In this sequel to "Stella, Star of the Sea, " Stella and her little brother, Sam, spend the day discovering the wonders of winter together. Full-color illustrations. Baby/Preschool. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

PreS-K-Stella and her little brother, Sam, first introduced in Stella, Star of the Sea (Groundwood, 1999) return in a new adventure as Sam experiences his first snowstorm. As in the prior book, he is timid and plies his exuberant sister with myriad questions about what snowmen eat, how many snowflakes are in a snowball, etc. Stella's answers are an amusing combination of fact and fancy as she gently urges her brother to shed his fears and share her delight in the day. This is a charming story of successful sibling mentoring, simply but effectively told. Gay's line-and-watercolor illustrations flow across double-page spreads and complement both the humor and the message of the tale.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Ages 3^-6. Sam, who took his first trip to the ocean in Gay's Stella, Star of the Sea (1999), now discovers the wonders of snow. As in the previous picture book, Sam approaches the unknown with caution, while his boisterous big sister, Stella, encourages him to try new things. The entertaining text consists of the siblings' ongoing conversation, which adroitly captures the differences in their ages and personalities. The pleasant line-and-watercolor illustrations reveal the gentle beauty of winter landscapes, enlivened by the children's bright clothing and brighter hair. A witty and engaging picture book by a promising Canadian artist. --Carolyn Phelan From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Children's author and illustrator Marie-Louise Gay was born in Quebec City, Canada on June 17, 1952. While attending the Institute of Graphic Arts of Montreal, she decided graphic art was too restraining and transferred to the Montreal Museum School of Fine Art. She worked for various Canadian magazines doing editorial illustration and illustrated a children's book. In order to learn more about illustration, she attended the Academy of Art College in San Francisco for three years.

She moved to Montreal, Canada and started illustrating children's books. In 1980, she decided to write and illustrate her own picture books. In 1984, she won the Canada Council Children's Literature Prize for illustration in both the English-language category for Lizzy's Lion and the French-language category for Drôle d'école. She won the Canadian Library Association Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon medal for Moonbeam on a Cat's Ear in 1987 and for Rainy Day Magic in 1988. The latter book also earned her the coveted Governor General's Award for illustration. She has also won the 2005 Vicky Metcalf Award, the Ruth Schwartz Award, the Mr. Christie's Book Award, and the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award.

(Bowker Author Biography) Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.