Mom packed me a snack -- and had me bring my sweater in case I get cold." But Mom likely didn't imagine the adventure her little girl would have as she rides to her grandmother's house in this sweet picture book. While the bus is taking her down the streets, through a forest and into a pitch-black tunnel, the little girl encounters an assortment of animal characters who enliven her journey, including a goat who offers her a flower from a bouquet, a wolf child with whom she happily shares her cookies and a fox who attempts to pickpocket a bear. Adding to the fun are lots of running visual gags, such as the changing headlines on the newspaper that hides one passenger's face, a sleeping sloth who mysteriously appears in different seats without ever having woken up and a nervous-looking turtle whose head and arms pop in and out of its shell. The interior of the bus covers each two-page spread, and award-winning author-illustrator Marianne Dubuc uses subtle colors and tiny details to draw in youngsters to the activity happening there. This book offers a potentially multilayered classroom reading experience: there is the terrific main story of the girl's trip, but there are also any number of mini stories playing out at the same time with each of the other characters. It would work beautifully as a jumping-off point for children to do some imaginary storytelling of their own.

    Maybe we’re tired, we’re hungry, or we’re just feeling grumpy. Dealing with emotions can be hard. Cranky Right Now is a ride through the ups and downs of being cranky, helping kids process difficult feelings, frustrating relationships, and things that just make them mad.

    . . bedtime! He dons his pajama uniform, speeds upstairs, cleans up the nightly grime, and keeps watch from his towering bunk bed. Written by award-winning author Michael Dahl (Goodnight Baseball, Goodnight Football, and Goodnight Hockey) and illustrated by Ethen Beavers (DC Super Friends), this bedtime tale will have Batman fans, young and old, delighting in their nightly routines. Bedtime for Batman is the perfect way to say goodnight to your little Dark Knight.

    There’s a large black rabbit chasing him. No matter where he runs — behind a tree, over the river — the shadowy rabbit follows. Finally in the deep, dark wood, Rabbit loses his nemesis — only to encounter a real foe! Kids who like to be in on the secret will revel in this humorous look at shadows and friendship, brought to light by a talented animator.

    One day Roslyn wakes up with a plan. She will dig the biggest hole on earth.With her father's quiet encouragement, Roslyn sets out on her big adventure. Obstacles abound -- a grumpy worm, a grouchy mole and a bone-hogging dog get in her way. Will she find a pirate's treasure or a dinosaur bone? Will she meet a penguin? Anything could happen!Marie-Louise Gay has written and illustrated this humorous and endearing tale as an ode to the imagination and determination of children, who create their own worlds out of the little things in life.

    Trying new things can sometimes be scary, and Sunny is worried that she won’t make any friends this summer and she’ll be lonely so far away from her family.  Boy is she wrong! When brave little Sunny the Bunny arrives at summer camp, all sorts of friendly animals jump onto the scene to be her new pals. Sunny’s days are soon filled with zip-lining, sports, outdoor movies, ballet, yoga, rappelling, and even a talent show.  As the last day of camp nears, Sunny the Bunny is super sad to leave all her friends, but is jumping up and down at the thought of coming back next year. Sunny missed her parents, but her grand adventure has taught her that even nervous little bunnies can conquer their fears. And of course, no matter where you go, you can always find some bunny that loves you. Join Sunny as she discovers that leaving the comforts of home and trying different things can be the most fun of all!

    This time they wrestle with the age old question: Why do apples fall? On their way to their own unique conclusion, they are first scared silly, then end up just acting silly. Showing bravery, curiosity, and loyalty to each other, these three irresistible hens will inspire young ones to face their own funny fears. With easy-to-read text and charmingly comic illustrations, this read-aloud is the perfect combination of sweetness and whimsy.

    Baboon insists these dreams could never come true. But when he sees Caterpillar turn into a winged butterfly, Tadpole into a dancing frog, and Flamingo into a beautiful pink bird, Baboon realizes that a transformative power exists between the stars and the animals once they truly believe in themselves and their dreams. When Baboon tries out this secret, CATCH-M, his marvelous, miraculous, wished-upon Star, whooshes down from the heavens to wham! ignite the courage in his chest. Read on to see if his dream comes true too . . . Dream Big's inspirational message makes it a perfect gift for dreamers of all ages, from children to young adults about to enter a new chapter in their lives. Together we can all be inspired to identify and pursue our dreams, no matter how big or impossible they may seem.

    But books are mysteriously disappearing. Eliza Brown decides to stay awake and catch the book thief. It turns out to be a little creature called the Snatchabook who has no one to read him a bedtime story. All turns out well when the books are returned and the animals take turns reading bedtime stories to the Snatchabook.

    There is so much for Big Bear to teach her new cub as they step out into the forest. Together they eat, swim, fish, and play as one season becomes the next. With Big Bears help, Little One grows more and more confident, until winter comes once more and it's time to head home. With gentle text and stunning black and white illustrations, Jo Weaver reveals the wonder of nature, the first steps of independence, and the strength of parental love.

    When he tries to move in with friends, more chaos ensues. Will Rabbit learn to change his selfish ways?

    Sledging, building snowmen, making snow angels and having snowball fights. But wait! What is this? Why is Rupert racing back up the hill? Join him and his mummy as they are forced to embark on a Snowy Adventure Rescue...

    A sure bet for read-aloud fun, this entertaining maraud through the amphibious exhibits also includes fun facts about cephalopods. This fun fanciful story is shored up with real information about octopuses and depicts how they move and sneak. With a blend of kid-appeal and fun facts, this engaging story creatively uses sound words, easily enticing repeat readings.

    Well, almost everything . . . Ooko wants someone to play with too! The foxes in town always seem to be playing with their two-legged friends, the Debbies. Maybe if he tries to look like the other foxes, one of the Debbies will play with him too. But when Ooko finally finds his very own Debbie, things don't turn out quite as he had expected!A quirky, funny, charmingly illustrated story about finding friendship and being true to yourself.

    Out of this tank, I must be free.I must explore the open sea!Inky the octopus is bored with aquarium life and wants to escape to the ocean! But just how can an octopus in a tank get to the open seas? Find out in Inky the Octopus, the only tale of the mischievous octopus to be officially endorsed by the National Aquarium of New Zealand.