Aldana Libros (English)

• Celebration of self-confidence: Champ is a powerful story about finding the courage to be yourself-even if that means being different from everyone around you. • Conversation starter for kids about protest and the many resistance movements happening around the world. • Story of Iranian resistance: Champ is written by an Iranian author and illustrator team, who are both based in Tehran. • An Aldana Libros book: developed by renowned children's publisher Patricia Aldana to bring outstanding books from around the world to the English-speaking market, by authors and illustrators who want to communicate their own cultural realities. Lexile: 570L Fountas and Pinnell Guided Reading Level: R

"Lovely illustrations and a rollicking narrative make this a great addition to children's picture book collections, sure to have children requesting many rereads."-SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL A moving, funny, remarkable book about what to do when a giant comes and eats up your city … including your mother! It's an ordinary day. Victor's mother is running out the door to go to work and Victor is enjoying his milky hot chocolate when, suddenly, there is a terrible screech and a horrible shaking. When he looks out the window, Victor sees an enormous sleeping giant lying atop the city! He's eaten all the trees, buildings, cars, and people-even Victor's mother! Can Victor find a way to save the city and get his mother back? And how can he make sure the giant goes back to sleep? From acclaimed creator, Rafael Yockteng comes an empowering story of bravery and overcoming challenges no matter what. An Aldana Libros Book, Greystone Kids Also available in Spanish.

For fans of Katie the Catsitter and Matilda, comes a heartwarming story for kids ages 7-10 about finding courage and discovering the possibility of new friendships. Maxime is ten years old. Her favorite things are her books and cats-especially her own cat, Turmeric. Like Matilda, the heroine of her favorite book, she feels different. She wouldn't mind being like other kids but they make so much noise, it hurts her ears. So, her friends are the characters in her books, and her cat. If she were brave enough, she would talk to the new girl at school, who carries a copy of Matilda in her book bag. One day, she finds some mysterious bowls in the alley behind her house. She dresses up like a detective in order to investigate and meets an older woman, Catamou, who feeds the neighborhood's stray cats. Soon enough, the two become friends. Maxime confides in Catamou, who encourages her to introduce herself to the new girl at school. This heartwarming story by award-winning author Lucile de Pesloüan is told alongside graphic-style illustrations by celebrated artist Jacques Goldstyn. An ode to cat-lovers, The World of Maxime is a celebration of friendship and an inspiring story about finding confidence in yourself.

• A stunning tribute to travel, adventure, and the joy of exploring the world • Positive parent-child relationships: Depicts parents supporting their children being independent and going out into the world as they grow older. • An Aldana Libros book: developed by renowned children's publisher Patricia Aldana to bring outstanding books from around the world to the English-speaking market, by authors and illustrators who want to communicate their own cultural realities. Lexile: 580L Fountas and Pinnell Guided Reading Level: W

From a Hans Christian Andersen award-winning illustrator comes a moving and imaginative story of four polar bears searching for a new home. One evening, Papa Bear announces, "we are moving tomorrow." His family can longer live in their Arctic home: there are no more seals to catch, and too few fish. The next morning, they set off, in search of more promising places. From one of the world's greatest illustrators, Hans Christian Andersen award winner Igor Oleynikov, comes the story of four bears trying to find a place to live. All they want is food, comfort and fun for the kids. When they move into an apartment in a city of high rises, things seem promising-until the panic they cause makes it impossible for them to stay. Turning to books and television, they find what seems to be a perfect solution: a place where there are seals, but also penguins. So they set off on a long journey. With humorous, rich and striking art, Where Can We Go? is a thoughtful exploration of immigration and the importance of home. An Aldana Libros Book, Greystone Kids

Emperor Montezuma's court tries everything to cure his bad mood in this delightful and hilarious story that sheds light on life in the Aztec empire-and the origins of hot chocolate. Montezuma is in a bad mood today. He doesn't want to see anyone or do anything! The people in the palace are very worried. They try everything they can to make Montezuma smile. They bring gifts, make music, and even dance. What to do? This vibrantly illustrated picture book shares the enduring symbols of Aztec life, from Quetzalcóatl, the magnificent plumed serpent, to its temples, codices, drums, and Montezuma's elaborate palace full of people and creatures. At the center of the story is xocolátl, a delicious treat enjoyed by Indigenous peoples of Mexico long before the Spaniards arrived. Today xocolátl (chocolate) is eaten, drunk, and enjoyed all over the world. But before all that happened, Montezuma had a tantrum… An Aldana Libros Book, Greystone Kids

A dazzling story about love-for the stars, and for one another-between two young people, set in the multicultural city of Montréal. Every day, Yakov takes his sisters to the park. He's supposed to look after them, but their games are boring, so he reads about space and dreams of becoming an astronaut instead. His father, though, has other plans: he wants Yakov to take over his grocery store when he grows up. Yakov's world changes when at the park one day, he comes across a girl also reading a book about space. Aïcha has moved into the house right behind his, and the two become inseparable. Together, they search for constellations, check out astronomy books from the library, and marvel at the night sky. However, their fathers fear they are growing too close. They are forbidden from spending time together, and Aïcha eventually moves away. Years later, Yakov has achieved his dream: he works for NASA and builds space probes. Will he and Aïcha ever see each other again? The Stars features: • An engaging, cartoon style • A powerful message about following your passion • A celebration of the excitement and wonder of scientific pursuits-and how science can unite us From award-winning picture book creator and cartoonist Jacques Goldstyn, The Stars is a brilliant and heartwarming hymn to friendship, the infinity of the sky, and following what you love.

