Kevin Hawkes – illustratör

Here are eight gloriously imaginative stories for eight satisfying sessions of bedtime reading. There’s a flying apple pie, a cat that’s bigger than an elephant, a house that lays an egg, storybook animals that leap out of their books at night, and a wealth of other wonderful characters and ideas, all with the colorful, dreamlike quality of the very best fairy tales. Joan Aiken’s delicious prose is a joy to read aloud to very young listeners yet simple enough for the independent reader to savor on his or her own. Kevin Hawkes’s illustrations–nearly 60 of them–capture with great flair and fun the magical adventures and the triumph of the good over the bad.From the Trade Paperback edition.

This School Library Journal Best Book of the Year celebrates everything butterfly, from migration to metamorphosis! Kids will love reading about Velma''s own transformation from a timid first grader into a confident scientist.It''s hard to be Velma entering first grade. That''s because everyone has marvelous memories of her two older sisters, who were practically perfect first graders, and no one even notices Velma. But all that changes on a class trip to the butterfly conservatory, a place neither of her sisters has been. When a monarch roosts on Velma''s finger and won''t budge for days—no one will ever forget it . . . or her! Here''s the perfect addition to any science curriculum. 

From the Hardcover edition.

A wonderful addition to any child's library, this is the multiple award-winning and bestselling picture book about what happens when a lion visits a library.In this international and award-winning bestseller about the joys of discovering the library and making new friends, a lion visits the library for the very first time. The head librarian, Miss Merriweather, is very particular about rules in the library. But when the lion visits, she isn't sure what to do – there aren’t any rules about lions in the library! As it turns out, this lion seems very well suited to library visiting. His big feet are quiet on the floor and he makes a comfy backrest for the children at story hour, too. When an emergency happens, however, the lion has a dilemma. Should he come to the rescue in the only way he knows how, even if it means breaking Miss Merriweather's strict rules?

A madcap encore to the There’s a Dinosaur on the 13th Floor, starring the ever-proper Mr Snore.Mr Snore returns to the wacky Sharemore Hotel to play his violin at a fancy wedding. As he waits for the ceremony to begin, he notices a certain uninvited guest ogling the towering wedding cake. It’s hard to tell who’s a guest and who's a pest, but Mr Snore is going to do his heroic best to save the cake from sure disaster!

“I Was a Rat!” So insists a scruffy boy named Roger. Maybe it’s true. But what is he now? A terrifying monster running wild in the sewers? The Daily Scourge is sure of it. A victim of “Rodent Delusion”? The hospital nurse says yes. A lucrative fairground freak? He is to Mr. Tapscrew. A champion wriggler and a budding thief? That’s what Billy thinks. Or just an ordinary small boy, though a little ratty in his habits? Only three people believe this version of the story. And it may take a royal intervention—and a bit of magic—to convince the rest of the world.Set against the backdrop of a Royal Wedding—and a playful parody of the press, I Was a Rat! is a magical weaving of humor, fairy tale, and adventure.

From an imaginative team comes a new holiday myth for all families to enjoy, especially those celebrating both Christmas and Hanukkah.Nate Gadol is a great big spirit with eyes as shiny as golden coins and a smile that is lantern bright. He can make anything last as long as it is needed, like a tiny bit of oil that must stretch for eight nights, a flower that needs to stay fresh to cheer up someone ailing, or a small lump of chocolate that grows to allow the Glaser family to treat their children over the holiday and, during a harsh winter when medicine is needed more than sweets, spurs them to share what little they have with the O’Malleys. In this charming holiday hybrid story, well-known children’s author and editor Arthur A. Levine pairs with award-winning illustrator Kevin Hawkes to offer a mythical, magical take on the way Jewish families came to give and receive gifts over Hanukkah, just as their Christian neighbours do at Christmas, thanks to a loving spirit named Nate Gadol working behind the scenes – together with a certain jolly old soul.

The virtues of taking a break – and of being thankful – are extolled in the gentle story of a stubborn ox, an impatient farmer, and a day of rest.Long ago, in the hills near Jerusalem, lived a young ox. For six days each week, she and her owner would toil in the fields, and on the seventh day both would rest. Then it came to be that this young ox was sold. For six days, she toiled in her new owner’s fields, and on the seventh day the farmer brought out the yoke and plough, expecting to spend another day hard at work. But Shoshi the ox had a different idea. In a warm, friendly narrative and vivid, humorous art, author Caryn Yacowitz and illustrator Kevin Hawkes bring to life a tale drawn from the ancient Jewish stories known as the Midrash, a story as relevant today as it was long ago. It’s a tale of encountering other cultures and learning from them, of paying attention to the world around you – sun, breeze, animals, people – and above all, of learning to slow down and take a break.

The New York Times bestselling and award-winning creators behind Library Lion deliver a warm (and delightfully fuzzy) storybook, another classic in the making, marked by humour and depth, endearing characters and the assurance that the right people will accept and adore us, unconditionally, just as we are.On a street of old houses, a big hairy spider is searching for a home with dark corners to hide in. But when he wakes up, he finds a hand reaching for him, and a lady proclaiming that she has always wanted a kitten – and will name him Luigi! At first, a somewhat puzzled Luigi, used to being left alone to creep and dangle and spin webs, resists her kind advances. But soon, tasty breakfasts and getting tucked into bed (no one’s ever wished him good night before) have him thinking that kittens surely live magical lives. I will be a kitten! he decides. But how long can he keep up his façade, and what might be at stake in pretending to be someone you’re not?

A gloriously illustrated celebration of individualism from an award-winning author.Wesley’s an outcast from the civilization around him – he’s not into pizza or football or haircuts. But during the summer holidays, he has a brilliant idea: he’ll found a civilization of his own – in the back garden! From this seed a whole world grows and blooms – the extraordinary, imaginative world of Weslandia! Wesley creates his own food, clothing, shelter, games, language even, and gradually wins over the other children.