Books published by publisher Down East Books

A Penny for a Hundred is beloved children's book author Ethel Pockocki's timeless tale of culture shock in rural Maine during the Second World War. It is 1944 and nine-year-old Clare will finally be able to help with the potato harvest—up until now, she was only able to earn the "penny a hundred" her father paid her to pick potato bugs off the plants. But this year, with so many local men off fighting the war, German POWs are brought in to help with the harvest. Clare's not sure what to expect from the strangers, but it soon becomes clear that these men are not so different from young American soldiers—they are relieved to be out of the fighting, but sad to be so far from home.For Christmas, Clare is determined to recreate at least one familiar tradition for Peter, a POW who has befriended her. Their gifts for one another strengthen the bonds of their friendship and help both the POWs and Clare's family enjoy a memorable Christmas Eve. Even amid the hardships of war, they find much to give each other.

Tom is the youngest in a family of wild turkey chicks, but he has big ambitions. He never stops thinking about what he really wants to do — to fluff his feathers and fan out his tail and strut like the magnificent Big Gobbler. But Little Tom is, well, little, and when he tries to strut, he just topples over. What Tom doesn't know is that time and nature are on his side, and that all he really needs to do is be patient and concentrate on learning all the things a wild turkey needs to know.

What happens to sea glass between the time it falls into the sea and it washes up on the beach? This charming and inventive book explores a possible course of events, tracing a Coca-Cola bottle that is dropped overboard from a ship near the turn of the 20th century, only to have a fragment of it discovered on a beach by a young girl decades late. Over time, the bottle has been influenced by waves, currents, the sea floor, and sea creatures, all pictured in lush full-color illustrations. With no words, the story is related completely through the images, allowing children and adults alike to fully immerse themselves in the artwork without the distraction of text.

It's mud season, but there's more than mud in the middle of the road: There are pigs, hens, sheep, and bulls in the way. That won't do. For a car to get through, somebody's gotta shoo! But who? Plourde's trademark style blends alliteration and rhyme into an elegantly simple mix that children-and adults-enjoy reading aloud. In this enhanced edition, enjoy read-along and fun animations that bring this story to life!

Everyone knows fairies love spring flowers and summer sun, but what happens when autumn comes and the days get shorter and colder? Now, Liza Gardner Walsh, acclaimed author of the Fairy House Handbook and Fairy Garden Handbook, explores the matter in a charming children's picture book of rhyming questions. Combined with delightful illustrations by Hazel Mitchell this whimsical book will help children discover just where fairies go when it snows and offer a subtle lesson about the importance of helping one another.

Sometimes, just sometimes, a human being and a wild animal make a special connection that changes both of their lives. So it was with Rockport, Maine's Harry Goodridge and the harbor seal pup he named Andre. The two became inseparable, though the seal was free to come and go as he pleased. In this enhanced edition, enjoy read-along and fun animations that bring this touching story to life!

Before you plan your family’s next vacation to Maine, get some help from a travel professional… and your kids! The Kid’s Guide to Maine lets the kids help plan your trip and guides you as you explore Vacationland from the southern beaches to the great north woods. Inside you’ll find kid-tested tips on where to go, where to eat, what to see, and where to get the best souvenirs. Along the way, your kids will be engaged by reading and sharing fun facts and cool travel tips. Awesome games and quizzes will keep the family entertained, too. Fun for both visiting and local kids.

When Miss Renee's mice learn that she is going to an exhibition and sale of dollhouse miniatures, they pester and pester until Miss Renee finally agrees to bring them along - but only after they promise to behave themselves. "Even sensible people can be scared of mice," explains Miss Renee, "and if people are scared, they won't buy any of my little tables or chairs or rugs." She instructs the mice to stay perfectly still so they will appear to be toy mice sitting on the tiny furniture in her miniature houses. At the show, everything goes splendidly at first, but then Miss Renee realizes that the adorable "toy" mice are attracting all the attention, and nobody is buying her miniatures. Feeling miffed, she refuses to share her peanut butter sandwich with the mice, and when her wee assistants start behaving like normal, hungry, live mice, the result is chaos!

Pond Babies is a book for very young children (2-5). It helps kids in their exploration of the natural world as they discover the creatures that live around the pond. Vibrant cut-paper collage in Cathryn Falwell's signature style, along with a humorous bit of self-discovery at the end, make this the perfect book to share with the very young. The simple, appealing story also makes it a great choice for early readers.