It's impossible not to flip the page, and flip it again, and again, and again. A first book of motion for kids, it shows a horse in full gallop and a turtle swimming up the page. A dog runs, a cat springs, an eagle soars, and a butterfly flutters. Created by Rufus Butler Seder, an inventor, artist, and filmmaker fascinated by antique optical toys, Scanimation is a state-of-the-art six-phase animation process that combines the "persistence of vision" principle with a striped acetate overlay to give the illusion of movement. It harkens back to the old magical days of the kinetoscope, and the effect is astonishing, like a Muybridge photo series springing into action—or, in terms kids can relate to, like a video without a screen. Complementing the art is a delightful rhyming text full of simple questions and fun, nonsense replies: Can you gallop like a horse? giddyup-a-loo! Can you strut like a rooster? cock-a-doodle-doo!Every child who opens the book will be amazed—and so will every parent.

    Lion and lizard, whale and wombat. Learn one wild fact about each animal. (Did you know that gorillas yawn when they are nervous?) Look carefully, because for each letter of the alphabet, one animal is pictured eight times. Why 8? Come inside and find out.

    For some, it's music. For others, it's art. For our heroine, it's math. When she looks around the world, she sees math in all the beautiful things: the concentric circles a stone makes in a lake, the curve of a slide, the geometric shapes in the playground. Others don't understand her passion, but she doesn't mind. There are infinite ways to see the world. And through math is one of them.This book is a gorgeous ode to something vital but rarely celebrated. In the eyes of this little girl, math takes its place alongside painting, drawing and song as a way to ponder the beauty of the world.

    With lyrical words and vivid illustrations by Caldecott winner Leonard Weisgard, The Important Book shows children just how important everyday objects can be. What is the most important thing about a spoon? The fact that you can eat with it? What about an apple? Or a shoe? This book helps curious preschoolers notice important details about their everyday surroundings, like daisies are white, rain is wet, and a spoon is used for eating.For the important thing about The Important Book is that the book resonates long after it's closed. What's most important about many familiar things—like rain and wind, apples and daisies—is suggested in rhythmic words and vivid pictures. "A perfect book. The text establishes a word game which tiny children will accept with glee," said Kirkus.Chosen as a "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children" by the American National Education Association."Rekindles the sense of wonder we were born with. True poetry about perceiving the world around us."— Mark Frauenfelder, BoingBoing magazine

    (A good one.)Step Two: Find a reading buddy. (Someone nice.)Step Three: Find a reading spot. (Couches are cozy.)Now: Begin.Accomplished storytellers Kate Messner and Mark Siegel chronicle the process of becoming a reader: from pulling a book off the shelf and finding someone with whom to share a story, to reading aloud, predicting what will happen, and—finally—coming to The End. This picture book playfully and movingly illustrates the idea that the reader who discovers the love of reading finds, at the end, the beginning.

    I can only draw worms.You might think worms are boring - but you'd be wrong. These worms have INCREDIBLE adventures!I can't draw those bits, though, so you'll have to imagine them.

    For the child who understands what round means, that's an easy one --- the apple is round. Until you turn to the next spread. There you'll see that the same question is asked, “Which one is round? What do you think?” But this time, the apple has been eaten down to its (unround) core, and the armadillo is asleep, curled into a (round) ball. Surprise! Though the objects being featured are the same, the answer to the question has now changed. This interactive concept book, written and illustrated by Mineko Mamada, contains six such pairs, illustrated with appealing, unfussy colored drawings. For each pair, children are asked to compare them based on their shape, size, height, speed or color. As with the apple and the armadillo, at first the answer to the question seems obvious, but then a turn of the page provides an unexpected twist. Young children get drawn in, first to figure out the easier answer, then to laugh when they discover the new way of looking at things. This is a unique, innovative approach to the popular concept of comparatives. It's a terrific tool for promoting school readiness with preschoolers in areas such as observation, critical thinking and creativity. But with its playful spirit, young children will just see it as a lot of fun!

    Brenda Sexton's wild and wacky illustrations add layers of witty fun to LaRochelle's clever game. These wacky equations don't add up…or DO THEY?1 goat + 1 unicorn = 3 horns!1 set of triplets + 1 set of twins = 5 babies!1 duet + 1 quartet = 6 musicians!1 ant + 1 spider = 14 legs!1 century + 1 decade = 110 years!

