When she was small Stella saw the world through her imagination, from hearing trees talk about holding up the sky, to seeing words as ants running off a page, to racing rubber ducks in her bathtub.

Sam is full of questions on his first trip to the seashore and his older sister has an answer for each one, except whether or not Sam will ever come into the water.

Stella, Star of the Sea, the first book in Marie-Louise Gay's wildly popular series, was published ten years ago. Since then, she has written six more books about Stella and little brother Sam, all of which have received rave reviews and countless awards. In celebration of the series' tenth anniversary, four of the irrepressible redhead's most popular adventures are collected here in mini-harcover formats: Stella, Star of the Sea; Stella, Queen of the Snow; Stella, Fairy of the Forest; and Stella, Princess of the Sky. All reflect Gay's remarkable ability to capture the joy of young children discovering about the world around them.

In the first new Stella book in four years — in a series that has sold two million copies in ten languages — Stella introduces little brother Sam to the pleasures of reading. Sam is as busy and worried as ever, and Stella almost always has her nose in a book these days, but she finds time to help him out, while sharing her new pastime with contagious enthusiasm. Sam has gathered a wagonload of branches to build a doghouse for Fred, and he wonders if the book Stella is reading tells you how to make one. It doesn't (although it is very funny), but Stella is more than willing to give Sam a hand. As soon as the doghouse is built though, Sam worries that a wolf might come along and blow it down. Stella breezily banishes his fears, suggesting a picnic at Lily Pond. Stella cools her feet in the water, reading a story, while Sam tries to catch a frog. Are there frogs in Stella's book, he wonders. No, Stella tells him, but there is a toad wearing a velvet jacket... With her characteristically light touch, Marie-Louise Gay imparts the pleasures and importance of reading to her young audience, whether it be humor, fiction, nonfiction or poetry. Her detailed, beautifully rendered and often-amusing watercolor illustrations (spot the tiny bunny reading a book!) show yet again that Marie-Louise Gay is one of the very best artists creating picture books today.

Marie-Louise Gay published Stella, Star of the Sea more than ten years ago. It was an immediate hit, and since then she has written and illustrated four more books featuring the engaging, red-headed heroine, Stella, and her little brother, Sam — Stella, Queen of the Snow; Stella, Fairy of the Forest; Stella, Princess of the Sky and, most recently, When Stella Was Very, Very Small. With gentle humor, freshness, a sense of whimsy and exquisite watercolors, Marie-Louise Gay gives us stories about two young siblings discovering their world. Here at last are all five books bound into one delightful volume. The treasury contains new art for the cover and opening page as well as new decorative line art. When Stella Was Very, Very Small "When Stella was very, very small, she thought she was a turtle. She also thought that trees could talk and that words were like ants running off the pages of her books." This is the story of a lovely tiny Stella, whose world is full of small adventures and slivers of magic. And she delights in sharing it all with Sam when he comes along. Stella, Star of the Sea Stella and Sam are spending the day at the sea. Stella has been to the sea before and knows all its secrets, but Sam has many questions...and Stella has an answer for them all. The only thing she isn’t sure of, and neither are we, is whether Sam will ever come into the water. Stella, Queen of the Snow Winter was never so magical as in this marvelous book about Stella and Sam discovering a familiar landscape transformed by a heavy snowfall. Stella delights in showing Sam the many pleasures of a beautiful winter’s day, from skating and sledding to making snow angels in a fluffy, white magical world. Stella, Fairy of the Forest Little brother Sam wonders whether fairies are invisible. Stella assures him that she has seen hundreds of them and says that if she and Sam venture across the meadow and into the forest, they are likely to find some. But Sam surprises Stella and himself by having a few ideas of his own — ideas that ensure a wonderful end to a perfect day in the woods. Stella, Princess of the Sky Stella and Sam explore the wonders of the natural world. A vast luminous sky, the sun, the stars and the rising moon form the backdrop for their nocturnal expedition. As they encounter raccoons, fireflies, tree frogs and bats, Sam wonders if the moon can swim, if the sun wears pajamas or if he can catch shooting stars with his butterfly net. Stella, as always, has an answer for every question.

Another adventure begins in this book in the Stella and Sam series as the pair explores the wonders of the natural world. A vast luminous sky, the sun, the stars and the rising moon form the backdrop for their nocturnal expedition. As they encounter raccoons, fireflies, tree frogs and bats, Sam wonders if the moon can swim, if the sun wears pajamas or if he can catch shooting stars with his butterfly net. Stella, as always, has an answer for every question. Marie-Louise Gay's whimsical prose and enchanting illustrations capture the joys of young children making their first discoveries of the world around them.

A perfect picture book for pre-schoolers, about independence, collaboration, and a playful relationship between brother and sister (and their little dog). Sam can get dressed all by himself in the morning - well, almost by himself, after a few mishaps and tricks, and with a little help from his older sister. Paperback edition (first published in Australia, in hardback, April 03).