cuddle cards
MER 95400111
Regular price $25.00 Sale price $16.50 Save 34%A personal favourite at Nest!
The cuddle journal is wonderful for families to read aloud, listen to the answers without comment if you like. A great oral journalling experience for little ones and people of all ages. To think, to feel, and to discover together. Judgement does not feel present in the questions. All of the emotions are given sunlight and air in this way.
Purchase just the journal, just the cards, or both together. In our home, our littlest one liked to play with the cards, while we read the questions aloud. Whomever liked could comment aloud, with little good, good pauses in between. Rare moments of calm and quiet overtook our household with this thoughtful and special journal.
The Gutsy Girl
ISBN 9781632861238
Regular price $22.00 Sale price $19.80 Save 10%Escapades for Your Life of Epic Adventure
by Caroline Paul; Illustrated by Wendy MacNaughton
A New York Times Bestseller
From the author of You Are Mighty, a real-life derring-do woman, a collection of exhilarating stories, activities, and tips to inspire girls to pursue a life of adventure and excitement.
Why should girls miss out on the joy of adventure? They can jump off rocks, swing on ropes, and climb trees just as well as boys can. But girls often allow fear to stand in their way.
In The Gutsy Girl, author Caroline Paul emboldens girls to seek out a life of exhilaration. Once a young scaredy-cat herself, Caroline decided that fear got in the way of the life she wanted--of excitement, confidence, self-reliance, friendship, and fun. She has since flown planes, rafted big rivers, climbed tall mountains, and fought fires as one of the first female firefighters in San Francisco. In The Gutsy Girl, she shares her greatest escapades as well as those of other girls and women from throughout history, and offers engaging activities such as confidence-building stances, creating a compass, positive self-talk, and using crickets to estimate outside temperatures. Each section includes a place for girls to “journal” their adventures, thus encouraging a new generation to develop a zest for challenges and a healthy relationship to risk. The Gutsy Girl is Lean In for young girls, a book about the glorious things that happen when you unshackle from fear and open up to exhilaration. Fully illustrated and enlivened throughout by bestselling illustrator Wendy MacNaughton's whimsical pen-and-ink drawings.
Hardcover, 160 pages. Black and white illustrations throughout.
Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2016.
Reviews
From Nest Owner, Lisa Di Lorenzo: "After signing this book out of the library the third time, I decided that I just had to carry it in the shop. I read aloud to my son, 6 yrs at the time, the story of how she collected 2L milk cartons, made a large, layered, duct-taped milk carton raft with her father, and convinced other kids to sail it down river with her. There's the call to abandon ship as it's starting to sink after not too long, but it's absolutely hilarious and like all her stories, we felt in an adventurous and very free state of mind, and we had some great laughs while reading. This is a wonderful book to have in the home for all children, in my opinion! I do think that as a young girl, I'd have especially appreciated it, and I wonder if having books like these in our home library opens up the world a bit and the paradigms that we tend to think in. Overall, the book is very well-written, illustrated, edited, and printed. It's chockfull, and a great book to gift/ own for inspiration and laughs."
