Books by Marie-Louise Gay
Stella, Princess of the Sky (Stella and Sam)
Another adventure begins for Stella and her brother, Sam, as they explore the wonders of the natural world. A vast luminous sky, the sun, the stars and the rising moon form the backdrop for their nocturnal expedition. As they encounter raccoons, fireflies, tree frogs and bats, Sam wonders if the moon can swim, if the sun wears pajamas or if he can catch shooting stars with his butterfly net. Stella, as always, has an answer for every question.
Marie-Louise Gay delights readers once again with this whimsical, tender and humorous book that captures perfectly the freshness of young children discovering the world.
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Stella, Princess of the Sky (Stella and Sam)
In this sweetly humorous book, Stella and her brother Sam take a night walk to explore the wonders of the sky. The vast, luminous heavens, the stars, and the rising moon form the backdrop for their nocturnal expedition. As Stella and Sam encounter raccoons, fireflies, tree frogs, and bats, Sam wonders if the moon can swim, if the sun wears pajamas, and if he can catch shooting stars with his butterfly net. Stella, as always, has an answer for every question. Marie-Louise Gay's whimsical prose and enchanting illustrations capture the joys of young children making their first discoveries of the world around them.
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The Three Little Pigs
by Steven Kellogg, Marie-Louise Gay, James Marshall, Diane Namm
Marie-Louise Gay brings her charmingly wacky style to the familiar tale of the three little pigs. Fresh, bright colours and witty figure drawings bring the wolf and pigs to life. Despite the sad ending that befalls two of the pigs and the wolf, it's impossible not be enchanted with this anything-but-classic rendering of the tradional tale.
"The Three Little Pigs has always been one of my favourite fairy tales. It is a joyful, heart-thrilling story in which children can easily recognize their emotions. They see their own doubt, insecurity, fear and courage in every one of the little pigs and in the big bad wolf himself, which makes the story an empowering tale about growing up and acquiring intelligence and cleverness. And, of course, I've always considered pigs to be lovely, intelligent creatures and a joy to draw." - Marie-Louise Gay
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The Three Little Pigs
by Steven Kellogg, Marie-Louise Gay, James Marshall, Diane Namm
Think you know the story of the three little pigs? Not until you've read this version, retold and illustrated by Caldecott Honor winner James Marshall. Children will know and love the familiar characters—three pig brothers and one huffing-puffing wolf—and they will giggle over the funny, new dialogue and cartoon like illustrations, which put a fresh, modern twist on the classic tale.
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The Three Little Pigs
by Steven Kellogg, Marie-Louise Gay, James Marshall, Diane Namm
"Open up, Pork Chop! Or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll flatten this dump!"
Three little pigs are happily working away in their delicious family business -- making the best-tasting waffles in the world. Business is so good, in fact, that the three siblings can live comfortably in their very own homes -- Percy in his straw bungalow, Pete in his log cabin, and Prudence in her brick cottage. Then Tempesto, the meanest wolf on the block, shows up and wants more than waffles for breakfast -- he wants the three little pigs! Here is a zany retelling of a classic folktale from master storyteller Steven Kellogg.
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The Three Little Pigs
by Steven Kellogg, Marie-Louise Gay, James Marshall, Diane Namm
One little piggy builds a house of straw. The second makes a house of sticks. But the third and smartest pig constructs his of bricks. Will the big, bad wolf be able to blow it down? Not by the hair of his chinny-chin-chin!
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Stella, Fairy of the Forest
In their third adventure, Stella and her little brother cross a field and a creek before spending the day in the forest. Butterflies, snakes, rocks, and sheep provide fuel for Sam’s curious-little-brother questions and Stella’s big-sister answers as they explore the outdoor world. Gay’s watercolors bring the forest alive as the two journey toward their very own fort where Sam resolves to stay forever. Marie-Louise Gay is a multiple-time winner of Canada’s Governor General’s Literary Award, Canada's Mr. Christie's Book Award, and others. Gay’s illustrations, done primarily in watercolors with a touch of paper collage, are bright and have a whimsical touch.” School Library Journal
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Stella, Fairy of the Forest (Stella and Sam)
Stella’s little brother, Sam, wonders whether fairies are invisible. Stella assures him that she has seen hundreds of them and says that if she and Sam venture across the meadow and into the forest, they are likely to find some. So begins another adventure of Stella, the irrepressible redhead, and her slightly apprehensive little brother. But Sam surprises Stella and himself by having a few ideas of his own ideas that ensure a wonderful end to a perfect day in the woods.
