PICTURE BOOKS
Small Things Mended
Illustrated by Nancy Whitesides. Published by Rocky Pond Books/Penguin, March 19, 2024.
The healing power of community is tenderly expressed in this picture book for fans of A Sick Day for Amos McGee and Last Stop on Market Street.
Kindly Cecil has a broken heart, but when the kids in his neighborhood start asking him to fix their valuables—a music box, a watch, a stuffed elephant—he gradually finds that he knows just how to do this mending. And in return, his circle of new friends offers the mending that his own heart needs.
This gentle, kindhearted story brings the generations of a community together to sustain and enrich one another, and it beautifully showcases the value of fixing things―and loving their history―rather than quickly discarding them.
Order your signed copy of SMALL THINGS MENDED here!
Praise for Small Things Mended
“With Small Things Mended, Casey Robinson transcends kids’ expectations of adults and shows just how infectious and healing kindness can be. The illustrations will bring big smiles and a jaunty pep to your step all day long.” — Gibran Graham, The Briar Patch, Bangor, ME
Kids’ Indie Next List Pick for March/April
"A sweet story about the fixes made possible by generosity and community." - Kirkus Reviews
A “heartwarming story” that “underscore[s] the role of community in healing.” - Publisher’s Weekly
“This sweet story of love, hope, and healing will speak to the child reader who may not be able to articulate those big feelings yet, but will connect with Cecil through every page.”
--Jane Yolen, author of OWL MOON and the HOW DO DINOSAURS series
Iver & Ellsworth
Illustrated by Melissa Larson. Published by Chicago Review Press/Ripple Grove Press, 2018.
From a factory rooftop, Iver and his good friend Ellsworth (a rooftop bear) are content to watch the busy world below. “Everyone’s going somewhere,” Iver says. “We can see the whole world from up here. That’s enough somewhere for me.” But after Iver retires, the friends must venture out in search of a new somewhere. Of course, the very best views are those you share with an old pal.
Order signed/personalized copies of IVER & ELLSWORTH here.
Praise for Iver & Ellsworth
*Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Awards Nominated Title 2019-2020
*Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Crystal Kite Award Finalist, New England
"An original and unfailingly entertaining picture book." - Midwest Book Review
"Companionship in the winter of life is a cozy theme, portrayed comfortingly here." - Kirkus Reviews
"Words and pictures come together seamlessly, each enhancing the read-aloud experience. This comforting picture book is more than the sum of its parts." - Booklist
"With its heartfelt, endearing characters and unusual setting, Iver & Ellsworth is sure to be a bedtime favorite." - BookPage
POETRY
Schoolapalooza: A Silly Symphony of Schooltime Rhymes
Coming from Bushel & Peck Books September 3, 2024!
Twenty-six poets from Jane Yolen and Heidi Stemple to Charles Waters and Marily Singer create a funny portrait of school.
Calculators and erasers, school buses and pop quizzes, recess and a school vacation countdown—nothing about the school day (or school year) is out of bounds in this poetry collection from today’s best children’s poets.
Backmatter includes explanations of poetry techniques used in the book with specific examples and additional poetry prompts and ideas.
Pre-order a copy from The Silver Unicorn Bookstore!
GNOMES and UNGNOMES: Poems of Hidden Creatures
Published by Writers’ Loft Press, December 2023.
A collection of original, illustrated poems for children about mythological creatures created by over 100 authors and illustrators.
Can you keep track of all seven heads of the Cambrian dragon? Ever wondered what’s inside a unicorn’s horn? Can you spot the Spectre Moose in Maine? Flip the page to India and behold the stunning 9-animal patchwork Navagunjara. Or pop into a middle school dance just in time to watch Big Foot stomp on his date’s toe! Oh no!
From the tourist-terrorizing Drop Bears of Australia to the fireball Soucoyant of the Caribbean, this anthology is packed with more mermaids, gnomes, and other mythological creatures than you can point a shaky camera at.
Available at The Silver Unicorn Bookstore and Bookshop.org
Friends & Anemones: Ocean Poems for Children
Published by Writers’ Loft Press, November 2020.
Set sail on an epic voyage with Peter Reynolds, Jane Yolen, Kip Wilson, Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Josh Funk, Matt Forrest Esenwine, and 61 other well-loved and emerging New England authors and illustrators.
Dive under the enchanting cover—illustrated by esteemed New England artist Jodie Apeseche—into a whimsical, watery world where you’ll rendezvous with petty penguins, little fish with big dreams, party-planning turtles, as well as anemones and crabs in the intertidal zone and elusive sharks and jellies that call the deep sea home.
Available at The Silver Unicorn Bookstore and Bookshop.org