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Rights Catalogue—Footprints

Orca Book Publishers

Reaching More Readers

2 FootPrints



Pocket ChangePitching in for a Better World

Michelle Mulder

Be part of creating a whole new concept of wealth.

Until a few hundred years ago, people were embarrassed to buy bread in a store. Families took pride in making almost everything they owned. These days, many

people take pride in buying as much as possible! New clothes, a speedier bicycle, the latest phone. If we've got money, someone can sell us a product that will supposedly make our lives better. But each year, humanity uses resources equivalent to nearly one and a half Earths, and we're still not meeting everyone's needs. Around the world, people are questioning consumerism, leaning toward more sustainable lifestyles and creating a whole new concept of wealth. What if you could meet all your needs while getting to know your neighbors and protecting the environment at the same time? Find out how growing a tiny cabbage can fight poverty, how a few dollars can help ten families start their own businesses and how running errands for a neighbor can help you learn to become a bike mechanic—for free!

Junior Library Guild SelectionGreen Earth Book Award nomineeCanadian Children’s Book Centre Best Books starred selection

“Ambitious in scope and mission…valuable in its illustration of alternative models of commerce.” —Kirkus Reviews

“An important and accessible book for growing communities.” —Booklist

“Its important message makes it a solid addition for group debates on social and environmental change.” —School Library Journal

World Rights Available (ex – North America)48 pages · ages 8–12

Rights Sold:Korean—Green Frog Publishing


FootPrints 3


Every Last DropBringing Clean Water Home

Michelle Mulder

Clean water is a precious resource in a thirsty world.

in the developed world, if you want a drink of water you just turn on a tap or open a bottle. But for millions of families worldwide, finding clean water is a daily challenge,

and kids are often the ones responsible for carrying water to their homes. Every Last Drop looks at why the world’s water resources are at risk and how communities around the world are finding innovative ways to quench their thirst and water their crops. Maybe you’re not ready to drink fog, as they do in Chile, or use water made from treated sewage, but you can get a low-flush toilet, plant a tree, protect a wetland or just take shorter showers. Every last drop counts!

Silver Birch Award nomineeCanadian Children’s Book Centre Best Books selectionGreen Earth Book Award nomineeRed Cedar nomineeGreen Prize for Sustainable Literature winner

“This engaging book takes on the important task of explaining clean drinking water to middle school students…The writing style is a very accessible mixture of personal travel stories and interesting facts…This well-written book will be a welcome addition to any classroom or library collection. It will support any research on water usage and will be popular with students interested in getting involved with environmental issues. Highly Recommended.” —CM Magazine

“Ideal for reports, the book is packed with great information on everything from the way civilizations have collected and used water throughout history, sobering assessments of the present and future availability of clean water, and intriguing solutions already employed, such as fog catchers, or that are still in their experimental stages…Mulder is honest about the emergency unfolding around this precious resource, and though the situation is fairly dire, she empowers her readers by offering feasible suggestions that individuals can use to improve things…An excellent resource on the topic.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“Young people will be amazed by the global initiatives: filtering arsenic-contaminated water in Bangladesh with iron nails, harvesting fog to gather fresh water in Chile, and more. Catchy ‘Go with the Flow’ headings, startling water facts, and color photos of children collecting and conserving water around the world make this high-interest reading.” —Booklist

“Mulder’s book will make readers stop and calculate…Lavishly illustrated with everything from woodcuts to photographs, the book is far from downbeat and scolding…Mulder writes with a clean, no-nonsense style…Informative, attractive and alarming—readers will think twice before leaving the water running as they brush their teeth.” —Kirkus Reviews

“This accessible and engaging nonfiction book sheds important research about water around the world. The author combines personal stories with interesting facts to raise awareness in an effort to encourage personal responsibility about water usage…Classroom and school libraries will want to include this important nonfiction book in a text set about sustainability of natural resources.” —Reading Today online



4 FootPrints



Brilliant!shining a Light on sustainable Energy

Michelle Mulder

Innovative and sustainable energy sources light up children’s lives around the world.

