Oliver


Birgitta Sif - 2012
    He enjoys his solitude. He likes playing with his friends, who are puppets, stuffed animals, and other toys. With his rich imagination, Oliver’s day is never dull. There are bridges to cross, sharks to fight, and treasures to find! But maybe toys don’t always give a boy everything he needs. Maybe he needs another kind of companion. Will Oliver discover a way to be, well, different? When his tennis ball rolls across the lawn into the yard of the girl next door, he just might be surprised.

Dewdrop


Kay O'Neill - 2020
    When the yearly sports fair nears, he and his friends—Mia the weightlifting turtle, Newman the musical newt, and three minnows who love to cook—get ready to showcase their skills to the whole pond! However, as the day of the fair gets closer, Dewdrop's friends can't help putting pressure on themselves to be the best. It's up to Dewdrop to remind them how to be mindful, go at their own pace, and find joy in their own achievements.

Bear and Duck


Katy Hudson - 2015
    Who wants to sleep all winter? His fur feels so hot in the summer. And the bees . . . there are just too many angry bees! Bear is done being a bear. But when he sees a line of happy yellow ducklings, he has a thought. What if he could be a duck?With a few duck lessons from Duck, Bear learns that being a duck is fun; but as it turns out, Bear realizes he makes a really good bear . . . and he makes a really good friend along the way. Young readers will delight in the hilarious relationship between Bear and Duck.

Ready to Dream


Donna Jo Napoli - 2009
    But when she meets Pauline, an Aboriginal woman who's also an artist, Ally learns that art isn't always made with paints and paper. In this inspiring story beautifully illustrated by an Aboriginal artist, friendships can be borne out of the most unlikely places, and imagination can take you anywhere.

Little Narwhal's Day: A Secret Creatures Book


Angela Castillo - 2019
    Children will love these bright pictures and fun characters while learning about animals of the snow and ice.

Lila and the Crow


Gabrielle Grimard - 2016
    But on the first day, a boy points at her and shouts: "A crow! A crow! The new girl's hair is black like a crow!" The others whisper and laugh, and Lila's heart grows as heavy as a stone.The next day, Lila covers her hair. But this time, the boy points at her dark skin. When she covers her face, he mocks her dark eyes. Now every day at school, Lila hides under her turtleneck, dark glasses, and hat. And every day when she goes home, she sees a crow who seems to want to tell her something. Lila ignores the bird and even throws rocks at it, but it won't go away. Meanwhile, the great autumn festival is approaching. While the other kids prepare their costumes, Lila is sadder and lonelier than ever. At her lowest point of despair, a magical encounter with the crow opens Lila's eyes to the beauty of being different, and gives her the courage to proudly embrace her true self.

Baby Wren and the Great Gift


Sally Lloyd-Jones - 2016
    As she takes in the beauty of the world, she discovers a unique talent that’s been inside her all along.Baby Wren and the Great Gift combines the sweet and gentle words of bestselling author Sally Lloyd-Jones with the beautiful illustrations of Jen Corace. This rich and colorful picture book encourages each and every little boy and girl to discover the amazing gifts within them to share with this wonderful world.Baby Wren and the Great Gift:Is written by Sally Lloyd-Jones, bestselling author of the beloved Jesus Storybook Bible, which has sold over one million copiesContains inspirational text that inspires children to recognize and bask in the wonders of the world while encouraging them to discover and share the unique wonders within themselvesFeatures the work of Jen Corace, the illustrator of many books for children

Big Rain Coming


Katrina Germein - 2000
    Rosie’s kids, the panting dogs, the fat green frogs, and Old Stephen all do what they can to keep cool as they watch for storm clouds on the horizon. Stunningly beautiful full-color artwork and spare text evoke the long wait during the dry season, and the jubilant relief when the long-promised rain finally arrives. Any child can identify with the theme of how hard it is to wait for something you want, and the outsize, brilliantly colored, stylized illustrations—which feature imagery from Aboriginal mythology—make this an especially striking picture book that will captivate and delight young readers.

King of the Sky


Nicola Davies - 2017
     A young Italian boy has moved to the Welsh hills with his family. He feels isolated and unhappy, a stranger in a strange land. It is only when he makes an unlikely friend, an old man who lets him fly one of his pigeons in a race, that he learns how he can belong. Nicola Davies s beautiful story an immigrant s tale with powerful resonance in our troubled times is illustrated by an artist who makes the world anew with every picture."

Goodnight Already!


Jory John - 2014
    He's exhausted. All he wants is to go to sleep. Meet Duck, Bear's persistent next-door neighbor. All he wants is to hang out . . . with Bear.Jory John, author of All My Friends Are Dead, and Benji Davies join together to create this standout hilarious picture book that will make bedtime memorable.

Don't Fidget a Feather!


Erica Silverman - 1994
    But Duck swims faster, and Gander flies higher. So which one is the champion Then Duck gets an idea: "Don't move," she says, "Don't talk. Don't fidget a feather And the winner will be the one and only, true and forever champion of champions.But as Duck and Gander stand stock still, along come a host of visitors -- including Fox. Will Duck run? Will Gander? Which is the true champion?Gentle, funny, and true to life, Erica Silverman's story was inspired by the children next door. S. D. Schindler's rendering of Duck and Gander, which captures perfectly their spirit of rivalry -- and of friendship -- was simply inspired. The result is another irresistible book by the creators of "Big Pumpkin."

Perfectly Norman


Tom Percival - 2017
    That was until the day he grew a pair of wings!Norman is very surprised to have wings suddenly - and he has the most fun ever trying them out high in the sky. But then he has to go in for dinner. What will his parents think? What will everyone else think? Norman feels the safest plan is to cover his wings with a big coat.But hiding the thing that makes you different proves tricky and upsetting. Can Norman ever truly be himself?A poignant yet uplifting story about individuality, with stunning artwork in a striking minimal palette from the author/illustrator of Herman's Letter. Fans of Oliver Jeffers and Benj Davies will love it.

So Many Days


Alison McGhee - 2010
    You are wilder than you know.You are braver than you know. And you are capable of more than you could ever imagine. Life is full of surprises, big and small, both along the roads we take and where these winding paths eventually lead us. So Many Days will remind you to notice all the joy and love along the way, because it's all there, helping to bring out the strongest, wildest, bravest YOU.

First Day of Unicorn School


Jess Hernandez - 2021
    There's only one problem: she isn't a unicorn! She's a donkey in a party hat. Milly first feels uncomfortable but eventually learns that she and the others at the school have more in common than it might have seemed.

Bird Hugs


Ged Adamson - 2020
    His wings are impossibly long, and try as he might, he just can’t seem to fly. He’s left wondering what his wings are good for…if they’re even good for anything at all. But a chance encounter with a dejected orangutan leads Bernard to a surprising discovery: that maybe what makes him different is actually something to be embraced.