Books published by publisher Firefly Books Ltd

"Who is William Shakespeare?" For more than 20 years, Lois Burdett has asked that question of her elementary school students in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, leading them on a voyage of discovery that brings the Bard to life for boys and girls ages seven and up. Macbeth for Kids, written in rhyming couplets is suitable for staging as class plays as well as reading aloud.

Resembling a paleontologist's sketchbook filled with labeled watercolor drawings and descriptive notes, Dinosaur Bones is an accurate reference to 40 dinosaurs, marine reptiles, flying reptiles and prehistoric mammals. The book begins with a brief introduction to life before the dinosaurs and the appearance of amphibians and early land mammals. Then, 150 million years later, the dog-sized Ornitholestes dinosaur appears. Chronologically thereafter, double-page spreads depict individual species, such as the Anhanguera, and dinosaur groups, like the duck-billed dinosaurs. Each dinosaur species is shown by its skeleton, revealing what it looked like inside and out. A full-color computer graphic illustration shows each animal in its habitat. For the dinosaur groups, like the flying reptiles, individual species are shown in large full-color illustrations instead of just skeletons. Succinct introductory paragraphs describe when and where each dinosaur lived and other interesting facts. The annotated illustrations highlight physical features and their purpose. A human-to-dinosaur shadow comparison reveals the size and shape. The Anhanguera, for example, had a wingspan of almost 15 feet but a body length of barely 8 inches. Dinosaurs and prehistoric life are popular topics critical to understanding science and natural history. For all readers as well as supplemental to school curricula Dinosaur Bones is an essential comprehensive guide to these peculiar animals.

The Firefly Books young kids' career series: I Want to Be New editions, revised to reflect the increasing diversity in society and changing technology in the lives of people working around children. Praise for the series: "The series offers books that may be useful to teachers introducing careers to young children, and certain volumes will fit right into Community Helpers units as well." -- Booklist "The I Want To Be series provides young readers with some exciting opportunities to think about... an attractive choice for beginning readers. Recommended." -- Library Media Connection This best-selling series of 17 titles has sold more than 800,000 copies since publication and earned excellent reviews and praise for the range of occupations it features. With vibrant color pictures and plain text, the I Want To Be series is an appealing introduction to a broad spectrum of occupations, from Pilot to Chef to Cowboy, making them ideal for inclusion in Community Helpers and other Common Core Correlations Social Studies and Language Arts units. New photos show Policewomen with contemporary uniforms and state-of-the-art equipment. Firefighters' uniforms protect better; Builders are women as well as men; many of the Nurses are male. This reflects the society that kids are seeing now. And the books are attractively priced, at $3.99. This is the same price as in 1998. Mainly, children will enjoy the I Want To Be books for the pictures, reading to themselves, seeing everyday people doing important jobs, like the adults in their family and in their dreams and aspirations. There are exciting new editions of these titles: 9780228101369 I Want to Be a Builder (paperback, $3.99) 9780228101475 I Want to Be a Builder (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95) 9780228100959 I Want to Be a Cowboy (paperback, $3.99) 9780228101413 I Want to Be a Cowboy (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95) 9780228100966 I Want to Be a Doctor (paperback, $3.99) 9780228101529 I Want to Be a Doctor (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95) 9780228100973 I Want to Be a Firefighter (paperback, $3.99) 9780228101420 I Want to Be a Firefighter (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95) 9780228100980 I Want to Be a Mechanic (paperback, $3.99) 9780228101437 I Want to Be a Mechanic (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95) 9780228100997 I Want to Be a Nurse (paperback, $3.99) 9780228101406 I Want to Be a Nurse (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95) 9780228101000 I Want to Be a Pilot (paperback, $3.99) 9780228101444 I Want to Be a Pilot (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95) 9780228101017 I Want to Be a Police Officer (paperback, $3.99) 9780228101390 I Want to Be a Police Officer (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95) 9780228101024 I Want to Be a Teacher (paperback, $3.99) 9780228101451 I Want to Be a Teacher (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95) 9780228101031 I Want to Be a Truck Driver (paperback, $3.99) 9780228101468 I Want to Be a Truck Driver (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95) 9780228101567 I Want To Be A Vet (paperback, $3.99) 9780228101574 I Want To Be A Vet (plastic-laminated hardcover, $14.95)

