Ashley Spires

The long-awaited sequel to the runaway bestseller The Most Magnificent Thing that readers have been clamoring for The girl in this story, with her dog at her side, loves to make things. Her brain, she says, is an "idea machine," so full of ideas that she can hardly keep up. But then one day ... it isn't. All of a sudden, the girl can't come up with a single idea for what to make. She tries everything: brainstorming, gathering new supplies, even jumping up and down on one foot to shake an idea loose. But, nothing. The girl realizes, with no ideas taking up space in her brain, it's filling with sad instead. What if she never has another idea again? Award-winning and bestselling author-illustrator Ashley Spires ingeniously captures the ups and downs of the creative process in this delightful picture book starring the beloved characters from The Most Magnificent Thing. With her signature wit and dry humor, Spires keeps the entertainment level high for readers, who will be rooting for their heroine to get her mojo back. The detailed and expressive artwork humorously captures the emotional arc of the girl's process. This book offers a terrific character education lesson in patience and perseverance. It will provide inspiration to makers and visionary creators everywhere, encouraging them to believe that an idea is sure to come if they just give it the opportunity --- and if it comes from the heart. The Most Magnificent Thing inspired an award-winning animated short film, and a TV series is in the works.

Meet Burt, a ten-lined June beetle. He's sure he belongs in the category of bugs with superpower-like abilities. No, he can't carry 50 times his weight, like ants. No, he's not able to spray paralysing venom, like some termites. Maybe Burt will just have to accept June beetles don't have any special abilities. But when some other bugs find themselves in perilous trouble that even their superpowers can't get them out of, Burt realises there is one thing that he can do to save his friends - and it's something that only a June beetle can do!

Fairy scientist Esther is experimenting with the water cycle in this enchanting STEM-and-magic-filled follow-up to Fairy Science, a picture book from the award-winning author-illustrator of The Most Magnificent Thing When a pond dries up, fairy scientist Esther doesn't freeze under the pressure. She and her friends go full steam ahead for to make a scientific discovery Bestselling author Ashley Spires (The Most Magnificent Thing) creates a charming primer to the water cycle. Includes an at-home water experiment for the budding scientist in your house

Lou and her friends are BRAVE adventurers. But one day, when they're looking for a ship to play pirates in, Lou's friend has an idea: 'Up there! The tree can be our ship'. This is something new. Lou has never climbed a tree before, and she's sure she can't do it. So she tries to convince her friends to play a not-up-a-tree game. When that doesn't work, she comes up with reasons for not joining them - her arm is sore, her cat needs a walk, you shouldn't climb so soon after eating. Finally, she tells herself she doesn't want to climb the tree. But is that true, or is this brave adventurer just too afraid to try?

A rhyming picture book with humor and heart that's a wonderful bedtime addition for the "little monster" in your life. Includes illustrations from bestselling author/illustrator Ashley Spires of The Most Magnificent Thing. Even monsters have to go to sleep. But before little trolls turn out the light and werewolves settle in to dream, there's fur to be brushed, pajamas to find, and moons that need howling. So grab your cuddly critter and snuggle in for this new bedtime tradition. Debut storyteller David B. Quinn teams up with bestselling author/illustrator Ashley Spires to create a wondrously funny and supremely sweet picture book sure to charm little creeps who aren't quite ready to fall asleep.

Award-winning author and illustrator Ashley Spires has created a charming picture book about an unnamed girl and her very best friend, who happens to be a dog. The girl has a wonderful idea. ? She is going to make the most MAGNIFICENT thing She knows just how it will look. She knows just how it will work. All she has to do is make it, and she makes things all the time. Easy-peasy ? But making her magnificent thing is anything but easy, and the girl tries and fails, repeatedly. Eventually, the girl gets really, really mad. She is so mad, in fact, that she quits. But after her dog convinces her to take a walk, she comes back to her project with renewed enthusiasm and manages to get it just right. For the early grades' exploration of character education, this funny book offers a perfect example of the rewards of perseverance and creativity. The girl's frustration and anger are vividly depicted in the detailed art, and the story offers good options for dealing honestly with these feelings, while at the same time reassuring children that it's okay to make mistakes. The clever use of verbs in groups of threes is both fun and functional, offering opportunities for wonderful vocabulary enrichment. The girl doesn't just ?make? her magnificent thing --- she ?tinkers and hammers and measures, ? she ?smoothes and wrenches and fiddles, ? she ?twists and tweaks and fastens.? These precise action words are likely to fire up the imaginations of youngsters eager to create their own inventions and is a great tie-in to learning about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

