Mary Casanova – författare

Dogs have gone missing! Fall is not Kito's favorite time of year -- too many strange smells and spooky sightings. All of it makes Kito nervous: Something bad is going to happen. At the fire hydrant his fears are confirmed. Missy and Muffin are missing! No one's seen them for days. They could have just wandered off, but Kito doesn't believe it. When four puppies also disappear, Kito is sure they've been dog-napped! Kito, Chester, and the rest of the Dog Watch team set out to find the dog-napper and rescue their friends -- before it's too late!

Wake up, little one, a soft voice beckons, the world around you is already stirring. As Wake Up, Island gently rouses the sleepy child, it summons a world of nature coming to life on a summer island in the magical North Woods. Sunlit fingers touch the shores, pine trees stretch their limbs, and lichen warms on ancient rock. Doe and fawn rise from their grass bed and pearls of dew bead a spider’s finely woven web. Mallards skim the water’s surface. Ravens perch and gargle greetings, chickadees call dee, dee, dee, and a heron swoops-minnows flee! The moose and her calf wade, munching on plants. The red squirrel chatters. The black bear lazily scratches her back against a tree.Conjuring the morning life around a cabin fragrant with berry pancakes, this timeless book wakens the child in every reader to the wonders of nature that greet every new day in the charmed world of a northern woodland island.

Libby wants a horse more than anything in the world. Since she is unable to have one of her own, she’s been doing stable chores for her neighbors, the Porters, for the past three years in exchange for riding lessons from Jolene Porter. Libby forms a special bond with the Porters’ prize Appaloosa, Thunder, but this arrangement comes crashing to an end when Jolene abruptly disappears. With Jolene gone, Mr. Porter refuses to let Libby visit Thunder any longer. Making matters worse, she soon discovers that he’s taking out his anger on his animals. With the help of Griff, a new boy in town, Libby devises a daring plan to steal Thunder. But how long can they stay on the run and keep Thunder safe, when Mr. Porter holds all the power?

Lyrical words and elegant woodcuts capture the quiet beauty of the forest as day fades to night and autumn gives way to the North Woods winterWhile we are tucked in, snug in warm blankets as we listen to bedtime stories, the woods around us whisper another tale. As the golden leaves waft through the lengthening shadows, the loon sings one last lullaby, the whirring hummingbird takes one last sip, the industrious beaver saws one last branch for her lodge. Here, in enchanting words and woodcuts, is the magic of night falling and winter approaching in the North Woods. Hush Hush, Forest peers through twilight’s window at the raccoon preening, the doe and fawn bedding down, the last bat of the season flitting away. The owl surveys, the rabbit scurries, the bear hunkers, readying her den.Marking the rhythm between the falling leaf and the falling snowflake, picturing the rituals of creatures big and small as they prepare for the long winter’s sleep, this charming book captures a time of surpassing wonder for readers of all ages-and bids everyone in the hushed forest a peaceful good night.

Someone's stealing sea turtle eggs! When Kito, Chester, and Schmitty go on a Mexican vacation with their owners, they plan on relaxing on the quiet beach. But when the sea turtle nests are disturbed and the eggs are stolen, the dogs use their Dog Watch skills and team up with village dogs to find out who is threatening the future of the gentle sea turtles.

A springtime stroll transforms into a heartwarming bedtime lullabyIt's time to sing a lullaby, and all through the northwoods, different wild animals join in. Come along as a child and their grown-up enjoy an evening hike. Loons drift by on the serene lake, a baby on papa's back. On the banks nearby, swans hatch, and deer graze in the grass. Look, and you'll find bear cubs climbing trees with mama, foxes and hares, and wolf pups playing in their den. Celebrating new life as spring unfurls, Northwoods Lullaby blossoms from a melody Mary Casanova began to hum while rocking her newborn grandbaby to sleep, a lullaby that can now be shared with generations to come.Pairing Casanova's signature lyrical writing with collage illustrations by Jordan Sundberg of Tin Cup Design, this bedtime story invites readers of all ages to explore the world of nature and discover the unexpected along the way. It's time to sing a lullaby, a pine bough swaying lullaby, a lady's slipper lullaby . . . a lullaby for you.