With a foreword by Bill Gates, this book fascinates, inspires, and gives readers concrete steps for further engagement.

Snibbles and Big Tree are best friends! They have always hung out together, and Snibbles loves Big Tree very much. When Big Tree unexpectedly falls ill with woodworm, Snibbles is very upset and angry. The illness is a very bad one and Big Tree does not feel well and doesn't want to play for a long time. Poor Snibbles! He wants Big Tree to get better, but he feels as if there is nothing he can do. What can Snibbles and his friends do to help Big Tree through his treatment and recovery? This beautifully illustrated storybook describes the anger and emotion that many children encounter when a close relative or friend is diagnosed with a long-term illness, such as cancer. The story of Big Tree depicts how things are often out of your control and sets out effective strategies for dealing with these emotions. This story features loveable characters and vivid illustrations, as well as activities for children aged 5+ to complete with their parents or professionals in times of illness and loss.

The great sugar maple tree standing in the backyard was but a tiny seedling in a dark forest in 1775. Follow the tree from its birth during the Revolutionary War, to its present maturity and learn about history along the way. Bruce Hiscock is the award-winning author-illustrator of many books for young people, including The Big Caribou Herd and Coyote and Badger, and has illustrated two books by Stephen R. Swinburne, Wings of Light and Turtle Tide. He lives in Porter Corners, NY.

How do you cheer up a friend? Kittens Max, Cantaloupe, and Melon love the Big Tree. In spring, they climb it. In summer, they stargaze on it. In autumn, they play in its leaves. It’s always been there. But now the Big Tree is sick. Really sick. And Melon and Cantaloupe’s parents have to cut it down. Max is sad to lose the Big Tree, but he’s even sadder for his friends. The Big Tree was in their yard for their whole lives—it was their friend. More than anything, Max wants to cheer them up. He thinks about it and thinks about it, and finally it comes to him: with some allowance money, some elbow grease, and a lot of beautiful potted plants, he can help them grow new and beautiful flowers in their sunny backyard! A sensitive and age-appropriate story about loss, friendship, and the power of kindness, THE BIG TREE is a perfect text for teaching beginning readers emotional intelligence, change acceptance, and the value of positive action. A touching and brightly drawn beginner comic from Ignatz Nominee Laura Knetzger, THE BIG TREE is heartfelt, tender, and warm. Comics-lovers can now share the fun with their kids, students, siblings, and younger friends who are learning to read! I Like to Read® Comics are perfect for kids who are challenged by or unengaged in reading, kids who love art, and the growing number of young comics fans. Filled with eye-catching art, humor, and terrific stories these comics provide unique reading experiences for growing minds. I Like to Read® Comics, like their award-winning I Like to Read® counterpart, are created by celebrated artists and support reading comprehension to transform children into lifelong readers. We hope that all new readers will say, “I like to read comics!”

Big Tree, Little Tree is a children's story about a Tree and an owl, a story about growing, with love and kindness. It is a story about change, and written for audiences young and old.

Big Tree is the neighborhood’s biggest landmark. It presides over street games, barbeques, and water fights. But crack! Oh no! Big Tree has been split by lightning! In this warm and positive book, people from all parts of the community—neighbors, city workers, and children—come together to clean up and remember Big Tree, and to plant Little Tree in its stead. This wonderful story of neighborly cooperation and community engagement will introduce kids to the joys of being involved in the world immediately around them.

Reg and Keely are twins. Keely loves painting and bugs. Reg loves rocks. Keely sings crazy rhymes. Reg plays softball. Shawna and Burt are their friends. In this series of linked stories, the childrenís deep involvement with their daily activities never falters, from a bug walk, through incidents flying a kite and dividing labor at clean up time, to a chance to swim in the river on a hot summer's day.