Naoko Stoop – illustratör

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass comes a beautiful and lushly illustrated tale celebrating gratitude, reciprocity, and finding our place in the natural world, ideal for sharing with the youngest readers.When young Bud sees people bustling around, intent on their chores and their screens, she is certain they must be doing important things—and she wants to be included. But wise Nokomis, her grandmother, shows her that there is a different way to find belonging, one that relies on stillness and observing the natural world. As Bud discovers the freely given gifts of the Earth, she wonders if she has something important to give back: What is her gift?Infused with warmth, humor, and insight, and beautifully illustrated by Naoko Stoop, the first picture book by renowned author and Indigenous ecologist Robin Wall Kimmerer inspires readers to treasure nature’s generosity and the gifts each one of us can share with the Earth.

I drew a heart, and another one after... The hearts filled the pages, spilled over the edges, all these hearts that were in no way the same...A little boy spends the day drawing hearts-wavy hearts, wiggly hearts, wide hearts and tiny hearts, broken hearts and polka-dotted hearts-and each heart a reminder of a favourite memory: dancing, kite flying, first steps, and more.This poignant and lyrical book with vibrant illustrations celebrates a multigenerational family, creativity, and love.

Kaavan grew up in captivity in a Pakistani zoo. For years, he lived in poor conditions with only one friend, an elephant named Saheli. After Saheli died, Kaavan was overcome by grief and his health worsened. When animal rights activists around the world were alerted to Kaavan's deteriorating condition, Dr. Amir Khalil visited the elephant to see what could be done.Thanks to the virality of Kaavan's story-and with the publicity and fundraising efforts of pop culture icon Cher-Dr. Khalil was able to orchestrate moving Kaavan to the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary, where he now lives with other elephants. Because of the care and help of so many, Kaavan is no longer the world's loneliest elephant. And that is the best news of all.

A clever and innovative bilingual English/Japanese picture book about a Japanese girl and an American girl who prove you don't need to speak the same language to understand each other.When a young Japanese girl moves into her new house, she is happy to see a girl her age playing in the snow just outside her window. The only problem is the Japanese girl doesn't speak English and the American girl doesn't speak Japanese. How will these two girls have any fun at all? As it turns out, it's not that hard when both girls are looking for a friend! What starts with a simple "hello" and "konnichiwa" becomes a day filled with fun in the snow. Each girl's love of play, snow, and making a new friend transcends the need to speak the same language, and by using simple words in their own languages, along with a bit of charades, the girls find they have all they need to build a snow creature. An important book to show children that speaking the same language isn't a prerequisite to making a new friend.

A beautiful meditation on new motherhood from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the I Am series, Susan Verde.#1 New York Times bestselling author and mindfulness teacher Susan Verde has introduced millions of young readers to the idea of self-care. Now she has crafted a message of healing to be shared between new mothers and their babies as they read together.Becoming a mother isn’t always easy. There are tired days and tears, tests of patience and fears of getting it wrong. As mother and child read Mommy Love, the text provides the reader with the prompts of a mindfulness exercise. Mothers are guided to use their senses to help them bond with their babies, notice small details, and ground themselves in the present moment. There are words of encouragement and hope as Mommy and Baby begin their journey of love together.Complete with an author’s note, breathing exercises, a gratitude practice, and other resources, Mommy Love is a groundbreaking and heartwarming book that reassures all those who are experiencing motherhood that they are doing their best as they explore their important new role.