Henry Cole

A beautifully illustrated novel about a mouse, her friendship with Audubon's apprentice, and her search for home. Beneath the crackled and faded painting of a horse, underneath the worn and dusty floorboards of the dining room, lives Celeste, a mouse who spends her days weaving baskets, until one day she is thrust into the world above. Here Celeste encounters danger—and love—unlike any she's ever imagined. She dodges a hungry cat and witnesses the brutality of hunting for the first time. She makes friends with a singing thrush named Cornelius, a talkative osprey named Lafayette, and Joseph, Audubon's young apprentice. All the while, Celeste is looking for a new home. Is her home in the toe of a worn boot? Nestled in Joseph's pocket? Or in the dollhouse in the attic, complete with mouse-size furniture perfect for Celeste? In the end, Celeste discovers that home is really the place deep inside her heart, where friendships live.

A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home

A Nest for Celeste

A young girl's courage is tested in this haunting, wordless story.When a farm girl discovers a runaway slave hiding in the barn, she is at once startled and frightened. But the stranger's fearful eyes weigh upon her conscience, and she must make a difficult choice.Will she have the courage to help him?Unspoken gifts of humanity unite the girl and the runaway as they each face a journey: one following the North Star, the other following her heart.Henry Cole's unusual and original rendering of the Underground Railroad speaks directly to our deepest sense of compassion.

Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad

Big Bug

A young apprentice chipmunk in a guild of craftsanimals strikes up an unlikely relationship with a dragon who teaches him the meaning of true friendship.

a story about finding treasure and the unexpected magic of friendship

Brambleheart

In this wordless picture book, a young Southern farm girl discovers a runaway slave hiding behind the corn crib in the barn and decides to help him.

Unspoken, a story from the underground railroad

A homing pigeon teams up with a parrot and their human owners to investigate an animal crime spree in this action-packed, illustrated detective story from Henry Cole. Homing pigeon Homer and realizes something is afoul when he witnesses four-legged criminals stealing valuables from both animal and human members of his community. Having learned how to read, Homer models himself on his favorite newspaper comic detective, Dick Tracy—he's on the case! With the help of new friend Lulu, a parrot who can speak, Homer tries to figure out how to communicate with humans about the threat in their midst. Can Homer and Lulu solve the case and capture the perpetrators? New York Times-best-selling author-illustrator Henry Cole offers a middle grade mystery that will keep readers guessing.

Homer on the Case

Pamela Duncan Edwards

By camouflaging herself, Clara Caterpillar, who becomes a cream-colored butterfly, courageously saves Catisha the crimson-colored butterfly from a hungry crow.

Clara Caterpillar

Two robins build a nest together and raise their chicks, navigating a year of changing seasons and serpentine predators.

Nesting

A thoughtful anti-bullying book from the talented author/illustrator Henry Cole! Eddie the chicken is the meanest kid in class. He may be the smallest, but he is the biggest bully. He calls people names, hides people's homework, and trips people. No one is safe from his bullying! And when the teachers give him a time out, that just gives him time to think of more mean things to do! When a new student, Carla the pig, comes to class one day, everyone is prepared for the worst. But does she have a way to stop Eddie's bullying? She compliments his clothes, invites him to lunch, and is extremely nice to him. Her kindness makes Eddie feel great at first. But then he starts to think about the way he's treated his other classmates, and he feels bad. He realizes it feels good to be nice, so he tries to help her make friends and be a good friend to everyone, any way he could be, any time he could be.

Eddie the Bully

In this wordless picture book, a cat named Spot ventures out an open window and through a city on a journey, while his owner tries to find him.

Spot, the Cat

When their principal is running late, all members of Hardy School must work together to keep things running smoothly! This jaunty and upbeat picture book from celebrated author-illustrator Henry Cole is perfect for back-to-school and all year round. Every day goes smoothly at Hardy Elementary School because Principal Tate keeps everyone happy and everything in order. But what happens when her car breaks down one day and she's running late? How will the students, teachers, parents, and visitors get through the day? Will chaos take over Hardy School? The solution is simple: Everyone at the school must do their part to save the day. With adorable animal illustrations, trademark humor, and an inspiring message about working together, Henry Cole's latest picture book is the perfect gift for students, teachers, and principals--and those who need to learn why it's important to be on time!

