Books published by publisher Gingerbread House

When a poor devout widow begs for a scrap of bread from a rich faithless baker, she promises to participate in the king’s wedding mass as payment for the baker’s generosity. The baker writes “One Mass” on a scrap of paper and places it on his scale to determine how much bread it is worth. To his and the entire town’s surprise, nothing in the shop, not even the gigantic wedding cakes made for the king, outweighs the simple piece of paper representing the true worth of a mass. Luminous old-world watercolor paintings grace the interior of the book and gold foil artwork lends an air of solemnity and sacred beauty to the story.

With exquisite artwork and evocative text, this original fable explores the events of Jesus' life, and demonstrates the role of the Virgin Mary as the benevolent agent of God's people. Reduced to desolation by a king and prince who feel they have been wronged, the residents of a once-favored village must seek help from the queen, a native of their devastated town. Religious subjects are presented clearly in an allegorical style that proves entertaining, and also serves to provide children with examples of virtue and good behavior.

When a poor devout widow begs for a scrap of bread from a rich faithless baker, she promises to participate in the king’s wedding mass as payment for the baker’s generosity. The baker writes “One Mass” on a scrap of paper and places it on his scale to determine how much bread it is worth. To his and the entire town’s surprise, nothing in the shop, not even the gigantic wedding cakes made for the king, outweighs the simple piece of paper representing the true worth of a mass. Luminous old-world watercolor paintings grace the interior of the book and gold foil artwork lends an air of solemnity and sacred beauty to the story.

With exquisite artwork and evocative text, this original fable explores the events of Jesus' life, and demonstrates the role of the Virgin Mary as the benevolent agent of God's people. Reduced to desolation by a king and prince who feel they have been wronged, the residents of a once-favored village must seek help from the queen, a native of their devastated town. Religious subjects are presented clearly in an allegorical style that proves entertaining, and also serves to provide children with examples of virtue and good behavior.

A scrapbook of memorabilia chronicles the tender and sometimes zany moments shared between Grandma and her granddaughter during their seaside summers. Pages of the lively scrapbook are interspersed with watercolor-rendered photographs of the girl, now a teenager, as she reminisces about their relationship. The last summer in the scrapbook reveals how their roles have changed. Now the girl guides Grandma’s wheelchair to places Grandma once brought her on the back of her bike or in a stroller. This poignant story uplifts and dignifies the experience of aging and loss, tingeing it not with sadness, but with hope and wonder.

American Booksellers Association "Picks List" Winner of a 2004 Parents' Choice Recommended Award Winner of the Best Trade Book with Educational Application award from Global Learning Initiative, a partnership of The Bologna Children's Book Fair and The Association of Educational Publishers Selected for The Original Art exhibition at the Museum of Illustration Winner of a Children's Choices Award from the International Reading Association/Children's Book Council Winner of the National Parenting Publications Honors Award Innovative yet accessible writing strategies appropriate for both fiction and nonfiction are presented in this enchanting tale of a writing lion who holds court for a cast of animal friends. Aspiring writers learn the essential nature of nouns and adjectives and how to use them to express their individual visions so that they “show and don’t tell” every time. Writing lessons are cleverly integrated into a tale that incorporates a sound chip, a scratch-and-sniff patch, and a tactile object to engage the aspiring writer’s five senses in fun proofs.

While other children’s religious titles focus on Saint Francis of Assisi as an adult, few, if any, have concentrated on the early life of the patron saint of animals and the environment. Stunning illustrations punctuate this beautifully told story of Saint Francis as a boy as he communes with nature and treats even the fiercest of animals—a hungry wolf—with the same compassion he would show his grandmother. In a fearless display of courage, tolerance, and understanding, the young Francis makes peace with the wolf, foreshadowing his teachings of harmony with the world around us and man’s duty to protect nature.

Set in the Bronx during the 1950s, when postwar immigrant children were placed in their first American classrooms, this delightful story tells of the riotous linguistic misunderstandings of Josephine’s first day of school. The daughter of savvy Italian engineers, Josephine has lived in the city long enough to have learned a few words in English, but is overcome when her teacher makes her stand up in front of the class and tell about her life in Italy—in English, of course. The result is a charming tale of adventures and multicultural miscommunications as Josephine attempts to make herself understood. Children will come to understand that sometimes people underestimate the talent and dignity of newcomers to the United States and will embark on a poignant journey as Josephine tells her incredible story the best way she knows how and attempts to understand her English-speaking teacher and classmates.

A scrapbook of memorabilia chronicles the tender and sometimes zany moments shared between Grandma and her granddaughter during their seaside summers. Pages of the lively scrapbook are interspersed with watercolor-rendered photographs of the girl, now a teenager, as she reminisces about their relationship. The last summer in the scrapbook reveals how their roles have changed. Now the girl guides Grandma’s wheelchair to places Grandma once brought her on the back of her bike or in a stroller. This poignant story uplifts and dignifies the experience of aging and loss, tingeing it not with sadness, but with hope and wonder.

While other children’s religious titles focus on Saint Francis of Assisi as an adult, few, if any, have concentrated on the early life of the patron saint of animals and the environment. Stunning illustrations punctuate this beautifully told story of Saint Francis as a boy as he communes with nature and treats even the fiercest of animals—a hungry wolf—with the same compassion he would show his grandmother. In a fearless display of courage, tolerance, and understanding, the young Francis makes peace with the wolf, foreshadowing his teachings of harmony with the world around us and man’s duty to protect nature.

Catholic Press Association Award WinnerCouched in the language and look of a fairy tale, and rich in solemn beauty, this tale of what happened when a destitute widow begs only a crust of bread in return for offering the Royal Wedding Mass is based on a the tradition of a miracle that also promotes a love of the Eucharist. Beautiful, four-color illustrations by award-winning artist Katalin Szegedi, will draw both children and adults into this charming story.Josephine Nobisso is the author of numerous award-winning children's titles.Katalin Szegedi is a native of Hungary where she continues to create illustrations for children's books. She is the recipient of many awards for her illustrations including the 2004 Hungarian Illustrator of the Year award and the Hungarian equivalent to the Caldecott Medal in 2003. She is the illustrator for Ambrose and the Princess published by Liturgical Press. "