Books with author Maryann Kovalski

A delightfully silly rendition of the traditional song. Young children will be clamboring to join in the fun when Grandma takes Jenny and Joanna on a carriage ride through New York City's Central Park. Caught up in the holiday spirit they start to sing - and take off on a hilarious romp no one will want to miss! Maryann Kovalski's lively illustrations are full of funny antics sure to make this a holiday favorite.

Life in a tenement during the 1930s is difficult for anyone. No wonder Mama is homesick for the sunny south of Italy, where flowers bloom and the sky is always blue. Her little daughter tries everything to cheer her up, from hand stands and jokes to a trip to Coney Island. Nothing seems to work. But at Coney Island, the child wins a packet of seeds. Although it isn’t the stuffed toy she wanted, it turns out to hold a treasure. When the seeds are planted, they become morning glories. Their beauty reaches Mama, and everyone else who sees them.Based on a true episode in New York’s Lower East Side, where the residents of 97 Orchard Street cheered up their bleak homes with morning glories, this is a story with universal appeal. By introducing simple beauty into our daily lives, even the grayest of places, and hearts, can be transformed.Arlene Alda’s lyrical text is perfectly complemented by Maryann Kovalski’s marvelous art, which evokes the great illustrators of the 1930s.

Dennis Lee is at it again and this time it’s something completely different.... In 1974, Alligator Pie changed the face of Canadian children’s literature. Dennis Lee has become an icon in Canadian children’s books bringing sheer delight to kids with other classics such as Jelly Belly, Garbage Delight, and newer works like Bubblegum Delicious and The Cat and the Wizard. This time around he offers a spellbinding collection about the trials,tribulations and unexpected joys of growing up. Featuring 36 remarkable poems for early teen readers, So Cool is a rollicking ride down a sometimes very bumpy highway. Written with Lee’s trademark wit and insight, and his brilliant use of language, the poems tackle matters of concern to young readers with sensitivity and wild humour. As the poems ricochet between self-doubt and swagger, nostalgia and exuberance, readers will recognize their own insecurities, fears, hopes and dreams. Throughout, Lee’s magnificent words are brought to life by a sophisticated array of illustrations from the talented and past Lee collaborator Maryann Kovalski. The result is a new collection to be savored and treasured by readers of all ages.