La idea m s maravillosa es un cuento infantil que trata sobre la creatividad y los pasos del proceso creativo. Una historia que motivar a ni os y ni as a no desanimarse, a cambiar su perspectiva y a probar de nuevo. Un d a, una ni a amanece con una magn fica idea en su cabeza. Con la ayuda de su perro y asistente decide dedicarse a construirla. Sabe c mo ser . Sabe c mo funcionar . Y piensa que ser muy f cil crearla. Pero cuando se pone manos a la obra, se da cuenta de que es una tarea m s dif cil de lo que ella pensaba... Trabaja, trabaja y trabaja, pero no consigue que funcione Pero entonces su ayudante logra convencerla de que se tome un descanso, para regresar a su proyecto m s tarde con entusiasmo renovado, y volverlo a intentar. Ser suficiente para conseguir construir el invento m s maravilloso jam s visto? ENGLISH DESCRIPTION Award-winning author and illustrator Ashley Spires has created a charming picture book about an unnamed girl and her very best friend, who happens to be a dog. The girl has a wonderful idea. She is going to make the most MAGNIFICENT thing She knows just how it will look. She knows just how it will work. All she has to do is make it, and she makes things all the time. Easy-peasy But making her magnificent thing is anything but easy, and the girl tries and fails, repeatedly. Eventually, the girl gets really, really mad. She is so mad, in fact, that she quits. But after her dog convinces her to take a walk, she comes back to her project with renewed enthusiasm and manages to get it just right. For the early grades' exploration of character education, this funny book offers a perfect example of the rewards of perseverance and creativity. The girl's frustration and anger are vividly depicted in the detailed art, and the story offers good options for dealing honestly with these feelings, while at the same time reassuring children that it's okay to make mistakes.

See below for English description. Amanda et ses amis sont des aventuriers intr pides. Ils font des courses d'avions, construisent de grands forts et domptent des animaux sauvages. Lorsque ses amis sugg rent de transformer un arbre en bateau de pirates, Amanda est incapable de monter bord (et de grimper dans l'arbre). Elle propose alors d'autres activit s pour viter d'avoir grimper, mais h las, sa tactique ne fonctionne pas. Ses amis insistent pour qu'elle les rejoigne. Ils semblent tellement s'amuser Saura-t-elle surmonter sa peur? Elle va essayer... Un r cit dr le et touchant sur le courage et la d termination. Lou and her friends are brave adventurers. They race airplanes, build mighty forts and tame wild animals. But when her friends suggest they use the tree as a pirate ship, Lou doesn't think she can climb aboard (and up its branches). She proposes other activities to avoid climbing, but alas, none of these tactics work. Faced with the challenge, Lou gives it her best try. She tries with all her might to get up the tree, but ends up falling to the ground with a thud. Lou may concede to the tree for now, but there's always tomorrow to try anew. A funny and heartwarming story on determination and courage. Original title: The Thing Lou Couldn't Do

"Lou and her friends are BRAVE adventurers. They run FASTER than airplanes. They build MIGHTY fortresses. They rescue WILD animals." But one day, when they're looking for a ship to play pirates in, Lou's friend has an idea: "Up there The tree can be our ship " "Ummm ..." says Lou. This is something new. Lou has never climbed a tree before, and she's sure she can't do it. So she tries to convince her friends to play a not-up-a-tree game. When that doesn't work, she comes up with reasons for not joining them -- her arm is sore, her cat needs a walk, you shouldn't climb so soon after eating. Finally, she tells herself she doesn't want to climb the tree. But is that true, or is this brave adventurer just too afraid to try? This delightful picture book from Ashley Spires, bestselling author of The Most Magnificent Thing, perfectly depicts what children go through when confronted with something difficult. With humor and endearing artwork, Spires sensitively portrays Lou procrastinating, making excuses, imagining alternatives and denying she cares. Ultimately, Lou faces her fear, and although she fails, the effort empowers her, encouraging a growth mindset. All the while, Lou's friends model compassionate friendship by offering to teach her how to climb and then moving the game. This book makes a perfect choice for a character education discussion about courage or resilience, or a life-skills lesson on facing challenges. The story also promotes the joy of imaginative play in the outdoors.

