Ashley Spires – illustratör

This latest addition to The Most Magnificent series highlights all the words little makers need to know.

In this delightful twist on a vocabulary book, the beloved characters from The Most Magnificent Thing walk with readers from A to Z, defining all the words they need to know about making. It perfectly captures the ups (“I is for IDEA. A gift from the imagination that wants to be made”) and the downs (“P is for PATIENCE. Most things don’t work the first time … or the third time … or even the twelfth time”) all makers face and includes kid-perfect explanations of key concepts (“B is for BRAINSTORM. When ideas of all shapes and sizes rain onto the page”). It’s a fun and clever alphabet journey, sure to inspire magnificent making of every kind!

Fans of the first two Most Magnificent books will be thrilled to discover the wit and wisdom their favorite girl and her dog have to offer in this new title. Bestselling and award-winning author-illustrator Ashley Spires brings her one-of-a-kind humor, empathy and keen understanding of human nature to this informational picture book, providing children with vocabulary to help them navigate the creative process. It’s an excellent motivational tool that showcases a growth mindset; the importance of imagining, innovating and making mistakes; and the character traits of perseverance and resilience. The first book in the series was adapted into an award-winning animated short film in 2019, and Millie Magnificent, an animated TV series based on the books, is currently in production for 2024.

Everyone’s favorite june beetle learns about the many different places insects call home, in this charming graphic novel from Ashley Spires.

Burt the Beetle wants to find the perfect home to settle down in. But what might that look like for a june beetle? He’s impressed as he checks out the amazing homes his insect friends have built for themselves — the chrysalis of a monarch caterpillar, the underground tunnels of the yellow meadow ants, the wax hive of the bees. Only none of these wonderful homes seem to quite suit Burt’s size, his building skills — or his sticky legs! Burt is starting to get discouraged. But then a rainstorm sends him scurrying for cover under a leaf. And Burt finally begins to understand what home feels like for him!

Bestselling author and illustrator Ashley Spires brings her beloved wit and wisdom to this playful graphic novel that celebrates the true meaning of home — and the amazing world of insect life! With its engaging blend of fact and fiction, offered up with loads of hilarity, it’s sure to keep readers laughing and learning. Burt is a sweet, endearing character whose kindness and unrelentingly positive attitude provide character education lessons on initiative, resilience and perseverance. Part of the Burt the Beetle series, this book is a perfect pick for emerging readers and young fans of comics. It’s also a terrific, easy-to-digest resource for life science lessons on insects and their habitats and homes.

“Lou and her friends are BRAVE adventurers. They run FASTER than airplanes. They build MIGHTY fortresses. They rescue WILD animals.” But one day, when they’re looking for a ship to play pirates in, Lou’s friend has an idea: “Up there! The tree can be our ship!” “Ummm …” says Lou. This is something new. Lou has never climbed a tree before, and she’s sure she can’t do it. So she tries to convince her friends to play a not-up-a-tree game. When that doesn’t work, she comes up with reasons for not joining them — her arm is sore, her cat needs a walk, you shouldn’t climb so soon after eating. Finally, she tells herself she doesn’t want to climb the tree. But is that true, or is this brave adventurer just too afraid to try?

This delightful picture book from Ashley Spires, bestselling author of The Most Magnificent Thing, perfectly depicts what children go through when confronted with something difficult. With humor and endearing artwork, Spires sensitively portrays Lou procrastinating, making excuses, imagining alternatives and denying she cares. Ultimately, Lou faces her fear, and although she fails, the effort empowers her, encouraging a growth mindset. All the while, Lou’s friends model compassionate friendship by offering to teach her how to climb and then moving the game. This book makes a perfect choice for a character education discussion about courage or resilience, or a life-skills lesson on facing challenges. The story also promotes the joy of imaginative play in the outdoors.

From the creator of the Most Magnificent Thing and the Binky Adventures Series, a hilarious story about an unconventional little pirate.

Ahoy there! Will this sweet little pirate find his place aboard The Rusty Squid or will he be forced to walk the plank?

When Small Saul joins the crew of The Rusty Squid, it doesn’t take long for the other pirates to notice something is very different about this tiny fellow. He was born to sing sea shanties, bake pineapple upside down cakes and redecorate, not to hold a sword and plunder. Being rough and tough just isn’t in his nature.

Small Saul learned at Pirate College that pirates only care about three things: their ship, being tough and lots and lots of treasure. Can Small Saul show these ruffians that despite his gentle spirit, he’s worth his weight in gold? With treasure chests of laughs, Small Saul’s high-seas adventure is a light-hearted celebration of individuality, perseverance and being true to one’s self.