Books in Of the World series

Eight-year-old Zulviya, her sister and her cousin, her mother and her grandmother... they all belong to the loom. For generations the women of Zulviya's family have earned their living by weaving rugs by hand. The rugs are valuable and the women are proud of their beautiful handiwork. But the work is hard. It takes months to weave a rug; each one contains hundreds of thousands of knots. Before one work day has passed, Zulviya will tie thousands of knots. As she sits at her work, Zulviya weaves not one but two patterns. The pattern on the loom will become a fine rug. She weaves a second pattern in her mind. There she sees the green of the Afghani hills, the bright blue of the nearby lake, and the vivid orange of the setting sun. And Zulviya takes comfort in the landscape in her mind. Gloria Whelan's other picture books in the Tales of the World series are Yuki and the One Thousand Carriers (2008 Society of Illustrators Gold Medal winner) and Yatandou (a Junior Library Guild selection). Ms. Whelan lives in Michigan. Pascal Milelli's illustration clients include Harper's, The Atlantic, and Scribner Books. His picture book, The Art Room, by Susan Vande Griek, received the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award from the Canadian Library Association in 2003. Pascal lives in Vancouver, Canada.

Unique and as beautiful as a snowflake or footprint, an Inuksut (inNUKshuk,) is one of the stone figures that can be seen dotting the Canadian Arctic region. Many made by ancient hands, the Inuksuit (inNUKsweet) purposes are varied, from earthly uses such as navigation and message centers to those of the spirit, as sites of reverence. Author Mike Ulmer explores the connectedness of all Arctic life in his tale, The Gift of the Inuksuk.To find recipes, games, interactives maps and much more for this title visit www.discovertheworldbooks.com! Author Mike Ulmer keeps an Inuksuk at home--it reminds him of the way the Inuit People of the North live a simple life and consume only what they need. His tale expresses this belief in a warm and simple manner that readers of all ages will appreciate and enjoy. Artist Melanie Rose's charming and lively oil paintings bring great variety and surprising bursts of color to this unique northern story.Mike lives in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada with his wife Agnes Bongers and their three daughters: Sadie, Hannah and Madalyn. When he is not learning about Inuksuk, Mike writes a sports column for the Toronto Sun newspaper. Among Mike's books are M is for Maple: A Canadian Alphabet and H is For Horse: An Equestrian Alphabet. Melanie Rose lives in Mississauga, Canada with her son Liam, and their two cats, Mickey and Meesha. Melanie teamed up with Mike previously on M is for Maple: A Canadian Alphabet. She has also illustrated Z is for Zamboni: A Hockey Alphabet and K is for Kick: A Soccer Alphabet. She is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art.

They make up three-quarters of the world's living creature, and that's counting only the 800,000 types we know. Though many people feel we're already too well acquainted with insects, by pollinating plants, producing honey and silk, and acting as monitors of pollution they're beneficial to us. Here you'll encounter -- from a safe distance! -- armies of ants, magnificently hued butterflies, shining silverfish, colorful tree-hanging moths, fierce yellow assassin bugs, blue weevils, and many more in this thriving world.

Ten-year-old Walking Turtle is of the Lenni Lenape tribe. He lives with his family in a small village alongside the Passaic River in what will become northern New Jersey. They have a relatively peaceful life, with nature offering up a bounty of resources for food and shelter, amply meeting their needs. Walking Turtle is close to his younger cousin, Little Talk. He feels protective of Little Talk, who has difficulty walking. Together they roam the forests near their village, with Walking Turtle carrying his cousin on his back. But in the autumn of Walking Turtle's tenth year, his father tells him that soon he must leave childhood friends behind and begin warrior school. Walking Turtle worries about what will become of Little Talk when he leaves for his training. And what is his future?Trinka Hakes Noble is the award-winning author of numerous picture books, including The Orange Shoes and The Scarlet Stockings Spy. She lives in Bernardsville, New Jersey.