Book picks similar to
Bit by Bit by Steve Sanfield


picture-books
children-s-literature
multicultural
fiction

Digging Up Dinosaurs


Aliki - 1981
    Then, suddenly, they died out. For thousands of years, no one knew these giant creatures had ever existed. Then people began finding fossils—bones and teeth and footprints that had turned to stone. Today, teams of experts work together to dig dinosaur fossils out of the ground, bone by fragile bone. Then they put the skeletons together again inside museums, to look just like the dinosaurs of millions of years ago.

Very Little Red Riding Hood


Teresa Heapy - 2013
    Very little. She's brave and bossy, fearless and determined, loving and funny. And like all toddlers she likes everything just so – woe betide anyone and anything that gets in her way!Join Very Little Red Riding Hood on a very important expedition to her Grandmama's for a sleepover.She's got some cakes, she's got red ted, she's got her blanket and she's got her tea set. And NOTHING is going to get in the way of her well-laid plans. Not even a Wolf!Will they all live happily ever after?Find out in Very Little Red Riding Hood's very big adventure.

Hiawatha and the Peacemaker


Robbie Robertson - 2015
    Now he shares the same gift of storytelling with a new generation. Hiawatha was a strong and articulate Mohawk who was chosen to translate the Peacemaker’s message of unity for the five warring Iroquois nations during the 14th century. This message not only succeeded in uniting the tribes but also forever changed how the Iroquois governed themselves—a blueprint for democracy that would later inspire the authors of the U.S. Constitution. Caldecott Honor–winning illustrator David Shannon brings the journey of Hiawatha and the Peacemaker to life with arresting oil paintings. Together, Robertson and Shannon have crafted a new children’s classic that will both educate and inspire readers of all ages. Includes a CD featuring a new, original song written and performed by Robbie Robertson.

The Rooster Crows: A Book of American Rhymes and Jingles


Maud Petersham - 1945
    "The rooster crows and away he goes", pictured on the jacket, is only one of these well-known nursery rhymes, counting-out games, skipping-rope songs, finger games, and other jingles beloved by American children for generations. They come from collections all over America, so you may find some that are new as well as your own favorites. "Mother, may I go out to swim", "Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear", "Roses are red, violets are blue", all are here, each one charmingly illustrated to make this an outstanding picture book. An American Mother Goose for every child's library.

Alligators All Around


Maurice Sendak - 1962
    ‘An alligator jamboree, with all the letters ' A through Z.'

King Midas and the Golden Touch


M. Charlotte Craft - 1999
    When a mysterious stranger offers to reward Midas for a kindness, the king does not hesitate: He wishes that all he touches would turn to gold. To his delight, his wish is granted and he soon sets about transforming his ordinary palace into a place of golden beauty. But to his dismay, when he accidentally turns his beloved daughter into a golden statue, Midas learns that what at first seems a blessing can also become a curse.

Two of Everything


Lily Toy Hong - 1993
    Haktak digs up a curious brass pot in his garden and decides to carry his coin purse in it. When Mrs. Haktak's hairpin slips into the pot, she reaches in and pulls out two coin purses and two hairpins--this is a magic pot!

Fanny's Dream


Caralyn Buehner - 1996
    Someday, she believes, she will marry a prince. When the town mayor announces he is throwing a grand ball, Fanny is convinced her time has come. She puts on her best calico dress and goes out to the garden so that she'll be ready when her fairy godmother arrives. As the seconds tick by, Fanny waits and waits. Finally, she hears a voice. It isn't her fairy godmother-but it is someone who will change her life forever.

Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion


Alex T. Smith - 2016
    A hungry lion. A little girl. A box of doughnuts…? Gorgeous proof that a perfect picture book can look even more tempting than a sweet shop window. Worried about wolves? Don’t make Little Red laugh. She’s not even scared of hungry lions. After all, why would this furry chap want to gobble her up? She’s sure he’d rather have a doughnut. Right, Mr Lion? A sassy heroine, beautiful artwork, jungle animals, a funny twist on a tale you adore. Once again, the World Book Day artist gets us all eating from his hand.(Taken from the Scholastic Book Clubs UK site)

The Lion and the Mouse: An Aesop Fable Retold


Bernadette Watts - 1980
    The lion awakens with a roar, but he lets the mouse go free. In gratitude, the mouse promises to help the lion if he is ever in need. The lion laughs at the very idea, but sometimes even a little mouse can be strong, and even a lion can be helpless. Bernadette Watts has created an appealing jungle setting for her simple retelling of a favorite Aesop fable.

Follow Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems


Marilyn Singer - 2013
    Now a second book is here with more witty double takes on well-loved fairy tales such as Thumbelina and The Little Mermaid.Read these clever poems from top to bottom and they mean one thing. Then reverse the lines and read from bottom to top and they mean something else–it is almost like magic!A celebration of sight, sound, and story, this book is a marvel to read again and again.

By Mouse and Frog


Deborah Freedman - 2015
    Free-spirited Frog has another. What happens when Frog crashes into Mouse's story with some wild ideas? Chaos!...followed by the discovery that working together means being willing to compromise—and that listening to one another can lead to the most beautiful stories of all.

An Apple Pie for Dinner


Susan VanHecke - 2008
    So off she goes with a basketful of plums in hopes that she can make a trade. Granny swaps plums for feathers, feathers for flowers, flowers for a gold coin, a gold coin for a puppy, and a puppy for what she hoped to find in the first place?apples! Then she bakes a delicious apple pie for everyone she has met along the way. Based on an English folktale, each spread is meticulously illustrated in bas-relief made from baked clay, hand-sewn clothing, and mixed media. Author and Illustrator notes and an apple pie recipe are also included.

Cinderella


Anthea Bell - 1812
    The smoothly told story contains the familiar details and a happy ending in which Cinderella forgives her stepfamily." - The Horn Book Club -"This satisfying tale never grows old. Koopman's illustrations are jewel-toned and Cinderella herself is attractive as a person and figure." - Yellow Brick Road -

Nasreddine


Odile Weulersse - 2007
    But when onlookers criticize his father for riding while Nasreddine walks, the boy is ashamed. The following week, Nasreddine persuades his father to walk, and let him ride -- but then people criticize the boy for making his father walk! No matter what Nasreddine tries, it seems that someone always finds something to disapprove of.Nasreddine is a legendary character popular in stories told throughout the Middle East, and this clever story will bring him to a new audience. Accompanied by stunning artwork, this tale offers a gentle reminder to readers that it isn't always necessary to listen to the world's criticisms.