Binky the Space Cat along with fellow space pets Gordie and Gracie have been left at the pet hotel while their humans go on vacation. Only it's not a hotel at all --- it's the vet "No way are they staying," Binky thinks. "They are an elite space team. There is no chance that a 'pet hotel' will contain the likes of them." So the trio hatch a plan to escape through the building's vents. But along the way, their mission takes a precarious turn when they stumble upon the secret lab of the notorious Professor Tuffy in the vet's basement. A former space pet, Tuffy switched allegiances years ago to work with the aliens. Since then, she's been perfecting the ultimate anti-human weapon, and it's finally complete Does the team have what it takes to thwart the evil fugitive before she unleashes her ingenious creation on the world? This is the final book in the popular graphic novel adventure series starring the irresistible Binky, beloved for his deadpan humor and unwavering dedication to the cause. With high drama, unexpected twists and loads of physical comedy --- punctuated with comical animal sound effects throughout --- bestselling author and illustrator Ashley Spires's series provides hilarious, page-turning fun. It's perfect for beginning readers who are looking for lively stories without too much text. The mission-oriented perspective of the team also lends this title to character education lessons on courage, initiative and teamwork.

Binky the Space Cat, star of this junior graphic novel series, has been assigned an important mission: to train a new space cadet recruit. But when the youngster named Gordon shows up at Binky's house, he's not the kitten Binky expected. In fact, he's not a kitten at all. He's a dog Because of a new diversity program, dogs are now allowed into P. U. R. S. T. --- Pets of the Universe Ready for Space Travel (formerly Felines of the Universe Ready for Space Travel). Ever dutiful, Binky and his colleague Gracie give it their best effort to train him, but Gordon just seems too simpleminded to be up to the task. It's not until they've nearly given up in exasperation that the two cats learn the surprising truth about Gordon --- he's not the dimwitted dog they thought he was Author-illustrator Ashley Spires has created a hilarious premise for this unique series. The artwork, with its limited palette of soft neutral colors, keeps the focus on the animals' antics. The dialogue is mainly in cat- or dog-speak ("roooph "), but Spires also includes many other sound effects (including "pssssssss" for peeing and "poot" for gas passing). This book is clever and funny, with lots of action, melodrama and laugh-out-loud physical comedy, making it enormously appealing to emerging readers. In addition, the inclusion of the topic of diversity here provides an opportunity for classroom discussions about differences and our expectations about others. The book also speaks to the character education concepts of initiative, responsibility and teamwork.

In Binky's third adventure, our intrepid, sometimes accident-prone hero is shaken out of his routine when he's forced to contend with Gracie, a dainty striped foster kitty who comes to live at Binky's space station (aka his home at 42 Sentinel Parkway). Binky instantly resents the new arrival, whose cute face and perfect manners are downright annoying. Indeed, Gracie seems too perfect. So Binky decides to do some undercover investigating and discovers a shocking truth about the family guest. Soon Binky is thrust full-throttle into a situation that puts all his Space Cat skills to the ultimate test

Binky is a space cat - at least in his own mind. He's really a house cat who has never left the family "space station." Unlike other house cats, Binky has a mission: to blast off into outer space (outside), explore unknown places (the backyard) and battle aliens (bugs). Binky must undergo rigorous training so he can repel the alien attacks that threaten his humans. As he builds his spaceship, he must be extremely careful with his blueprints - the enemy is always watching. Soon Binky is ready to voyage into outer space. His humans go out there every day and he's sure they need a certified space cat to protect them. But just as he's about to blast off with his co-pilot, Ted (stuffed mousie), Binky realizes that he's left something very important behind ... and it's not the zero-gravity kitty litter. In the first book in the Binky Adventure series, graphic-novel readers will delight in watching where this lovable and quirky cat's imagination takes him.