By clicking “Accept,” you agree to the use of cookies and similar technologies on your device as set forth in our Cookie Policy and our Privacy Policy. Please note that certain cookies are essential for this website to function properly and do not require user consent to be deployed.

The Greatest Gift

Contributors

By Kallie George

Illustrated by Stephanie Graegin

Cover design or artwork by Stephanie Graegin

Formats and Prices

Price

$14.99

Format

Courage, kindness, and adventure abounds in this charming, illustrated chapter book series about a mouse discovering the true meaning of home. 

Mona the mouse has finally found a place to call home, the cozy Heartwood Hotel, where she works as a maid and sleeps snuggled up in a room with her best friend. Following the festive St. Slumber celebration, most of the guests have settled in to hibernate, and the staff is looking forward to a relaxing winter. But disruptions abound, from a difficult duchess to a mysterious midnight snacker. As the snow stacks higher, Mona will have to gather friends both old and new to keep the peace, finding help in some of the most unexpected places.


These heartwarming stories will delight newly independent readers and send them scurrying for the third book in the series, Better Together.

Series:

  • "Settle in a cozy chair and pass the cheese crumble! Mona’s adventures continue in this critter-crammed sequel that will pull at your heartstrings as well as your funny bone.”
     
    Cyndi Marko, author and illustrator of the Kung Pow Chicken series
  • Praise for A True Home (Heartwood Hotel #1):
     
  • "[A] warm, winning tale."
     
    Kirkus
  • "This warm series starter is easy to love."
     
    Booklist
  • “Charming and imaginative, and full of endearing characters who excel at kindness as only animals can. With stories that highlights the power of friendship, the Heartwood Hotel is sure to leave readers eager to visit again.” 
     
    Ashley Spires, author and illustrator of The Most Magnificent Thing
  • “If there’s one thing...Kallie George knows, it’s how to create a tale full of whimsy.” 
     
    Quill & Quire

On Sale
Jul 3, 2017
Page Count
176 pages
ISBN-13
9781484732342

Kallie George

About the Author

Kallie George is the author of the Magical Animal Adoption Agency series, as well as the Heartwood Hotel series. She works as an author and speaker in Vancouver, Canada, and she holds a master’s in children’s literature from the University of British Columbia. In addition to writing books for young readers, she leads workshops for aspiring writers.

Shanda McCloskey is the author-illustrator of the STEM-friendly tales DOLL-E 1.0 and T-Bone the Drone, and has also illustrated Fire Truck Vs. Dragon by Chris Barton. Shanda (rhymes with “panda”) studied art in Atlanta and New York City, and now lives in Ball Ground, GA with two daughters, her husband, and dog.

Learn more about this author

Stephanie Graegin

About the Illustrator

Patricia Maclachlan is the author of many beloved children’s books, including Sarah, Plain and Tall, which won the Newbery Medal in 1986, several other bestselling books in the Sarah series, and picture books including All the Places to Love, What You Know First, Your Moon, My Moon, and Before You Came, co-authored with her daughter. A board member of the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance, she lives with her husband in Massachusetts. They have five grandchildren-all of whom are firsts in her heart.

Stephanie Graegin is the illustrator of Don’t Feed the Baby, Water in the Park, Happy Birthday, Bunny! and several other books. She studied fine arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and went on to attend the Pratt Institute, where she received a master of fine arts in printmaking. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can visit her online at http://www.graegin.com.

Learn more about this illustrator