The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden


Kevin DeYoung - 2015
    They were the happiest people on the planet.True, they were the only people on the planet, but they were still terrifically happy.Unfortunately, things didn’t stay happy and wonderful for long . . .The Bible is full of exciting stories that fill children with awe and wonder. But kids need to know how all those classic stories connect to Scripture’s overarching message about God’s glorious plan to redeem his rebellious people.In The Biggest Story, Kevin DeYoung—a best-selling author and father of six—leads kids and parents alike on an exciting journey through the Bible, connecting the dots from the garden of Eden to Christ's death on the cross to the new heaven and new earth.With powerful illustrations by award-winning artist Don Clark, this imaginative retelling of the Bible’s core message—how the Snake Crusher brings us back to the garden—will draw children into the biblical story, teaching them that God's promises are even bigger and better than we think. Ages 5-8 (read to me)Ages 8-11 (read to myself)

The Emperor's Egg


Martin Jenkins - 1999
    While his mate is off swimming in the ocean and catching loads of fish, he stands around in the freezing cold with an egg on his feet for two whole months, keeping it warm and waiting for it to hatch. This charming, oversize picture book is full of fabulous facts about nature’s most devoted dad.

Dr. Seuss's Horse Museum


Dr. Seuss - 2019
    Seuss book about creating and looking at art!Based on a manuscript and sketches discovered in 2013, this audiobook is like a visit to a museum--with a horse as your guide!Explore how different artists--including Picasso, George Stubbs, Rosa Bonheur, Alexander Calder, Jacob Lawrence, Deborah Butterfield, Franz Marc, Jackson Pollock--have seen horses and maybe even find a new way of looking at them yourself. Young listeners will find themselves delightfully transported by the engaging equines as they learn about the creative process and how to see art in new ways.Dr. Seuss's Horse Museum is a playful picture book that is totally unique. Ideal for home or classroom use, it encourages critical thinking and makes a great gift for Seuss fans, artists, and horse lovers of all ages.Publisher's Notes at the end discuss the discovery of the manuscript and sketches, Dr. Seuss's interest in understanding modern art, the process of creating the book, and more.

The Berenstain Bears Show Some Respect


Jan Berenstain - 2011
    Children will learn how simple biblical principles are the building blocks to creating respectful behavior.  The Berenstain Bears Show Some Respect— part of the popular Zonderkidz Living Lights™ series of books—is perfect for:Early readers, ages 4-8Reading out loud at home or in classroomsTeaching children about using mannersCreating age appropriate discussions on how to treat people with respect and develop positive character traits The Berenstain Bears Show Some Respect: Features the hand-drawn artwork of the Berenstain familyContinues in the much-loved footsteps of Stan and Jan Berenstain with the Berenstain Bears series of booksIs part of one of the bestselling children’s book series ever created, with more than 250 books published and nearly 300 million copies sold to date

People


Peter Spier - 1979
    Detailed facts and figures as well as a focus on the issue of diversity make this a great book for reference and a basis for discussion, both at home and in the classroom.

If Animals Kissed Good Night


Ann Whitford Paul - 2008
    Would Wolf and his pup “kiss and then HOWL”? Would Bear and her cub “kiss and then GROWL”? But what about Sloth and her baby? They move soooo slooowwwww . . . they’re sure to be kissing from early evening until long after everyone else is fast asleep!With its whimsical art and playful rhymed verse, this affectionate picture book is bound to become a bedtime favorite.

Different? Same!


Heather Tekavec - 2017
    For example, the zebra gallops, the bumblebee flies, the lemur leaps and the tiger prowls --- ?But look closer now ... We all have STRIPES!? And so it goes. Again and again, readers will be surprised to find that a group of four seemingly different animals all have one trait in common --- whiskers, horns, shells and the like --- for a total of thirteen traits in all. Observant children will notice that one of the animals from each group also appears on the following spread with three new animals that have a different characteristic in common. Finally, all forty of the featured animals are shown together, and readers are asked to search for those with specific characteristics not already covered in the book --- for example, those with spots, those who live in the ocean or those with six or more legs. Author Heather Tekavec has discovered a fun and interactive approach to helping young children begin to explore the ways animals are classified. Pippa Curnick's playful and engaging illustrations of the animals in their habitats are all scientifically accurate, keeping the experience both enjoyable and informative. The searching activity also works to enhance visual literacy. With a detailed glossary included, this is an ideal book for introducing early lessons on the characteristics of living things and for starting discussions on the ways all creatures are like and unlike one another.

