Books with author Shirley Parenteau

The springtime trees are flowering, and the adorable bears from Bears on Chairs are ready for a picnic under the blossoms.When Big Brown Bear and the four little bears notice that the trees are shimmering in the wind with spring blooms, they know just how to spend the day: a picnic. The blustery weather is perfect for flying kites, and the bears can’t wait to frolic under the cherry blossoms with the busy bees and eat a lunch of bread with honey. It’s time to send the kites up into the air — but the winds are so strong, they carry the little bears up off the ground and away! What will Big Brown Bear do?

"These little bears will soon be part of many a bedtime routine." — Kirkus Reviews It’s time for Big Brown Bear to tuck all four little bears into their beds. Then he’s ready to climb into his own bed and turn out the light. Five warm beds, holding five sleepy bears, until something goes whoosh in the middle of the night, and all the bears wake up in a fright. Luckily, Big Brown Bear knows just what to do! A fun, rhyming read-aloud that parents will love and tired little cubs will be happy to snuggle up with.

How daring is Chiyo prepared to be to keep the American Friendship Doll safe? Inspired by a little-known historical event, this engaging companion to Ship of Dolls is told from a Japanese girl’s point of view.When eleven-year-old Chiyo Tamura is sent from her home in a small Japanese mountain village to a girls’ school in the city of Tsuchiura, she never imagines that she will soon be in Tokyo helping to welcome more than twelve thousand Friendship Dolls from America—including Emily Grace, a gift to her own school. Nor could she dream that she’d have an important role in the crafting of Miss Tokyo, one of fifty-eight Japanese dolls to be sent to America in return. But when an excited Chiyo is asked to be Emily Grace’s official protector, one jealous classmate will stop at nothing to see her fail. How can Chiyo reveal the truth—and restore her own good name? In another heartwarming historical novel, the author of Ship of Dolls revisits the 1926 Friendship Doll exchange, in which teacher-missionary Sidney Gulick organized American children to send thousands of dolls to Japan in hopes of avoiding a future war.

Can a ship carrying Friendship Dolls to Japan be Lexie’s ticket to see her fun-loving mother again? A heartwarming historical novel inspired by a little-known true event.It’s 1926, and the one thing eleven-year-old Lexie Lewis wants more than anything is to leave Portland, Oregon, where she has been staying with her strict grandparents, and rejoin her mother, a carefree singer in San Francisco’s speakeasies. But Mama’s new husband doesn’t think a little girl should live with parents who work all night and sleep all day. Meanwhile, Lexie’s class has been raising money to ship a doll to the children of Japan in a friendship exchange, and when Lexie learns that the girl who writes the best letter to accompany the doll will be sent to the farewell ceremony in San Francisco, she knows she just has to be the winner. But what if a jealous classmate and Lexie’s own small lies to her grandmother manage to derail her plans? Inspired by a project organized by teacher-missionary Sidney Gulick, in which U.S. children sent more than 12,000 Friendship Dolls to Japan in hopes of avoiding a future war, Shirley Parenteau’s engaging story has sure appeal for young readers who enjoy historical fiction, and for doll lovers of all ages.

Count on these frogs for a luminous read-aloud bursting with lyrical sound play and visual surprises.On a wet spring night, one big frog sings KA-BLU-URP! Two tiny frogs sing PREEP, PREEP, three young frogs sing RIBBIT, RIBBIT, all the way up to ten frogs who trill PEEP, PEEP as a frog chorus fills the air with grunts and croaks and chirps. The night is resonant until . . . a car splashes down the street and all the frogs, from ten down to one, are hushed! Shirley Parenteau offers a joyfully cacophonous counting-up and counting-down story, vibrantly illustrated by Cynthia Jabar.

How daring is Chiyo prepared to be to keep the American Friendship Doll safe? Inspired by a little-known historical event, this engaging companion to Ship of Dolls is told from a Japanese girl’s point of view.When eleven-year-old Chiyo Tamura is sent from her home in a small Japanese mountain village to a girls’ school in the city of Tsuchiura, she never imagines that she will soon be in Tokyo helping to welcome more than twelve thousand Friendship Dolls from America—including Emily Grace, a gift to her own school. Nor could she dream that she’d have an important role in the crafting of Miss Tokyo, one of fifty-eight Japanese dolls to be sent to America in return. But when an excited Chiyo is asked to be Emily Grace’s official protector, one jealous classmate will stop at nothing to see her fail. How can Chiyo reveal the truth—and restore her own good name? In another heartwarming historical novel, the author of Ship of Dolls revisits the 1926 Friendship Doll exchange, in which teacher-missionary Sidney Gulick organized American children to send thousands of dolls to Japan in hopes of avoiding a future war.

In their fourth endearing escapade, four small bears prepare a celebration for Big Brown Bear’s birthday.Mmm, something smells good in the kitchen. Big Brown Bear is curious—what are those little bears up to? Are they making something special? No peeking, Big Brown Bear! Floppy and Fuzzy, Yellow and Calico have a cake to bake and a gift to wrap, then it’s finally time for the birthday surprise. Delightful rhymes and huggable bears are just the right ingredients for a cheerful birthday read-aloud.

CLANG! CLANG! TOOTLEY-TOOO! The impossibly cute bears are back — and this time they have musical instruments at the ready.The little bears pick up their instruments and play a noisy song. They don’t care if the notes are wrong! But uh-oh, Big Brown Bear is fast asleep. Will their lively music wake him up? A small moment of trepidation segues into a jubilant performance in a story that will be sweet music to little ears.