A Mile End Kids Story Series

Beloved author/illustrator Isabelle Arsenault returns to the Mile End Kids of Montreal in this charming picture book told in comic book-inspired panels about practice, overcoming fears and getting back on the wagon . . . er, bike. A perfect pick for introducing 4-to-8-year-olds to graphic novels.

Tom is ready to take the training wheels off his bicycle, but his friends aren’t so sure. How will he convince them that his next stop is the Tour de France?!

Tom won’t let a few mishaps keep him from becoming the cyclist he knows he was born to be; that’s what bandages are for. But his friends in the Mile End neighborhood think he needs more practice. Helping him train, they build an obstacle course to get ready for the road . . . but when Tom announces he’s ready for a longer ride, without training wheels, his friends are overwhelmed with worry! What if he gets lost? What if he falls? What if he just goes and goes FOREVER?
    But Tom knows he has what it takes. A combination of experience, grit and determination is all he needs to prove to his friends he’s ready for the ride of a lifetime!
    Join Tom and familiar faces Colette, Maya, Albert, Jimmy and the rest of the gang on a Mile End Kids adventure in this beautiful picture book told in graphic novel-style panels from Isabelle Arsenault, one of Canada’s most beloved children’s illustrators.

Maya’s imagination sets the stage for her friends to act out her feminist play. Can she make room in her queendom for the will of the people? A funny picture book about leadership and fair play for fans of King Baby and Olivia.

Maya is a bossy, burgeoning playwright and loves to have the kids in her Mile End neighborhood bring her scenes to life. Her latest work, about a feminist revolution, is almost ready for public performance. But as her actors begin to express their costume preferences, Maya quickly learns that their visions may not match hers . . . and as both Director and Queen, Maya demands obedience and loyalty in her queendom of equality! But she soon realizes — with the help of her friends and subjects — that absolute bossiness corrupts absolutely!

Albert just wants to read his book in peace . . . why won’t his friends give him some quiet? A delightful picture book about finding alone time from an internationally acclaimed illustrator.

There are so many distractions in Albert’s Mile End neighborhood, what’s a book-loving introvert to do? Desperate for a quiet place to read, Albert storms out to the alley behind his house where his friends and neighbors often meet to play. Lucky him — not only is no one around today, but he finds an old painting of a beach scene that someone’s left for the trash. The painting sparks Albert’s imagination, spurring him on a zen-like quest for a quiet reading break on a sunset beach, a moment to unplug and find peace. And he almost does too, except for those meddling Mile End kids . . . who just want to have some fun, as LOUDLY as possible. Will Albert ever find a moment of quiet to enjoy his book? Or could his friends be looking for a book break of their own?

Readers will love this adorably relatable story of a quiet kid, his big imagination and bringing friends together through the magic of reading.

A charming and funny story about navigating new places and friendships. Perfect for fans of Uni the Unicorn and Sparky.

Colette is exploring her new neighborhood and wants to make friends. But when she encounters someone her age she’s never met before, she doesn’t know what to say—so she hastily invents a lost pet! Things spiral a bit out of control as a neighborhood-wide search party is assembled and Colette makes her pet bird more amazing with each telling. Will the neighborhood kids catch on to her ever-growing fib?
 
This charming story both clearly identifies the struggle of navigating a different experience and demonstrates to kids a lovely and welcoming way to treat someone new in their community.