Books with author Marie-Louise Gay

Marie-Louise Gay has gone back in time to answer the questions often asked by the children who read and love her Stella books. Where does Stella get her wild ideas? How big is Stella’s imagination? What did Stella look like when she was small? How did Stella come to be the big sister to Sam? Although Gay didn’t know what she would find when she started to explore Stella’s childhood, she soon realized that when Stella was very small, she saw the world in her own unique way — with wonder, curiosity, and the sense that everything is possible. Evocative watercolors and imaginative text make this one of the most endearing entries in the series.

Mustafa and his family traveled a long way to reach their new home. Some nights Mustafa dreams about the country he used to live in, and he wakes up not knowing where he is. Then his mother takes him out to the balcony to see the moon ― the same moon as in their old country. In the park, Mustafa sees ants and caterpillars and bees ― they are the same, too. He encounters a “girl-with-a-cat,” who says something in a language that he can’t understand. He watches an old lady feeding birds and other children playing, but he is always looking in from the outside and he feels that he is invisible. But one day, the girl-with-the-cat beckons to him, and Mustafa begins to become part of his new world. Marie-Louise Gay’s remarkable ability to write and illustrate from the perspective of a young child is movingly exhibited in this gentle, thoughtful story about coming to feel at home in a new country.

A grand collection for early readers transitioning to chapter books, this treasury gathers three madcap Princess Pistachio titles into one divine volume. New fans will cheer for Pistachio as she "discovers" she may be kidnapped royalty in Princess Pistachio, navigates a disastrous day of minding her baby sister in Princess Pistachio and the Pest, and gets caught up in fame when her dog becomes a theater star in Princess Pistachio and Maurice the Magnificent. Written and illustrated by the internationally bestselling author and illustrator Marie-Louise Gay, the Princess Pistachio Treasury features a ribbon bookmarker, gold foil stamping, and a reinforced spine for a classic treasury feel. (Publisher)

Instead of dream vacations to Disney World and hotels with swimming pools and water slides, the parents in Travels with My Family insist on obscure destinations in the middle of nowhere. They're determined to go, even if it means hours of dull driving filled with countless back-seat, argument-inducing games of Twenty Questions and out-loud readings of the “How to Change a Tire” chapter from the owner’s manual. But bad as the travel is, it's nothing compared to what happens when they arrive: eating grasshoppers in Mexico, forgetting the tide schedule while collecting sand dollars off the coast of Georgia, and mistaking alligators for logs in the middle of Okefenokee Swamp.Travels with My Family is told from the point of view of a long-suffering big brother who must attend to many responsibilities in this eccentric family — keep little brother out of trouble; humor artistic Mom while she seeks out beauty and inspiration in the least likely places; and discourage nearsighted, tone-deaf Dad from pulling out the road map to search for yet another strange destination.

Does Catina like Houndsley’s larger-than-life cousin more than she likes him? The charming friends return in this relatable tale.When his cousin Wagster comes for a visit, Houndsley is excited. Wagster is all adventure and enthusiasm and razzle-dazzle, and all his friends love him. Even Catina thinks Wagster is fun and good at everything, and pretty soon Houndsley is starting to feel a little bit invisible. But Houndsley and Catina are best friends, and certainly Cousin Wagster won’t change that — right? James Howe and Marie-Louise Gay have created a tender and funny story about some of the ways that friendships can change, and how they also stay exactly the same.

Finn and his younger brothers, Leo and Ooley, love reading stories about animals living in forests, on mountains or in the arctic.“When I grow up,” says Finn, “I want to be an explorer and travel around the world. I want to see wild animals and strange birds.”“Why wait?” asks Leo.And so, the next morning, they wake up early and set out on a snowy expedition to search for wild animals. In their grandfather’s time, the forest was full of animals ― but today the forest is quiet. Where have the animals gone?This gentle adventure story about the effects of climate change ends on a hopeful note.

In their second adventure, Stella and her little brother, Sam, spend the day discovering the wonders of winter together. Playing in the snow, they explore the white-draped forest, pelt each other with snowballs, and wave their arms while lying down in the snow to make snow angels. Marie-Louise Gay's evocative watercolors bring alive the magic of a winter day, as Sam asks a million questions and Stella patiently answers them in a big sister kind of way.

Fern and Horn are twins who look like two peas in a pod or two stars in the sky. But Fern and Horn have different ways of seeing the world. They try to outdo each other with imagination and improvisation, using crayons and pencils, ripped-up paper and cardboard boxes.Fern loves to draw flowers and butterflies, birds and bees, caterpillars and orange trees. She draws here, there and everywhere. Horn wants to draw too, but he thinks his flowers look like purple pancakes and his caterpillars like striped socks.“Draw whatever you want!” Fern tells him.Horn draws an enormous elephant that tramples all over her pictures.Fortunately, Fern’s imagination is as big as the universe. She loves gazing at the stars and making star shapes. Again, Horn tries to follow suit, but he is frustrated with his creations and makes a ferocious paper polar bear that devours Fern’s stars.Undeterred, Fern decides to build a castle that can withstand elephants and polar bears, but a fire-breathing dragon comes along. Luckily, Fern knows exactly what dragons like best …Illustrations full of vibrant color, collage and exquisite detail complement this story that looks at the endless imagination and creative energy of young children. Marie-Louise Gay suggests that if children are given the time and space to explore the many paths to creativity, the results are brilliant and inspiring.

"What are you doing, Sam?" calls Stella.Sam and his dog, Fred, are creating joyful havoc throughout the house. Be it snorkeling in the bathtub, teaching Fred to read or roll over, or cooking up a pancake feast, they are having a marvelous time. Of course, Stella joins in the fun as she observes the inventive antics of Sam and his beloved companion.In this wonderful addition to the Stella and Sam series, Marie-Louise Gay has created another charming picture book. Delicate watercolors, full of expression and humor, bring her delightful story to life.

The charming duo returns with a love letter to the library, good friends, the joy of learning, and self-reinvention.It’s Saturday, and Houndsley, Catina, and their friend Bert are looking forward to their weekly visit to the library. But when the trio arrives, they find that Trixie, the librarian, seems different. She doesn’t tell a joke or recommend a book like she always does. That’s when the friends find out the news — the library is closing! With Trixie retiring and enrolled in circus school, there’s no one to take her place as head librarian . . . or is there? James Howe and Marie-Louise Gay have created another engaging tale about what it means to be a supportive friend and how it’s never too late to learn something new.

Marie-Louise Gay brings her charmingly wacky style to the familiar tale of the three little pigs. Fresh, bright colours and witty figure drawings bring the wolf and pigs to life. Despite the sad ending that befalls two of the pigs and the wolf, it's impossible not be enchanted with this anything-but-classic rendering of the tradional tale."The Three Little Pigs has always been one of my favourite fairy tales. It is a joyful, heart-thrilling story in which children can easily recognize their emotions. They see their own doubt, insecurity, fear and courage in every one of the little pigs and in the big bad wolf himself, which makes the story an empowering tale about growing up and acquiring intelligence and cleverness. And, of course, I've always considered pigs to be lovely, intelligent creatures and a joy to draw." - Marie-Louise Gay