D id you know that cars can run on french-fry grease or that human poop can be used to provide power to classrooms? Kids in Mexico help light up their houses by playing

soccer, and in the Philippines, pop-bottle skylights are improving the quality of life for thousands of families. Brilliant! is about what happens when you harness the power of imagination and innovation: the world changes for the better! Full of examples of unusual (and often peculiar) power sources, Brilliant! encourages kids to look around for new and sustainable ways to light up the world.

Information Book Award nomineeCanadian Children’s Book Centre Best Books selectionResource Links the Year’s Best selection

“Environmental problems are treated as exciting opportunities for ingenuity, rather than a scary future menace. Geothermal heat, wind, hydroelectric power, and the sun are all discussed as potential alternate sources of energy, but biofuel is given the most attention. More cutting-edge approaches, such as burning human waste or creating energy through play, encourage kids to look for solutions in unexpected places.” —Booklist

“Mulder investigates our energy dependence and explains other environmentally friendly possibilities in a fun, exciting, and optimistic manner…Clear language and catchy wordplay in the sub-headings help make the science behind energy accessible…[Mulder’s] passion for environmentalism is obvious and her enthusiasm contagious. Brilliant! will spark the interest of many future innovators who can and will change the world.” —Quill & Quire

“An upbeat exploration of the often-curious world of alternative energy…The book is peppered with exotic photographs, as well as quick-shooting boxed items, to catch the attention of busy eyes. A smart, welcoming introduction to alternative fuels, one that puts the greater world in readers’ hands.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Teeming with creative innovations from around the globe…The illustrations and colour photos enhance the text, and the ‘Energy Facts’ and ‘Power Lines’ sections fill the spaces and create more energy themselves!…This energetic book is a must-have for any school library. Highly Recommended.” —CM Magazine

“A great addition to an elementary library as an excellent resource for students learning about sustainable energy sources.” —Resource Links

“Mulder presents an objective, positive approach to teaching young people about traditional, non-renewable sources of energy, and also about looking for alternative sources of renewable energy, sometimes in unexpected places…An excellent choice for introducing children to the variety of energy sources available today and to the complexities of the energy discussion.” —Library Media Connection




FootPrints 5


trash talkMoving toward a Zero-Waste World

Michelle Mulder

Humans have always generated garbage, whether it’s a chewed-on bone or a broken cell phone. Our landfills are overflowing, but with some creative thinking, stuff

we once threw away can become a collection of valuable resources just waiting to be harvested. Trash Talk digs deep into the history of garbage, from Minoan trash pits to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and uncovers some of the many innovative ways people all over the world are dealing with waste.

CLA Book of the Year for Children nomineeBlue Spruce nomineeHackmatack nomineeRed Cedar nominee Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award - Young Adult Notable Book AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books finalist

“Mulder focuses not only on reducing consumption but also on how we can recoup some of the energy and resources that are thrown away. Ingenious ideas like insulating homes with jeans or weaving old fishing nets into carpeting are just a couple ideas that will spark readers' imaginations. With full-color photos of kids in action and startling but fascinating trivia about how much trash the world's population produces, this offers a very compelling argument for conservation.” —Booklist



Pedal it!How Bicycles are Changing the World

Michelle Mulder

P edal It! celebrates the humble bicycle—from the very first boneshakers to the sleek racing bikes of today, from handlebars to spokes to gear sprockets—and shows you why and

how bikes can make the world a better place. Not only can bikes be used to power computers and generators, they can also reduce pollution, promote wellness and get a package across a crowded city—fast!

Information Book Award winnerHackmatack Children’s Choice Award nomineeRocky Mountain Book Award nomineeBank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the YearCanadian Children’s Book Centre Best Books starred selectionResource Links the Year’s Best selectionOLA Best Bets

“Mulder’s evolutionary survey of the bicycle is, like the subject in question, a piece of many parts: a cultural history, a course in mechanics, a soupçon of physics, a spotlight on economic class and a springboard for innovation…Mulder twines the mechanics of bicycles with cultural phenomenon, the environmental benefits of cycling and even the change in women’s fashions…A smart, tangy history of our two-wheeled friend.” —Kirkus Reviews



6 FootPrints



Deep rootsHow trees sustain our Planet

Nikki Tate

Keeping our world healthy from the ground up.

