The Most Magnificent Maker's A to Z

This latest addition to The Most Magnificent series highlights all the words little makers need to know.

In this delightful twist on a vocabulary book, the beloved characters from The Most Magnificent Thing walk with readers from A to Z, defining all the words they need to know about making. It perfectly captures the ups (“I is for IDEA. A gift from the imagination that wants to be made”) and the downs (“P is for PATIENCE. Most things don’t work the first time … or the third time … or even the twelfth time”) all makers face and includes kid-perfect explanations of key concepts (“B is for BRAINSTORM. When ideas of all shapes and sizes rain onto the page”). It’s a fun and clever alphabet journey, sure to inspire magnificent making of every kind!

Fans of the first two Most Magnificent books will be thrilled to discover the wit and wisdom their favorite girl and her dog have to offer in this new title. Bestselling and award-winning author-illustrator Ashley Spires brings her one-of-a-kind humor, empathy and keen understanding of human nature to this informational picture book, providing children with vocabulary to help them navigate the creative process. It’s an excellent motivational tool that showcases a growth mindset; the importance of imagining, innovating and making mistakes; and the character traits of perseverance and resilience. The first book in the series was adapted into an award-winning animated short film in 2019, and Millie Magnificent, an animated TV series based on the books, is currently in production for 2024.

Ashley Spires grew up in Tsawwassen, British Columbia, with her parents, her sister, a dog, eight cats and the occasional newt. As a child she was constantly making drawings, stories and small polymer clay figures, to say nothing of her cross-stitching prowess. Despite being told she wasn’t the best drawer, she set out from Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design to become a children’s book illustrator. Now, some twenty years later, she is known for creating many quirky beloved characters, including Small Saul, 2016’s TD Grade One Book Giveaway, Larf and Binky the Space Cat, who is now featured on his own animated television series. Ashley’s bestselling book The Most Magnificent Thing has been translated into nineteen languages worldwide and was recently adapted into a short animated film. She strives to make books that reflect her own struggles with making mistakes and how to learn from them. During the rare moments when she is not creating, she fosters orphaned kittens for her local animal shelter. She resides in Ladner, British Columbia, with her dog and many, many cats.