. .. . . went inside.Outside, it was quieter, wilder, and different. Inside, we laughed, we cried, and we grew.We remembered to protect the ones we love and love the ones who protect us.While the world changed outside, we became stronger on the inside and believed that someday soon spring would come again.

    Four become eight and then eight become twelve, and before you know it, there are twenty-two!Never touching the ground, the kids have no shortage of ways to get to their pal's place when there is a mission at hand! Trampolines and slides. Propellers and parachutes. Diving boards and swinging vines. Find your favorite mode and join the friends on the adventurous trip!

    But in the same way that different types of plants and flowers make a garden more beautiful and enjoyable, different types of people make our world more vibrant and wonderful.In Just Ask, United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor celebrates the different abilities kids (and people of all ages) have. Using her own experience as a child who was diagnosed with diabetes, Justice Sotomayor writes about children with all sorts of challenges—and looks at the special powers those kids have as well. As the kids work together to build a community garden, asking questions of each other along the way, this book encourages readers to do the same: When we come across someone who is different from us but we're not sure why, all we have to do is Just Ask.

    And here are ways it can be done. With a hug. With a shake. With a curtsy. With a cake. With a whisper. With a kiss. With a dance of happiness!With zippy, rhyming text and bold, exuberant illustrations, this book celebrates the many wonderful ways to say hello to friends, families, pets—or anyone!

    All Takoda needs is a capable crew to lend a paw or two--or three, four, or more.Two rhinos, three lemurs, four oryx, and eventually ten crocodiles turn up to help. Soon the animals are finding places to pitch in: bears are carving out burrows, elephants are stomping the way for a playground, and crocodiles are crafting a waterslide.It seems everyone's got something to do--everyone, that is, except for ten eager bugs. Will they be underestimated for their size or will this be a new kind of zoo where everyone counts?Judy Sierra's rhymes and Marc Brown's colorful, folk-inspired art lend themselves to themes of counting and teamwork in this new picture book all about how a tiger cub and a whole lot of friends to count on add up to one wonderful zoo."Sierra's rollicking rhymes are fun to read aloud and listen to, and Brown's gouache and pencil illustrations give children lots of details to pore over. This rhythmic, imaginative romp practically reads itself aloud."--Kirkus

    It’s good to bite a carrot. It’s good to bite a steak. It’s bad to bite your sister! She’s not a piece of cake.Cause…People don’t bite people! That’s what this book’s about. So if you find you’re tooth-inclined— you’d better check it out!

    J. Austrian and the acclaimed author-illustrator of Little Elliot, Big City, Mike Curato.You are cordially invited to celebrate the wedding of a worm . . . and a worm.When a worm meets a special worm and they fall in love, you know what happens next: They get married! But their friends want to know—who will wear the dress? And who will wear the tux?The answer is: It doesn't matter. Because Worm loves Worm.

    Alex likes dolls. What will they play together? Their new favorite game, of course!Jack and Alex meet almost every morning in the sandbox at the playground. Jack likes trucks -- big ones, the kind that can wreck things. Alex likes dolls -- pink ones, with sparkles. And tutus. But Jack doesn't want to play dolls, and Alex doesn't want to play trucks. Readers will smile at the quintessential playground squabble on display in this amusing, relatable tale from Ann Stott and Bob Graham. Luckily for Jack and Alex, the day is saved with a little bit of compromise -- what about dolls who drive trucks? -- and the easy acceptance that characterizes the youngest of friendships. Not to mention a familiar jingle from nearby that reminds Jack and Alex of something else they both like: ice cream!

    Babies and toddlers will delight in counting up each wriggly, wraggly rescue pup and then counting back down as each doggie is adopted. A bright, bouncy rhyme, jubilant art, and scads of adorable dogs will have wee ones giggling for more. These patient pound dogs.Now they’re family!Found dogs.

    There's so much to see in Christy Hale's warm, richly textured collage artwork and simple, evocative text set in a busy Brooklyn cityscape.Out the Door is the perfect back-to-school book for young kids learning to find their way around a city. Parents and teachers can use this read-aloud to familiarize kids with a host of directional words to describe their first school days.

    Will he learn what it truly means to be a winner?

    On your mark, get set . . . WAIT! As Jasper races ahead--crashing into the mailman, speeding past the ice cream truck--Ollie takes his sweet time, pausing to admire a butterfly, smell a daisy, and help the mailman pick up his letters!

    But a bit nervous too, for when she walks into the classroom, everything goes quiet. Everyone stares. Danbi wants to join in the dances and the games, but she doesn't know the rules and just can't get anything right. Luckily, she isn't one to give up. With a spark of imagination, she makes up a new game and leads her classmates on a parade to remember! Danbi Leads the School Parade introduces readers to an irresistible new character. In this first story, she learns to navigate her two cultures and realizes that when you open your world to others, their world opens up to you.

    Count back down as the puppies fall asleep again, all in a fuzzy doggy jumble. This fun and simple counting book combines Marsha Wilson Chall’s energetic text with beloved illustrator Henry Cole’s adorable art to make a perfect read-aloud treat.