Most of us see trees every day, and too often we take them for granted. Trees provide us with everything from food, fuel and shelter to oxygen and filtered water. Deep

Roots celebrates the central role trees play in our lives, no matter where we live. Each chapter in Deep Roots focuses on a basic element—water, air, fire and earth—and explores the many ways in which we need trees to keep our planet healthy and livable. From making rain to producing fruit to feeding fish, trees play an integral role in maintaining vibrant ecosystems all over the world. Facts about trees and hands-on activities throughout help readers discover ways to get to know our giant neighbors better.

PNBA Book Award nomineeSilver Birch nomineeRed Cedar Book Award nomineeChristie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature PrizeCanadian Children’s Book Centre Best Books selection

“Provides good, attention-grabbing facts…Perhaps most significantly, [Tate] conveys a sense of how trees serve as barometers to environmental health and trouble…A solid foundation, a taproot to appreciating the incredible diversity and contribution of trees to our everyday lives.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Beautiful and intriguing color photos from a broad array of sources and diverse locations give readers ample visual details of a wide variety of species and tree habitats around the globe…[Tate] champions the sheer wonder of trees, thanks to her infectious, enthusiastic tone…With accessible language and eye-catching, photo-filled layouts, this is a great pick…Very well suited to elementary- and middle-school research projects.” —Booklist

“Clearly organized with today's internet-savvy reader in mind…Tate does a wonderful job of creating a broad, but succinct, overview of trees and the critical role they play in our life…As many libraries and classrooms are seeking to provide more information to young readers on climate change and environmental issues, Deep Roots will be a wonderful addition. Highly Recommended.” —CM Magazine

“Beautiful color photographs from all over the world, make [the book] an excellent addition to libraries seeking to enlarge their selection of multicultural offerings…This well-written volume is ideal for budding researchers unfamiliar with environmental issues, and teachers will welcome this attractive, curriculum-based reading options.” —School Library Journal

World Rights Available (ex – North America)48 pages · ages 8-12



nonFiCtion 7


Down to Earth:How Kids Help Feed the World

Nikki Tate

Fun facts, fresh off the farm.

Kids all over the world help collect seeds, weed gardens, milk goats and herd ducks. From a balcony garden with pots of lettuce to a farm with hundreds of cows, kids

can pitch in to bring the best and freshest products to their families' tables—and to market. Loaded with accessible information about the many facets of farming, Down to Earth takes a close look at everything from what an egg carton tells you to why genetic diversity matters—even to kids.

Red Cedar Book Award nomineeInformation Book Award nomineeResource Links the Year’s Best selection

"The writing is good-spirited, not preachy or condescending...and there is enough practical material that nonfarm kids will be able to find fascinating...Informative, varied, entertaining, eye-catching—there's not much more you could ask for of this unaffected piece of work." Kirkus Reviews



take shelterAt Home Around the World

Nikki Tate & Dani Tate-Stratton

A roof, a door, some windows, a floor. All houses have them, but not all houses are alike. Some have wings (airplane homes), some have wheels (Romany vardoes), some

float; some are made of straw, some of snow and ice. Some are enormous, some are tiny; some are permanent and some are temporary. But all are home. Take Shelter explores the way people live all over the world and beyond—from the Arctic to the Antarctic, from an underground house in Las Vegas to the International Space Station. Everywhere people live, they adapt to their surroundings and create unique environments, using innovative techniques to provide that most basic of needs: shelter.

Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada's Information Book Award nominee

Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the YearRed Cedar nominee

“Full-color photographs celebrate the world’s most unusual and amazing dwellings. A home is much more than a composition of building materials, and this book is an appealing introduction to a case study in cultural anthropology.” —Booklist



8 nonFiCtion



Let’s Eat:sustainable Food for a Hungry Planet

Kimberley Veness

What would your groceries say if they could talk?

