The Family Christmas Treasury
Looking for the perfect family Christmas gift? We’re proud to say that The Finest Christmas Tree is included in this beautiful anthology published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Purchase it online or at your favorite local bookseller! Happy Holidays from Farmer Tuttle and the Hassett family!
Interviewed by Peg Glisson
“When I reached Ann Hassett, she was at her desk in a small K-8 school in Maine, easing back in to the opening of the school year…” To read the rest of this interview, click here!
And in other exciting news, this review of “Come Back Ben” is from School Library Journal:
“PreS-Gr 1–This terrific beginning reader is imaginative, funny, and charming. The text is predictable and accessible, and the cut-paper and ink art matches it perfectly. Children will want to read this one again and again. A must-have for both classrooms and libraries.–Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VAα(c) Copyright 2013.”
“Come Back, Ben” gets a Kirkus starred review!
We are happy to share that our latest book, “Come Back, Ben”, which was released earlier this month, has received a Kirkus starred review. 
“This excellent early reader will send new readers’ confidence soaring.
“Ben had a balloon,” begins the spare text, accompanied by a picture rendered in cut paper and ink showing Ben holding a red balloon aloft. The next spread shows only the lower portion of Ben’s body at the top of the page as his sister, standing on the ground below him, says, “Bye, Ben.” Ensuing pages show Ben soaring higher and higher up into the sky as first a window, then bees, a tree, a kite, a big hill, rain and a rainbow all call out, “Come back, Ben.” The repetitive text will reinforce new readers’ engagement, while Ben’s consistent smile (a simple, small u shape) provides reassurance that he is untroubled by his ascent into the sky—even when he reaches a smiling moon who says, “Hi, Ben.” Ben collects moon rocks in his pockets, and their weight triggers his descent back to Earth, past all of the things that called to him as he rose up to the heavens. When he returns to his home, art on the penultimate spread shows Ben waving from his window, “Bye, balloon,” he calls, but the balloon is absent from the page. A supremely satisfying page-turn shows Ben’s sister sailing upward while holding onto the balloon’s string. “Bye, Ben,” she calls.
Hello, Ben! We’re glad you’re here. (Early reader. 4-6)”
Postcards from Nana
Greetings from my frog-filled home! If you’ve seen me in my latest book, you will know that my house has recently been overrun by amphibians. At first I thought this was a disastrous scenario, but I have learned lots about frogs in my quest to find sanity amongst the croaking chaos. Please join me in learning more about frogs!
This is a site I’ve enjoyed exploring with my grandchildren and the neighborhood kids: KidZone FROGS! Lots of games and worksheets, all dedicated to FROGS. Here’s an example of one of the worksheets you’ll find on the site:
I guess you could say I’ve become an activist. I’m determined to save frogs inside my house and out! You can become an activist too and join me in the fight to save frogs and their precious habitats. To become an activist, you must first learn as much about your subject as possible. Visit the Defenders of Wildlife website to learn more about how you can get involved. 
Of course, I love all animals, not just frogs. If you’re an animal lover like me, you can check out these sites which offer facts, photos and additional ways to get involved:
www.worldwildlife.org
www.natureconservancy.org
www.audubon.org
Stay tuned for more posts from self-proclaimed activist, Nana Quimby!
Behind the scenes of “Too Many Frogs”
Drawing a frog is harder than you would think. They’re all folded legs and arms and googly eyes.
But drawing millions of frogs turned out to be fun.
Sketches of all the characters are drawn until they seem just right.
Each illustration is drawn over and over. Whoever invented erasers was on to something.
Nana Quimby and I spent a lot of time in her kitchen. She baked a cake. I painted frogs.
Have you ever been told that pickles are made from frogs? They are not.
Our Books in Translation
A few of our books have been translated into different languages. “Father Sun, Mother Moon” was even turned into a Korean audio book!
Contact Us
Have questions for us? A story to share? Are you a fan? A teacher, parent, grandparent…? Write us! We love to hear from you.