"A Modern Manifesto for Bravery, Perseverance, and Breaking the Tyranny of Perfection. A former firefighter and lifelong adventurer’s clarion call for the joy of adventure in a culture obsessed with risk-averse achievement." -Maria Popova, BrainPickings.org
“The perfect book for young feminists, or really any woman who needs a dose of inspiration in her life . . . Viva la Gutsy Girl!” – Buzzfeed
“Part high-energy how-to guide, part hilarious memoir, and part interactive adventure journal designed to help girls of all ages build confidence, pluck, and bravery by venturing outside.” – Outside Magazine
“Delightful . . . There's a lot here that will thrill any girl--or boy--of any age.” – San Francisco Chronicle
“Caroline Paul's inspiring and sometimes astonishing stories of the adventures that she and other great women have undertaken, alongside Wendy MacNaughton's beautiful illustrations, make The Gutsy Girl the book of the year for daredevils, doers, and dreamers of all ages.” – Cheryl Strayed, author of WILD
“Paul encourages readers--girls, specifically--to pursue lives of excitement in a book that blends elements of memoir, guidebook, and journal.” – Publishers Weekly
“If Pippi Longstocking and Sheryl Sandberg got together and penned a book for tween girls, this brilliantly written and illustrated gem would be it.” – Parent.co
“An incredible book for raising 'gutsy' girls and a must-read for adventurous women . . . Paul's book will convince any woman that she, too, is destined for a life of epic adventure--whether it's in the woods or in the boardroom.” – Quartz.com
“A must for inspiring girls of all ages--young and young at heart.” – Stanford Magazine
“Paul's exuberant prose is made even better by Wendy MacNaughton's charming illustrations, which help place us in the adrenaline-fueled scenes . . . An adventure tome, field manual, journal, and self-help book all in one, Gutsy makes an excellent gift for girls graduating elementary school, though it's a good read for anyone. The book aims to help young women widen their comfort zone, face fear, and manage insecurity.” – Sierra
“[Lost Cat] is revelatory . . . it moves easily and hilariously from one sentence and chapter to the next . . . it's ingeniously crafted . . . a fiercely charming narrative that sneaks up on a reader, just as the best fantastical books do . . . Lost Cat is an incredibly endearing work, a snapshot of the madness of loving and agonizing over and chasing after animals.” – Jillian Steinhauer, The Los Angeles Review of Books, on LOST CAT
“An uncommonly charming and wise tale.” – Alexis Madrigal, The Atlantic, on LOST CAT
“This playful, quirky book is like a cat that climbs into your lap and purrs; it's impossible not to love it.” – Gayle Brandeis, San Francisco Chronicle, on LOST CAT
“A tender, imaginative memoir infused with equal parts humor and humanity . . . an absolute treat from cover to cover.” – Maria Popova, Brain Pickings, on LOST CAT
No One is Angry Today
ISBN 9781776573455
Regular price $27.99 Sale price $25.10 Save 10%An illustrated collection of thought-provoking stories about how anger doesn’t always have to be angry, with illustrations from Marc Boutavant.
In ten thoughtful, philosophical, absurd tales by master storyteller Toon Tellegen, the forest animals—from squirrel to scarab beetle—spend their days as friends do, with birthday parties, writing letters, visiting, dancing, or sometimes all alone. Each day brings emotions that are always worth exploring, although not always easy, and each story reveals new layers through the expressive, touching and funny illustrations of Marc Boutavant.
This wry and nuanced illustrated storybook gently shows that anger, in all its shapes and sizes, is a natural, necessary and often misunderstood emotion. Written by one of the greatest Dutch authors for children, this wise and gently written collection is perfect for children wanting to explore and learn more about difficult emotions and feelings, making it an ideal book to read together with family or in the classroom, for readers aged 6-12 years.
Hardcover, 82 pages. 7.4 x 11 inches.
For readers aged 6-12 years.
Gecko Press, 2021.
Up the Mountain Path
ISBN 9781616897239
Regular price $26.95 Sale price $24.50 Save 9%By Marianne Dubuc
Mrs. Badger, an avid collector and naturalist, takes a weekly journey up to Sugarloaf Peak, greeting her friends on the way and sharing her discoveries with them. One day she meets Lulu, a very small cat, who wants to go with her to the top of the mountain. On the way, Lulu learns to take care of the natural world, help those in need, and listen to her intuition. Rich in wisdom and beautifully illustrated, Up the Mountain Path offers a profound story full of lessons about love, generosity, and following one's heart.
Recommended for readers ages 3-7 years.
Hardcover with jacket, 72 pages, with 80 colour illustrations.
7.5 × 9.5 inches (19.1 × 24.1 cm).
Princeton Architectural Press.
