Felicita Sala – illustratör

“Look at the polar bears,” said Terry. “You see that one on the left, the fatter one? That’s our dad – our real dad. But you’re not to tell."Drawing on Michael Morpurgo's own childhood experience of first seeing his real father on television, My Father Is a Polar Bear tells the story of two young brothers rediscovering their birth father in the most unlikely of places – and in an entirely unexpected guise! A warm and delightful tale of family bonds and love told by a master storyteller and beautifully illustrated by a talented new artist.

“Look at the polar bears,” said Terry. “You see that one on the left, the fatter one? That’s our dad – our real dad. But you’re not to tell."Drawing on Michael Morpurgo's own childhood experience of first seeing his real father on television, My Father Is a Polar Bear tells the story of two young brothers rediscovering their birth father in the most unlikely of places – and in an entirely unexpected guise! A warm and delightful tale of family bonds and love told by a master storyteller and beautifully illustrated by a talented new artist.

Young children can explore a bustling medieval castle in this charming, lift-the-flap non-fiction book. Flaps and peep-through holes in the pages reveal a knight putting on his armour, castle guards counting the king's treasure and a grand feast with the royal family. A lovely introduction to a popular historical subject for little children.

Hugo is a young Sasquatch. Boone is a young boy. After an unlikely encounter, they’ve become an even unlikelier pair of best friends. After saving up his Monster Card wrappers, Hugo sends away for a special prize in the mail—a Monster Detector! Using the watchlike device, Hugo quickly spots a monster right in his own cavern. Spooked, Hugo heads to school and finds yet another surprise—his friend Boone! Boone announces he wants to go to Sasquatch school, but no human has ever gone before, and not everyone is as happy about it as Hugo. Boone’s first day of school gets off to a rocky start, but Hugo doesn’t have much time to worry before he makes another monster sighting and takes off after the creature. What follows are even more surprises, ones that have Hugo and Boone rethinking what it really means to be a “monster.”

It’s time to go, but no one can find Hannah! That’s because she’s in the park with much to do. She needs to collect caterpillars and sticks, make a bow and arrow, and build a bed out of leaves. Deep in the shrubs, she sets up a secret hideout for herself and her companion, an Odd Furry Creature. Together, they hunker down over the campfire, lost in their own little world. But then a voice cuts through the branches and clearly says, “Where are you?” Hannah brushes off her paper, and the reader learns that Hannah was lost—not in the woods—but in her drawing. This dreamlike, lyrical picture book with shades of Where the Wild Things Are illustrates the power of imagination to transport us to new worlds.

Now in paperback, a charming chapter book that follows a human boy and young Sasquatch as they explore the mysterious woods  It’s a big day for Hugo, Boone, and the students at the Academy for Curious Squidges. Today’s the day they’ll get their Bimbling Badge, which allows them to explore the North Woods on their own. But humans, snakes, and sinkholes aren’t the only things they have to look out for! The legend of a lizard-like monster lurking in the swamp is enough to spook any young Sasquatch. When Hugo, Boone, and Gigi find themselves stranded in the middle of Ripple Worm River, they discover that there are more mysterious creatures in the North Woods than they’d bargained for.

A lyrical, gorgeously illustrated look at the majesty of trees—and what humans can learn from themStand tall. Stretch your branches to the sun. Be a tree!We are all like trees: our spines, trunks; our skin, bark; our hearts giving us strength and support, like heartwood. We are fueled by air andsun.And, like humans, trees are social. They “talk” to spread information; they share food and resources. They shelter and take care of one another. They are stronger together.In this gorgeous and poetic celebration of one of nature’s greatest creations, acclaimed author Maria Gianferrari and illustrator Felicita Sala both compare us to the beauty and majesty of trees—and gently share the ways in which trees can inspire us to be better people.

A moving, multigenerational story about love, family roots, and the cycle of lifeWhen Emilia finds a walnut one morning, Grandpa tells her the story behind it: of his journey across the ocean to a new home, with only one small bag and a nut in his pocket. “I planted my little tree in good brown soil, so it would grow strong here forever.”“In this house? In this yard?”“Shall we go see?” Step by step, Grandpa teaches Emilia how to cultivate her own seed. But as her little nut grows, Grandpa begins to slow down—until one sad day, Emilia has to say goodbye. Emilia’s sapling looks as droopy as she feels . . . but she knows just what to do.From acclaimed author and illustrator Ammi-Joan Paquette and Felicita Sala, this tender story is a poignant reminder that the best things grow with time—and that even when they are no longer here, the ones we love are always a part of us.

Back in the days of long skirts and afternoon teas, young Joan Procter entertained the most unusual party guests: slithery and scaly ones, who turned over teacups and crawled past the crumpets... While other girls played with dolls, Joan preferred the company of reptiles. She carried her favorite lizard with her everywhere - she even brought a crocodile to school!When Joan grew older, she became the Curator of Reptiles at the Natural History Museum. She went on to design the Reptile House at the London Zoo, including a home for the rumored-to-be-vicious komodo dragons. There, just like when she was a little girl, Joan hosted children's tea parties - with her komodo dragon as the guest of honour.With a lively text and vibrant illustrations, scientist and writer Patricia Valdez and illustrator Felicita Sala bring to life Joan Procter's inspiring story of passion and determination.'Delectably stylish' SUNDAY TIMES‘The illustrations by Felicita Sala are full of rich colour and telling details and bring this unusual book to glowing life.’ IRISH INDEPENDENT

From Felicita Sala comes this exquisite sequel to the bestselling Lunch at 10 Pomegranate Street.In each garden, someone is tending to their produce. Maria is picking asparagus, Ramon’s mum is watering the cucumbers, and a gaggle of kids are eating cherries fresh from the tree and even wearing some as earrings!Meet the many people of Fleurville, delight in their harvests, learn their recipes, and find comfort in the cycle of the seasons.A Year in Fleurville is a cookbook, a mini guide to gardening, and a picture book rolled into one. This glorious celebration of community is filled with recipes from all over the world and with simple instructions perfect for young chefs.

A poetic, beautifully illustrated picture book inspired by Ode to the Onion by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (1904–1973). Pablo has a lunch date with his friend Matilde, who shows the moody poet her garden. Where Pablo sees conflict and sadness, Matilde sees love and hope. The story is less a biography of Neruda and his muse, Matilde Urrutia (1912–1985), and more a simple ode to a vegetable that is humble and luminous, dark and light, gloomy and glad, full of grief and full of joy—just like life.A Junior Library Guild Selection