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Caramba
Caramba is a fat, furry, striped cat with a big problem. Every single cat in the world can fly,” he sighs, except me!” Caramba would love to swoop and glide between the clouds, to feel the wind whistling through his fur. He tries to soar into the sky over and over again but always lands flat on his face, until finally he sadly accepts that he is earthbound. Don't be such a scaredy-cat,” cry his cousins. All cats are meant to fly!” They grab his paws and whisk him up into the sky for an impromptu flying lesson that ends with a big splash and a surprising discovery in this beautifully illustrated story with a special message of self-acceptance.
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What Are You Doing, Sam? (Stella and Sam)
Stella’s little brother Sam decides Fred the dog needs some new tricks. Not content with just teaching him to roll over, Sam decides to broaden Fred’s horizons to include swimming, cooking, and painting. Of course, Fred finds a way to subvert each experience in order to do exactly as he pleases and to create the maximum amount of mess. Stella watches the goings-on with amusement, always asking What are you doing, Sam?” a phrase familiar to little brothers and sisters everywhere. Gay’s delicate watercolors, full of expression and humor, complement the whimsical story.
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Stella, Star of the Sea (Stella and Sam)
Stella and her little brother are spending the day at the sea. Stella has been to the sea before and knows all its secrets, but Sam has many questions. "Where do starfish come from? Does a catfish purr? Does a sea horse gallop?" Stella has an answer for them all. The only thing she isn’t sure of is whether Sam will ever come into the water. Evocative watercolors bring a diaphanous day at the beach alive in this perfect summer story. Gently humorous, the book also captures the relationship between an older sister and her baby brother a responsibility that can be both lots of fun and very trying.
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Stella Star of the Sea
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.
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Good Night, Sam (Stella and Sam)
"Stella," whispered Sam, "are you sleeping?"
"Yes," answered Stella. "Aren't you?"
Sam can't sleep without his beloved dog, Fred. But where could he be? Sam knows that Fred is afraid of the dark, of the monster that lives in the closet and of the giant toad that lurks downstairs. Luckily, Stella is there to reassure Sam as they search everywhere.
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When Stella was Very, Very Small (Stella and Sam Books)
In this book in the Stella and Sam series, Marie-Louise Gay has gone back in time to answer the questions often asked by the children who read and love the books.
Where does Stella get her wild ideas? How big is Stella's imagination? What did Stella look like when she was small? How did Stella come to be the big sister to Sam that we all know and love?
Although Marie-Louise Gay didn't know what she would find when she started to explore Stella's childhood, she soon realized that when Stella was very small, she saw the world in her own unique way -- with wonder, curiosity and the sense that everything is possible. And when Sam came along, what could be more natural than to pass this sense of wonder on to him?
A story of a lovely, tiny Stella, whose world is full of small adventures and slivers of magic.
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The Traveling Circus (Travels with My Family, 4)
by Marie-Louise Gay, David Homel
Charlie and his family are about to embark on another trip, to another out-of-the-way place off the beaten path. This time they are heading to an island in Croatia, a country Charlie has never even heard of. 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. To travel in a country where the language is completely unfamiliar and half the words have no vowels. To visit remote villages where the Internet is so slow, you might as well not have it at all. Where goats are a traffic-calming device, red cliffs loom like fortresses over an impossibly blue sea, and luggage porters are a line of women pushing wheelbarrows.
Still, Charlie and his little brother, Max, manage to find adventure wherever they go. There’s cliff diving, pigs on spits, hair-raising ferry crossings and snake juice for breakfast (“Breakfast in Croatia ― at your own risk!”). And there’s a sober side to their adventures this time, too. A friend who was sentenced to Croatia’s version of Alcatraz, despite committing no crime. An unsettling encounter with the Hermit of Vrgada. The sight of a half-destroyed village divided by a war that nobody won.
Charlie finds out that this area of the world has a long and troubled history, that wars are complicated, and that long-time feuds can continue to divide neighbors generations later. But he also discovers that you don’t need to speak the same language to communicate with people. Not when you’re having a party in a field, surrounded by goats and dancing in the glow of car headlights with the radio blaring out Croatian music.
A warm, funny and thought-provoking book that celebrates a child’s love of adventure and boundless curiosity about the world.
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Stella!: A Treasury
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, Marie-Louise Gay gives us stories about two young siblings discovering their world. Here at last are all five books bound into one delightful volume.
When Stella Was Very, Very Small
When Stella was very, very small, she thought she was a turtle. She also thought that trees could talk and that words were like ants running off the pages of her books.”
This is the story of a lovely tiny Stella, whose world is full of small adventures and slivers of magic. And she delights in sharing it all with Sam when he comes along.
Stella, Star of the Sea
Stella and Sam are spending the day at the sea. Stella has been to the sea before and knows all its secrets, but Sam has many questions...and Stella has an answer for them all. The only thing she isn’t sure of, and neither are we, is whether Sam will ever come into the water.
