuminating the darkness, Chirri and Chirra take on the night, accompanied by their new cat friends. From fizzy full-moon drinks that give them cat ears and tails to sparkling flower necklaces that grant them access to a special night market, the inseparable duo enjoys all the dreamy treats that nighttime has to offer, basking in the warmth and light of discovery, generosity, and friendship.

ISBN: 978-1-59270-384-5

9.25” (W) x 6.5” (H) • 40 Pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 4-8

Publication Date: December 27, 2022

Written and illustrated by Kaya Doi
Translated from Japanese by Yuki Kaneko

Chirri and Chirra go on an imaginative adventure where they discover the small overlooked mysteries of the natural world.

Chirri and Chirra go on an imaginative adventure where they discover the small overlooked mysteries of the natural world. In their second adventure Chirri and Chirra become very small, and explore the magical world hidden away in a grove of tall grass. Filled with friendly, industrious bees and equally inventive bugs, this is a book that brings the lovely particularity of life in Japan—marked by food and nature—to young readers here.

ISBN: 978-1-59270-225-1
9.25" (W) x 6.5" (H) • 40 pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 4-8

Publication Date: June 20, 2017

Written and illustrated by Kaya Doi
Translated from Japanese by David Boyd

Having explored blossoming fields, a magical mound of tall grass, crystal caves and underground passageways, here Chirri and Chirra explore life in town.

Chirri and Chirra venture down forest paths and through alleyways into a yarn shop and an old woman’s house, where they enjoy hot drinks and soup. When they’re done, they find a wonderful surprise hidden in the branches of a tree. Memorable for Doi’s luminous appreciation of the natural world as well as her respect for beautiful edibles, the fifth book in the charming Chirri & Chirra series is sure to delight!

ISBN: 978-1-59270-278-7
9.25" (W) x 6.5" (H) • 40 pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 4-8

Publication Date: December 31, 2019

Written and illustrated by Kaya Doi

Translated by David Boyd

Dring-dring, dring-dring! As the distinctive sound of their bicycle bells chimes in with the patter of rain, Chirri & Chirra set off on a new whimsical adventure.

In this seventh installment of the beloved series, the twins serendipitously happen upon a cafe that is only open on rainy days. In their matching raincoats, they peacefully sip tea with a side of sweet rock candy as they watch the droplets fall, before concluding the day with a beautiful rainbow and the company of their animal friends. Kaya Doi’s illustrations, rendered in glowing colored pencil, are warm and inviting, ushering her readers into pages that feel like a haven from the rain outside.

ISBN: 978-1-59270-307-4

9.25” (W) x 6.5” (H) • 40 Pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 4-8

Publication Date: July 6, 2021

Written and illustrated by Kaya Doi
Translated from Japanese by Yuki Kaneko

Chirri and Chirra travel into the heart of an icy palace, where they discover all sorts of creatures, sights, and foods.

Book three in the charming series from Japan, Chirri & Chirra, The Snowy Day is filled with foxes, bears, birds, goats, and cats all taking shelter together in an icy cavern, enjoying everything from freshly-baked delights to long soaks in hot springs. Over the course of their adventures, Chirri and Chirra even become guests to a family of bears, spending the night in their igloo and dreaming of the northern lights. A winter wonderland worth remembering for its soft radiance and abundant joy!

ISBN: 978-1-59270-203-9
9.25" (W) x 6.5" (H) • 36 pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 4-8

Publication Date: November 7, 2017

Written and illustrated by Kaya Doi
Translated from Japanese by David Boyd

Join Chirri and Chirra on their enchanting adventure beneath the waves.

Chirri and Chirra are pedaling along when they find a cave. At the end of the cave, they see a light. Oh! They are under the sea! They pedal through a maze of coral and pass through an opening in the seaweed, into a scene of seashells of all colors and shapes. Naturally, they come upon sea treats, such as parfait à la conch and marine soda jelly topped with pearl cream. They even experience the famed “South Sea Musical” performed by multitudes of beautiful fish. 

This is the happy, lovely world of Chirri and Chirra, where they stumble upon the most wonderful surprises under the sea. 

ISBN: 978-1-59270-302-9

9.25" (W) x 6.5" (H)  • 36 pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 4-8

Publication Date: May 12, 2020

Written and illustrated by Kaya Doi
Translated from Japanese by David Boyd

Chirri and Chirra go underground in this charming addition to the Chirri & Chirra series.

