Laurel Aylesworth – illustratör

Join a mother-to-be and her daughter in award-winning author Sheryl McFarlaneand illustratorLaurel Aylesworth’s The Blue Canoe, an enchanting picture book adventure filled with love, reassurance, and cherished connections, discovering the wonders of nature while embracing the arrival of a new baby.Every cabin day is a paddle-on-the-lake day. You’ll be paddling with us too, coming-soon baby. Mom and me and you in our blue canoe.A mother and daughter spend the day on the lake, admiring the local flora and fauna and considering the way their paddling routine might change when a new baby arrives.For nature lovers with a growing family, The Blue Canoe is a poignant picture book conversation that gently addresses a child’s natural worries about shifting family dynamics while celebrating the unchangeable bond between mother and child. The details of the animal families they encounter bolster the child’s confidence and reinforce the mother’s loving reassurance that even though a new baby will bring change, some things are as reliable as the sunrise.

A 2026 CHILDREN'S BOOK COUNCIL KIDS' FAVORITES SELECTIONTake to the sidewalk with this colorful picture book to inspire artistic expression and imagination!A pair of adorable siblings explores the incredible power of a piece of chalk, transforming the world around them. With people of all ages from their neighborhood coming along, they use their bucket of chalk to make some sidewalk magic.Rhyming text by Chelsea Tornetto and increasingly colorful illustrations by Laurel Aylesworth make Chalk the Walk a celebration of imagination. Grab a piece of sidewalk chalk and join in the fun!Faded pavement.Walls of gray.Boring city streets?No way!