Stanley's Stick


John Hegley - 2011
    With a stick in hand, Stanley's options are endless - he flies to moon, writes in the sand, goes fishing, plays a whistle and rides a dinosaur - and his imagination takes over as the magic begins. Stanley shows that seeing truly depends on the ability to believe in the possibilities.

What Do You Do with an Idea?


Kobi Yamada - 2014
    As the child's confidence grows, so does the idea itself. And then, one day, something amazing happens. This is a story for anyone, at any age, who's ever had an idea that seemed a little too big, too odd, too difficult. It's a story to inspire you to welcome that idea, to give it some space to grow, and to see what happens next. Because your idea isn't going anywhere. In fact, it's just getting started.

Rosie Revere, Engineer


Andrea Beaty - 2013
    When her great-great-aunt Rose (Rosie the Riveter) comes for a visit and mentions her one unfinished goal--to fly--Rosie sets to work building a contraption to make her aunt's dream come true. But when her contraption doesn't fl y but rather hovers for a moment and then crashes, Rosie deems the invention a failure. On the contrary, Aunt Rose inisists that Rosie's contraption was a raging success. You can only truly fail, she explains, if you quit.

Time to Get Out of the Bath, Shirley


John Burningham - 1978
    She's floated away to a secret watery land beyond the plughole - to where knights ride white horses, and kings and queens float in moats around their castles. . .

Papa's Mechanical Fish


Candace Fleming - 2013
    Although he is an inventor, he has never made anything that works perfectly, and that's because he hasn't yet found a truly fantastic idea. But when he takes his family fishing on Lake Michigan, his daughter Virena asks, "Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a fish?"—and Papa is off to his workshop. With a lot of persistence and a little bit of help, Papa—who is based on the real-life inventor Lodner Phillips—creates a submarine that can take his family for a trip to the bottom of Lake Michigan.

Not a Stick


Antoinette Portis - 2007
    Whether it's conducting an orchestra, painting a masterpiece, or slaying a dragon—give a child a stick and let imagination take over and the magic begin.

The Most Magnificent Thing


Ashley Spires - 2013
    She is going to make the most MAGNIFICENT thing! She knows just how it will look. She knows just how it will work. All she has to do is make it, and she makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!? But making her magnificent thing is anything but easy, and the girl tries and fails, repeatedly. Eventually, the girl gets really, really mad. She is so mad, in fact, that she quits. But after her dog convinces her to take a walk, she comes back to her project with renewed enthusiasm and manages to get it just right.

The Dreamer


Il Sung Na - 2018
    But he could never join them. Or could he? Thus begins the journey of a pig with big dreams, and the perseverance to make them come true. He develops flight plans, builds experimental contraptions, and has far-flung adventures, but at the end of the day, his favorite thing to do is sit and watch for those he loves best: birds. Il Sung Na creates a world at once whimsical and aspirational, where anything is possible and, yes, even pigs can learn to fly.Il Sung Na received Honorable Mention, Best Concept Book for The Opposite Zoo by The Huffington Post and Amazon.com named The Opposite Zoo one of the Best Children's Books of 2016.• Teaches young children that anything is possible• Encourages kids to dream big and set goals• Inspires readers with the message that dreams can come trueAnyone who likes Dreamers and Bee a Dreamer will love this heartwarming story.• Beautiful gift for children who love animals and picture books• Parents and teachers will love the happy vibe of this book

Going Places


Peter H. Reynolds - 2014
    Reynolds.It's time for this year's Going Places contest! Finally. Time to build a go-cart, race it—and win. Each kid grabs an identical kit, and scrambles to build.Everyone but Maya. She sure doesn't seem to be in a hurry ... and that sure doesn't look like anybody else's go-cart!But who said it had to be a go-cart? And who said there's only one way to cross the finish line?This sublime celebration of creative spirit and thinking outside the box—both figuratively and literally—is ideal for early learners, recent grads, and everyone in between.

Coming Round the Mountain


Ruskin Bond - 2019
    

Izzy Gizmo


Pip Jones - 2018
    When she finds a crow with a broken wing she just has to help. Izzy tries again and agin to build him a new pair of wings, but nothing is working.Can Izzy overcome her failures? Or will her new crow friend never fly again?This wonderfully feisty new character from bestselling author Pip Jones is brought to life by acclaimed illustrator Sara Ogilvie.

Beautiful Oops!


Barney Saltzberg - 2010
    A smear. A smudge. A tear. When you think you have made a mistake, think of it as an opportunity to make something beautiful! A life lesson that all parents want their children to learn: It’s OK to make a mistake. In fact, hooray for mistakes! A mistake is an adventure in creativity, a portal of discovery. A spill doesn’t ruin a drawing—not when it becomes the shape of a goofy animal. And an accidental tear in your paper? Don’t be upset about it when you can turn it into the roaring mouth of an alligator. An award winning, best-selling, one-of-a-kind interactive book, Beautiful Oops! shows young readers how every mistake is an opportunity to make something beautiful. A singular work of imagination, creativity, and paper engineering, Beautiful Oops! is filled with pop-ups, lift-the-flaps, tears, holes, overlays, bends, smudges, and even an accordion “telescope”—each demonstrating the magical transformation from blunder to wonder.

Violet the Pilot


Steve Breen - 2008
    And by eight she's building elaborate flying machines from scratch, mind-boggling contraptions such as the Tubbubbler, the Bicycopter, and the Wing-a-ma-jig. The kids at school tease her, but they have no idea what she's capable of. Maybe she could earn their respect by winning the blue ribbon in the upcoming Air Show. Or maybe something even better will happen, something involving her best ever invention, a Boy Scout troop in peril, and even the mayor himself! A classic underdog story full of humor and sweetness and retro pizzazz, Violet the Pilot is both endearing and adorable. It'll fly right into your heart.

The Darkest Dark


Chris Hadfield - 2016
    Only one problem—at night, Chris doesn't feel so brave. He's afraid of the dark.But when he watches the groundbreaking moon landing on TV, he realizes that space is the darkest dark there is—and the dark is beautiful and exciting, especially when you have big dreams to keep you company.

The Book of Mistakes


Corinna Luyken - 2017
    That was a mistake.The weird frog-cat-cow thing? It made an excellent bush.And the inky smudges... they look as if they were always meant to be leaves floating gently across the sky.As one artist incorporates accidental splotches, spots, and misshapen things into her art, she transforms her piece in quirky and unexpected ways, taking readers on a journey through her process.