Behind a hole in their basement wall, Chirri and Chirra discover a network of tunnels. Join them as they visit moles, discover caves full of glowing flowers, poke at the roots of growing plants, traverse a subterranean lake, and spend the night with a family of badgers! The fourth book in the Japanese Chirri & Chirra series, this underground adventure is sure to charm and delight.

ISBN: 978-1-59270-244-2
9.25" (W) x 6.5" (H) • 40 pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 4-8

Publication Date: July 2, 2019

Written and illustrated by Jenni Desmond

A nonfiction picture book, The Blue Whale draws children into the life and world of this enormous animal by situating facts within a familiar context that is fun and engaging. Here, readers are given the actual size of an eye right on the page, and we are informed how understand this whale's body size in relation to trucks, cars, milk bottles, and hippos! With an accurate and engaging text, fully vetted by a blue whale expert, and lovely illustrations, The Blue Whale is a book that invites children in and holds their attention. Its tempo is like a pleasing melody, which means that the information never becomes too weighty or exhausting for a young reader.

ISBN: 978-1-59270-165-0
8.25" (W) x 10.63" (H) • 48 pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 4-8

Publication Date: May 26, 2015

Written and illustrated by Jenni Desmond

In this, Jenni Desmond’s third nonfiction children’s book about one of the large, endangered animals of Earth, we join a young boy as he learns about The Elephant. From Africa to Asia, the elephant makes its home. Light on their feet, despite their great weight, these magnificent creatures appear light and graceful because they’re always walking on their tip-toes. They have excellent hearing and can detect the rumblings of other elephants from six miles away. And, just like humans being right handed or left handed, elephants can be right tusked or left tusked!

The recipient of the 2016 New York Times Best Illustrated award for her book The Polar Bear, Desmond creates illustrations that are scientifically accurate, strikingly detailed, and beautifully rendered in collage, paint, and colored pencil.

ISBN: 978-1-59270-264-0
8.25" (W) x 10.63" (H) • 48 pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 4-8

Publication Date: November 6, 2012

Written and illustrated by Jenni Desmond

Following on her gorgeous book, The Blue Whale, Desmond's The Polar Bear is exquisitely rendered, magnificent, and precise, with wonderful storytelling too. A gorgeously illustrated nonfiction book about the polar bear, this is a factually accurate as well as a poetic exploration of polar bear bodies, habits, and habitats. Working in a painterly, expressive way, Jenni Desmond creates landscapes and creatures that are marked by atmosphere and emotion, telling a story about bears that engages the reader's interest in amazing facts as well as their deep sense of wonder.

ISBN: 978-1-59270-200-8
8.25" (W) x 10.63" (H) • 48 pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 4-8

Publication Date: November 15, 2016

Written by Nadine Brun-Cosme
Illustrated by Olivier Tallec
Translated from French by Claudia Zoe Bedrick

Big Wolf lives alone under a tree at the top of a hill. He is alone, but happy. One day, another wolf arrives: a little wolf. Without a word, Little Wolf sits down next to Big Wolf. He stays all night and all the next day. At first, Big Wolf is suspicious and worried that Little Wolf will grow bigger and become a rival. After a while, however, he starts to feel fond of his small companion. That night, he decides to let Little Wolf share his blanket. The next day, he shares some of his lunch. Just as Big Wolf is starting to get used to his new friend, Little Wolf disappears. Big Wolf is too proud to cry, but the reader cannot miss the great emotion that overwhelms him. Big Wolf loses his appetite and cannot sleep. He spends his time staring at the horizon, waiting for Little Wolf to return, but without the slightest reason to hope that he will.

Will Little Wolf return? If he does, Big Wolf’s heart might just burst with joy. Could this be the beginning of a beautiful friendship?

ISBN: 978-1-59270-084-4
9.5" (W) x 11.75" (H) • 32 pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 4-8

Publication Date: April 1, 2009

Written by Nadine Brun-Cosme
Illustrated by Olivier Tallec
Translated from French by Claudia Zoe Bedrick

High, high up in a tree is a little leaf. Little Wolf dreams of touching and even eating this leaf. In fact, he wants nothing more. The only problem is that his little leaf refuses to fall.

