Book picks similar to
Heads and Tails by John Canty


picture-books
animals
storytime
interactive

Hocus Pocus, It's Fall!


Anne Sibley O'Brien - 2016
    Fall is a season of transition: apples are picked, and animals prepare for winter. Summer days are coming to an end, and there's a hint of winter in the air. Hocus Pocus, It’s Fall! celebrates the magic of that in-between time.

Little Boo


Stephen Wunderli - 2014
    But he doesn't scare anyone . . . not the snowflakes in winter, not the bees in spring, not even the watering can!The wind tells him to be patient—he'll be scary soon enough. But waiting is hard. Will the little seed ever be really, truly scary?This simple story is more than a fun Halloween read—it is a heartwarming tale perfect for any child who can't wait to grow up.

Sandy Feet! Whose Feet?: Footprints at the Shore


Susan Wood - 2019
    Rhyming text turns a sandy beach into an outdoor classroom. The tracks and habits of local wildlife, including hopping sandpipers, scuttling crabs, and burrowing turtles, are identified and explained for young ecology detectives. Even Daddy's feet make an appearance! And at day's end, it's time for tired feet to make their way home. STEM-based back matter includes information on how clues like footprints can identify the type of wildlife inhabiting any given habitat.

White Is for Blueberry


George Shannon - 2005
    Is a blueberry blue?Is a crow black?Is fire yellow?Is snow white?If you think you know,then think --and look again!

A Tree Is Nice


Janice May Udry - 1956
    She goes on to explain that even one tree is nice, if it is the only one you happen to have.Some of the reasons why trees are so good to have around are funny. Some are indisputable facts. But in all of them there is a sense of poetic simplicity and beauty which will be sure to entrance any young child. Whether he knows one tree or many, he will relish the descriptions of the delights to be had in, with, or under a tree.Marc Simont's joyous pictures, half of them in full color, accentuate the child-like charm of the words. And each painting of a tree or trees shows just how very nice they can be.

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild


Peter Brown - 2013
    So he decides to go wild. But does he go too far? There is a time and place for everything...even going wild.

Ribbit!


Rodrigo Folgueira - 2012
    Sitting contentedly on a rock in the middle of their pond, the pig opens his mouth and says: RIBBIT! The frogs are bewildered at first, and then a bit annoyed—"What did that little pig just say?", "Does he think he's a frog?", "Is he making fun of us?" Soon the pig draws the attention of all the nearby animals; everyone is curious to know what he wants! After much guessing (and shouting) and a visit to the wise old beetle, the animals realize that perhaps the pig was not there to mock them afterall—maybe he just wanted to make new friends!  But is it too late?  This is a warm, funny, and beautifully illustrated story of friendship, with boisterous RIBBIT!s throughout—perfect for reading aloud.

Ducks!


Deborah Underwood - 2020
    Ducks? NO DUCKS!Duck wanders away from the pond for a moment and returns to find the other ducks gone! Searching high and low, Duck discovers many clues around the city--footprints, feathers, eggs--but no ducks. Will Duck's feathered friends finally be found?

Bird, Butterfly, Eel


James Prosek - 2007
     From the first buds of springtime to the first autumn frost, nature shows us that change is all around us and that the world has its own way of beginning anew. Bird, Butterfly, and Eel spend their summers on the same coastal farm, but in the fall they go to very distant and different places. Their journeys to the far reaches of land and sea make them remarkable creatures. James Prosek uses their stories and his own sun-kissed paintings to introduce young readers to the basic elements of bird, fish, and insect migration.

Night Animals


Gianna Marino - 2015
    Then Skunk. Then Wolf comes running."What could it possibly be?" asks Bat."Night Animals!" the animals declare."But you are night animals," Bat informs this not-so-smart crew.Children will love the oh-so-funny animals in this twist on a cozy bedtime book.

A Nest Full of Eggs


Priscilla Belz Jenkins - 1995
    Slowly the bird develops, until one day it cracks through the shell. Safe inside the nest, under the care of its parents, the chick grows stronger. Soon it will learn how to fly and take care of itself. By next spring it will be ready to build its own nest and raise chicks of its own.

The Blobfish Book


Jessica Olien - 2016
    But this book isn’t about Blobfish...or is it?This true (clever) story about the (misunderstood) Blobfish is sure to make you smile. Full of fun facts about sea creatures in the deepest reaches of the ocean, this book is perfect for any science lover. From Jessica Olien, the author/illustrator of Shark Detective.

Gallop!: A Scanimation Picture Book


Rufus Butler Seder - 2007
    It's impossible not to flip the page, and flip it again, and again, and again. A first book of motion for kids, it shows a horse in full gallop and a turtle swimming up the page. A dog runs, a cat springs, an eagle soars, and a butterfly flutters. Created by Rufus Butler Seder, an inventor, artist, and filmmaker fascinated by antique optical toys, Scanimation is a state-of-the-art six-phase animation process that combines the "persistence of vision" principle with a striped acetate overlay to give the illusion of movement. It harkens back to the old magical days of the kinetoscope, and the effect is astonishing, like a Muybridge photo series springing into action—or, in terms kids can relate to, like a video without a screen. Complementing the art is a delightful rhyming text full of simple questions and fun, nonsense replies: Can you gallop like a horse? giddyup-a-loo! Can you strut like a rooster? cock-a-doodle-doo!Every child who opens the book will be amazed—and so will every parent.

The Blue Whale


Jenni Desmond - 2015
    Here, readers are given the actual size of an eye right on the page, and we are informed how understand this whale's body size in relation to trucks, cars, milk bottles, and hippos! With an accurate and engaging text, fully vetted by a blue whale expert, and lyrically lovely illustrations, The Blue Whale is a book that invites children in and holds their attention. Its tempo is like a pleasing melody, which means that the information never becomes too weighty or exhausting―a key thing when it comes to young readers and their enjoyment of a book!

Making a Friend


Tammi Sauer - 2018
    One winter day, Beaver sees some snowflakes in the sky and gets a great idea: he’ll make a friend. Yes! A snowman will be a great friend!Raccoon passes by as Beaver sets to work and offers a helping hand. The two work side by side to give their snowman everything a friend needs.But when the snowman proves to be a little cold, Beaver discovers that he may have unknowingly “made” another buddy instead.Perfect for snuggling together for a read-aloud, this sweet snowy friendship story from Tammi Sauer and Alison Friend will warm the hearts of young readers.