Principal Tate Is Running Late!

Celebrated author and illustrator Henry Cole uses stunningly detailed black-and-white artwork to illuminate a tale of friendship between an adventurous mouse and a boy who would become one of America’s greatest presidents. In this sequel to A Nest for Celeste, Celeste is hundreds of miles from home following an unexpected journey aboard a Mississippi steamboat. After mishaps and disasters, she finds herself on the frontier in southern Indiana. It's 1822, and Celeste meets a tall, lanky boy wielding an ax: a young Abraham Lincoln. The journey reveals the harsh realities of frontier life for the Lincoln family. But with the help of Celeste’s new woodland animal friends and some creativity, she may just prove that even the littlest creatures can make a big difference. And it’s in losing her way that Celeste finds herself in a place she never expected—home, finally. “A stand-alone sequel to A Nest for Celeste (2010), this chapter book has everything that made its predecessor so enjoyable: an inviting format, good storytelling, and at least one large, beautifully drawn shaded pencil illustration on each double-page spread. An inviting entry into historical fiction.” –Booklist

Another Quest for Celeste

Size is relative, but everything is worth seeing in this concept book from the illustrator of And Tango Makes Three—now available as a Classic Board Book. Beginning with a beautiful close-up of a “big” ladybug, this adorable board book artfully depicts the concept of scale as it zooms out from the bug, to a flower, to a cow, all the way to an expansive spread of sky. Then author Henry Cole masterfully zooms back in from that sky, to a tree, to a house, to a window, all the way to the end where an adorable dog is taking a “little” nap. Young readers will love the lush illustrations of the animals, objects, and scenery of a farm, and they’ll delight in seeing how something “big” can suddenly seem “little” with every turn of a page!

with audio recording

Beginning with a bug, various objects are revealed as being big and small in comparison with other objects on a farm under the big, big sky.

A visit to woods, pasture, and pond brings encounters with various birds, insects, and other creatures of nature. Flaps fold out to reveal the animals on each two-page spread.

I Took a Walk

"Building on a rhyme that will be familiar to many children, author-illustrator Cole creates an enticing guide to creating a garden. 'This is the garden that Jack planted...' The final illustration presents a satisfied-looking boy surrounded by a lush, bird-filled flower garden....A concluding page of gardening suggestions serves as a springboard to books with more specific guidelines."--Horn Book.

Jack's Garden

The littlest evergreen lived a quiet life on a peaceful hillside. Then one December evening, everything changed. . . . Henry Cole’s The Littlest Evergreen sends a beautiful and timely message about nurturing life.

The Littlest Evergreen

Alyssa Satin Capucilli

Katy Duck is unhappy about staying home when her parents go to a party, but her babysitter's bag full of scarves provides a lot of fun.

Katy Duck Meets the Babysitter

Celebrated author and illustrator Henry Cole returns with a page-turning mystery adventure about a homing pigeon and a parrot who team up to convince their humans to investigate an animal crime spree. Homing pigeon Homer and his parrot friend Lulu learn something is afoul when they witness four-legged criminals stealing valuables from both the animal and human communities. Using the sleuthing techniques he’s gathered from his favorite mystery comics, Homer and Lulu track down the bandits, but need human help to stop them for good. Can they find a way to communicate with their human keepers and lead them to the culprits’ hideout to stop the thieves? Award-winning author and illustrator Henry Cole delivers a fun, action-packed middle grade novel that will keep readers turning the page to find out if the crime-solving pigeon will get his guy. A supporting cast of animal and human characters forms a community that will have every reader wishing they could join in the hunt. Discussion guide available!

Henry Cole

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