Montreal-based Marianne Dubuc is an award-winning author and illustrator of more than ten picture books, including The Fish and the Cat and The Lion and the Bird.
Frog & Friends - Outdoor Surprises
ISBN 9781585368082
Regular price $4.99 Sale price $4.65 Save 7%About the Author & Illustrator
EVE BUNTING has written over two hundred books for children, including the Caldecott Medal-winning Smoky Night, illustrated by David Diaz, The Wall, Fly Away Home, and Train to Somewhere. She lives in Southern California.
Josée Masse's children's books include "Mirror, Mirror" (selected as one of Publishers Weekly's Best Children's Books of 2010) and "Mousie Love" (included in Bank Street College's Best Children's Books of the Year, 2010).
Frog & Friends - Party at the Pond
ISBN 9781585366903
Regular price $4.99 Sale price $4.65 Save 7%About the Author & Illustrator
EVE BUNTING has written over two hundred books for children, including the Caldecott Medal-winning Smoky Night, illustrated by David Diaz, The Wall, Fly Away Home, and Train to Somewhere. She lives in Southern California.
Josée Masse's children's books include "Mirror, Mirror" (selected as one of Publishers Weekly's Best Children's Books of 2010) and "Mousie Love" (included in Bank Street College's Best Children's Books of the Year, 2010).
Frog & Friends - Best Summer Ever
ISBN 9781585366910
Regular price $4.99 Sale price $4.65 Save 7%About the Author & Illustrator
EVE BUNTING has written over two hundred books for children, including the Caldecott Medal-winning Smoky Night, illustrated by David Diaz, The Wall, Fly Away Home, and Train to Somewhere. She lives in Southern California.
Josée Masse's children's books include "Mirror, Mirror" (selected as one of Publishers Weekly's Best Children's Books of 2010) and "Mousie Love" (included in Bank Street College's Best Children's Books of the Year, 2010).
All the Dear Little Animals
ISBN 9781776572892
Regular price $23.99 Sale price $21.60 Save 10%Early readers will love the dry humour and wonderfully rounded story of All the Dear Little Animals. Nilsson perfectly captures the child's perspective, balancing compassion and humour. This is a very funny story about a topic that touches all of us.
Reviews
101 Great Books for Kids — 2020 — Winner
USBBY Outstanding International Books List — 2021 — Winner
"Three children spend a day burying dead creatures in this New Zealand import originally from Sweden. This perspicacious observation of how children copy adult behavior in their play is also a hilarious spoof on the overtly pious funeral industry. Esther, her younger brother Puttie, and the unnamed narrator have 'nothing to do' one day. Finding a dead bumblebee, Esther declares they must bury it, but the narrator is leery of touching it, being afraid of death, and so instead offers to write the poem: 'A dear little life in the hand / Suddenly gone, deep in the sand.' Little Puttie, completely in the dark about death, is upset when Esther tells him he too will die when he is 'an old man.' 'But Mummy and Daddy will be so sad,' he whimpers. After the success of the bumblebee interment, Esther is enthused about burying 'all the poor dead animals,' and the children start 'Funerals Ltd.,' phoning neighbors for dead pets and scouring the bushes and byways for roadkill. The story cleverly—and tenderly—pivots near its end, giving it a touching depth (with a twist). Eriksson's keenly observed illustrations include full-page and double-page spreads as well as spots, and they are as wickedly hilarious as the text in their understated expressions and details. An abundance of soft springlike colors present a visually humorous juxtaposition to the morbid theme. The children are illustrated as white. Dark and hilarious." — Kirkus Reviews
