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Featured books by
Rosemary Wells
Reading Rockets recommends the following books by Rosemary Wells.
Max and Ruby prepare for Grandma’s birthday as they bake a cake and look for the perfect present in these companion books. The distinct personality of each bunny sibling comes through loud and clear in these humorous stories that introduce important concepts.
When Ruby sends out invitations to a party, Max sends out his own which are delivered to Grandma. Children are encouraged to participate by lifting the flaps in this sturdy, colorful book. They'll try to figure out the meaning of Max’s messages and may even be inspired to write their own letters in this latest Max and Ruby jaunt.
Bunny siblings, Max and Ruby, want to get their grandmother the perfect present. Ruby’s full wallet slowly empties as their shopping expeditions require a trip to the Laundromat, a snack and more! Young readers can copy endpapers with funny bunny money to “spend” and count along with the indomitable Max and Ruby.
On the first day of school, Emily's teacher, Miss Cribbage, tells the class that they will make a new number friend every day for the first 100 days of school. Everyone will have a number book in which to write numerical discoveries and musings. From day one to day 100, Emily and her classmates expand their creative and mathematical skills as they immerse themselves in the exciting early days of school.
The power of maternal love fuels this fantasy. Hazel, a whimsical badger who wears a girl's wide-brimmed hat, blouse and skirt, strolls her doll around town. On the way home, she becomes lost. She is set upon by buck-toothed beaver Doris and her two friends, who unstuff her doll and throw her carriage into the lake. Just in time, a gust of wind blows mother into the tree under which Hazel stands, and the bullies are ordered to repair the doll and retrieve her carriage.
The voices of Abraham Lincoln's sons, Willie and Tad, are used effectively to reveal their father as both a man and as a leader during very difficult times.
A baby Max thoroughly enjoys his daily routine. He loves everyone and each activity — from waking up in his crib to driving in a car but he especially loves the one who makes his jelly toast! Repetition in a catchy cadence combines with Wells' signature illustrations in a sturdy, uncluttered format to share with the youngest.
Children and their parents are always connected by love — even when they are apart — shown in this gentle book by sparkly "love waves" sent from parent to child to parent.
Three fictionalized narratives create a biography of Mary Breckenridge, the founder of the Frontier Nursing Service in Appalachia, and vividly detail the hardship of mountain life.
When Max invades his sister's private space, Ruby tells him the story of what happened long ago to another too-curious character named Pandora. Wells' retelling and humorous illustrations make the ancient Greek myth a timely tale for contemporary readers.
Max, Ruby, and friends are back for a series of short everyday adventures. They cook and open a restaurant, learn to swim and save a special buddy, and more. Humorous, textured illustrations in a large format are just right for bedtime (or anytime) sharing.
Max is a determined three-year-old bunny, while his big sister, Ruby, is a smart, goal-oriented seven-year-old. Although the two siblings squabble as siblings often will, they usually manage to come to an agreement by the end of each of these satisfying stories.
Ruby and her friend sell lemonade in order to buy matching rings. When Max's help is rebuffed, he sells leftover Halloween candy to Grandma in time to buy the last ring. Good-natured competition and lots of humor make this another Max and Ruby winner.
Ruby has five dollars to buy Max a new pair of much needed pants, but Max wants the dragon shirt. The trip to the department store holds adventure and surprises – at least for Ruby!
Ruby, Max's older sister, tries to get Max to repeat simple words such as CUP. Max decides that his first word will describe the APPLE as DELICIOUS. Uncluttered, expressive illustrations and repeated words make this a humorous slice of everyday life.
Introduce young readers to a kindergarten filled with activities and great fun, from making a museum of treasured objects to celebrating holidays. Current kindergarteners will draw connections to their own experience in school, and younger children will look forward to their turn.
The Great Depression changed everything for 11-year-old Oscar and his widowed dad. Oscar's prized model trains are sold, his dad leaves Illinois to find work in California, and Oscar begins an adventure through time and places after he jumps onto a model train.
From best-selling author/illustrator Rosemary Wells comes a charming, rhyming story that children will want to hear again and again. An invitation for parents and children to read together every day, this picture book promises: Read to your bunny often, and your bunny will read to you.
Maria Tallchief shares the story of her childhood and path to becoming America's first prima ballerina. Growing up on the Osage Indian reservation, Maria was a gifted pianist and dancer, but at the age of twelve, her father told her that she must choose between dance and music. Maria chose ballet, changing the course of her life and the face of classical ballet in America.
After witnessing a car accident, Helen follows a suspect into the woods. Did the suspect spot her? Did the police arrest the right person? Helen and her friend Pinky are going to find out.
Wearing his brand-new, mom-made sunsuit, Timothy is all set for the first day of school. It looks like nothing can spoil this exciting moment… until perfect Claude shows up in his jacket and tie.
This boxed set from the creator of the inimitable Max consists of three beguiling volumes: First Tomato, Moss Pillows and The Island Light. In each, an endearing bunny is having a bad day. Just when it seems that matters can get no worse, each bunny is transported to an extraordinary locale: the Bunny Planet. Here the beleaguered bunnies are treated to the day that should have been, and their halcyon activities are described in soothing rhymed couplets.
The other kids in Yoko’s first grade class make fun of her lunch until an astute teacher announces an international celebration of food. Well’s animals capture the emotional charge of a child’s world.
Yoko is ready for kindergarten! She can write her name, write numbers, and read stories. There is only one problem, though — she does it all in Japanese, and her classmates make fun of her scribbles. Can her new friend convince her that knowing a secret language isn't such a bad thing after all? Wells offers a loving, empathetic story that young ELLs will easily relate to, as well as a thoughtful portrayal of a teacher who embraces her young student's native language in the classroom.
Yoko disobeys her mother by taking her special Japanese doll to school and is heartsick when it is broken. Her mother reassures Yoko that she loves her in spite of her mistake and takes Miki to a doll hospital for repair. Textured, evocative illustrations effectively convey feelings and Yoko's Japanese heritage.
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