Nicole Wong – illustratör

Did you know that our universe is constantly expanding?When we look up at the stars, they’re mixing and moving, flaring and fading.Just like you grow each and every day, change is all around us.I am changing, too.In a beautiful text that all families facing serious illness can relate to, a mother explains her own illness and changing body to her child. Offering comfort, guidance, and explanation, the mother reassures her daughter that no matter how life unfolds in the journey ahead, their love for one another will always stay strong.Lyrically written by Paula Schneider, a breast cancer survivor herself and CEO of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and gorgeously illustrated by Nicole Wong, whose family was also touched by cancer, this powerful story shows families that they are not alone.The author's net proceeds from the sales of this book will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Making friends with faraway relatives you’ve never met can be a little daunting at first, but this family finds a unique way to connect. It’s a joyous occasion when you get to visit family in another country after a long time apart. But sometimes it takes a while to connect. That’s what happens to the little girl in this book—when she first sees her faraway family, they feel like strangers. To make matters worse, the power goes out at bedtime, and that means no more night-light. Then a flashlight beam appears—it’s her grandmother, who invites her into a lively game of shadow play. And soon the two of them are having a grand adventure, and the girl’s faraway family starts feeling more like friends. Award-winning author Padma Venkatraman’s picture book debut shows the joy of connecting through imaginative play, and Nicole Wong’s evocative illustrations bring the story to brilliant life.

Each of the three seeds in this story—a cherry stone in Iran, an acacia seed in Australia and a lotus seed in China—survives a difficult journey through flood, fire or drought, then sprouts and ultimately flourishes.

Joshua and his grandfather love being together. More than anything else they love fishing. But Grandpa gets ill and is in the hospital a long time. When he gets out, he and Joshua share one more fishing adventure, and Grandpa promises Joshua that he will always be near.“Think of it this way,” Grandpa says. “Today, you and I are like two fish swimming together in this lake. When I die, things will be different. I won’t be a fish anymore, but I’ll become something even better. My love will be like the water in the lake. You might think I’m not with you, but we’ll be closer than ever because you’ll be surrounded by my love.” Long after Grandpa dies, Joshua comes to understand that Grandpa kept his promise—and that love and its memory survive death. When grown-up Joshua goes fishing with his daughter, he teaches her what Grandpa taught him: “She knows we never have to feel alone or afraid because we are surrounded by a love that lasts forever.”

How many friends, turns, clothes, toys, fashion accessories, books? How much of anything? The pictures follow one child as she learns the difference between wanting and needing and, in the end, feels the contentment that flows from being satisfied with what she has. The text, meanwhile, frames a difficult idea in simple, spare language: “Somewhere between a little and a lot, there is Enough. It might be hard to spot, but it’s always there.”

Finalist, Green Earth Book AwardsSelected for the New York Botanical Garden's LuEsther T. Mertz LibraryIncluded in Wordcrate amp rsquo s resilience activity boxThe Hugging Tree tells the story of a little tree growing all alone on a cliff, by a vast and mighty sea. Reading this book with your child can be a way to teach resilience, self-confidence, and self-control and help you discuss challenges your child may be facing at home or school.Alone on a mighty cliff by the sea, a tiny tree struggles to grow and thrive. She is nurtured by the sea, sun and moon, and becomes home to a family of loons. But winter ice storms and bitter cold break her boughs and roots. Will she survive? Find out how the hugging tree grows until she can hold and shelter others. Even though childhood can be a wondrous and carefree time, children must deal with difficulties as they grow. Those range from minor disappointments like losing a game, arguing with a friend or sibling, earning a poor grade amp hellip to significant blows such as the death of a parent or loved one, abuse, or neglect.Through all her troubles, the Hugging Tree holds fast. Sustained by the natural world and the kindness and compassion of one little boy, the tree grows and grows until it can hold and shelter others under its immense green canopy. Every day, people of all ages come to rest and sit under the tree. The resilience of the Hugging Tree calls to mind the potential in all of us: to thrive, despite times of struggle and difficulty. To nurture the little spark of hope and resolve. To dream and to grow, just where we are.  Psychologists use the term resilience to describe an individual amp rsquo s ability to adapt successfully to challenging events. Reading this book with your child can be a way to teach resilience, self-confidence, and self-control and help you discuss challenges your child may be facing at home or school. This book has been used as an inspiration and teaching tool by teachers, librarians, pastors, rabbis, and parents around the world. There are more than two dozen read-a-louds of the book available on You Tube. Children enjoy making their own drawings of hugging trees, with words like amp ldquo love amp rdquo and amp ldquo perseverance amp rdquo alongside the branches. They enjoy outdoor read-a-louds accompanied by hugging and being hugged by trees.  A Note to Parents by Elizabeth McCallum, PhD, provides information about resilience, and guidelines for building resilience in children.

A sweet poem about being an introvert in a big loud world.Inspired by a quote from the late, great children's book author Margaret Wise Brown, this poem honors and celebrates the beauty of being your authentic self. Soothing rhymes and soft illustrations convey the peace of being alone with your thoughts.This is a gentle introduction to the concept of being an introvert, as well as an invitation for child and grown-up readers alike to observe and imagine their inner world and the world around them. What can you hear when you stay quiet as mud?

Mysteriöse Geschichten aus der Welt von Greenglass HouseSeit einer Woche regnet es sintflutartig, das Wasser des Flusses steigt unaufhörlich, überschwemmt Straßen und Wege, und die zwölf Gäste der Taverne »Zur blauen Ader« sitzen wie in einer Falle fest - unter ihnen ein Kapitän, zwei tätowierte Zwillingsbrüder, eine Musikerin, ein alter Kartenspieler, ein allein reisendes junges Mädchen … Um sich die Zeit zu vertreiben, erzählen sich die Anwesenden Geschichten: mysteriöse Begebenheiten, sagenhafte, gespenstische oder skurrile Phänomene. Und was sie wiedergeben, scheint mehr von ihren verborgenen Verbindungen oder Vorhaben zu verraten, als sie zu enthüllen beabsichtigen. Wie hängen die Personen und ihre Geheimnisse mit ihren rätselhaften Geschichten zusammen?Als der Regen mit seinen unheimlichen Wassermassen immer weiter steigt, wird klar, dass die ganze Stadt in Gefahr ist - und nicht allein durch die Flut. Doch die Gäste haben nur ihre Erzählungen und sind aufeinander angewiesen. Wird das reichen, um gerettet zu werden?Gefährliche Geheimnisse, übernatürliche Verbindungen und die Kraft der Erzählungen treiben das fesselnde und rätselhafte Geschehen dieses fantastischen Romans voran. Nichts ist bloß so, wie es scheint, und jede Geschichte enthüllt mehr als nur das vordergründig Erzählte …