The Most Beautiful Thing


Kao Kalia Yang - 2020
    Weaving together Kalia's story with that of her beloved grandmother, the book moves from the jungles of Laos to the family's early years in the United States.When Kalia becomes unhappy about having to do without and decides she wants braces to improve her smile, it is her grandmother--a woman who has just one tooth in her mouth--who helps her see that true beauty is found with those we love most. Stunning illustrations from Vietnamese illustrator Khoa Le bring this intergenerational tale to life.A deep and moving reflection on enduring hardship and generational love. . . . Poignant storytelling with stunning visuals.--starred, Kirkus Reviews A sincere narrative that centers on the power of family love.--starred, School Library JournalMinnesota Book Award Finalist, ALA Notable Children's Book, New York Public Library Best Book for Kids, NPR Best Book of the Year

The Great Redwall Feast


Brian Jacques - 1996
    There is cake to be baked, marchpane to be rolled. Stirring and sifting, smoothing and brewing. Can everything be finished in time? And how can the Redwallers keep such a grand feast from their Abbot's keen eyes? Fans of Brian Jacques's beloved Redwall books will delight in seeing their old friends, brought to life by Christopher Denise's witty, cozy art. "Spirited and humorous... Denise's affectionate, detailed watercolors bring all the action to life." -Kirkus Reviews

Rapunzel


Paul O. Zelinsky - 1997
    Zelinsky has once again with unmatched emotional authority, control of space, and narrativecapability brought forth a unique vision for an age-old tale. Few artists at work today can touch the level at which his paintings tell a story and exert their hold.Zelinsky's retelling of Rapunzel reaches back beyond the Grimms to a late-seventeenth-century French tale by Mlle. la Force, who based hers on the Neapolitan tale Petrosinella in a collection popular at the time. The artist understands the story's fundamentals to be about possessiveness, confinement, and separation, rather than about punishment and deprivation. Thus the tower the sorceress gives Rapunzel here is not a desolate, barren structure of denial but one of esoteric beauty on the outside and physical luxury within. And the world the artist creates through the elements in his paintings the palette, control of light, landscape, characters, architecture,interiors, costumes speaks to us not of an ugly witch who cruelly imprisons a beautiful young girl, but of a mother figure who powerfully resists her child's inevitable growth, and of a young woman and man who must struggle in the wilderness for the self-reliance that is the true beginningof their adulthood.As ever, and yet always somehow in newly arresting fashion, Paul O. Zelinsky's work thrillingly shows us the events of the story while guiding us beyond them to the truths that have made it endure.

The Touch of the Master's Hand


Myra Brooks Welch - 1997
    First published in 1921, the poem's message about the individual worth of those often overlooked strikes a familiar chord in a society struggling to come to terms with its own victims of homelessness, drug abuse, and alienation.The poem is made new with the addition of Greg Newbold's illustrations. Newbold's images -- which are rich in detail, and made even more so by his use of color and light and his painterly style -- evoke a bygone era that is old-fashioned, small-town, pleasantly nostalgic. Newbold's work in Touch of the Master's Hand has already been recognized by the Society of Illustrators and Communication Arts magazine with a 1996 Award of Merit.

Home for Christmas


Jan Brett - 2011
    Rollo tries living with various woodland animals, but he finds out that there is no place like home, and returns to his family just in time for "the best Christmas ever."Among the animals who take him in are an owl family, a mother bear and two rambunctious cubs, some playful river otters, a hungry lynx and a friendly moose family.Jan Brett creates an irresistible, mischievous character that kids will recognize in themselves. Jan transports us to a glorious Scandinavian landscape where a beautiful fall turns into a magnificent snowy winter. Her signature borders depict the troll family missing Rollo, and animals as appealing as those found in The Mitten.A warm, fun-loving Christmas picture book for families to share and love and laugh over together.

The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School


Laura Murray - 2011
    But he's a smart cookie and heads out to find them. He'll run, slide, skip, and (after a mishap with a soccer ball) limp as fast as he can because: I can catch them! I'm their Gingerbread Man!With help from the gym teacher, the nurse, the art teacher and even the principal, the Gingerbread Man does find his class, and he's assured they'll never leave him behind again.Teachers often use the Gingerbread Man story to introduce new students to the geography and staff of schools, and this fresh, funny twist on the original can be used all year long. Includes a poster with fun activities!

Egg


Kevin Henkes - 2017
    Three of the eggs hatch, revealing three baby birds who fly away. But the green egg does not hatch. Why not? When the three birds return to investigate, they’re in for a big surprise! What will happen next?

Jangles: A Big Fish Story: A Big Fish Story


David Shannon - 2012
    Fishing alone at dusk,a boy feels a tug on his line and comes face-to-facewith the gigantic trout--whose enormous jaw is coveredwith so many lures and fish hooks that he jingles andjangles when he swims. Terrified by the sight, the boy isshocked when Jangles befriends him and takes him on anadventure to the bottom of the lake. A surprise endingwill leave readers laughing and shaking their heads. Hereis Shannon at his very best-in a wild and witty story thatbegs repeated reading.

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas


Tim Burton - 1993
    He's in charge of making Halloweenland the coolest creepy place around. But when Jack suddenly grows bored with tricks and treats, he goes searching for new ways to celebrate...and he finds them in Christmas Town! Christmas, Jack decides, is just what Halloweenland -- and the world -- needs! He sets out to take over the role of Santa. But can anything good come of a tall and lanky skeleton dressed up as everyone's favorite jolly old elf? Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of the Walt Disney Company's most successful franchises, with a huge cult following and a loyal and growing fan base. This beautiful reissue of the book first released in 1993 is a surefire Halloween, Christmas, and year-round hit! The Nightmare Before Christmas is the first book that Tim Burton has written and illustrated.

My Papi Has a Motorcycle


Isabel Quintero - 2019
    She also sees a community that is rapidly changing around her.But as the sun sets purple-blue-gold behind Daisy Ramona and her papi, she knows that the love she feels will always be there.

Daddy's Roommate


Michael Willhoite - 1990
    The new arrival is male. This new concept is explained to the child as "just one more kind of love". The text is suitably straightforward, and the format--single lines of copy beneath full-page illustrations--easily accessible to the intended audience.

What To Do With a Box


Jane Yolen - 2016
    It could set the scene for a fairy tale or a wild expedition. The most wonderful thing is its seemingly endless capacity for magical adventure, a feature imaginatively captured in cardboardesque art by Chris Sheban and rhythmically celebrated in this poetic tribute by renowned children's author Jane Yolen.

What Does the Fox Say?


Ylvis - 2013
    Cat goes meow. Bird goes tweet and mouse goes squeak. But what does the fox say?The lyrics of Ylvis's YouTube sensation 'The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)' meet Svein Nyhus's playful illustrations in this irresistibly entertaining read-aloud picture book.

Henry & Leo


Pamela Zagarenski - 2016
    He is as real as a tree, a cloud, the sun, the moon, the stars, and the wind. But when the two are accidentally separated, no one in Henry’s family believes Leo is real enough to find his way home.         With beautiful mixed-media paintings, the Caldecott Honor–winning artist Pamela Zagarenski explores the transcendent nature of friendship and love.

It's a Book


Lane Smith - 2010
    This satisfying, perfectly executed picture book has something to say to readers of all stripes and all ages.This title has Common Core connections.