Books published by publisher Key Porter Books Ltd

Willoughby finds celebrated author Dennis Lee in an Alligator Pie mode of charming humor and wordplay. Equally suited to parent-child interaction or classroom or daycare groups, Willoughby gets everyone in on the fact. The first two lines set the tone: "Willoughby, wallaby wee / An elephant sat on me." Everyone — from parents to children — then get a chance to change the last word of the first line. Featuring festive color artwork and the lively rhymes of Canada's own "Father Goose," Willoughby Wallaby Woo entertains youngsters while teaching them the joy of words and the pleasures of participation.

A soon-to-arrive new brother or sister promises fun and excitement, but can also be worrying for a child who fears being displaced. In Pumpkin Baby, a young girl with an active imagination tries to face her fears. Spurred on by trips with her mother to a family farm, she imagines a host of babies — each with their own unique characteristics — and wonders if she could, indeed, love such a sibling. Gently and lovingly told by best-selling author Jane Yolen, and illustrated with light, whimsical artwork by Susan Mitchell, Pumpkin Baby is both entertaining and inspiring for any family dealing with this situation.

First Published in 1991, this revised classic advises gardeners on the challenges and rewards of successfully cultivating roses in regions with limited growing seasons and cooler temperatures. Illustrated with more than 70 stunning full-color photographs, this revised edition also includes: -34 new varities of roses -Information on organic control for pests and insects -Full-color photos for each variety listed -North America zone map -An extensive list of more than 200 hardy varieties -An updated appendix which includes nurseries, rose organizations and source books to help gardeners locate their varieties of choice

And now, a new tongue-twisting adventure from Margaret Atwood! The internationally renowned Margaret Atwood once again turns her talents to a story for kids of all ages. Bashful Bob and Doleful Dorinda is a boisterous and delightful dissertation on discovering the uncharted depths of one?s personality. Abandoned by his bubble-headed mum and raised by a bunch of dogs, Bob is understandably bashful around humans. Deprived of her parents while still in diapers, Dorinda endures a dreadful existence with distant relatives. On a dark and drizzly December day, Dorinda and Bob meet on a vacant block bestrewn with bushes, buttercups, and benches. They become fast friends. One day, a bewildered buffalo bounds over a barrier at a nearby Botanical Garden. Amid billows of dust and the beeping and blaring of horns, Bob and Dorinda band together to save the day. Relying on their wits?and the useful deployment of Bob?s dog buddies and Dorinda?s distracting dust mops?the dynamic duo restore order and emerge from the episode victorious. No longer bashful and doleful, Bob and Dorinda discover that they can be brave and daring. With Atwood?s trademark rollicking wordplay accompanied by Dusan Petricic?s mischievous art, Bashful Bob and Doleful Dorinda is a tale to be treasured.

Dennis Lee is at it again and this time it’s something completely different.... In 1974, Alligator Pie changed the face of Canadian children’s literature. Dennis Lee has become an icon in Canadian children’s books bringing sheer delight to kids with other classics such as Jelly Belly, Garbage Delight, and newer works like Bubblegum Delicious and The Cat and the Wizard. This time around he offers a spellbinding collection about the trials,tribulations and unexpected joys of growing up. Featuring 36 remarkable poems for early teen readers, So Cool is a rollicking ride down a sometimes very bumpy highway. Written with Lee’s trademark wit and insight, and his brilliant use of language, the poems tackle matters of concern to young readers with sensitivity and wild humour. As the poems ricochet between self-doubt and swagger, nostalgia and exuberance, readers will recognize their own insecurities, fears, hopes and dreams. Throughout, Lee’s magnificent words are brought to life by a sophisticated array of illustrations from the talented and past Lee collaborator Maryann Kovalski. The result is a new collection to be savored and treasured by readers of all ages.

In Leslie McFarlane`s Hockey Stories, Vol. 2 celebrated Canadian author Leslie McFarlane once again takes readers on a nostalgic trip back to the glory days of our national sport. Although McFarlane`s main claim to fame is as a ghostwriter for the The Hardy Boys mystery series (Franklin W. Dixon didn`t exist), his work on that series never earned him enough to pay the bills. In order to supplement his depression-era income, the enterprising journalist dashed off stories about hockey and other sports and sold them to various magazines. Leslie McFarlane`s Hockey Stories, Vol. 2 includes four such stories, none of which have ever appeared in book form. Set primarily in the 1930s--in small, Canadian, hockey-crazy towns--these tales offer a Rockwellian glimpse at the rough and tumble world of minor-league hockey, and at the adventures that ensue when someone does manage to make it big. McFarlane writes with a perfect blend of sport and humour. Featuring fast-paced plots, compelling characters (good and evil!) and a healthy dose of hockey action, Leslie McFarlane`s Hockey Stories, Vol. 2 is bound to captivate hockey fans young and old. To young detectives worldwide, Leslie McFarlane was known under the pseudonyms Carolyn Keene, Roy Rockwood and, most famously, Franklin W. Dixon--author of The Hardy Boys series. McFarlane, who passed away in 1977, was one of the most successful Canadian writers of all time. ??a hilarious, nail-biting tail that hockey fans will find fascinating. McFarlane?s prose style is wonderful and smacks of a different era. ?they?re a punchy style totally unlike anything you?d read today. For middle-school readers and avid fans who want to see hockey from a different time and place, Hockey Stories is like a break-away ? it?s quick, exciting and over all too quickly.? ?Hamilton Spectator

Princess Royal Island, an uninhabited spot of land off the coast of British Columbia, is the home of the rare Kermode bear, a variety of grizzly bear. Also called the white, ghost, or spirit bear, it has long been the subject of myth, curiosity, and fascination to humans. Until recently, these animals had never been exposed to civilization. Now reissued with a new introduction by the author, Spirit Bear is the story of Charles Russell's quest to forge a unique relationship of mutual trust with the rare spirit bear of Princess Royal Island. Russell was on the island to help Jeff and Sue Turner with their film, Island of the Ghost Bear. During the course of the shoot, he became intrigued with, and eventually befriended the shy young Spirit Bear who was the subject of the film. Russell has spent many years studying bears in their natural habitat. In this book he describes his early encounters, shared with his father, well-known writer Andy Russell, with bears in the Rockies and Alaska, and his encounters with grizzlies in British Columbia's Khutzeymateen Valley. This wonderful book, which is illustrated with 100 breathtaking color photographs, is part of an ongoing effort by conservationists to save Princess Royal Island as a sanctuary for the Kermode bear.

SPIRIT BEAR is the story of renowned wildlife photographer Charles Russell's quest to forge a unique relationship of mutual trust with the rare white subspecies of black bear known as the Kermode bear of Princess Royal Island, Canada. This wonderful book, illustrated with 100 stunning color photographs, is part of an ongoing effort by conservationists to save Princess Royal Island as a sanctuary for the Kermode bear.

An old woman and her animals gather every night to serenade the moon. Coyote wants to join them, but his voice is so bad that the others are sure he’ll scare the moon away. Offended, Coyote wonders, “Who needs the moon, anyway?” Moon is listening, and she knows just the solution for a cheeky Coyote. Unfortunately, Coyote’s friends must pay the price, too!