When Molly Drew Dogs

One girl's way to cope with anxiety is a tribute to the power of art

At first, master artist Rembrandt van Rijn rebuffs his young son Titus and his attempt at art, but gradually Rembrandt is won over by his enthusiasm and persistence, and begins to teach Titus the basic techniques of drawing.

When the narrator of this sneakily clever book decides he will try to draw even though he believes he isn’t very good at it, a world of silly possibilities opens for him. By the end of the story, he has vanquished a dragon, been given a medal, published a book, and seen his artwork on display in a real museum—and all because he refused to be held back by his own perceived limitations. The narrator of I Wish I Could Draw shares a name with creator Cary Fagan and has the same curly hair and glasses. Perhaps most interesting of all, though, the narrator believes he has no artistic talent—just like the Cary Fagan who not only wrote but also bravely and exuberantly illustrated this book. Fortunately for readers, both Cary-the-narrator and Cary-the-children’s-book-creator refused to let self-doubt stop them from trying to tell (and draw) the funniest and most exciting story they could think of. The result is a book that delivers plenty of excitement, silly jokes and fun—and also an important message about self-confidence and perseverance. Designed to look like a child’s notebook, I Wish I Could Draw will inspire readers to pick up a pencil and let their imaginations do the rest.

Sergio is amazed to discover that even on a day that felt awful, the good outweighed the bad. When a downcast Sergio gets home from a bad day at school, his wise mother listens sympathetically to his tale of woe and then suggests an experiment. Placing a bowl of marbles next to Grandfather’s old balance scale, she asks him to go back to the beginning of his day and remember each good and bad thing that happened. For each bad thing, he places a marble on the right-hand pan of the scale; for each good thing he places a marble on the left-hand pan. Sergio is amazed to discover that even on a day that felt awful, the good outweighed the bad.

Doors in the Air is the story of a boy who is fascinated by doors. He marvels at how stepping through a doorway can take him from one world to another. He is especially enthralled by the doors of his imagination, which he refers to as "doors in the air." He delights in discovering that when he passes through these doors, he leaves behind all feelings of boredom, fear and unpleasantness. Doors in the Air is a lilting journey through house doors, dream doors and, best of all, doors in the air.

Anxiety is a very common problem that can affect our daily lives and well-being. It is a mental health concern that can affect both children and adults. The good news is that anxiety is highly treatable. Readers of this informative book will learn about anxiety disorders, how anxiety affects the body, and how it can be treated. Full-color photographs and fact boxes illustrate important points. This straightforward text helps readers understand complicated mental health issues, and helps readers appreciate the importance of mental health.

In this easy-to-read, search-and-find story, Tate draws cats, bugs, and birds--but he never draws Pup! Tate likes to draw. He draws 10 cats on the couch, 10 bugs in the garden, and 10 birds in the park. Pup, who craves attention, is never in Tate's pictures. Pup is very upset, so he runs away to join the circus. Tate misses Pup and draws many, many pictures of the dog to hang all over town. Tate and Pup reunite, and now Tate will always remember to draw Pup. While reading the story, readers can search for cats, bugs, birds, and Pup. A Junior Library Guild selection!

Caillou loves magic. Grandma impresses Caillou so much with her “composter” magic trick that Caillou has to try it too. He goes home and turns scraps of leftovers, grass clippings, and apple cores into plant food!