Big Wolf is willing to do anything to make Little Wolf happy, so one winter’s morning, Big Wolf says, “I’m going up.” At first, his climb up the big tree goes smoothly, but the higher he goes, the more slippery and dangerous it gets. Little Wolf waits below, wondering whether his little leaf is worth such trouble after all. Climbing to the top of a frost covered tree isn’t easy. What if something happens to Big Wolf?

Big Wolf & Little Wolf: The Little Leaf that Wouldn’t Fall is a lovely story about two friends and the many ways in which friendship teaches patience, boldness, and love.

ISBN: 978-1-59270-088-2
9.5" (W) x 11.75" (H) • 32 pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 4-8

Publication Date: November 1, 2009

Written by Michaël Escoffier
Illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo
Translated from French by Claudia Zoe Bedrick

The final book in Michaël Escoffier and Kris Di Giacomo's surprising, clever, and fun wordplay trilogy that includes Take Away the A and Where's the Baboon? Here you will find ridiculously delightful art, an engaging narrative, and wordplay that will keep even preschoolers deeply engaged.

ISBN: 978-1-59270-201-5
8.25" (W) x 11.75" (H) • 48 pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 4-8

Publication Date:

Written by Michaël Escoffier
llustrated by Kris Di Giacomo

Take Away the A is a fun, imaginative romp through the alphabet. The idea behind the book is that within every language there are words that change and become a different word through the simple subtraction of a single letter. In other words, without the "A," the Beast is Best. Or, without the "M," a chomp becomes a chop—though it could be that this particular play on words didn't even make it into the book, there are so many! We certainly don't want to give too much away.

Now, take a look and find some more!

ISBN: 978-1-59270-156-8
8.2" (W) x 12.8" (H) • 56 pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 4-8

Publication Date: Oct 1, 2015

Written by Michaël Escoffier
Illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo

Step right up, fearless readers! Today, in this very book, we will PROVE to you that a snake can hide in a snowflake, that pigs can paint, and that the ones who copy the most are not necessarily cats! Prepare to be AMAZED by the game of hide-n-seek the words play! These tricksters are true experts in the art of camouflage!

ISBN: 978-1-59270-189-6
8" (W) x 12.5" (H) • 40 pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 4-8

Publication Date: October 6, 2015

Written by Håkon Øvreås
Illustrated by Øyvind Torseter
Translated by Kari Dickson

Jack hatches a plan to land himself in the newspaper: he’s going to rescue the chairman’s prize-winning hen. Of course, that means he has to “borrow” it first. And if getting into the newspaper happens to impress the new girl in town? All the better. But when the “borrowing” goes wrong, things suddenly get…tricky. To get out from all this trouble, Jack’s going to need some superhero help.

Enter Black, to the rescue! Along with his faithful companions Brown and Blue. While Brown and Blue might not completely understand what has happened or why they’re involved, neither does Jack, really. But they’re ready for action and raring to go! The second book from Håkon Øvreås’ award-winning My Alter Ego Is A Superhero trilogy, Black is illustrated throughout by the always superb Øyvind Torseter.

ISBN: 978-1-59270-275-6
6" (W) x 9" (H) M• 200 pages • Hardcover

Ages: 10-14

Publication Date: October 31, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-59270-268-8
6" (W) x 9" (H) • 200 pages • Paperback

Ages: 4-8

Publication Date: October 31, 2017

Written by Håkon Øvreås
Illustrated by Øyvind Torseter
Translated from Norwegian by Kari Dickson

New in the neighborhood and hounded by fort-wrecking bullies, things are looking glum for Rusty. And to top it all off, his grandfather has just died. Rusty is stuck sorting out his emotions while the adults are busy sorting out the “practicalities” with the hospital. But one dark night, after watching a superhero movie on TV, Rusty gets an idea… 

Dressed in brown pants, a black-and-brown striped shirt, a brown mask and cape, and his mother’s brown belt, the superhero BROWN is born! Guided by his grandfather’s ghost, two cans of paint, and a little help from his friends, Brown can do anything! Just as long as nobody's parents find out. The fantastical first book in the award-winning My Alter Ego Is A Superhero series from Norway, Brown has been sold into twenty-seven languages and is illustrated throughout by the now-familiar and beloved Øyvind Torseter.

