Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox


Danielle Daniel - 2015
    Delightful illustrations show the children wearing masks representing their chosen animal, while the few lines of text on each page work as a series of simple poems throughout the book.In a brief author’s note, Danielle Daniel explains the importance of totem animals in Anishinaabe culture and how they can also act as animal guides for young children seeking to understand themselves and others.

Mom, Dad, Our Books, and Me


Danielle Marcotte - 2016
    Some of us read novels, while others read cookbooks, sheet music, tarot cards, or even the stars in the sky. We read clocks, train schedules, and facial expressions. In this ode to reading, each form is lovely and worth celebrating. Mom, Dad, Our Books, and Me follows a young boy and those around him — parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and neighbors — as they all read, immersed in what moves them. Vibrant, whimsical paper collage artwork depicts the colors and textures of the many places in which we read, from hammocks and bubble baths to park benches and waiting rooms. The diverse cityscapes and landscapes often include fanciful elements of imagination.Mom, Dad, Our Books, and Me will leave young readers reveling in this newfound or soon-to-come skill that sparks new adventures and brings people together.

The Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog and Other How-To Poems


Paul B. Janeczko - 2019
    Janeczko and Richard Jones invite you to enjoy an assortment of poems that inform and inspire.Today I walked outside and spied a hedgehog on the hill. When she and I met eye to eye, she raised up straight and still. Be they practical (how to mix a pancake or how to bird-watch) or fanciful (how to scare monsters or how to be a snowflake), the poems in this book boast a flair and joy that you won't find in any instruction manual. Poets from Kwame Alexander to Pat Mora to Allan Wolf share the way to play hard, to love nature, and to be grateful. Soft, evocative illustrations will encourage readers to look at the world with an eye to its countless possibilities.

Sweetest Kulu


Celina Kalluk - 2013
    Lyrically and lovingly written, this visually stunning book is infused with the Inuit values of love and respect for the land and its animal inhabitants.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: The Poetry of Mister Rogers


Fred Rogers - 2019
    Through songs, puppets, and frank conversations, Mister Rogers instilled the values of kindness, patience, and self-esteem in his viewers, and most of all, taught children how loved they were, just by being themselves. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood reimagines the songs from the show as poetry, ranging from the iconic "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" to the forgotten gems. The poems deal with topics such as difficult feelings, new siblings, everyday routines, imagination, and more.

The Very Fluffy Kitty, Papillon


A.N. Kang - 2016
    So fluffy that he's lighter than air! His owner tries to weigh him down, but Papillon just wants to fly. One particularly sunny day, he floats right out the window! Exploring the wide world is exhilarating, but it's also a little scary. Will his new friend, a bird, be able to help him find his way home?Whimsical art and airy text come together seamlessly in this delightful debut by A. N. Kang.

How to Catch a Unicorn


Adam Wallace - 2019
    The #1 New York Times bestseller! Try to catch one of the world's most elusive mythical creatures—the unicorn! Filled with zany traps and lots of rainbow unicorn fun, this is the unicorn book of the year!Can you catch the unicorn? You’ll have to use your brain, So set your traps and prep your teamTo pet that rainbow mane!Also in the How to Catch Series:How to Catch a MermaidHow to Catch a DinosaurHow to Catch a DragonHow to Catch a Monster

Franklin's Halloween


Paulette Bourgeois - 1996
    Full color.

Twinkle


Nick Bland - 2010
    Eventually, though, it is time for Little Star to go home. But how do you make a star fall up?

We're in the Wrong Book!


Richard Byrne - 2015
    It's a brave new world of lollipops and sphinxes—and Bella and Ben are on one page-turning adventure. How will they find their way back into their very own book?

If I Had a Gryphon


Vikki VanSickle - 2016
    She's not really impressed. The hamster isn't very exciting--he mostly eats and sleeps and gets his shavings wet. BORING!After reading a book about mythological creatures, Sam gets some ideas for more exciting pets. But she soon realizes that taking care of these magical beasts might not be as wonderful as she though. Unicorns are shy, gryphons scare the dogs at the dog park and having a fire extinguisher handy at all times makes dragons seem like an awful lot of work. Maybe the hamster really is the best pet for her. A nice, safe pet... right?

Shi-shi-etko


Nicola I. Campbell - 2005
    Finalist for the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award, the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the Ruth Schwartz AwardIn just four days young Shi-shi-etko will have to leave her family and all that she knows to attend residential school.She spends her last days at home treasuring the beauty of her world -- the dancing sunlight, the tall grass, each shiny rock, the tadpoles in the creek, her grandfather's paddle song. Her mother, father and grandmother, each in turn, share valuable teachings that they want her to remember. And so Shi-shi-etko carefully gathers her memories for safekeeping.Richly hued illustrations complement this gently moving and poetic account of a child who finds solace all around her, even though she is on the verge of great loss -- a loss that native people have endured for generations because of the residential schools system.

Virginia Wolf


Kyo Maclear - 2011
    It's a funk so fierce, the whole household feels topsy-turvy. Vanessa tries everything she can think of to cheer her up, but nothing seems to work. Then Virginia tells Vanessa about an imaginary, perfect place called Bloomsberry. Armed with an idea, Vanessa begins to paint Bloomsberry on the bedroom walls, transforming them into a beautiful garden complete with a ladder and swing ?so that what was down could climb up.? Before long, Virginia, too, has picked up a brush and undergoes a surprising transformation of her own. Loosely based on the relationship between author Virginia Woolf and her sister, painter Vanessa Bell, Virginia Wolf is an uplifting story for readers of all ages.

The Reptile Club


Maureen Fergus - 2018
    So when his parents suggest he start his own club about something he loves, Rory knows exactly what it will be: a Reptile Club! He's positive that there are other kids out there who share his passion. He sets up his first meeting and then waits and waits for students to show up. Just as he is about to give up, Rory hears whispering in the hallway and hurries over to see who it is. To his astonishment, it's not his schoolmates who have arrived to attend the first meeting, but a crocodile, an anaconda and a gecko! Popular, award-winning author Maureen Fergus's playful picture book is perfect for story time, with its laugh-out-loud appeal and clever twist on the meaning of ?Reptile Club.? Loads of intriguing reptile facts are tucked into the story (for example, a gecko has to lick its eyeballs to keep them clean and moist!), making this an excellent choice for a life science lesson on the characteristics of reptiles. The details in Elina Ellis's lively, colorful illustrations encourage children to spend time examining each page. This is also a terrific book for a character education discussion about initiative, or for lessons on personal development and confidently pursuing one's own passions.

The Busy Beaver


Nicholas Oldland - 2011
    But then one day the beaver finds himself on the wrong side of a falling tree, which as it turns out, is just the thing to knock some sense into him. After reflecting on his behavior, he decides to make some changes. Soon, the now wiser and gentler beaver is getting down to the business of making things right, much to the delighted surprise of his forest friends. This charming story from the creator of Big Bear Hug and Making the Moose Out of Life gently teaches youngsters how to take care with others, as well as the world around us.