Patty Brozo’s cast of kids brings a playground to raucous life, and Mike Deas’s illustrations invest their games with imaginary planes to fly, dragons to tame, and elephants to ride. And these kids match their imaginations with empathy, identifying and swooping up the lonely among them.Buddy benches are appearing in schoolyards around the country. Introduced from Germany in 2014, the concept is simple: When a child sits on the bench, it’s a signal to other kids to ask him or her to play.

    FREE Read-aloud audio book inside Vividly illustrated and written in the charming back-and-forth style so familiar to mothers and children around the world, a little pup tries to convince her mom that she loves her more. "Mama, do you know how much I love you?" "No more than I love you, for sure," she said. "Oh, yes I do," I said. "I love you way more than you love me." "Impossible!" she cried, snuggling close. "Do you know how many trees there are in the forest? That's how much I love you." Young readers and parents will be delighted by the book's soothing pace, beautiful images, and heart warming message.

    But when his friends see him and immediately launch into their Christmas lists, he doesn't know what to do . . . until he runs into Santa himself.

    . . . On Tuesday, Mrs. Greenstalk was too tired to make dinner. . . .   Who will help the poor Greenstalk family? Chickens to the rescue! The amazing chickens on the Greenstalk farm race to help various family members and farm animals every day of the week. Every day until Sunday, that is, when Emily Greenstalk has a little trouble . . .   John Himmelman's expressive illustrations are filled with the kind of hilarious details that will delight young readers.

    Here are a few of his reading rules: Attach labels to Little Slug’s favorite things; Read out loud to him; Point out words that repeat; Sound out words; Make a vocabulary list; Be patient! And, of course, it helps if Little Slug can see the book, so prop it up and set him on a rock! David Slonim’s hilarious acrylic and charcoal illustrations and Susan Pearson’s witty text show that reading can be fun!

     Billy's classmates may have never considered careers in snail training or sumo wrestling before, but by the time the exuberant eight-year-old is done cataloging his dream jobs, they just might share his belief in unlimited potential! Virtuoso wordplay, irresistible rhythm, and laugh-out-loud humor abound in the first picture book by the one and only "Weird Al" Yankovic. This unbridled celebration of creativity and possibility invites readers of all ages to consider afresh what they want to be when they grow up.

    When he tries to move in with friends, more chaos ensues. Will Rabbit learn to change his selfish ways?

    But the other colors are always leaving him out. So he decides to create his own project: an all-gray book. Once upon a time, there lived a wolf, a kitten, and a hippo…Gray just knows it’s going to be perfect. But as he adds page after page, the Primary and Secondary colors show up…and they aren’t quite so complimentary.A book within a book, this colorful tale explores the ideas of fitting in, appreciating others, and looking at things from another perspective and also uses personality and wit to introduce basic color concepts.

    Water can be a Thirst quencher Kid drencher Cloud fluffer Fire snuffer Find out about the many roles water plays in this poetic exploration of water throughout the year.

    Millet’s class are putting on their annual nutrition pageant. Every kid plays a food. Every kid gets a line. It is a big deal. But this year, there aren’t quite enough parts for everybody. So the class is cast: Fish, Cheese, Broccoli, Blueberry, Banana, and . . . Second Banana. Second Banana feels rotten. She wants to be the ONLY banana!In this deliciously original school story, Blair Thornburgh and Kate Berube recognize the dreadful disappointment that a casting list can cause—as well as the power of friendship, creative thinking, and a good attitude to turn a rotten situation into one that’s quite ap-peel-ing. Showtime!

    Fish swims aboutWith his fish face stuckIn a permanent pout.Can his pals cheer him up?Will his pout ever end?Is there something he can learnFrom an unexpected friend?Swim along with the pout-pout fish as he discovers that being glum and spreading "dreary wearies" isn't really his destiny. Bright ocean colors and playful rhyme come together in this fun fish story that's sure to turn even the poutiest of frowns upside down.The Pout-Pout Fish is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

    He must learn how to deal with disappointment. After all, you get what you get and you don't throw a fit.

    All Zora wants to do is learn how to fly so she can catch that pesky squirrel in her yard. But try as she might to prove to her friend Tully--a skeptical cat--that dogs truly can fly, nothing seems to work. Until Zora finds the right motivation, that is. Kathy Stinson's charming story of perseverance is beautifully brought to life by Brandon James Scott's exuberant and wonderfully expressive illustration. Touching on themes of optimism and determination in the face of failure, The Dog Who Wanted to Fly is a book anyone--even a cat--will love.

    With humor and appreciation for life's little pleasures, Yes Day! captures the excitement of being a kid.

    A flock of hapless sheep drive through the country in this rhyming picture book.