My New Teacher and Me!


Al Yankovic - 2012
    Dazzling wordplay and sparkling rhyme combine in a unique appreciation of the rewards of unabashed originality and the special joy of viewing the world gently askew.

Snowmen at Night


Caralyn Buehner - 2002
    . . what do snowmen do at night? This delightful wintertime tale reveals all! Caralyn Buehner's witty, imaginative verse offers many amusing details about the secret life of snowmen and where they go at night, while Mark Buehner's roly-poly snowmen are bursting with personality and charm. From the highly successful team that created such winning titles as Fanny's Dream, Snowmen at Night is fabulous, frosty, and fun!

AlphaOops!: The Day Z Went First


Alethea Kontis - 2006
    He is demanding fair and equal treatment! The letters (more or less) agree to go backwards, but it's not long before P has some ideas of his own. And so does H, for that matter. In fact, it seems as if almost every letter has a different opinion about how the alphabet should be arranged. It's chaos! It's pandemonium! And it's definitely not as easy as A-B-C! Filled with visually humorous details, Bob Kolar's colorful illustrations are the perfect foil for Alethea Kontis's snappy story about the comic confusion that comes when the letters of the alphabet, like a class of unruly children, step out of order and show that each one has a mind of its own.

100 Things That Make Me Happy


Amy Schwartz - 2014
    The list, in rhyming couplets, draws directly from a preschool­er’s world—from slippery floors to dinosaurs, from goldfish to a birthday wish. Amy Schwartz weaves a masterful balance between art and text, with each of the 100 items portrayed as its own well-observed and warmly detailed vignette. While the contents provide readers with a frame of reference for the quantity of “100”—a celebratory milestone in preschools and early elementary grades—the oversized pages envelop young children in the wonderful things surrounding them.

The Museum


Susan Verde - 2013
    Each piece of art evokes something new inside of her: silliness, curiosity, joy, and ultimately inspiration. When confronted with an empty white canvas, she is energized to create and express herself—which is the greatest feeling of all. With exuberant illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds, The Museum playfully captures the many emotions experienced through the power of art, and each child’s unique creative process. Praise for The Museum "Verde and Reynolds deliver a simple premise with a charming payoff… this “twirly-whirly” homage to a museum is, on balance, a sweet-natured and handsome celebration." —Kirkus Reviews "Debut author Verde makes an engaging case for understanding art as an experience rather than an object." —Publishers Weekly "The rhymed text captures the excitement of a being sparked by art.” —Booklist "Communicates a fresh, playful, childlike perspective on art and normalizes childlike responses to it. The idea that posing, laughing, and curious questions are all appropriate museum behavior may be a new one for both children and parents, and knowing this is sure to make for more enjoyable museum visits." —School Library Journal "For parents who have trouble communicating the excitement of art to their children, The Museum can serve as the starting point for a conversation. The book is also a wonderful reminder of visual art’s power to encourage and empower self-expression. Children and adults will finish this book excited about their next art experience, and perhaps tempted to dance through the halls of a museum in the near future." —Bookpage "This playful picture book pays tribute to the joyous effect art can have on the viewer." —Shelf-Awareness

Duck Sock Hop


Jane Kohuth - 2012
    Duck Sock Hop comes once a week! The mood is high, the sun is low, the music starts, get ready, go! In this tongue-twisting, toe-tapping picture book, ducks grab socks from a big sock box and head on down to the duck sock hop. In socks with stripes and socks with spots, socks with squares and socks with dots, these brightly, boldly illustrated ducks dance until their socks go rip; and ducks teeter, tumble, twist, and trip. But not to worry; in this preschool-perfect read-aloud, when one sock hop ends, the countdown to the next one begins. So, prepare for a feel-good, giggle-inducing read.

Let's Say Hi to Friends Who Fly!


Mo Willems - 2010
    You will too!Join this spunky feline as she introduces the very youngest readers to her world, where a surprise is waiting in every book.

Lazy Daisy, Cranky Frankie: Bedtime on the Farm


Mary Ellen Jordan - 2013
    She should eat grass but she's too lazy. Instead she eats jelly on a spoon, all through the morning till late afternoon." This quirky, rhyming picture book about farm animals behaving badly will have children laughing and, eventually, lull them to sleep along with the tuckered-out animals.

Ghost in the House


Ammi-Joan Paquette - 2013
    But you’ll never guess who is the scariest creature in the house!

Beach Day


Karen Roosa - 2001
    Buoyant verse just right for reading aloud and bright, playful illustrations capture the singular feeling of a hazy, lazy day by the ocean, complete with a ball game with new friends, water-skiers and sailboats, and a picnic lunch of fried chicken and deviled eggs. This book is a captivating introduction to the beach for young children and an irresistible gift for beach lovers of any age.

Hot Rod Hamster


Cynthia Lord - 2010
    From Newbery Honor author Cynthia Lord and NYT bestselling illustrator Derek Anderson comes an INTERACTIVE read-aloud picture book for the very young-featuring an extremely lovable and adorable hamsOld car, new car, shiny painted blue carRust car, clean car, itty-bitty green car.WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?Newbery Honor-author Cynthia Lord and New York Times bestselling illustrator Derek Anderson put the pedal to the metal in this endearing, rhythmic, rip-roaring race to the finish line where a hamster creates a sizzling hot rod with a little help from his new furry friends and YOU!

Being Frog


April Pulley Sayre - 2020
    It is watching. It is seeing… Frogs are amazing creatures, and this book offers young readers an up-close and revealing peek at their everyday lives. Follow them from egg to tadpole to froglet crawling up onto land for the first time. Watch them resting on a favorite log, searching for food, and leaping through the air. And see how frogs are unique, individual beings with rich lives all their own in the wild.

My Mom Is a Firefighter


Lois G. Grambling - 2007
    Billy's happens to be his mom.Billy has two families—his mom and dad, and his firehouse "uncles," who work with his mom. Having a firehouse family is lots of fun. But Billy also knows that firefighters have an important job to do, protecting people and putting out fires. To get the job done right, they all have to work as a team—even Billy can lend a hand!From award-winning author Lois G. Grambling and New York Times bestselling illustrator Jane Manning comes a heartfelt story of a little boy who wants to be just like his mom when he grows up.

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes


Mem Fox - 2008
    . . . And here, from two of the most gifted picture-book creators of our time, is a celebration of baby fingers, baby toes, and the joy they—and the babies they belong to—bring to everyone, everywhere, all over the world! This is a gorgeously simple picture book for very young children, and once you finish the rhythmic, rhyming text, all you’ll want to do is go back to the beginning . . . and read it again! The luminous watercolor illustrations of these roly-poly little ones from a variety of backgrounds are adorable, quirky, and true to life, right down to the wrinkles, dimples, and pudges in their completely squishable arms, legs, and tummies.

Scritch-Scratch a Perfect Match


Kimberly Marcus - 2011
    "AAROOF!" howled the stray as he jumped in the air.AWOOMPH was the sound as he dropped like a sack, landing THUD! "OH CRUD!" on an old man's back.How can something so tiny cause so much havoc? When a flea jumps onto a stray dog, causing the dog to jump on a lonely man, the race is on to find flea powder fast! A little itch on a big dog makes for HUGE chaos, but their adventure also leads to a lasting friendship. And when the flea finally jumps from the dog to a stray cat, who jumps onto a lonely lady, the cycle begins anew. Playful language and sound effects and zany, action-packed illustrations make for a surefire story-time hit.