Books published by publisher Dragonfly Books

How long is a minute? What is a decade? How many decades are in a century?Now with new illustrations by Alex Willmore, Me Counting Time is a playful introduction to the concept of time. When a young boy prepares for his seventh birthday and counts how many years old he is, he begins an exploration of the many units of time that are a part of everyday life. Fun to read, easy to understand, and brimming with colorful illustrations, this title joins the other repackages in Joan Sweeney's popular Me. . . series—Me on the Map, Me and My Place in Space, Me and My Family Tree, Me and My Amazing Body, Me and the Measure of Things, and Me and My Senses.

In this striking picture book biography, an old-timer tells us what made Sandy Koufax such an amazing baseball player. We learn that the beginning of his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers was rocky, that he was shy with his teammates, and experienced discrimination as one of the only Jews in the game. We hear that he actually quit, only to return the next season—different—firing one rocket after another over the plate. We watch him refuse to play in the 1965 World Series because it is a Jewish high holy day. And we see him in pain because of an overused left arm, eventually retiring at the peak of his career. Finally, we are told that people are still “scratchin’ their heads over Sandy,” who remains a modest hero and a mystery to this day. Accompanied by sidebars filled with statistics, this Parents Magazine Best Book of the Year and Booklist Top of the List is sure to delight budding baseball fans.

From Cirocco Dunlap (This Book Will Not Be Fun) and Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner Greg Pizzoli (The Watermelon Seed) comes a charming, giggly read-aloud that illustrates the particular art of making a friend!Crunch is a lovely and quiet brontosaurus who has hidden himself in some shubbery and is rather shy. He would like to play, but it will require some gentle coaxing from you! If you are patient and encouraging, you will find yourself with a new friend! This book is a warm, funny example of how to engage with someone new, who is perhaps a bit different from you. Lessons in friend-making (such as minding personal space and demonstrating interest in another's hobbies) are delivered so subtly that children will absorb them unconsciously as they delight in Crunch's silly hat and dance moves!Cirocco Dunlap (This Book Will Not Be Fun) and Greg Pizzoli (The Watermelon Seed) enchant and surprise us with their first collaboration.A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2018!

Where am I in the solar system? A beloved bestseller, now refreshed with new art from Christine Gore, that will help children discover their place in the Milky Way. Where is the earth? Where is the sun? Where are the stars? Now with new art by Christine Gore, here is an out-of-this world introduction to the universe for children. With Earth as a starting point, a young astronaut leads readers on a tour past each planet and on to the stars, answering simple questions about our solar system. In clear language, drawings, and diagrams, space unfolds before a child's eyes. Colorful illustrations, filled with fun detail, give children a lot to look for on every page, and a glossary helps reinforce new words and concepts. A terrific teaching tool, Me and My Place in Space is an easy and enjoyable way to introduce the concept of space to budding astronomers.

The wooden figures in a Christmas crèche come to life to save a poor old woman in this truly original contemporary parable. Told with 96 pictures by Peter Collington, the master of the wordless story, this is a Christmas treasure the entire family can enjoy. In the Publishers Weekly 12th Annual Off-the-Cuff Awards, booksellers chose A Small Miracle as the Book We’re Sorriest to See Go Out of Print. Knopf is proud to reintroduce this picture book classic for you to enjoy Christams after Christmas. From the Hardcover edition.

A charming picture book set in an Amish community, by the beloved storyteller Patricia Polacco.Naomi lives with her farming family in an Amish village in Pennsylvania. As part of her household chores, Naomi looks after the chickens with her little sister, Ruth.One day Naomi and Ruth find an abandoned egg near the road. Naomi decides this special egg must be hatched. And when it is, it's plain to see that this is no ordinary chick!The girls keep the chick, named Fancy, a secret . . . until the day of their family's community working bee. On this day, Naomi is to receive a white organdy cap, an Amish tradition, as a reward for her hard work and responsibility. But on this day, too, Fancy the chick decides to introduce himself to the community!The results are a sheer delight, pure and simple. Accompanied by Patricia Polacco's beautiful artwork, this story of discovery and growing up will stay in the hearts of all who turn its pages.

A laugh-out-loud look at all the fun things grown-ups never let you do . . . now in paperback! Jenny Offill, author of 11 Experiments That Failed, describes how tough it is to be a kid, when even the (seemingly) best ideas are met with resistance. The text is short, spare, and fall-on-the-floor funny—not to mention utterly child-friendly. Here, accompanied by Nancy Carpenter's hilariously clever illustrations, is a day-in-the-life look at a kid as she torments her brother, her pet, her classmates, and, of course, her mother. The theme of this Dragonfly Book is Just for Fun.

From Michael Bedard and two-time Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator Barbara Cooney comes a story about American poet Emily Dickinson and the young girl who befriends her.What if your neighbor were the reclusive poet Emily Dickinson? And what if one day she sent a letter inviting your mother to pay her a visit? A little girl who lives across the street from the mysterious Emily gets a chance to meet the poet when her mother goes to play the piano for her. There, the girl sneaks a gift up to Emily, who listens from the landing, and in return, Emily gives the girl a precious gift of her own—the gift of poetry. “This fictionalized encounter . . . is, like a Dickinson sonnet, a quiet gem: unassuming upon first glance, it is in fact deeply lustrous, with new facets becoming apparent the longer one looks..”—Publishers Weekly“In this imaginative and unusual picture book . . . the language of the text is lyrical . . . The illustrations convey a sense of place and time long ago, from drawing rooms to clothing. This is a picture book to read aloud and share…[Readers] will find that Bedard's charming story demystifies the person and offers some understanding of her odd behavior.”—School Library Journal"Two time Caldecott award winning illustrator Barbara Cooney's richly detailed oil paintings enhance the moving story of Dickinson's extraordinary private life.”—Children’s Literature

A picture-book biography about science superstar Neil deGrasse Tyson, the groundbreaking American astrophysicist whose work has inspired a generation of young scientists and astronomers to reach for the stars! Perfect for STEM curricula and readers of all ages.Young Neil deGrasse Tyson was starstruck when he first visited the sky theater at the Hayden Planetarium in New York City. He couldn't believe the crowded, glittering night sky at the planetarium was real--until a visit to the country years later revealed the impossible. That discovery was like rocket fuel for Neil's passion about space. His quest for knowledge took him from the roof of his apartment building to a science expedition in northwest Africa, to a summer astronomy camp beneath a desert sky, and finally back home to become the director of the Hayden Planetarium, where it all began. Before long, Neil became America's favorite guide to the cosmos. This story of how one boy's quest for knowledge about space leads him to become a star astrophysicist is perfect for young readers who are fascinated by the universe, aspiring scientists, and the dreamer in all of us. It will ignite your own sense of wonder.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel. Their names stand for the quest for justice and equality.Martin grew up in a loving family in the American South, at a time when this country was plagued by racial discrimination. He aimed to put a stop to it. He became a minister like his daddy, and he preached and marched for his cause.Abraham grew up in a loving family many years earlier, in a Europe that did not welcome Jews. He found a new home in America, where he became a respected rabbi like his father, carrying a message of peace and acceptance.Here is the story of two icons for social justice, how they formed a remarkable friendship and turned their personal experiences of discrimination into a message of love and equality for all.