Marie-Louise Gay

Sam is full of questions on his first trip to the seashore and his older sister has an answer for each one, except whether or not Sam will ever come into the water.

When Sam has trouble getting dressed in the morning, his very exasperated big sister, Stella, helps him get into his clothes.

"Finn and his younger brothers, Leo and Ooley, love reading stories about animals living in forests, on mountains or in the arctic. "When I grow up," says Finn, "I want to see wild animals and strange birds." "Why wait?" asks Leo. And so they set out in the snow on the Three Brothers' Wild Animal Safari. In their grandfather's time, the forest was full of animals -- but today the forest is quiet. Where have the animals gone?" --

This hilarious collection of illustrated stories give us a glimpse into the things children wonder about every day. What do cats really see? What do trees talk about? Do worms rule the world? Do mothers always tell the truth? Do snails have nightmares?

Stella introduces her little brother Sam to the pleasures of reading.

After leaving his war-torn country with his family, Mustafa visits a park near his new home and finds beautiful flowers, lady bugs, fall leaves, and finally, a friend.

Charlie is doubtful of his parents' plan not to travel and have a summer "staycation," but soon realizes his hometown of Montreal, Canada, is very exciting.

Stella's little brother Sam decides to teach his dog Fred new tricks, but Fred has other ideas which include doing as he pleases and making the maximum amount of mess.

Charlie and his family are about to embark on another trip, to another out-of-the-way place. This time they are heading to an island in Croatia -- an incredibly beautiful country that lives in the shadow of war and conflict. Even for a seasoned traveler like Charlie, Croatia is a very different experience. Still, Charlie and his little brother, Max, manage to find adventure wherever they go. There's cliff diving, pigs on spits, hair-raising ferry...

Marie-Louise Gay published Stella, Star of the Sea more than ten years ago. It was an immediate hit, and since then she has written and illustrated four more books featuring the engaging, red-headed heroine, Stella, and her little brother, Sam - Stella, Queen of the Snow; Stella, Fairy of the Forest; Stella, Princess of the Sky and, most recently, When Stella Was Very, Very Small. With gentle humor, freshness, a sense of whimsy and exquisite watercolors,...