A ll the food you eat, whether it's an apple or a steak or a chocolate-coated cricket, has a story. Let's Eat uncovers the secret lives of our groceries, exploring alternative—and

sometimes bizarre—farm technology and touring gardens up high on corporate rooftops and down low in military-style bunkers beneath city streets.

Packed with interesting and sometimes startling facts on agriculture around the world, Let's Eat reveals everything from the size of the biggest farm in the world to how many pesticides are in a single grape to which insect people prefer to eat.

Resource Links the Year's Best selection

"An engaging addition to the Orca Footprints series…Veness avoids taking an overly dour tone when looking at negative aspects of the meat and agricultural industries and instead urges readers to take stock of how integrally connected this planet is while empowering them to think critically about the food they eat and where it comes from." —Publishers Weekly

"The many clear, color photos and the author's sometimes conversational tone make the book more inviting, and the relative lack of information on this topic for middle-readers is another consideration for libraries." —Booklist

"[Veness] has nurtured a clear, expositional style of writing...lively enough to keep readers' attention…Bright photos and a lively layout enhance the package. This account of the secret lives of groceries comes with a special grace note: 'Did you know that digging your hands into a garden bed has been scientifically proven to increase happiness?' Readers will want to go out and get some dirt under their fingernails." —Kirkus Reviews

"Ideas are presented in a very well-designed book that is filled with enough interesting facts and pictures to keep it from feeling like a textbook. Vaness and Orca Footprints have done an excellent job of presenting a complex topic that is necessary for everyone to consider in today's world." —Resource Links

"Inviting, with generous use of quality photos and text presented in small chunks. Additional interesting information in sidebars and photo captions will catch a reader's eye." —CM Magazine


Rights Sold:Korean—Green Frog Publishing.


FootPrints 9


What's the Buzz? Keeping Bees in Flight

Merrie-Ellen Wilcox

There's more to bees than honey.

Whether they live alone or together, in a hive or in a hole in the ground, bees do some of the most important work on the planet: pollinating plants. What’s the

Buzz? celebrates the magic of bees—from swarming to dancing to making honey—and encourages readers to do their part to keep the hives alive.

All over the world, bee colonies are dwindling, but everyone can do something to help save the bees, from buying local honey to growing a bee-friendly garden.

Merrie-Ellen Wilcox is a writer and editor who has also played bass guitar in a rock-and-roll band, and worked on documentary films. A young neighbor’s questions about her beehives led Merrie-Ellen to write this book. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia, with her husband and a lot of bees.

Junior Library Guild selectionInformation Book Award nomineeRed Cedar nomineeAnimal Behavior Society's Outstanding Children's Book Award nomineeCanadian Children’s Book Centre Best Books selectionRocky Mountain Book Award nomineeLane Anderson Award finalist

“[A] thorough and fascinating look at these insects…Wilcox, who describes her own foray into beekeeping in the introduction, raises and answers…questions in easy prose. Great photos of kids, bees, and hives enhance the text…A useful option for science teachers and students curious about bees and ecology.” —School Library Journal

“Keeping bees in flight is thoroughly explained in this well-written book about the life and times of bees. In each of the four chapters, the author examines how the 20,000 known species of bees live, survive, and keep fruits and plants growing…Bee enthusiasts will find this book to be an easy, quick read. The photographs and illustrations are timely and vibrant. Children will discover new and old facts that will help them keep bees in flight.” —School Library Connection

“The interest that Merrie-Ellen Wilcox has in bees and her concern about their future comes through in all aspects of the text…What's the Buzz? is a well-written overview of bees which shows how important they are as well as the perils that bees face and what people can do to help bee populations survive. Highly Recommended.” —CM Magazine

“Beautifully presented, this text will fascinate both young readers and adults alike…Highly recommended for an elementary school library resource centre.” —Resource Links



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Orca Book Publishers - transatlanticagency.comtransatlanticagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Footprints-S... · “Ambitious in scope and mission ... —Quill & Quire ... eyes