In the mid twentieth century the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein famously asserted that games are indefinable; there are no common threads that link them all. “Nonsense,” said the sensible Bernard Suits: “playing a game is a voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles.” The short book Suits wrote demonstrating precisely that is as playful as it is insightful, as stimulating as it is delightful. Through the jocular voice of Aesop's Grasshopper, a “shiftless but thoughtful practitioner of applied entomology,” Suits not only argues that games can be meaningfully defined; he also suggests that playing games is a central part of the ideal of human existence, and so games belong at the heart of any vision of Utopia.

This new edition of The Grasshopper includes illustrations from Frank Newfeld created for the book’s original publication, as well as an introduction by Thomas Hurka and a new appendix on the meaning of ‘play.’

Three classic Dennis Lee titles in one beautiful book

This giftable and shareable volume brings together three of Dennis Lee’s best-loved collections of poetry—Alligator Pie, Jelly Belly and The Ice Cream Store—spanning three decades of his warm and whimsical rhymes.

“You can almost hear the skipping rope slapping the sidewalk,” wrote Margaret Laurence of Dennis Lee’s timeless poetry collection Alligator Pie. One of the first published illustrated books about Canadian children, and featuring Frank Newfeld’s instantly recognizable original illustrations, Alligator Pie has sold more than half a million copies since its publication in 1974.

Originally published in 1983, Jelly Belly tickles readers with a mix of humour and traditional Mother Goose charm. The vivid illustrations by Juan Wijngaard (winner of the 1981 Mother Goose Award) reveal wonders as readers follow the characters throughout the book and stumble upon new and fascinating visual treasures.

In the kid-pleasing collection The Ice Cream Store, originally published in 1991, Dennis Lee delves into the special and imaginative world of children. David McPhail’s gorgeous and appealing watercolour paintings of children and animals portray both the familiar and the fantastic, extending the meaning of the poems and providing a colourful feast for the eye.

"You can almost hear the skipping rope slapping the sidewalk,” wrote Margaret Laurence of Dennis Lee’s timeless poetry collection Alligator Pie. One of the first illustrated books published about Canadian children and featuring Canadian place names, Alligator Pie established Dennis Lee’s reputation as “Canada’s Father Goose” and has sold more than half a million copies since its publication in 1974. This classic edition, featuring Frank Newfeld’s instantly recognizable original illustrations and book design, includes childhood favourites such as “Willoughby Wallaby Woo,” “Wiggle to the Laundromat” and “Skyscraper.”

Peppered with regional names, sing-song rhythms and a dash of wicked fun, Garbage Delight has been a staple on Canadian bookshelves for thirty-five years. Its forty-two superbly crafted poems offer a feast of silly, sassy and soothing verses for every taste, from the thundering “I Eat Kids Yum Yum!” to the more lyrical “The Coming of Teddy Bears.”

This handsome classic edition featuring Frank Newfeld’s original illustrations and book design will have a new generation of readers banging their spoons for more.

''A word and an arrow are the same -- both deliver with speedy aim.'' From this saying comes the title of this entertaining collection of lively and engaging adages, bons mots, maxims, and proverbs -- an attractive sampling of the accumulated wisdom of the past.

The timeless Yiddish sayings in this volume -- some 1800 of them -- paint a verbal picture of the long and varied experience Jewish life in Eastern Europe and later in immigrant North America. They reflect religious, moral, and political concerns as well as the daily struggle for survival. They range from statements of the obvious to profound commentaries on subjects as varied as arranging a marriage, bearing and raising children, education them, earning a living, growing old, and dying.

In her introduction Shirley Kumove provides a concise description of the Yidding language and its development, the historical and social context in which these folk sayings were created, and an explanation of folk sayings as a form of education as well as encapsulated philosophy.

More than 50 delightful illustrations by Frank Newfeld accompany the text which is presented in Hebrew letters, in transcription for those interested in the sound of Yiddish, and in English translation.

