Books with author V. Van Kampen

Each year, monarch butterflies embark on a fantastic journey across North America to a special place in Mexico's Oyamel Forest. This annual migration has fascinated scientists, butterfly-lovers and storytellers alike for years. So far, no one has been able to discover the reason for the monarch's tremendous flight. Vlasta van Kampen has always been fascinated by the flight of the monarch. This beautiful children's story illustrates the glory of the monarch butterfly and the strength and fortitude of its journey. Vlasta van Kampen is an internationally acclaimed illustrator. Her first picture book, ABC/123: The Canadian Alphabet and Counting Book, won the Governor General's award for illustration, and her bestselling Orchestranimals has sold over 100,000 copies. She has also illustrated Beetle Bedlam and The Last Straw, both for Key Porter.

With rich, vibrant colors and depth of texture, Vlasta van Kampen's illustrations allow these bear tales from around the world to come alive. The stories are adaptations of traditional legends from three diverse cultures, and each presents an insightful lesson. Bear and Pig Went to Market This humorous tale from Czechoslovakia features a pig and a bear who are best friends. They decide to sell their delicious cooking at the market. Bear has a stall with scrumptious potatoes while pig has a stall with sweet-smelling buns. Business is slow, but between them pig and bear manage to sell all their wares by unwittingly swapping the same nickel back and forth between them! Why Bear Stole the Moon This North American Native legend explains why the moon changes throughout its cycle. Bear likes it dark so that he can hibernate, so he steals the moon from the night sky. The other animals of the forest are not happy, so Coyote, Raccoon and Raven devise a clever plan to release the moon from the sack in which it is hidden. When they succeed and the moon tumbles out, high, high into the sky, it shines brightly. Bear is disappointed. In order to please all the animals from that time on, the moon changes size and shape, some nights big and round, some nights just a sliver, so everyone is happy some of the time. Two Lazy Bears From Russia comes this warning against excessive laziness. Ivan and Igor are two lazy bears; they won't tidy up and they won't sweep up. They can't even be bothered to carry home the fish they have caught. In the end, all their laziness turns against them. When both refuse to clean up after dinner, they decide that the first one up the next morning will do the cleaning. Well, these silly bears both pretend to sleep well into the afternoon, waiting for the other to rise. It is only after their friend Goat arrives to tell them they have missed the July picnic that they resolve never to be lazy again and to cooperate to get their work done.

The birds gather together for the monkeys to decorate them, and soon, each bird is vibrantly arrayed, but when one lost little bird arrives late, the monkeys have only brown left, until they place a drop of gold in his mouth, which causes him to have the most beautiful voice.The birds gather for the monkeys to decorate them, and soon, each bird is vibrantly arrayed, but when one bird arrives late, the monkeys have only brown left, until they place a drop of gold in his mouth, which gives him the best voice.