Books published by publisher WordSong

In Bug Off! readers meet thirteen bugs in playful, humorous poems and startling, intimate photographs. Nonfiction prose paragraphs broaden the perspective: Children will learn how bees make honey, that many butterflies can taste food with their feet, that lovebugs can fly higher than the Empire State Building, and much more. The subjects will be familiar to kids—a fly, praying mantis, honeybee, butterfly, daddy longlegs, lovebug, dragonfly, tick, ladybug, spider, grasshopper, ants, and a swarm of bugs—but the poems, photographs, and nonfiction passages present them in eye-opening new ways. Includes an author’s note that encourages readers to write their own bug poems.

Jane Yolen and Jason Stemple join forces again in this new winning combination of poems and photos. Water possesses reflective qualities, creating fascinating patterns and doubled images that allow us to see things in new ways. Celebrated writer Jane Yolen and photographer Jason Stemple capture these natural beauties in twelve thoughtful poems and breathtaking pictures in this winner of the John Burroughs Nature Books for Young Readers Award. Watery reflections provide an appropriate backdrop for Jane's musings on nature, such as a raccoon swimming with his reflected self, the water-jagged legs of a snowy egret, and the double danger of a hungry alligator at the edge of a swamp. Jason's photographs offer whimsical peeks at the natural world we rarely chance to see. This artistic collaboration gives readers a unique opportunity to contemplate their world.

In this nature-inspired poetry picture book, contemplative poems and photos about water combine allowing young readers to see the world in new ways.Nature's beauty is captured in twelve thoughtful poems and breathtaking pictures in this winner of the John Burroughs Nature Books for Young Readers Award. Watery reflections provide an appropriate backdrop for author Jane Yolen's musings on nature, such as a raccoon swimming with his reflected self, the water-jagged legs of a snowy egret, and the double danger of a hungry alligator at the edge of a swamp. Jason Stemple's photographs offer whimsical peeks at the natural world we rarely chance to see. This artistic collaboration gives a unique opportunity to think about the world.

Cats: They wake you up at dawn, nap on your lap, perch on the book you're reading, and sometimes act as though they don't know you. They are a constant source of puzzlement?and joy. In this collection of poems, Dave Crawley pays tribute to the fabulous, finicky felines he has known and loved since childhood, capturing classic cat antics with affection and humor. Tamara Petrosino's watercolor illustrations amplify the humor and depict cats' expressions, postures, and mischievous ways as only a devoted cat owner could.

Teenage love explored from his and her points of view. From the first furtive looks across the classroom to the blossom of new romance and the final flameout, teenage love is loaded with awkwardness, uncertainty, dreams, conflict, and pure bliss. Poets Sara Holbrook and Allan Wolf combine their considerable talents to explore these feelings and struggles by creating the voices of a girl and boy in the throes of affection. As they experience the giddiness of love, the poems' two characters also face obstacles (parents) and distractions (friends) while learning to respect each other's interests and needs. Can this relationship survive? In sonnets, tankas, villanelles, and other poetic forms, Holbrook and Wolf examine the efforts of two teenagers who dare to be more than friends.

In fanciful wordplay and rhyme, Dave Crawley celebrates the canine world. Dogs. They slobber you with kisses, love to sit in your lap (no matter their size), and often seem to take you for a walk. When you're in a "huggy mood," a dog is there to "snuggle-wuggle" and "ruzzle-wuzzle." They are devoted companions. Dave Crawley celebrates dogs from basset hounds, sheepdogs, and retrievers to Great Danes, bulldogs, oodles of poodles, and more. With spirited illustrations by Tamara Petrosino, Dog Poems is an affectionate and humorous look at man's best friend.