Love the World


Todd Parr - 2017
    Love your skin. Love the bees. Love the trees.Love giving a hand. Love taking a stand.LOVE YOURSELF. LOVE THE WORLD!What the world needs now is love--and who better than Todd Parr to share a message of kindness, charity, and acceptance. Touching upon themes including self-esteem, environmentalism, and respect for others, Todd uses his signature silly and accessible style to encourage readers to show love for themselves and all the people, places, and things they encounter.

After Squidnight


Jonathan E. Fenske - 2020
    This rhyming tale showcases a crew of creative creatures as they make art (or maybe just a mess) and leave you to deal with the consequences!

No Fits, Nilson!


Zachariah OHora - 2013
    But if one little thing goes wrong, Nilson throws the biggest, most house shaking-est fit ever! Amelia helps Nilson control his gorilla-sized temper by promising him banana ice cream and letting him play with her froggy coin purse. But, sometimes, Amelia needs to be calmed down, too. Inspired by Ohora's own "negotiations" with his two sons, No Fits, Nilson! is a hilarious preschool pick for kids and parents navigating the treacherous tantrum phase.

Singing in the Rain


Arthur Freed - 2017
    With colorful, springy scenes and the familiar lyrics, this is a beautiful, gift-worthy, feel-good read-aloud.

Breathe


Scott Magoon - 2014
    Breathe. This simply told story follows a young whale on a journey of discovery as he experiences his first day at sea on his own! He swims, explores, and makes friends in his marine habitat. After a day of independence, this little whale delights in returning home to his mother. Young readers will be drawn to Scott Magoon’s reassuring story of adventure.

Lala's Words: A Story of Planting Kindness


Gracey Zhang - 2021
    "Hello, hello, friends!" she whispers. Lala waters the plants every day, but it is her kind words that make them sway and nod. Lala's wild nature and quiet compassion enchant in this evergreen story about the power of kind words and the magic of being loved for who you are.

10 Hungry Rabbits: Counting & Color Concepts


Anita Lobel - 2012
    Caldecott Honor Book artist Anita Lobel combines learning to count with color concepts in this mouth-watering celebration of good things to eat. One big purple cabbage, two white onions, three yellow peppers, and so on through 10—garden vegetables have never looked so appetizing! Here Anita Lobel makes a delightful story for preschoolers with the two most basic early learning concepts, counting and color. And her beautiful illustrations of vegetables might even tempt picky eaters into new adventures in eating!

I Am the Boss of this Chair


Carolyn Crimi - 2018
    You may look at it, and you may walk by it, but you may not sit in it. Because I am the boss of this chair, and that’s that.”   Oswald Minklehoff Honey Bunny III has always been top cat. Then Pom Pom the kitten comes along and suddenly Oswald isn’t the boss of everything anymore—not the toilet paper, food dish, back door, toy mouse, or even his own special chair. Will Oswald realize that life is more fun when you have a friend—and that, really, there’s plenty of room on the chair to share? A fun picture book with a comforting message for any kid with a new sibling.

Town Is by the Sea


Joanne Schwartz - 2017
    He goes about his day, calling on a friend, going to the store for his mom and visiting his grandfather's grave. But all the while, his mind strays to his father who is digging for coal deep under the sea.Written by Joanne Schwartz, this beautifully understated and haunting story brings a piece of history to life. Stunning illustrations by Sydney Smith, the award-winning illustrator of Sidewalk Flowers, show the striking contrast between a sparkling seaside day and the darkness underground where the miners dig.--front flap

When Pencil Met the Markers


Karen Kilpatrick - 2020
    Ramos, Jr., and illustrator German Blanco.Meet the Markers! They love to color. But Purple Marker colors everywhere—even outside the lines. When the other markers call his creativity a mistake, it’s up to Pencil and Eraser to help Purple discover how making mistakes and making art go hand-in-hand.This hilarious and clever picture book allows Pencil and Eraser to show Purple Marker—and the rest of us—how to turn our messes into successes and do what makes us happy.When Pencil Met the Markers brings engaging art, adorable characters, and a clever story to the everyday. The result? A funny, effective message about how the best art can come from trying something new.An Imprint BookAn Amazon Best Book of the Month

The Black Rabbit


Philippa Leathers - 2013
    There’s a large black rabbit chasing him. No matter where he runs — behind a tree, over the river — the shadowy rabbit follows. Finally in the deep, dark wood, Rabbit loses his nemesis — only to encounter a real foe! Kids who like to be in on the secret will revel in this humorous look at shadows and friendship, brought to light by a talented animator.

