Kaz Windness – illustratör

Ollie Alexander Kandersteen, successful amateur gardener, longs to be a tree: Strong. Tall. And mighty enough to stand up to Everett, the bully next door. Ollie is rather short for his age, and when things are too heavy or too high to reach, Everett is sure to point it out. Ollie wilts, he withers. Inside and out, he feels small.But when Everett, feeling jealous of Ollie’s gardening skills, steals Ollie’s sapling, an idea takes root…“I couldn’t. I shouldn’t.”But he does! Ollie SWALLOWS an acorn. He waits, wonders, and rumbles … Burp!With a little care and cultivation, a tree-mendous transformation begins! Ollie’s feet root, his arms branch, his locks leaf, and his limbs stretch to the clouds. He’s finally strong and tall enough to confront Everett. But when he does, he finds out that being the biggest doesn’t always mean you’re the mightiest and getting even with a bully might just make you feel smaller than ever.

A little bat struggles to fit in only to learn to celebrate differences in this heartfelt picture book from an autistic perspective about starting school, making friends, and seeing what makes each person special.Bitsy is a little bat with big star dreams of making friends at her new school. But when she arrives, Bitsy doesn’t feel like she fits in. The other kids sit on their chairs, but sitting upright makes Bitsy dizzy. The other kids paint with their fingers, but Bitsy would rather use her toes. Everyone tells Bitsy she’s doing things wrong-wrong-wrong, so she tries harder…and ends up having a five-star meltdown.Now Bitsy feels like a very small star and doesn’t want to go back to school. But with help from her family, Bitsy musters her courage, comes up with a new plan, and discovers that being a good friend is just one of the ways she shines bright!

Bitsy meets a new nonspeaking student at school and learns the importance of being a star teammate and friend in this sequel to the “darling” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) Bitsy Bat, School Star from Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor–winning author-illustrator Kaz Windness.Bitsy Bat is a star student and the only fantastic flier at Crittercrawl Elementary…until a new nonspeaking student named Enzo Owl arrives and outflies her during recess. Bitsy worries her friends won’t think she’s special anymore, so she’s determined to beat Enzo in the upcoming Critter Games and prove she’s the better flier. But when her friend Mo needs help during the race, Bitsy must choose between winning and being a star teammate. And while she’s at it, she just might discover that making a new friend is more special than any trophy. This sequel to Bitsy Bat, School Star is told from an autistic perspective and celebrates how our differences make each of us shine brightly on our own and as part of a team.

Bitsy Bat experiences her first snow and discovers it’s okay for friends to not always like the same things in another charming follow-up to Bitsy Bat, School Star from Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor–winning author-illustrator Kaz Windness.When Bitsy wakes up to see her first-ever snowfall, she’s excited to try out wintry activities with her friends at school. But sledding turns out to be harder than she thought, and making snow angels and snowmen leaves her feeling cold and wet. Bitsy tries to pretend she’s having fun…until a friendly snowball fight pushes her over the edge. She retreats inside the school, worried her friends won’t like her anymore once they find out she doesn’t love the snow like they do. But a surprise is waiting for her—Enzo Owl and Mo are inside too! They don’t like snow either and would rather read in the cozy nook. Bitsy comes up with an indoor activity for a snowy day—making paper snowflakes—that just might give her the courage to be honest with her friends. This third story in the Bitsy Bat series is told from an autistic perspective and celebrates how our differences make each of us shine brightly on our own and among friends.

¡Tres críticas con estrella! Un pequeño murciélago lucha por encajar, pero termina celebrado sus diferencias en este «encantador libro para todos los niños, especialmente para aquellos con autismo» (Kirkus Reviews, crítica con estrella) de la autora e ilustradora Kaz Windness, ganadora del Premio Theodor Seuss Geisel. Bitsy Murciélago: estrella escolar es un libro sobre ir a la escuela, hacer amigos, y ver lo único y especial en cada persona.Bitsy es un pequeño murciélago que sueña con hacer amigos en su nueva escuela. Pero cuando llega, Bitsy siente que no encaja. Los otros niños se sientan en sus sillas, pero Bitsy se marea al sentarse derecha. Los otros niños pintan con los dedos, pero Bitsy prefiere usar los dedos de los pies. Todo el mundo le dice a Bitsy que está haciendo las cosas mal, mal, mal. Bitsy se esfuerza por hacer las cosas mejor... y acaba teniendo una crisis de cinco estrellas. Ahora Bitsy se siente una estrella muy pequeña y no quiere volver a la escuela. Pero con la ayuda de su familia, Bitsy se arma de valor, idea un nuevo plan y descubre que ser una buena amiga es una de las tantas cosas que la hacen brillar. El libro incluye una página con más información sobre el autismo, lo que lo convierte en «un recurso especialmente útil para todos los niños» (BookPage, crítica con estrella).

