If Your Monster Won't Go to Bed


Denise Vega - 2017
    They know a lot about putting kids to bed, but nothing about putting monsters to bed. It’s not their fault; they’re just not good at it. Read this book instead. It will tell you what to feed your monster before bed (it’s not warm milk), and what to sing to your monster (it’s not a soothing lullaby), and what to read to your monster to send him off to dreamland in no time (the scarier, the better).

Brave Irene


William Steig - 1986
    Her mother, Mrs. Bobbin, isn't feeling so well and can't possibly deliver the beautiful ball gown she's made for the duchess to wear that very evening. So plucky Irene volunteers to get the gown to the palace on time, in spite of the fierce snowstorm that's brewing-- quite an errand for a little girl. But where there's a will, there's a way, as Irene proves in the danger-fraught adventure that follows. She must defy the wiles of the wicked wind, her most formidable opponent, and overcome many obstacles before she completes her mission. Surely, this winning heroine will inspire every child to cheer her on."Brave Irene" is a 1986 New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year.

Grandpa's Tractor


Michael Garland - 2011
    Back then, the pastures were filled with cows, and the fields were full of corn. Today, the cows are gone and the rows of corn have been replaced with row after row of identical houses. Grandpa Joe brings his grandson Timmy back to the site of the family farm, where the old house and a ramshackle barn still stand. The visit evokes many memories for Grandpa Joe, which he shares with Timmy—in particular, the majesty of his own father's shiny red tractor, now rusting in the forgotten fields.

My Love for You Is Always


Gillian Sze - 2021
    What does it feel like, smell like, taste like? How does it move? How long does it last?And as she prepares a traditional Chinese meal for her family, the child’s mother replies: her love for him is rosy as wolfberries, warm like tea, sweeter than the red dates she puts in his soup. It shines through the water like its own brilliant sun. It goes round and round with no beginning and no end. Because a mother’s love for a child is always there, warm and soft, broad and tender.In this tender story that pairs beautifully poetic words with brilliantly stunning art, a mother’s love comes alive on the page and wraps readers in its warm embrace.

The Way Home in the Night


Akiko Miyakoshi - 2015
    "My mother carries me through the quiet streets," the bunny explains. "Most of our neighbors are already home." The bunny can see their lights in the windows, and hear and smell what they might be doing: talking on the phone, pulling a pie out of the oven, having a party, saying goodbye. When they reach home, the father rabbit tucks the bunny into bed. But the bunny continues to wonder about the neighbors' activities. "Are the party guests saying goodnight? Is the person on the phone getting ready for bed?" And what of the footsteps that can be heard in the street as the bunny falls asleep? "Will she take the last train home?"This beautiful picture book captures the magical wonder a child feels at being outside in the night. Award-winning author and illustrator Akiko Miyakoshi's softly focused black-and-white illustrations with just a touch of neutral color have a dreamlike quality, just right for nodding off to sleep with. The book is intriguing in that it contains twice-told stories, once as they are observed and second as the bunny imagines them. This offers a perfect prompt for young children to create extensions of other stories they have read or heard. A deeper reading could encourage critical thinking by comparing the different pastimes of the neighbors or, ultimately, what it means to be home.

Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You


Nancy Tillman - 2010
    . . I wanted you more than you'll ever know,so I sent love to follow wherever you go. . . .Love is the greatest gift we have to give our children. It's the one thing they can carry with them each and every day.If love could take shape it might look something like these heartfelt words and images from the inimitable Nancy Tillman. Here is a book to share with your loved ones, no matter how near or far, young or old, they are.

Unicorn (and Horse)


David W. Miles - 2018
    And Horse is, well . . . not.Horse is brown. Horse is plain. And Horse can't stand the unicorn he shares a pen with. Unicorn dances. Tra la la! Horse does not. Blah blah blah. But when robbers kidnap Unicorn for a local circus, what will Horse decide to do? Packed with forty-eight pages of hilarious illustrations and deadpan wit, Unicorn (and Horse) is a funny yet endearing lesson on envy with one important truth: We are sometimes unicorns. We are sometimes horses. And happiness doesn't always come from pink cupcakes for breakfast.

When Spring Comes to the DMZ


Uk-Bae Lee - 2019
    But the vivid seasonal flora and fauna are framed by ever-present rusty razor wire, warning signs, and locked gates--and regularly interrupted by military exercises that continue decades after a 1953 ceasefire in the Korean War established the DMZ.

We Are the Gardeners


Joanna Gaines - 2019
    Turns out, trying something new isn't always easy, but sometimes, it's the hardest work that leads to the greatest reward.

The Not-So Great Outdoors


Madeline Kloepper - 2019
    But as she explores forests, lakes and mountains, and encounters bears, beavers and caribou, she slowly comes to realize that the simpler things are just as sparkly, that the sky is its own majestic light show, and the symphony is all around. The Not-So Great Outdoors is a humorous and richly imagined reminder of the beauty and magic that can be found away from the city and our screens.

There Might Be Lobsters


Carolyn Crimi - 2017
    Lots of things at the beach scare Sukie. Lots. Because she is just a small dog, and the stairs are big and sandy, and the waves are big and whooshy, and the balls are big and beachy. And besides, there might be lobsters. With endearing illustrations and a perfectly paced text that captures a timid pup's looping thoughts, here is a funny and honest read-aloud about how overwhelming the world can be when you're worried and how empowering it is to overcome your fears when it matters the most.

Elephants Do Not Belong in Trees


Russ Willms - 2021
    It's not natural. It makes other animals uncomfortable. This is the story of Larry, an elephant who wanted to live in a tree. This is a story about being the new kid and being a little bit different (okay, A LOT different). A story about acceptance and making friends. When Larry decides he wants to live in the big bushy tree in the middle of the wide-open field, the current residents, Bird, Squirrel and Monkey, are not very welcoming. They throw nuts at him and peck at his head; they tell him to leave and are downright rude. But Larry persists--why can't he live in the tree? When his new home is threatened by something much bigger than all the animals combined, Larry shows everyone that he cares just as much about the tree as they do.

I Will Be Fierce


Bea Birdsong - 2019
    From home to school and back again, our hero conquers the Mountain of Knowledge (the library), forges new bridges (friendships), and leads the victorious charge home on her steed (the school bus).This story is a powerful declaration about courage, confidence, kindness, and finding the extraordinary in everyday moments.

Auntie Claus


Elise Primavera - 1999
    She lives in penthouse 25C at the Bing Cherry Hotel and is "so "curioso! After all, Auntie Claus serves Christmas cookies all year long and her tree is always the best-decorated in the city. And then there's her annual "business trip," right around the holidays. This year Sophie is determined to get to the bottom of Auntie Claus's mysterious ways. Put on your mittens and bundle up for an adventure beyond your wildest dreams. "Ho, ho, ho!"

Everywhere, Wonder


Matthew Swanson - 2017
    From a lost balloon to an endless road, there are stories to discover, to dream about, and to share.Everywhere, Wonder explores the wonder in the world, while encouraging young minds to discover the extraordinary in the ordinary, and creatively share their stories with others.“Open your eyes and open your window and let your story out into the world. It is a little gift from you to me.”