Riding the Tiger


Eve Bunting - 2001
    Danny, new to town, is proud when a glittery-eyed tiger invites him for a ride. He climbs up onto the tiger’s massive back, and together they cruise the neighborhood. Everyone gives them respect—shopkeepers and passersby, even other kids. Danny feels powerful and much older than ten. Soon, though, he realizes it isn’t respect people feel for him and the tiger—it’s fear. And when he decides to get down off the tiger’s back, he discovers it’s a lot harder than climbing on.Whether the tiger is interpreted to represent gangs, drugs, or something else altogether, this poetically told, dramatically illustrated book is sure to provoke discussions about temp-tation, peer pressure, and conformity.

Dogs on the Bed


Elizabeth Bluemle - 2008
    Dog owners will recognize the familiar shenanigans pets engage in at bedtime: stretching out sideways, barking at outside noises no one else can hear, whining to be let out (and in again) all night long. But demands aside, adored dogs are still the coziest comforters around.

The Magic Bed


John Burningham - 2003
    - John Burningham at his youngest and best.- A good-night story that plays with the special bond children feel for their beds.- A full 48 pages of glorious illustration.

Santa Claws: A Scary Christmas to All


Laura Leuck - 2006
    Here in the rollicking rhyme of Laura Leuck and the gruesomely silly illustrations of Gris Grimly, is a truly memorable Christmas tale. Mack and Zack may be monsters, but their excitement is the same as that of children the world around. Come join the celebrations in Monster Town!

Ship of Dreams


Dean Morrissey - 1994
    His friend, Henry, said that he had seen the Sandman and Joey didn’t want to be left out. As he lay in bed, fighting to keep his eyes open, Joey imagined what meeting the Sandman would be like...Dean Morrissey’s charming story follows Joey on his journey through the star-filled night to meet the Sandman, a voyage filled with excitement and delight. Joey sails off in his specially-adapted wagon, the Redd Rocket, on a flight of discovery followed step-by-step in Morrissey’s magically vivid realistic paintings. The boy's adventure, his exhilarating fall through the sky and heart-stopping rescue, his discovery of the Sandman’s amazing ship and the secrets contained aboard it, all add up to a bedtime experience that children of all ages will cherish again and again.

The Secret of the Village Fool


Rebecca Upjohn - 2012
    They reluctantly do as their mother asks when she asks them to visit their neighbor Anton, knowing that the rest of the village laughs at him because of his strange habits of speaking to animals and only eating vegetables. Things change quickly when war comes to their town in the form of Nazi soldiers searching for Jewish families like that of Milek and Munio. Anton refuses to tell the soldiers where to find them, and then goes so far as to hide the family in his own home, putting his life at risk without a thought. Based on a true story.

Whoever Heard of a Flying Bird?: A Children's Book About Not Giving Up


David Cunliffe - 2020
    

Henry & The Kite Dragon


Bruce Edward Hall - 2004
    They're rough, they're big, and they don't like Chinese kids. That's okay-Henry doesn't like them, either. But what Henry does like are kites. He loves them. Even more, he loves to help his friend Grandfather Chin make them, and fly them over Chinatown and the park. But when Tony Guglione and his friends from Little Italy keep throwing rocks and destroying their beautiful creations, Henry and his friends decide enough is enough!In this touching story based on true 1920's events, two rival groups of children representing two different cultures come face to face, and when they do, they find they share much more than just the same sky.

The Ant Bully


John Nickle - 1999
    But Lucas is too little, and so he bullies the ants instead. Feature film coming Summer 2006!Lucas is picked on by the neighborhood bully, and in turn terrorizes the ant colony. The ants create a potion that shrinks Lucas to the size of an ant. They put him on trial, and find him guilty of crimes against the colony -- his sentence? To live and work as an ant! Lucas learns about teamwork and the importance of friendship--and in the end, he saves the colony and is returned to his normal size.

Just Like You


Jan Fearnley - 2001
    . . look cozy enough to cuddle. Readers will especially be drawn to Mama Mouse, who is huggably plump and convincing in her love for her child." — SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNALMaking their way home one evening, Little Mouse and his mother see other baby animals and their parents, all settling down for the night. Mama Seal says she’ll dive as deep as the deepest ocean for her pups. Daddy Frog claims he’ll jump as high as the sky and bring back the juiciest bugs. And Mama Rabbit will dig the deepest, most secret burrow to keep her little ones safe and warm. "What special, special babies," sighs Little Mouse. What could his mama ever do to show him how special he is? Jan Fearnley’s humorous and endearing bedtime story captures the unique bond between parent and child - and reassures little listeners how very special they are.

The Five-Dog Night


Eileen Christelow - 1993
    When Old Betty tries to advise Ezra on how to survive the cold winter nights, Ezra rebuffs her concerns because he has his own private source of warmth.

Old Robert and the Sea-Silly Cats


Barbara M. Joosse - 2012
    Nothing more, nothing less. Each and every day, he sails the sea, alone. And each and every night, he docks his boat and prepares his dinner, alone. Until one evening when he gets a very strange visitor: a dancing cat. There's no room in Old Robert's shipshape boat for a cat. But much to his surprise, he finds himself smiling a bit, and inviting the cat in for dinner. The following night another cat arrives, this one juggling. And once again, Old Robert surprisingly finds himself inviting the cat in to his home. Before long, Old Robert has a boatful of cats, singing and dancing and juggling. He still has everything he needs, but now he has so much more. Barbara Joosse and Jan Jutte have teamed up again to deliver a story that will dance its way into readers' hearts.

Tatty Ratty


Helen Cooper - 2001
    Might he be driving a train?... or sailing on a pirate ship? An imaginative and heart-warming story, with glowing illustrations from Helen Cooper, twice winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal.

The Sandman


Ralph Fletcher - 2008
    Ground dragon scales make magic sand that Tor sprinkles in the eyes of children to help them fall asleep. But how does he get the scales to make the special sand? He has to venture into the lair of a dragon, and that’s no easy feat!This imaginative telling of the legend of the Sandman combined with fantastical, illuminating pictures will be enjoyed by the whole family.

Heebie-Jeebie Jamboree


Mary Ann Fraser - 2011
    The attractions are dazzling: a warlock rodeo, a witches' brew contest, goblin pie, and a tricky hall of mirrors. When the adventure ends, Daphne and Sam once again find themselves on their own street. Was it a Halloween trick, or a Halloween treat? Hard to know for sure, under that butterscotch moon. Mary Ann Fraser's pun-filled text and striking artwork make this an irresistible holiday tale that begs to be read again and again.