"Will have kids mesmerized from the get-go . . . Gorgeously illustrated . . . A stirring and thought-provoking reflection on the essential part stories play in making us human." -Kirkus STARRED Review From the creators of Drawing Outdoors, which was praised as "full of wonder" (Kirkus STARRED Review) and a "fanciful intermingling of art, science and nature" (New York Times). This almost wordless picture book set in the dawn of human life imagines how art and storytelling were born from the power of one young girl's observation. Once upon a time, during the Pleistocene, somewhere between two-and-a-half million and ten thousand years ago, small groups of people traveled their known world, hunting for food, seeking shelter, and slowly becoming more like the people we are today. As far back as 40,000 years ago (and maybe even earlier) people began drawing pictures on cave walls. And a bit later, they carved images onto stones. Some pictures are of humans, usually drawn as stick figures, but most are of animals. We don't know their purpose, though in some cases, evidence seems to suggest they were used for storytelling. But when we look at these pictures, we can't help but admire the extraordinary talent of the first artists. They aren't just scratches on the wall. They are great art. In this book of few words, we follow a young girl who notices everything that happens around her as her people search for a cave to shelter for the winter. And we can believe that she feels the absolute necessity to draw what she has seen and to tell stories. Afterward, Everything was Different features: • Backmatter explaining what we know-and don't know-about cave drawings. • Stunning black and white illustrations of life during the Pleistocene. An Aldana Libros Book, Greystone Kids

From the award-winning illustrator of The Stars comes a story about the power of art, and about how being different and true to yourself can change the world. Sketch is a little boy like no other. His imagination runs wild and he is more rambunctious and creative than most kids his age. He also looks different-very different. As the doctors say, he's "not drawn like other people." In a perfectly ordered town, where everything has its place and everyone behaves properly at all times, Sketch stands out. While others walk in perfect lines and write in perfect letters, Sketch's creativity spills out everywhere. But despite the support of his parents and his art teacher, he sometimes feels alone. One day, Sketch changes schools and meets a new group of friends, each different in their own way. Together, they form an inseparable team, ready to explore the world while celebrating who they are. This charming and powerful book features: • An engaging, cartoon style • An inspiring message about courage and finding your place in the world • Vivid artwork that will make readers want to flip through the pages over and over Sketch's vibrant personality and unconventional approach to life's challenges is an inspiring reminder that sometimes, doing what everyone else expects, dims our own creativity and joy. This charming book has a simple, but hopeful message: how being true to yourself can change the world. An Aldana Libros Book, Greystone Kids

This is the story of my mother and her friend Juan, of how she discovered books and he the light of day. So begins Clara and the Man With Books in His Window. In this beautifully illustrated book, set in rural 1920s Argentina, Hans Christian Andersen Award–winning author María Teresa Andruetto shares the true story of how her mother, Clara, the daughter of a poor laundress, meets Juan, a wealthy and bookish recluse who never leaves his house because he is afraid society will not accept who he really is. A powerful tale about friendship and about the world available to us when we open a book, but also when we have the courage to be our true selves, Clara and the Man With Books in His Window was selected by the ALIJA and the Fundación Cuatro Gatos as the best book of the year. Now available for the first time in English, it is destined to transfix readers young and old.

From the extraordinary Hans Christian Andersen award winner Suzy Lee comes an inventive retelling of a Korean folk tale about a young traveler who outwits a rich, selfish man to ensure that villagers will always be able to rest in the shade of a magnificent tree. Villagers like to come to rest and cool down in the shade of a huge, old tree. But when a young traveler decides to join them one day, a rich man on whose land the tree stands demands they leave because he owns the tree and therefore its shade. Thinking fast, the traveler strikes a deal: one that will enable him to outsmart the rich man-and ensure that the villagers will always have access to the shade tree's shade, wherever it may fall. With simple, elegant illustrations, The Shade Tree is a striking story about one person's quest to combat greed for the greater good. An Aldana Libros Book, Greystone Kids

• INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED PICTURE BOOK AUTHOR: Jairo Buitrago is the author of many award-winning and acclaimed picture books, including Afterward, Everything was Different, Ways to Make Friends, Drawing Outdoors, Two White Rabbits, and Walk with Me. • IMAGINATIVE: Provides kids with a creative way to think about the history that has happened all around us. • CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ILLUSTRATOR: Linda Wolfsgruber has been shortlisted for the Hans Christian Andersen award in recognition of her work. • ALDANA LIBROS BOOK: developed by renowned children's publisher Patricia Aldana to bring outstanding books to the English-speaking market by international authors and illustrators who want to communicate their own cultural realities.