Moon: A Peek-Through Picture Book


Britta Teckentrup - 2018
    Over deserts and forests, Arctic tundra and tropical beaches, the moon shines down on creatures around the world. Children will love discovering how it changes from day to day as the lunar cycle is shown through clever peek-through holes, each revealing the moon in a different size and shape.It's the perfect light nonfiction book for young stargazers--and an ideal bedtime book, ending with a giant moon hovering over a sleepy town hunkered down for bed.Look for all the books in the Peek-Through Picture Book series: Tree, Bee, and The Twelve Days of Christmas."young readers will delight in finding the many creatures on every page. . . . A lovely addition, perfect for bedtime and one-on-one sharing."--School Library Journal"The author's rhyming text includes well-chosen language that delights the ear."--Kirkus Reviews

The Mess That We Made


Michelle Lord - 2020
    Simple, rhythmic wording builds to a crescendo ("This is the mess that we made. These are the fish that swim in the mess that we made.") and the vibrant digital artwork captures the disaster that is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Children can imagine themselves as one of the four multi-ethnic occupants of the little boat surrounded by swirling plastic in the middle of the ocean, witnessing the cycle of destruction and the harm it causes to plants, animals, and humans. The first half of the book portrays the growing magnitude of the issue, and the second half rallies children and adults to make the necessary changes to save our oceans. Facts about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, ocean pollution, and how kids can help are included in the back matter.

Tyrannosaurus Wrecks!


Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen - 2014
    But each activity is another opportunity for the over-enthusiastic Tyrannosaurus Rex to wreak havoc. Parents and young children will love the call-and-response nature of the book, and young dinosaur fans will appreciate the listing (and pronunciation guide) for a dozen different dino species. The format is extra vertical in order to accommodate T. Rex’s biggest messes. Praise for Tyrannosaurus Wrecks "Punchy writing, an equally in-your-face palette, and OHora’s characteristically brash painting style make this as much a stompalong as a readaloud." --Publishers Weekly "Along with the pleasure of pronouncing those multisyllabic dino names, young audiences may find food for thought in the behavioral dynamics on display." --Kirkus Reviews "Warmly colored with childlike bodies and emotive faces, Ohora’s dinosaurs are among the cutest you will come across in children’s books." --Booklist "The brief rhyming text, which scans well, tells a story with child appeal. There is a good balance of two-to-three word sentences with large, uncluttered illustrations, making the book a good choice for reading aloud. In their simplicity, the brightly colored pictures have the look of children’s art, but they enhance the classroom setting appropriately with interesting details." --School Library Journal "The shapely dinos, whose rough charcoal-style outlines and strong colors vividly contrast with the white or sometimes black backgrounds, are chunky and friendly in an eight-crayon-box color scheme and snazzy Peanuts-reminiscent outfits." --Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books "Together the chanting rhythm, ragged lines, and setting of an un-chaperoned dinosaur class create a satisfyingly high-energy, primal read-aloud strongly reminiscent of Bob Shea’s 'Dinosaur vs.' series." --The Horn Book Magazine

When the Snow Is Deeper Than My Boots Are Tall


Jean Reidy - 2019
    Find a frosty window./ Watch the flakes fall./ Look! The snow is deeper than my toes are tall.With young, rhyming verse and bright illustrations, Jean Reidy and Joey Chou capture the joy and excitement of a big snowfall. As the snow climbs over a boy's toes, ankles, shins, and boots, there's more and more fun to be had—snowmen, sledding, snow angels, and, finally, a cup of hot cocoa by a warm fire.