A World of Pausabilities: An Exercise in Mindfulness


Frank J. Sileo - 2017
     A pause is being in the moment and giving yourself a break. There's no wrong way to pause so it's hard to make a mistake.In our increasingly hectic world, even children are often inundated with responsibilities and activities, and end up feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Mindfulness helps focus our attention on the present--without judgment, and without worrying about the past or future. It can help us to enjoy the moments we might normally miss, as well as cope when emotions are hard to handle. We just need to take a pause!Everyone has the capacity to be mindful, including (especially!) children. A World of Pausabilities is a gentle reminder to stop, take a break, and notice details even as we go about our busy days. Sometimes the simplest moments are the most important ones--if we don't let them pass us by!Following a neighborhood on a summer day, readers will learn how to apply mindfulness to simple, everyday moments, and how days are filled with endless possibilities to take a pause.Includes a Note to Parents and Caregivers that further discusses mindfulness and ways to introduce pauses into your child's life.

We Planted a Tree


Diane Muldrow - 2010
    . . .In this simple poem illustrated by award winner Bob Staake, two young families in two very different parts of the world plant a tree. As the trees flourish, so do the families . . . while trees all over the world help clean the air, enrich the soil, and give fruit and shade.With a nod to Kenya's successful Green Belt Movement, Diane Muldrow's elegant text celebrates the life and hope that every tree--from Paris to Brooklyn to Tokyo--brings to our planet. Perfect for young readers!

You Have to Fucking Eat


Adam Mansbach - 2014
    Profane, loving, and deeply cathartic, You Have to Fucking Eat breaks the code of child-rearing silence, giving moms and dads new, old, grand-, and expectant a much-needed chance to laugh about a universal problem.A perfect gift book like the smash hit Go the Fuck to Sleep (over 1.5 million copies sold worldwide!), You Have to Fucking Eat perfectly captures Adam Mansbach's trademark humor, which is simultaneously affectionate and radically honest. You probably shouldn't read it to your kids.Adam Mansbach is the author of the #1 international bestseller Go the Fuck to Sleep, as well as the novels Rage Is Back, Angry Black White Boy, The Dead Run, and The End of the Jews, winner of the California Book Award. He has written for the New Yorker, the New York Times, Esquire, the Believer, and National Public Radio’s All Things Considered. His daughter Vivien is six.Owen Brozman has illustrated for National Geographic, Time Out New York, Scholastic, Ninja Tune, Definitive Jux, and numerous other clients. He and Mansbach recently collaborated on the acclaimed graphic novel Nature of the Beast, and his work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles, Creative Quarterly, 3x3 magazine, and many more. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and daughter, whose favorite food is bananas.

Mama Built a Little Nest


Jennifer Ward - 2014
    There are so many different kinds of birds—and those birds build so many different kinds of nests to keep their babies cozy. With playful, bouncy rhyme, Jennifer Ward explores nests large and small, silky and cottony, muddy and twiggy—and all the birds that call them home!

Lifetimes: A Beautiful Way to Explain Life and Death to Children


Bryan Mellonie - 1983
    . . how can we help a child to understand?  Lifetimes is a moving book for children of all ages, even parents too. It lets us explain life and death in a sensitive, caring, beautiful way. Lifetimes tells us about beginnings. And about endings. And about living in between. With large, wonderful illustrations, it tells about plants. About animals. About people. It tells that dying is as much a part of living as being born. It helps us to remember. It helps us to understand.  Lifetimes . . . a very special, very important book for you and your child. The book that explains—beautifully—that all living things have their own special Lifetimes.

This Is How We Do It: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from around the World


Matt LaMothe - 2017
    While the way they play may differ, the shared rhythm of their days—and this one world we all share—unites them.This genuine exchange provides a window into traditions that may be different from our own as well as mirrors reflecting our common experiences. Inspired by his own travels, Matt Lamonthe transports readers across the globe and back with this luminous and thoughtful picture book.Perfect for kids learning about new cultures and customsEducates children on the importance of similarities and differencesGives kids a unique look into the lives of others across the globeIf you enjoyed Carson Ellis' Home, you're sure to enjoy the window into the world provided by This is How We Do It.This children's picture book is ideal for parents or teachers looking for the following:World Book for KidsTravel Book for KidsBeginning Reading BooksCultures for Kids BooksFamilies Around the World Books

The Magic School Bus Gets Baked in a Cake: A Book About Kitchen Chemistry


Joanna Cole - 1995
    Frizzle's birthday and the class tries to bake a cake but winds up inside it, learning about mixtures and reactions that occur when ingredients are put together.

Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born


Jamie Lee Curtis - 1996
    Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born is a special celebration of the love and joy an adopted child creates for a family.In asking her parents to tell her again about the night of her birth, a young girl relives a cherished tale she knows by heart. Focusing on the significance of family and love, this a unique and beautiful story about adoption and the importance of a loving family.A beautiful adoption story, Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born also speaks to the universal childhood desire to know more about the excitement, awe, love, and sleeplessness that a new baby brings to a family.Tell me again about the night I was born.Tell me again how you would adopt me and be my parents.Tell me again about the first time you held me in your arms.