Books with author Vlasta Van Kamepen

The story of how birds got their colors is beautifully told by Vlasta van Kampen through her vibrant, colorful illustrations. Mother Nature has been very busy creating a wonderful world, but among all her responsibilities the birds have been overlooked: they are colorless! When she realizes what has happened, Mother Nature quickly sets about correcting her mistake. She calls on some special helpers, the monkeys. They arrive with pots of paints and baskets overflowing. All the birds assemble and the monkeys paint them in turn, until each is beautiful and unique. Some are speckled, some brightly colored, some striped. When the coloring is done, the birds experiment with bills and beaks and crests, deciding what they like and how they wish to dress themselves. It is a grand time, and when they are finished, a wonderful celebration follows as they all dance together. Into the middle of the festivities flies one small, tired bird. He has gotten lost on his way and fears he has arrived too late to receive his colors. Sadly, the monkeys look around and discover only two pots left - one with a drop of brown paint and the other with a drop of gold. They mix the brown paint with sweet nectar and paint the little bird all over. He had hoped to be bright and beautiful, however, so he remains sad. Then the duck has a wonderful idea. She asks the little bird to open his mouth, and into it she lets fall the single drop of gold paint. When the little bird opens his mouth to chirp, out comes the sweetest sound any of the birds have heard.

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.