Star Chapter Books are the perfect bridge for kids moving beyond beginning readers but not yet ready for longer chapter books. With short chapters, bold two-color illustrations, and fast-paced, funny stories, these confidence-building books make reading fun and rewarding. Two chicken friends accidentally time travel back to the age of the dinosaurs in this first tale in the rollicking Time-Traveling Chickens series from Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor–winning author-illustrator Kaz Windness!Nugget and Tenders are super-big, super-smart, talking chickens. When evil scientists trap them in a time machine, they land in the age of the dinosaurs. Not ones to be easily discouraged, these adventurous avians see their chance to change the course of chicken-kind. Can they change the past and get back to their future—or is the duo doomed to be a dinosaur’s dinner? Each Star Chapter Book is 112 pages long, divided into six to eight short chapters with illustrated panels on every page to keep kids engaged from start to finish. This highly visual early chapter book format supports the transition from leveled readers to chapter books, making Star Chapter Books a perfect fit for independent reading, classroom libraries, or shared story time. Look for more Star Chapter Books adventures to help kids grow confident and develop a love of reading, including the chickens’ next adventure, Nugget and Tenders’s Eggcellent Adventure!

Star Chapter Books are the perfect bridge for kids moving beyond beginning readers but not yet ready for longer chapter books. With short chapters, bold two-color illustrations, and fast-paced, funny stories, these confidence-building books make reading fun and rewarding. Two chicken friends use their time machine to foil an evil plot for world domination in this second tale in the rollicking Time-Traveling Chickens series from Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor–winning author-illustrator Kaz Windness!Nugget and Tenders discover that evil scientists are hatching a plan for world domination—and chicken is definitely on the menu! To make matters worse, the fowl friends’ baby chick, Waffles, has been kidnapped by the scientist ringleader. Nugget and Tenders are going to need help from the greatest minds in history to rescue Waffles and stop the scientists, so they fire up their time machine and jump through history to recruit the perfect team. Can they work quickly enough to save their baby…and the world? Each Star Chapter Book is 112 pages long, divided into six to eight short chapters with illustrated panels on every page to keep kids engaged from start to finish. This highly visual early chapter book format supports the transition from leveled readers to chapter books, making Star Chapter Books a perfect fit for independent reading, classroom libraries, or shared story time. Look for more Star Chapter Books adventures to help kids grow confident and develop a love of reading, including the chickens’ first adventure, Bawk to the Future!

“A darling book for all children but especially those with autism.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on Bitsy Bat, School Star The first three books in the acclaimed Bitsy Bat picture book series by Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor–winning Kaz Windness about a little bat who struggles to fit in only to learn to celebrate differences are now available together in one hardcover boxed set!Bitsy is a little bat with big star dreams of making friends at her new school. But she doesn’t always feel like she fits in. Everyone tells Bitsy she’s doing things wrong-wrong-wrong, so she tries harder…and ends up having a five-star meltdown. After that, Bitsy feels like a very small star and doesn’t want to go back to school. But with help from her family, Bitsy musters her courage, comes up with a new plan, and discovers that being a good friend is just one of the ways she shines bright! Still, it can be tough to remember those lessons, like when Enzo Owl—a new nonspeaking student who uses an AAC device and sign language—comes to Crittercrawl Elementary and outflies Bitsy at recess or when Bitsy discovers she doesn’t like playing in the snow like her friends do. After some worrying and missteps, Bitsy finds the bravery to put teamwork first and be honest with her friends. Each story in the Bitsy Bat series is told from an autistic perspective and celebrates how our differences make each of us shine brightly on our own and among friends. This sweetly relatable boxed set includes:Bitsy Bat, School StarBitsy Bat, Team StarBitsy Bat, Snow Star