    Open this delectable book to any page and you will find out something about life. Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons is a new kind of dictionary, one that defines mysteries such as "fair" and "unfair" and what it really means to "cooperate." The book is by turns clever, honest, inspirational, and whimsical. Go ahead, take a bite!

    What could be more perfect for an author/illustrator who has continually stripped away the mystique of architectural structures that have long fascinated modern man? With typical zest and wry sense of humor punctuating his drawings, David Macaulay traces the step-by-step planning and construction of both castle and town.

    He can't wait to get to school and have real art lessons. When Tommy gets to school and finds out that the art lessons are full of "rules", he is surprised and dismayed. How the wise art teacher finds a way to give Tommy the freedom to create and stay within the "rules" makes a wonderfully perceptive picture book about growing up and keeping one's individuality.Tomie dePaola is the author and illustrator of many beloved books for children, including the Caldecott Honor Book Strega Nona. Fans of all ages will be pleased to hear that The Art Lesson is, in fact, based on the artist's own experiences growing up, and offers a welcome glimpse into his past. This bright picture book is as covered with drawings as the walls of Tommy's parents' and grandparents' houses, and sends an inspirational message to budding artists and individualists. Break out the crayons!

    How many stars were in the sky? A million? A billion? Maybe the number was as big as infinity. I started to feel very, very small. How could I even think about something as big as infinity? Uma can't help feeling small when she peers up at the night sky. She begins to wonder about infinity. Is infinity a number that grows forever? Is it an endless racetrack? Could infinity be in an ice cream cone? Uma soon finds that the ways to think about this big idea may just be . . . infinite.

    A might be for apple, but it's also for aisle and aeons. Why does the word "gnat" start with a G but the word "knot" doesn't start with an N? It doesn't always make sense, but don't let these rule-breaking silent letters defeat you!This whimsical, funky book from Raj Haldar (aka rapper Lushlife) turns the traditional idea of an alphabet book on its head, poking fun at the most mischievous words in the English language and demonstrating how to pronounce them. Fun and informative for word nerds of all ages!

    Poetic in voice and elegant in design, the book introduces children to a fascinating array of seed and plant facts, making it a guide that is equally at home being read on a parent's lap as in a classroom reading circle.

    A triangle that is over a square is also under a circle. A circle that is pink also might be a flower.The artful, playful combinations of simple concepts and Higgins's rhythmic writing and expert arrangement of objects on the page make this book a perfect read-aloud, capable of entertaining, educating, and challenging readers in equal measure.There are multiple ways to read the book, allowing it to work for several ages and reading levels at once. The educational value and sheer fun packed into this book's language and visual design will make it a huge hit with educators and librarians, new parents, and creative kids who are visual learners.This striking, delightfully different exploration of shape, color, and patterns redefines what a picture book can be. Read it once, read it ten times. See something new every time.A GREAT INTRODUCTION TO MANY DIFFERENT CONCEPTS: This book's focus on color, shapes, objects, and relative words like "over," "under," and "next to" make this the perfect introduction to basic concepts of all kinds. Rather than traditional concept books that focus on only one idea, this book combines its teaching approach, helping young readers learn more than one concept at once by showing how they relate to each other.A DYNAMIC LEARNING EXPERIENCE: The unusual combination of colors, shapes, and animals intelligently introduces young readers to patterns, classification, and problem-solving. The imaginative language of this book, rich with rhythmic phrasing and a tongue twister-like playfulness, creates a soothing read-aloud text that engages young children with questions and encourages audience participation.PERFECT FOR ANY KIND OF EDUCATION: With a variety of concepts, clear read-aloud qualities, and the many different ways this book engages different styles of learning, this book is ideal for librarians, educators, and anyone creating reading events in their communities.BELOVED AUTHOR: Carter Higgins is not only the author of many acclaimed books for children such as Everything You Need to Build a Treehouse, This Is Not a Valentine, and Bikes for Sale, she's also a seasoned school librarian who's spent many years working with children. Her love of kids—and her passion for teaching—shines throughout this book.EASY ART PROJECT INSPIRATION: Having honed her art skills as an elementary librarian, Carter Higgins makes her own debut as an illustrator for this book with simple, appealing collages. Kids will love making their own art projects inspired by the illustrations in this book.BRIGHT, EYE-CATCHING ART: The simple shapes and lively colors are designed to appeal to young children. Read this if your children enjoy Hervé Tullet's Press Here or Bill Martin Jr.'s Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?Perfect for:• Parents• Grandparents• Educators• Gift-givers