"One quiet day, when a boy (the narrator) and his friend Esther have nothing to do, they find a dead bumblebee. Esther takes the lead, grabbing a shovel and burying the bee in a cigar-box coffin, while the boy recites a little poem over the grave. They're so moved that they decide to look for more dead things to bury, with help from Esther's little brother. Next, they find a dead mouse and give him a solemn burial, thinking, 'We were the nicest people in the world.' Soon they start an animal funeral business, burying a pet hamster, a rooster, a blackbird, and even roadkill: a hedgehog and a hare. Along the way, the children talk about death itself. The narrative concludes, 'The next day we did something else. Something completely different.' First published in Sweden, the book has a childlike tone that is reverent, winsome, and matter-of-fact. The kids' attitudes toward death differ realistically according to their ages and personalities. Sometimes amusing and sometimes moving, Nilsson's simply written text is always satisfying. Eriksson's sensitive, beguiling pencil drawings with color washes brighten every double-page spread. Like Margaret Wise Brown's The Dead Bird (1958, 2016), this pitch-perfect book shows children dealing with death in their own ways and then moving on." — Booklist
"Nilsson and Eriksson bring a whiff of Scandinavian noir to this lengthy, small-format picture book. After an encounter with 'something sad and tragic'—a dead bee—Esther buries the insect, then makes a pronouncement. 'Someone unselfish must make sure all these dead things get buried,' she tells the narrator, a boy in a plaid shirt. So they start a business, Funerals Ltd. The boy is a reluctant undertaker but a good writer ('There are lots of words inside me'), and he contributes a short poem for each funeral ('Farewell Harold, wee Harold so bold'). Esther solicits new business, sometimes with startling cynicism—'We will never forget him. That's what we're paid for!' Deftly translated by Marshall, the text laces honest consideration of a difficult subject with winningly mordant humor. Lindgren Award–winner Eriksson's (My Heart Is Laughing) lightly penned images of the children burying animals are the visual equivalent of Nilsson's offhand tone. It's only after the children tackle logistical matters—touching corpses, how to explain death to Esther's little brother, whether the gravestones need proper names—that a moment of real tenderness occurs: they witness a blackbird's sudden death, and even brusque Esther is moved. A sly, thoughtful, many-layered story." — Publishers Weekly
"'One day we had nothing to do. We wanted some fun. Then Esther found a bumblebee.' This illustrated early chapter book is a darkly comedic exploration of life and death. Three bored children begin holding funerals for dead animals they happen upon, beginning with the bumblebee. Flowers, poetry, tears, and a cigar-box coffin make the first funeral such a success that they start a business, Funerals Ltd. Among other creatures, that day they bury a pet hamster, a rooster, and three dead fish Esther finds in the fridge. Busy and self-righteous in their work ('We were very kind and good, looking after the dead animals. We were the nicest people in the world'), they enjoy great satisfaction and become greedy for larger creatures to buy. Then, at dusk, a blackbird flies into a window and dies before their eyes. The suddenness of the transition unsettles the three children, and this final funeral, though still melodramatic, feels more personal and less like a game. 'The next day we found something else to do. Something completely different.' Honest and uncomfortable humor within the soft, pale vignettes and full-page and double-page-spread art captures the book's spirit, with a final spread showing the graveyard the trio created, with wooden crosses and stones labeled with names (including 'A fish,' and 'One more fish') commemorating all the creatures whose lives were honored that day." — The Horn Book Magazine
Frog & Friends
ISBN 9781585366897
Regular price $4.99 Sale price $4.65 Save 7%by Eve Bunting; illustrated by Josée Masse
Welcome to Frog and his world. He enjoys nothing better than spending time floating in his pond or visiting with his friends. He appreciates the simpler things in life and would prefer that things stay just the way they are - nice and peaceful. From acclaimed children's writer Eve Bunting comes a new beginning reader series featuring the delightful Frog and his friends Rabbit, Possum, Raccoon, and Squirrel. In the first book Frog is alarmed when he finds a strange object in his pond, he tries to re-gift a scarf, and he makes friends with a runaway hippo.
Softcover, 40 pages. 6 x 9 inches.
Sleeping Bear Press.
About the Author & Illustrator
EVE BUNTING has written over two hundred books for children, including the Caldecott Medal-winning Smoky Night, illustrated by David Diaz, The Wall, Fly Away Home, and Train to Somewhere. She lives in Southern California.
