Jon Van Zyle – illustratör

From the beginning one puppy was different from the rest. He was big and black, his brother and sisters small and gray. While the others lay quietly snuggled against their mother, this puppy squirmed and wiggled constantly. So begins the inspiring true story of a puppy whose boundless energy almost got the best of him. Douggie: The Playful Puppy Who Became a Sled Dog Hero is Pam Flowers's tribute to the pup who seemed destined to remain the class clown. But Pam saw potential in this exuberant youngster, and Douggie's intelligence and persistence ultimately earned him the position of lead dog for a dangerous 325-mile expedition to the Magnetic North Pole. As the lead dog, Douggie lead the sled dog team on this exciting adventure traveling across the frozen sea of the far Canadian north for 18 days, surviving many challenges and returning home safely. Douggie went on to become a top lead dog and lead a subsequent trip of 2,500 miles.

Few people have been as dedicated to wilderness preservation as Mardy Murie. The first woman to graduate from the University of Alaska, she married Olaus Murie, a noted biologist, and moved to Jackson Hole in 1927. There she became involved in the enlargement of Grand Teton National Park in 1950, The Wilderness Act of 1964, and the creation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. For all of her accomplishments, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Bill Clinton in 1998. This delightful book will introduce children to Mardy's fascinating life, and it encourages them to "be nice to the land and the trees and the air . . . we can do this you and me—because Mardy Murie Did!"

Little Wolf, pup of Gray Wolf and White Wolf, bounds into the world and through the seasons in this new children’s picture book. Inside the safety of the den, through fields of wildflowers, and in birch shimmering in an autumn moon’s glow, Van Zyle’s paintings depict Little Wolf’s adventures through a variety of perspectives from close-up portraits to sweeping action scenes. Jonathan London’s lyrical prose imparts a wisdom to the text, endearing the reader to the pup and creating a suspenseful read-aloud.

In Honey Paw and Lightfoot, readers are given a firsthand, compelling glimpse of grizzly bears. Illuminated by Jonathan’s London spare, lyrical text and Jon Van Zyle’s spectacular illustrations, this is the story of mama bear Honey Paw and her offspring Lightfoot, from his earliest days as a newborn, no bigger than a hamster, to curious cub to adolescent bear ready to head off on his own. And tor readers who want to learn more, there is an afterword providing detailed information about grizzly bears including their relationship to indigenous cultures of the north and threats to their survival.

In IDITAROD ADVENTURES, mushers explain why they have chosen this rugged lifestyle, what has kept them in long-distance mushing, and the experiences they have endured along that unforgiving trail between Anchorage and Nome.Renowned sports writer Lew Freedman profiles 23 mushers—men, women, Natives, seasoned veterans, and some relatively new to the demanding sport, many of whom are so well-known in Alaska that fans refer to them only by their first names. The book also features interviews with administrators who organize the event and make sure it happens every year, volunteers, and others whose connection to the Iditarod is self-evident even if they don’t have an official title.

In Honey Paw and Lightfoot, readers are given a firsthand, compelling glimpse of grizzly bears. Illuminated by Jonathan’s London spare, lyrical text and Jon Van Zyle’s spectacular illustrations, this is the story of mama bear Honey Paw and her offspring Lightfoot, from his earliest days as a newborn, no bigger than a hamster, to curious cub to adolescent bear ready to head off on his own. And tor readers who want to learn more, there is an afterword providing detailed information about grizzly bears including their relationship to indigenous cultures of the north and threats to their survival.

In IDITAROD ADVENTURES, mushers explain why they have chosen this rugged lifestyle, what has kept them in long-distance mushing, and the experiences they have endured along that unforgiving trail betweenAnchorage and Nome. Renowned sports writer Lew Freedman profiles 23 mushers—men, women, Natives, seasoned veterans, and some relatively new to the demanding sport, many of whom are so well-known in Alaska that fans refer to them only by their first names. The book also features interviews with administrators who organize the event and make sure it happens every year, volunteers, and others whose connection to the Iditarod is self-evident even if they don’t have an official title.

In IDITAROD ADVENTURES, mushers explain why they have chosen this rugged lifestyle, what has kept them in long-distance mushing, and the experiences they have endured along that unforgiving trail between Anchorage and Nome.Renowned sports writer Lew Freedman profiles 23 mushers—men, women, Natives, seasoned veterans, and some relatively new to the demanding sport, many of whom are so well-known in Alaska that fans refer to them only by their first names. The book also features interviews with administrators who organize the event and make sure it happens every year, volunteers, and others whose connection to the Iditarod is self-evident even if they don’t have an official title.

Little Wolf, pup of Gray Wolf and White Wolf, bounds into the world and through the seasons in this new children’s picture book. Inside the safety of the den, through fields of wildflowers, and in birch shimmering in an autumn moon’s glow, Van Zyle’s paintings depict Little Wolf’s adventures through a variety of perspectives from close-up portraits to sweeping action scenes. Jonathan London’s lyrical prose imparts a wisdom to the text, endearing the reader to the pup and creating a suspenseful read-aloud.

From the beginning one puppy was different from the rest. He was big and black, his brother and sisters small and gray. While the others lay quietly snuggled against their mother, this puppy squirmed and wiggled constantly.

So begins the inspiring true story of a puppy whose boundless energy almost got the best of him. Douggie: The Playful Puppy Who Became a Sled Dog Hero is Pam Flowers''s tribute to the pup who seemed destined to remain the class clown. But Pam saw potential in this exuberant youngster, and Douggie''s intelligence and persistence ultimately earned him the position of lead dog for a dangerous 325-mile expedition to the Magnetic North Pole.

As the lead dog, Douggie lead the sled dog team on this exciting adventure traveling across the frozen sea of the far Canadian north for 18 days, surviving many challenges and returning home safely. Douggie went on to become a top lead dog and lead a subsequent trip of 2,500 miles.

Listen carefully and you will hear the wild, untamed music of Gray Wolf as he races along icy ridges, howls at the moon, fiercely defends his territory against an unknown pack, and, finally, settles with a new mate. The simple, poetic text follows the restless Gray Wolf as he wanders through the northern winter night and the spectacular illustrations present a dramatic look at a beautiful, endangered animal. An afterword that adults will want to share with children is also included and offers detailed information on wolves and their range throughout the world.

Follow precious Little Puffin through his first year of life as his parents protect and prepare him for life on his own.From the safety of the little chick’s nest to his clumsy attempts at flight, Van Zyle’s paintings depict Little Puffin’s adventures through a variety of perspectives, from close-up portraits to sweeping action scenes. Jonathan London’s lyrical prose imparts a reverence for wildlife, endearing the puffin chick—Sea Parrot, Underwater Acrobat, Clown of the Ocean—to the reader and creating a suspenseful read-aloud.