Stella, Queen of the Snow
Winter was never so magical as in this marvelous book about Stella and Sam discovering a familiar landscape transformed by a heavy snowfall. Stella delights in showing Sam the many pleasures of a beautiful winter’s day, from skating and sledding to making snow angels in a fluffy, white magical world.
Stella, Fairy of the Forest
Little brother Sam wonders whether fairies are invisible. Stella assures him that she has seen hundreds of them and says that if she and Sam venture across the meadow and into the forest, they are likely to find some. But Sam surprises Stella and himself by having a few ideas of his own — ideas that ensure a wonderful end to a perfect day in the woods.
Stella, Princess of the Sky
Stella and Sam explore the wonders of the natural world. A vast luminous sky, the sun, the stars and the rising moon form the backdrop for their nocturnal expedition. As they encounter raccoons, fireflies, tree frogs and bats, Sam wonders if the moon can swim, if the sun wears pajamas or if he can catch shooting stars with his butterfly net. Stella, as always, has an answer for every question.
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What Are You Doing, Sam? (Stella and Sam Books)
"What are you doing, Sam?" calls Stella.
Sam and his dog, Fred, are creating joyful havoc throughout the house. Be it snorkeling in the bathtub, teaching Fred to read or roll over, or cooking up a pancake feast, they are having a marvelous time. Of course, Stella joins in the fun as she observes the inventive antics of Sam and his beloved companion.
In this wonderful addition to the Stella and Sam series, Marie-Louise Gay has created another charming picture book. Delicate watercolors, full of expression and humor, bring her delightful story to life.
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Good Morning, Sam (Stella and Sam)
"I'll help you get dressed," said Stella.
"No," said Sam. "I can do it by myself."
But Sam takes a roundabout route to getting dressed and, as usual, his big sister Stella is there to help . . . but this time Sam has the last laugh.
Vibrant and humorous, Marie-Louise Gay's stories and pictures explore the endearing, intimate scenes of young childhood.
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Princess Pistachio Treasury
A grand collection for early readers transitioning to chapter books, this treasury gathers three madcap Princess Pistachio titles into one divine volume. New fans will cheer for Pistachio as she "discovers" she may be kidnapped royalty in Princess Pistachio, navigates a disastrous day of minding her baby sister in Princess Pistachio and the Pest, and gets caught up in fame when her dog becomes a theater star in Princess Pistachio and Maurice the Magnificent. Written and illustrated by the internationally bestselling author and illustrator Marie-Louise Gay, the Princess Pistachio Treasury features a ribbon bookmarker, gold foil stamping, and a reinforced spine for a classic treasury feel. ― Publisher
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Princess Pistachio (Princess Pistachio, 1)
When she receives a mysterious crown for her birthday, Pistachio realizes that she is really an abducted princess. But this only makes her parents sigh, her friends laugh, and her baby sister Penny insist on "playing princess," too. When Pistachio's angry wish makes Penny disappear, she needs a princess's courage to get her back.
Pistachio has always known she was a princess. When a mysterious gift turns up on her birthday, she’s sure it’s only a matter of time before her real parents, the king and queen of Papua, arrive to take her away. In the meantime, though, she still has to eat her spinach and get up for school. Her friends still laugh when she wears her new gold crown to class. And her annoying baby sister insists on “Pwaying pwincess,” too. When Pistachio’s angry wish makes Penny disappear, she will need the courage of a true princess to get her back.
Princess Pistachio was translated from French by Jacob Homel, the son of award-wining author and illustrator Marie-Louise Gay. As Pistachio and Penny learn, great things happen when family sticks together.
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Princess Pistachio and the Pest (Princess Pistachio, 2)
Forced to abandon exciting plans with her friends and take baby Penny to the park, Pistachio is sure her first day of summer holidays will be boring. But keeping Penny out of trouble proves to be more exciting than Pistachio expected
It’s the first day of the summer holidays and Pistachio Shoelace has big plans. Plans that involve a compass, a cave, and a buried treasure. Plans that do not involve a troublemaking little sister wearing bunny ears and a Superman cape.
Forced to take baby Penny to the park, Pistachio prepares for a dull day. But between fruit thefts, a witch’s garden, and an angry park warden with a rulebook, a day with Penny is anything but boring.
Marie-Louise Gay’s engaging Princess Pistachio returns in her second book for early readers. Winningly translated from French by Gay’s son Jacob Homel and illustrated throughout with Gay’s distinctive, brightly-coloured art, Princess Pistachio and the Pest will charm young princesses and Super-Bunnies everywhere.
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