In the mid twentieth century the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein famously asserted that games are indefinable; there are no common threads that link them all. “Nonsense,” said the sensible Bernard Suits: “playing a game is a voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles.” The short book Suits wrote demonstrating precisely that is as playful as it is insightful, as stimulating as it is delightful. Through the jocular voice of Aesop's Grasshopper, a “shiftless but thoughtful practitioner of applied entomology,” Suits not only argues that games can be meaningfully defined; he also suggests that playing games is a central part of the ideal of human existence, and so games belong at the heart of any vision of Utopia.

This new edition of The Grasshopper includes illustrations from Frank Newfeld created for the book’s original publication, as well as an introduction by Thomas Hurka and a new appendix on the meaning of ‘play.’

Three classic Dennis Lee titles in one beautiful book

This giftable and shareable volume brings together three of Dennis Lee’s best-loved collections of poetry—Alligator Pie, Jelly Belly and The Ice Cream Store—spanning three decades of his warm and whimsical rhymes.

“You can almost hear the skipping rope slapping the sidewalk,” wrote Margaret Laurence of Dennis Lee’s timeless poetry collection Alligator Pie. One of the first published illustrated books about Canadian children, and featuring Frank Newfeld’s instantly recognizable original illustrations, Alligator Pie has sold more than half a million copies since its publication in 1974.

Originally published in 1983, Jelly Belly tickles readers with a mix of humour and traditional Mother Goose charm. The vivid illustrations by Juan Wijngaard (winner of the 1981 Mother Goose Award) reveal wonders as readers follow the characters throughout the book and stumble upon new and fascinating visual treasures.

In the kid-pleasing collection The Ice Cream Store, originally published in 1991, Dennis Lee delves into the special and imaginative world of children. David McPhail’s gorgeous and appealing watercolour paintings of children and animals portray both the familiar and the fantastic, extending the meaning of the poems and providing a colourful feast for the eye.

"You can almost hear the skipping rope slapping the sidewalk,” wrote Margaret Laurence of Dennis Lee’s timeless poetry collection Alligator Pie. One of the first illustrated books published about Canadian children and featuring Canadian place names, Alligator Pie established Dennis Lee’s reputation as “Canada’s Father Goose” and has sold more than half a million copies since its publication in 1974. This classic edition, featuring Frank Newfeld’s instantly recognizable original illustrations and book design, includes childhood favourites such as “Willoughby Wallaby Woo,” “Wiggle to the Laundromat” and “Skyscraper.”

Peppered with regional names, sing-song rhythms and a dash of wicked fun, Garbage Delight has been a staple on Canadian bookshelves for thirty-five years. Its forty-two superbly crafted poems offer a feast of silly, sassy and soothing verses for every taste, from the thundering “I Eat Kids Yum Yum!” to the more lyrical “The Coming of Teddy Bears.”

This handsome classic edition featuring Frank Newfeld’s original illustrations and book design will have a new generation of readers banging their spoons for more.

''A word and an arrow are the same -- both deliver with speedy aim.'' From this saying comes the title of this entertaining collection of lively and engaging adages, bons mots, maxims, and proverbs -- an attractive sampling of the accumulated wisdom of the past.

The timeless Yiddish sayings in this volume -- some 1800 of them -- paint a verbal picture of the long and varied experience Jewish life in Eastern Europe and later in immigrant North America. They reflect religious, moral, and political concerns as well as the daily struggle for survival. They range from statements of the obvious to profound commentaries on subjects as varied as arranging a marriage, bearing and raising children, education them, earning a living, growing old, and dying.

In her introduction Shirley Kumove provides a concise description of the Yidding language and its development, the historical and social context in which these folk sayings were created, and an explanation of folk sayings as a form of education as well as encapsulated philosophy.

More than 50 delightful illustrations by Frank Newfeld accompany the text which is presented in Hebrew letters, in transcription for those interested in the sound of Yiddish, and in English translation.