"This comprehensive guide... helps youngsters who love ballet to understand the hard work and commitment involved in classical dance training." -- School Library Journal (of the first edition) "A detailed, practical guide for serious ballet students... To balance collections heavy on colorful ballet books for browsers with stars in their eyes, here's a guide for ballet students who are ready to get down to work." -- Booklist (of the first edition) Prepared in conjunction with Canada's National Ballet School, The Ballet Book is the definitive instructional resource for children who are beginning to explore the possibilities and delights of ballet. The Ballet Book is an inspirational motivator, an exceptional teaching aid, and an ideal companion for students. Now it has all-new photographs in color and a text more suited to contemporary young dancers. The book illustrates in meticulous detail -- and through more than 100 photographs -- every position, step and pose involved in barre work, pointe work, alignment, classical ballet poses, attitudes, allegros, batteries, pirouettes and arabesques. Age-appropriate and comprehensive, it is a motivational guide, with information on deciding to dance; finding a teacher; musical accompaniment; finding the ideal studio; what to wear and grooming; positions, steps and poses; and exercises and nutrition. Historical highlights and modern opportunities complete this comprehensive book. The Ballet Book is a strong guide for both boys and girls.

The much-loved bestseller, now in a pop-up edition. When we published Love You Forever in 1986, we thought it had great appeal. But we had no idea that booksellers would love it and sell 30 million copies. Now there is a gift edition whose characters move! A young mother holds her baby, and while she sings to it she rocks it back and forth. And through her life, and the stages of his life, she holds her son and rocks him back and forth as she tells him that she will love him forever. In double-page spreads and gatefolds, the whole text of Love You Forever is in this book, and enhanced with three-dimensional elements. But even better is the feature that moves -- as the chorus is sung, you can move the characters back and forth. This makes a wonderful extra feature for young readers, the grandchildren of people who raised their own children with this story and who want to pass it to a new generation. Paper engineering by Bruce Foster.

Trace the evolution of the supercar through the technology that drives it. In The Science of Supercars, the authors describe the history of supercars, unraveling the mysteries and mechanics of the cars that changed the automotive world forever. In-depth interviews with the top names in the supercar and racing industries reveal their opinions on today's supercars and their visions for the future. David Coulthard, runner-up in the 2001 Formula One World Drivers' Championship, provides the introduction. The authors follow with comprehensive chapters of inside information and exciting photographs that will be a catalog for supercar shoppers and a dream diary for others. The images show the interiors and exteriors of supercars and illustrated insets explain the technology. 1. The Thirst for Power - The internal combustion engine and the early days of speed 2. Style Versus Substance - Next steps, and the birth of aerodynamics 3. Emerging Technologies - The mechanics of war drive the birth of the supercar 4. Configuration - The Miura, the E-Type and the dawn of the modern age 5. The Science of Theater - Fashion and styling take center stage 6. The Turbo Years - The Porsche Turbo and the rebirth of supercar science 7. All-Wheel drive - Power or technology: how designers keep the cars on the road 8. Composites - The McLaren F1 and its technological legacy 9. Emerging Aero - Understanding the complex art of aerodynamics 10. Going to the Opera - The remarkable science behind the era-defining Bugatti Veyron 11. The Holy Trinity - Hybrid tech ushers in a new kind of supercar 12. The Future - The technology on the verge of reshaping the landscape. The Science of Supercars includes interviews with three of the top figures in the supercar world: Adrian Newey, legendary British Formula One engineer; Dr. Wolfgang Schrieber, Chief Engineer of the Bugatti Veyron; and Gordon Murray, designer of the McLaren F1 supercar, as well as contributions from iconic supercar manufacturers that include Lamborghini, Porsche, Bugatti, Pagani and McLaren.

What is God? is an eloquent introduction to the ideas behind God and religion, and brings forward complex ideas in a way children will understand. It is written with a simple clarity and beautifully illustrated with just the right blend of seriousness and humor. What is God? compares different religions -- Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism -- and their holy books, looks at misunderstandings and arguments among people of different religions, and talks about praying as well as feeling connected to everything in the world. If you want to talk about spirituality with a child, or introduce them to philosophy or religion, or just help them to begin to center themselves and their feelings about the world, this book is a great beginning.