ISBN: 978-1-59270-212-1
6" (W) x 9" (H) • 136 pages • Hardcover

Ages: 10-14

Publication Date: June 4, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-59270-251-0
6" (W) x 9" (H) • 136 pages • Paperback

Ages: 10-14

Publication Date: June 4, 2019

Written by Jacob Kramer
Illustrated by K-Fai Steele

Famous for her pasta parties, Noodlephant is shocked when the law-loving kangaroos decide noodles are only for them!

Noodlephant won’t let this stand—Noodlephants can’t survive on sticks and branches, after all. Determined to do something to push back against an unjust law, she and her friends invent a machine that transforms pens into penne, pillows into ravioli, and radiators into radiatori. With that, the pasta parties are back! But that very night, the kangaroos come bounding through the door… ready to enforce their unjust laws.

A zany tale full of pasta puns, friendship, and one Phantastic Noodler, Noodlephant, written by Jacob Kramer and illustrated by K-Fai Steele, explores a community’s response to injustice.

Click here to watch the Noodlephant book trailer.

ISBN: 978-1-59270-266-4
11" (W) x 9" (H) • 80 pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 7-10

Publication Date: February 12, 2019

Written by Jacob Kramer

Illustrated by K-Fai Steele

The sequel to the popular and beloved Noodlephant is finally here!

Now that the Phantastic Noodler is public property, Beaston is the perfect place for pasta parties. Creatures flock from far and wide. But things take a turn when a wealthy Okapi-talist sees an investment opportunity. With privatization come monopoly, exploitation, pollution, and poverty. As for Noodlephant, she’s off in Asia, sampling noodles. Will her friends be able to reclaim their town? Will Noodlephant ever return? And how will Beaston resolve the age-old question: To whom does the Noodler belong? Read on for a tale of politics, power, and . . . pasta!

ISBN: 978-1-59270-304-3

11” (W) x 8” (H) • 56 pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 7-10

Publication Date: October 6, 2020

Written by Lisa Wilke Pope

Illustrated by Arthur Geisert

Award-winning master etcher Arthur Geisert is back with the second installment in his trilogy about Clayton County, Iowa, which began with Pumpkin Island. A twist on the classic story of the Big Bad Wolf and the Three Little Pigs, Geisert’s version reimagines the pigs as considerably more resourceful, thanks to their mother’s forewarning to be prepared for what the world has in store. Despite the wolf ’s best attempts to blow each pig’s house down, his plans are foiled by some clever engineering and architecture.

Created with Geisert’s signature style of etching and hand-coloring, the intricate illustrations offer a world for inquisitive young readers to get lost in, finding new details to return to with each re-reading.

ISBN: 978-1-59270-314-2

12” (W) x 10.25” (H) • 40 Pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 4-8

Publication Date: August 31, 2021

Written and illustrated by Arthur Geisert

Arthur Geisert’s Pumpkin Island is the fantastical story of a real life town brought to a halt by a profusion of pumpkins.

Elkader, Iowa, is the perfect picture of small town life—that is, until the pumpkins arrive. One pumpkin? Fine. Two pumpkins? Okay. But with pumpkins growing around every street corner, and over every building, what’s a town to do? In these pages, Geisert imagines his recent hometown of Elkader overrun by the pumpkins that grow on Pumpkin Island, which sits in the Turkey River, right outside his kitchen window.

ISBN: 978-1-59270-265-7
12" (W) x 10.25" (H) • 40 pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 4-8

Publication Date: November 6, 2018

Written by Ahana Ganguly & Arthur Geisert

Illustrated by Arthur Geisert

Legendary illustrator Arthur Geisert returns with the final installment in his Clayton County trilogy—this time imagining how the Turkey River trolls and townspeople must come together to save their shared home from flooding.

The trolls of the Turkey River live underground in hollows they call homes. They are fun loving and communal, but also mischief-makers who sometimes go too far! From sowing corn that sprouts up through the cracks in the pavement to making Main Street as slippery as an ice-skating rink, there’s nothing more fun for a troll than pranking the townspeople. 

But when the waters of the Turkey River start to rise and threaten to flood, the trolls rush to warn the townspeople. If there’s any hope of averting disaster and saving the place they both call home, the trolls and townspeople must put aside their differences and work together!

ISBN: 978-1-59270-418-7

12” (W) x 10.25” (H) • 52 pages • Hardcover with Jacket

Ages: 4-8

Publication Date: April 28, 2026