Josée Masse's children's books include "Mirror, Mirror" (selected as one of Publishers Weekly's Best Children's Books of 2010) and "Mousie Love" (included in Bank Street College's Best Children's Books of the Year, 2010).
The Thing About Bees
ISBN 9780998047799
Regular price $28.95 Sale price $24.50 Save 15%A Love Letter, by Shabazz Larkin
"Sometimes bees can be a bit rude.
They fly in your face and prance on your food."
And yet… without bees, we might not have strawberries for shortcakes or avocados for tacos!
Shabazz Larkin’s The Thing About Bees is a Norman Rockwell-inspired Sunday in the park, a love poem from a father to his two sons, and a tribute to the bees that pollinate the foods we love to eat.
Children are introduced to different kinds of bees, “how not to get stung,” and how the things we fear are often things we don’t fully understand.
Shabazz Larkin made his picture book illustration debut with Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table, followed by his author/illustrator debut with A Moose Boosh: A Few Choice Words About Food, both named American Library Association Notable Children’s Books and published by READERS to EATERS. He is a multi-disciplinary artist and an advertising creative director. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife and two sons. More about him at studioshabazz.
Review
“Starring an affectionate family and a whole lot of bees, Larkin offers up a sparkling celebration of necessary pollinators… Full-bleed spreads, ’inspired by the techniques of... Kehinde Wiley and Norman Rockwell,’ show a family of color interacting with the insects out of doors… Imaginative and playful, Larkin’s images of the family’s encounters with bees and the fruits and vegetables they help produce helps them understand the role of pollinators—and provides stylish entertainment.” —Publishers Weekly
"Larkin, a father of young children and a profound melissophobe, dug into the dizzying variety of bee species and the roles they play in the global food web, all in order to ease his own fear and avoid passing that fear on to his children. The result is a sweet, gentle picture book that, with Larkin’s playful, abstract art, can inspire a sense of wonder and respect for nature’s buzzing buddies. Be sure to check out the 'How Not to Get Stung' chart at the back."
—Civil Eats
"Larkin delivers a love poem to bees and his children... This paean to bees is just the ticket.” —Kirkus Reviews
—BayViews, The Association of Children’s Librarians of Northern California
“The Thing About Bees is a fun read and filled with important lessons —for kids and adults, about how essential bees are to the food we love to eat! This book will spark the curiosity in every child to learn more about the power of pollinators.” —Nona Evans, Executive Director, Whole Kids Foundation
“The Thing About Bees is sweet as honey and lyrical as a song. Larkin takes the stinging fear out of bees as he connects pollinators with raspberries for pancakes, picnics with watermelon, and the strawberry heart love of a father for his buzzing kids. This book is perfect for any kids who, like mine, fear bees and want to understand why they exist.” —Anna Mulé, Executive Director, Slow Food USA
"Kids and bees can be rambunctious, but of course we need them both. Larkin's playful father-son story gathers up the sweetness of life with unconditional love."
—Javaka Steptoe, Winner, Caldecott Medal,Radiant Child, Coretta Scott King Award, In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall
About the Author
Sleep Easy - A Mindfulness Guide to Getting a Good Night's Sleep
ISBN 9781631983344
Regular price $25.50 Sale price $20.50 Save 20%by Paul Christelis; illustrated by Elisa Paganelli
Twins Billy and Betty are having trouble sleeping. Billy’s mind is noisy, constantly chattering, keeping him awake. Betty finds that as soon as her eyes close she starts to worry about what will happen the next day at school. But the twins learn how to have a restful night by using mindfulness techniques to help them sleep tight.
Recommended for children ages 5-9 years.
Hardcover, 32 pages. 7.5" x 9".
Free Spirit Publishing.
Look Inside via this link from the publisher here.
Explore the Learner's guide to the Everyday Mindfulness Series from the publisher here.