Books with author Nancy Van Laan

Little Baby Bobby, who lives on a hill, just can't seem to sit still. So it's inevitable that, in the blink of an eye, his baby buggy goes careening down that hill with his babysitter in frantic pursuit. Whizzing through the park, scattering street vendors' wares, crashing into a fire hydrant, there goes Baby Bobby, enjoying every minute of his wild buggy ride. A perfect read-aloud reminiscent of Nancy Van Laan's Possum Come a-Knockin', this rollicking, rhythmic text gathers momentum as Baby Bobby's buggy wends its way through the town. Laura Cornell's hilarious, overflowing illustrations perfectly capture the lighthearted joy of Bobby's raucous romp. A laugh-out-loud addition to any story hour!

JUMP, JABBA JABBA, RUN, JABBA JABBA, MUNCH, JABBA JABBA, Tiny, tiny monkeys having fun! But when are they going to remember to build themselves a shelter from the rain, PLINKA PLINKA, and the wind, WOOYA WOOYA, and - scariest of all - the jaguar, GURR-YUH GURR-YUH? Surely not when they can play! Based on a tale from the Brazilian rain forest about blackmouth monkeys, SO SAY THE LITTLE MONKEYS is a completely irresistible read-aloud that also contains a gentle message: Don't put off for tomorrow what you can do today.

Shingebiss, a little merganser duck, can always find plenty to eat. In all seasons, the Great Lake is full of fish. But one cold year the lake freezes over, and Shingebiss has to find a way to fish through the thick ice. To do that, he must face the fierce Winter Maker. Gracefully told and illustrated with vigorous woodcuts, this ancient Ojibwe story captures all the power of winter and all the courage of a small being who refuses to see winter as his enemy. This sacred story shows that those who follow the ways of Shingebiss will always have plenty to eat, no matter how hard the great wind of Winter Maker blows.