Except If


Jim Averbeck - 2011
    Which may become a baby bird, except if it becomes a baby snake instead. Except if the baby snake is really truly a dinosaur! In this young, clever, and whimsical picture book in the spirit of Not a Box and First the Egg, an egg is not just an egg, but a symbol of the potential a child's imagination holds. As each image melds smoothly, but unexpectedly, into the next, readers are invited to stretch the limits of their imagination.

Hibernate with Me


Benjamin Scheuer - 2019
    Sometimes you feel shy. Sometimes you feel worried, and you might not know why. Sometimes you want nobody to see. Darling, you can hibernate with me. If you feel scared or lost, or even just a little shy, love means there will always be a place to hibernate together. A place that’s cozy, warm, and safe.

A Greyhound, a Groundhog


Emily Jenkins - 2017
    With very spare, incredibly lively language, this is an entertaining read-aloud, with two amazing and oh-so-adorable characters at its heart. When a greyhound meets a groundhog, wordplay and crazy antics ensue. The two animals, much like kids, work themselves into a frenzy as they whirl around and around one another. ("Around, round hound. Around, greyhound.") The pace picks up ("Around and around and astound and astound"), until they ultimately wear themselves out. Jenkins s masterful text is deceptively simple. NPR on "Toys Meet Snow" by Emily Jenkins Appelhans, whose career up to now has been in animated films such as "Coraline, " is a revelation. "Booklist, " Starred, on "Sparky!, " illustrated by Chris Appelhans Appelhans makes an auspicious picture book debut with strikingly beautiful watercolor and pencil illustrations. His style, reminiscent of Jon Klassen s, incorporates a muted color palette, but with a slightly softer, rounder quality, while also weaving in visual deadpan humor. "The Horn Book""

A Nest Is Noisy


Dianna Hutts Aston - 2015
    From tiny bee hummingbird nests to orangutan nests high in the rainforest canopy, an incredible variety of nests are showcased here in all their splendor. Poetic in voice and elegant in design, this carefully researched book introduces children to a captivating array of nest facts and will spark the imaginations of children whether in a classroom reading circle or on a parent's lap.

Llama Destroys the World


Jonathan Stutzman - 2019
    Meet Llama, the next great picture-book megastar, who has most definitely driven a bus and who loves tacos way more than you.He also loves cake, and that’s where our story begins.On Monday, Llama discovers a pile of cake, which he promptly eats.On Tuesday, Llama squeezes into his dancing pants, which he promptly rips.The force of the rip creates a black hole (naturally).By Friday, Llama will (indirectly) destroy the world.

There, There


Tim Beiser - 2017
    He whines, he complains, he moans, he grumps... until Bear has had enough and decides it's time for Rabbit to learn to appreciate what he has. Using nothing but the lowly common earthworm as an example, he teaches Rabbit a lesson about taking things for granted. Something the worm knows all about... Written in charming verse and featuring a delightfully domestic bear and a very surly rabbit, There, There is a fantastic tongue-in-cheek riff on the idea that "it could be worse..."

Wolfboy


Andy Harkness - 2021
    This dynamic picture book from an award-winning art director shows how feeling hangry can turn even the sweetest kid into a Wolfboy!Wolfboy is hungry!He’s drooly and growly and fussy!As he stomps through the forest looking for rabbits, he grows hungrier and growlier by the minute! What will happen if Wolfboy can’t find those rabbits? And what will happen if he does?With bold illustrations and energetic storytelling, Wolfboy perfectly captures the big feelings that come with being very hungry! Engaging for young readers and parents, this funny and fresh picture book is perfect for fans of Grumpy Monkey and The Bad Seed and will be an instant favorite.

The Barnabus Project


Eric Fan - 2020
    A stunning picture book from international bestsellers The Fan Brothers, joined by their brother Devin Fan.Deep underground beneath Perfect Pets, where children can buy genetically engineered "perfect" creatures, there is a secret lab. Barnabus and his friends live in this lab, but none of them is perfect. They are all Failed Projects. Barnabus has never been outside his tiny bell jar, yet he dreams of one day seeing the world above ground that his pal Pip the cockroach has told him about: a world with green hills and trees, and buildings that reach all the way to the sky, lit with their own stars. But Barnabus may have to reach the outside world sooner than he thought, because the Green Rubber Suits are about to recycle all Failed Projects . . . and Barnabus doesn't want to be made into a fluffier pet with bigger eyes. He just wants to be himself. So he decides it's time for he and the others to escape. With his little trunk and a lot of cooperation and courage, Barnabus sets out to find freedom -- and a place where he and his friends can finally be accepted for who they are.This suspenseful, poignant and magical story about following your dreams and finding where you truly belong will draw readers into a surreal, lushly detailed world in which perfection really means being true to yourself and your friends.

The Society of Distinguished Lemmings


Julie Colombet - 2018
    It takes an awful lot of rules to be so distinguished, including: no rolling around, no climbing about, and certainly no splashing in the mud! But Bertie has had quite enough of the society and all its rules. After venturing outside, Bertie discovers a bear, who is very unlike a lemming. With the bear’s help, Bertie learns that prancing about in the wild is quite a lot of fun! But when the other lemmings find out about the bear, they decide everything about him will have to change if he's ever to fit in. Will the Society ever accept Bertie's new friend, or is the bear simply too big and clumsy of a creature to be distinguished?This hilarious tale features valuable themes of finding new friends, challenging peers, and questioning the rules. Readers will return to the story again and again to discover the quirks of every distinguished lemming while also learning about the importance of staying true to yourself amidst pressure to conform.

Zog


Julia Donaldson - 2010
    Zog, a young accident-prone dragon, who wants to be the best student in dragon school, is the keenest dragon in the school, but will he ever win a golden star?

Pigs to the Rescue: A Picture Book


John Himmelman - 2010
    Broken-down tractors, kites stuck in trees--they're always having problems! It's a good thing they have such helpful farm animals on hand.This time around, the pigs want to pitch in, and boy, do they ever! The Greenstalks soon find, though, that life might just be a little easier without their help... Pigs to the Rescue is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Little Owl's Orange Scarf


Tatyana Feeney - 2013
    These are some of his favourite things. He has his favourite colours, too. And orange isn't one of them. So when Mummy knits a scarf as a surprise Little Owl knows that he definitely doesn't like it. It's itchy, long, and far too orange. After losing his scarf at the zoo, Mummy realizes that perhaps Little Owl should be involved in the choice and creation of a replacement. Her instincts are proved absolutely right. But whatever did happen to the orange scarf? Its fate is hinted at in this deftly-told humorous tale! A warm and witty yarn from the creator of Small Bunny's Blue Blanket, praised by The Telegraph as 'deceptively simple and decidedly sweet'

Beyond the Pond


Joseph Kuefler - 2015
    decides that today will be the day he explores the depths of his pond.Beyond the pond, he discovers a not-so-ordinary world that will change him forever.

Extraordinary Jane


Hannah E. Harrison - 2014
    She isn't strong, graceful, or brave like her family. When she tries to be those things, Jane just doesn't feel like herself, but she also doesn't feel special. Is she really meant for this kind of life? Her Ringmaster thinks so, but not for the reasons Jane believes. Ordinary can be extraordinary!

In the Snow


Sharon Phillips Denslow - 2005
    In the snowis a big pile ofdelicious seed.Look!Who is coming to eat it?Can you spot them all?When the pile of seedgets smaller and smallerand day turns to duskand it getscolder and colder,who will bring new seed for the hungry animals?Look closely!Who is coming nowin the snow?