Books with author Anne Villeneuve

Fed up with her terrible triplet brothers, Loula decides it’s time her parents made her a sister. But they explain it isn’t that simple — it takes special “ingredients.” With Gilbert, the chauffeur, the plucky girl gathers everything she needs. Then she waits and waits, and nothing happens … until a hungry visitor arrives. Sweet with a generous dollop of humor, this is a satisfying story about not getting exactly what you want and perhaps enjoying it all the more.

Loula has had ENOUGH of her TERRIBLE triplet brothers. She's leaving home and going to Africa! Though her quirky parents are too distracted to pay much attention to her plans, Loula has a good friend in the family chauffeur, Gilbert, who gently inquires, ?Mademoiselle, may I ask, why Africa?? ?Because!? Loula explains. ?Africa is far away, very far away, the farthest away I can get from my MEAN, HORRIBLE, STINKY brothers. Plus they are scared of snakes. And if they come, piranhas will eat them.? ?Well then,? says Gilbert, ?I think Africa is the best destination.? So together, with the help of their imaginations, Loula and Gilbert travel over the sand, through the air and across the water to reach their own special island of Africa. Which, Loula happily discovers at the end of the day, is ?not so far away? from home. Award-winning Anne Villeneuve has created a lovable and memorable character in the irrepressible Loula, who enchants and inspires with her spunk and the unique way she approaches the challenges in her life. Villeneuve's artwork, loosely drawn and painted warmly with watercolors, is both witty and charming, just like her character. This is a wonderful story about independence and adventure that also offers a heartwarming example of the important role a caring adult can play in a child's life. It provides a terrific opportunity to discuss dealing with feelings and how to be resourceful when faced with things that are out of your control.

Loula's three brothers, the Rotten Pirate Triplets, don't want to play with her. ?Brothers,? mutters Loula, ?the worst invention in the world.? She decides what she really needs is a sister, one just like her. So naturally, she asks her parents to make one for her. Only, it's not that easy. Her father explains, ?Making a sister is . . . well, it's like making a cake. You need the right ingredients.? To make a sister, they say, you need a papa and a mama, butterflies in the stomach, a full moon, a candlelit supper, kisses and hugs and chocolate. Well, that's no problem. Loula can follow this recipe! And she sets out with her loyal sidekick, the chauffeur Gilbert, to do just that. This second picture book written and illustrated by Anne Villeneuve about the charming and witty Loula firmly establishes her as a classic character who will endure in the hearts of young children. Her slightly eccentric home life adds a delightful whimsy to Loula's escapades, even while the book deals with the very common experience of wishing for a sibling. The artwork, with several different scenes laid out across each spread, is full of energy and expression. Loula's own unique blend of imagination and verve provides an empowering, inspiring and positive message, particularly for girls, that you should take matters into your own hands to improve your life. There are great character education lessons here on taking the initiative and exhibiting resilience when seeking a solution.

Loula panics when she overhears Mama saying, ?I can't live with that ... that MONSTER anymore!? She knows Mama must be talking about Mister, Loula's beloved dog, who can be ?a little too messy, a little too clumsy and a little too hungry ... a LOT of the time.? Loula tells Mister, ?If you don't stop with the bad manners, Mama will throw you out, like an old pair of shoes!? And what would Loula do without Mister? She's just going to have to find a way to transform Mister the monster ?into the most perfect little dog no mama can resist.? But will lessons at Loula's School of Good Manners be enough? Or will the job prove to be too big, even for Loula? This endearing picture book from award-winning creator Anne Villeneuve is the third story about Loula, a charming and spirited little girl destined to be a classic heroine. The warm and witty narrative combined with the emotion, energy and clever details packed into the ink and watercolor illustrations make for a perfect read-aloud. Loula's unique blend of imagination and enthusiasm in response to her problems offers an empowering model for children. This title would be an excellent choice for character education lessons on taking initiative and exhibiting resilience in facing up to difficulties. Also, the sweet relationship between Loula and the ever-patient Gilbert --- the family chauffeur, who assists with her dog training --- is a tribute to the power of positive adult attention.

Amazing stories can be told with almost no words, as Anne Villeneuve demonstrates in The Red Scarf, originally published in French as L’echarpe rouge.One day, a taxi driver finds a red scarf left behind in his cab by a customer. Determined to find the scarf’s owner, the cabbie unknowingly walks into a world filled with strange characters: a friendly lizard, a mischievous bear, a fearsome lion and his tamer, a daredevil, and a mysterious magician. Before he knows it, the cabbie becomes part of the show. Young readers will relish this almost wordless picture book about a seemingly ordinary day, which quickly turns into an extraordinary adventure.

Vincent is staying with his aunt Mimi for the summer while his mom recuperates from surgery. Mimi's drab city neighborhood, complete with an empty dirt lot across the street, doesn't seem too promising. But then Vincent meets Toma, a boy who lives nearby, and things start looking up. Mimi has a mysterious box of ?dirt balls? in her apartment. When she asks Vincent to get rid of them, the fun Vincent and Toma have throwing them into the lot becomes the start of a budding friendship. Then one day, they notice new shoots sprouting all over the lot. Maybe those balls weren't just made of dirt after all! Bestselling author Andrew Larsen brings a light touch and gentle humor to this picture book story about several kinds of growth --- of the boys and their friendship, the flowers in the newly thriving lot, and the community that comes together around it. Award-winning artist Anne Villeneuve's illustrations add a visual layer to the storytelling as they show the transformation from mostly gray to vibrant color, both literally, in the blossoming garden, and figuratively, in the now engaged neighborhood. This book highlights the value of connecting to nature, even in urban areas, and the sense of community that comes from civic engagement. It's an excellent choice for character education lessons on kindness, generosity and citizenship.

Sam has to share a room with his disruptive and all-around undesirable big brother, and he is NOT happy about it. One night, when Sam hears about the president’s plans to build a border wall, it inspires what Sam thinks is a perfectly reasonable solution to his own problem: he needs to build a wall, too. Told as a series of letters addressed to the president, the story shows Sam working through his thoughts and feelings about his plan to build a dividing wall in his bedroom. He debates pros and cons, learns about other walls built through the ages, and slowly comes around to a new perspective as he begins to see that the best solutions involve communication, compromise, and negotiating ways to make things work. With an undertone of subtle humor, this story is at once a simple tale about a common gripe of siblinghood and a modern fable sure to spark conversations about tolerance, learning to live with others, and the importance of recognizing other points of view.