Homemade for Hamsters features 20 easy projects for creating toys and exercise equipment for a hamster (and guinea pigs, small rabbits, gerbils, and pet rats and mice, too). The projects use materials and tools commonly found around the home. Treats may also be used and the book includes a list of those that are safe and not safe for a hamster. The 20 projects are grouped according to the type of activities that hamsters enjoy and that enrich their life. Simple text explains how the projects meet these needs and how some just provide fun. The Nibble Necklace, for example, gives a hamster a chewing workout, and it is great for climbing and swinging, too. The Maze simulates a wild hamster's search for food. Making the projects and understanding their benefits will help a child to bond with their pet and commit to its care. The projects are: Running Projects -- Wheel, Tunnels, Amazing Mazes, Obstacle Course Climbing Projects -- See Saw Tube, Climbing Wall with Ladder, Treehouse, Platform and Ramp, Swing, Bendy Bridge Digging Projects -- The Sand Bath, Miniature Landscape with Digging Pit, Digging Tower Chewing Toys -- Walnut Shell Toy, Treat Tubes, Treat Ball, Nibble Necklace Resting Toys -- Hideaway Caves, Hammie Hill Hideout, Castle, Round House. Any and all hamster owners, regardless of age, will enjoy making these great projects as much as they will enjoy watching their pet having fun and staying fit and healthy.

What is God? is an eloquent introduction to the ideas behind God and religion, and brings forward complex ideas in a way children will understand. It is written with a simple clarity and beautifully illustrated with just the right blend of seriousness and humor. What is God? compares different religions -- Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism -- and their holy books, looks at misunderstandings and arguments among people of different religions, and talks about praying as well as feeling connected to everything in the world. If you want to talk about spirituality with a child, or introduce them to philosophy or religion, or just help them to begin to center themselves and their feelings about the world, this book is a great beginning.

All the moves to become a serious skateboarder. Praise for The Skateboarding Field Manual, also by Ryan Stutt: "Stutt's appealing title is rife with the glossy glamour that should win nods of approval from even proficient shredders." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books From selecting the right board, to learning which way to stand, to landing a kick flip, Skateboarding Skills provides critical instruction for young riders of all experience levels. New riders will learn essential skills to advance their riding ability while experienced riders will learn new tricks to add to their repertoire. Ryan Stutt shows riders the fundamental techniques that will lead them to success as they practice skateboarding's most important and widely-used flips, grinds and slides. These include: Ollies and Nollies Manuals Boardslides, Lipslides, Noseslides and Tailslides 50-50 grinds, 5-0 grinds and Nose grinds Smith grinds, Feeble grinds and Crooked grinds Kickflips and Heelflips Pop Shuvs Varial Flips and 360 Flips. With Skateboarding Skills, riders will learn the building blocks that are the basis of all skateboarding tricks. Instruction for both flatground and vert skateboarding, plus real-time action sequences that capture the tricks step by step, will help riders learn how to execute the same moves that professional skateboarders use. All photographs show riders wearing the most essential of safety equipment -- a helmet.

A glimpse inside the daily life of nature's masked bandits. Children find the bandit-masked face and button nose of a raccoon irresistibly cute, and catching a glimpse of one in a neighborhood tree never fails to excite. Raccoons describes the natural history of these cousins of the panda bear and explains how that heritage helps them thrive in cities as well as in fields and woodlands. Color photographs of adults and kits in urban and natural settings give readers the chance to look more closely at these elusive creatures, and children will enjoy the amusing descriptions of the raccoon's antics and mischief. But Raccoons also shows youngsters why they shouldn't feed these brazen visitors and that, even though they share our cities and towns, raccoons will always be wild animals. In the Exploring the World of... series, Firefly Books is pleased to present an exciting new nature series produced especially for young readers who are eager to learn more about the wild animals they find especially appealing. The books are packed with facts and offer outstanding value. Clear text in large type and vivid photographs with explanatory captions describe the animals' physical attributes, and storylike narratives about their daily life -- where they live, what they eat, how they hunt, how they communicate, how they raise their young -- present a complete picture of each animal.

This best-selling guide is ideal for those starting out as well as the more experienced boarders looking to fix a persistent problem or just improve their skills. Along with dozens of color photographs, Snowboarding Skills features: Pro tips from the world's top boarders Action photo sequences with explanatory diagrams Directional arrows showing exactly how and where to turn "Don't" and "do" photo comparisons Troubleshooting sidebars Lessons to improve skills Explanations on understanding snow and weather conditions Safety tips and equipment maintenance Hill etiquette, avoiding injury, and more. From the basics of standing up and stopping to the challenges of pivoting and jumping, Snowboarding Skills covers everything a boarder needs to know.