Gladys the Magic Chicken


Adam Rubin - 2021
    After all, for everyone who encounters her, a wish is granted. The Shepherd Boy wishes to be beautiful, the Brave Swordsman wishes to join the Royal Guard, the Purple Pooh-bah wishes for his only daughter to be happy, and the Learned Princess wishes to escape the palace. And one by one, each of these wishes comes true. But . . . is Gladys really magic? Or is everyone making their own fortune? Either way, it adds up to an adventure for a chicken named Gladys.

P is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever


Raj Haldar - 2018
    A might be for apple, but it's also for aisle and aeons. Why does the word "gnat" start with a G but the word "knot" doesn't start with an N? It doesn't always make sense, but don't let these rule-breaking silent letters defeat you!This whimsical, funky book from Raj Haldar (aka rapper Lushlife) turns the traditional idea of an alphabet book on its head, poking fun at the most mischievous words in the English language and demonstrating how to pronounce them. Fun and informative for word nerds of all ages!

The Tiny King


Tarō Miura - 2010
    Every day the tiny king eats dinner at his big table (he can never finish it all), rides on his big horse (he is thrown off every time), bathes in his big bath (not much fun), and sleeps, not very well, in his big bed. The tiny king is very sad and lonely, until one day he meets a big princess and asks her to be his queen. Not long after, they are blessed with children — lots of children. Now everything is just the right size, bath time is a real riot, and the tiny king sleeps soundly at last. With bright, bold cutouts and a whimsical use of collage, Japanese artist Taro Miura creates a witty, heartwarming story with huge appeal for readers big and small.

Never Take a Shark to the Dentist (and Other Things Not to Do)


Judi Barrett - 2008
     Like sit next to a porcupine on the subway (ouch!). Or hold hands with a lobster (double ouch!). Or take a shark to the dentist (triple ouch!). Bestselling author JUDI BARRETT and imaginative illustrator JOHN NICKLE give us a raucous look at the perils of taking giraffes to the movies, goats to the library, and pigs out to lunch...and other such silly stuff.

Rain Makes Applesauce


Julian Scheer - 1964
    It doesn't pretend to be anything else. And yet it is an extraordinary creation, in which author and artist speak to children in a very special way. The fanciful nonsense and marvelously intricate pictures are full of sly subtleties and happy surprises for both eye and ear. It is a book of absurd delights, of tiny, fey graphic details, of captivating scenes and lyrical phrases that stretch the imagination. Children will return to it again and again for new meanings, new images, new responses.

Making the Moose Out of Life


Nicholas Oldland - 2009
    This moose may live in the wild, but he doesn't act it --- he watches from the sidelines as his friends have fun. Every now and then, he wonders if he's missing out on anything.When the moose finally takes a chance and goes on a solo sailing trip, a raging storm carries him far from everything he knows. Will he curl up in a ball and cry, or make the most of it?The moose's unlikely hero-journey is a lighthearted, contemporary fable that celebrates living life to the fullest.

Bear and Bunny


Daniel Pinkwater - 2015
    One day, the bunny asks the bear, "Why do we not have some kind of pet?" Well, the bear is not sure what a pet is. So the bunny explains that it’s an animal that you take care of and feed, and one that loves you. But a pinecone is not the right pet for a bear and a bunny. And a caterpillar is nice, but it may not be very much fun. After a much-needed nap in the forest, will these two find their perfect pet? Beloved author Daniel Pinkwater and masterful illustrator Will Hillenbrand return with another charming and humorous story starring the sweetest of friends, a bear and bunny.

Once Upon a Time, the End (Asleep in 60 Seconds)


Geoffrey Kloske - 2005
    So the grown-up picked up this book and read this flap and took the book home and read it out loud and they both laughed and fell fast asleep fast. Just like you. The end.

A Greyhound, a Groundhog


Emily Jenkins - 2017
    With very spare, incredibly lively language, this is an entertaining read-aloud, with two amazing and oh-so-adorable characters at its heart. When a greyhound meets a groundhog, wordplay and crazy antics ensue. The two animals, much like kids, work themselves into a frenzy as they whirl around and around one another. ("Around, round hound. Around, greyhound.") The pace picks up ("Around and around and astound and astound"), until they ultimately wear themselves out. Jenkins s masterful text is deceptively simple. NPR on "Toys Meet Snow" by Emily Jenkins Appelhans, whose career up to now has been in animated films such as "Coraline, " is a revelation. "Booklist, " Starred, on "Sparky!, " illustrated by Chris Appelhans Appelhans makes an auspicious picture book debut with strikingly beautiful watercolor and pencil illustrations. His style, reminiscent of Jon Klassen s, incorporates a muted color palette, but with a slightly softer, rounder quality, while also weaving in visual deadpan humor. "The Horn Book""

Princess Super Kitty


Antoinette Portis - 2011
    But sometimes that’s not enough. Sometimes a girl has to be super. One little girl transforms herself over and over in this inventive picture book from the bestselling author and illustrator of Not a Box, Antoinette Portis. Once again, Portis shows us that children make ordinary life fun using their imaginations.

Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile


Won-Ldy Paye - 2003
    Chicken has to think fast to outwit hungry Crocodile, who wants to eat her for dinner.One morning Mrs. Chicken took her bath in a puddle.“Cluck, cluck,” she said proudly. “What a pretty chicken I am!”Mrs. Chicken can’t see her wings in the puddle, so she walks down to the river where she can admire all of herself. She doesn’t know that Crocodile is there, waiting for dinner—and a tasty chicken would do nicely! To save herself, Mrs. Chicken tells Crocodile that they are sisters. But how can a speckled chicken and a green-skinned crocodile be related? Mrs. Chicken had better prove that they are, and fast, because Crocodile is getting hungrier . . .The authors and illustrator of Head, Body, Legs join together to create another lively retelling of a popular African folktale. Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile is a 2004 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

I Want That Nut!


Madeline Valentine - 2017
    Publication is set for fall 2017; Rebecca Sherman at Writers House negotiated the deal for world rights.

Bike On, Bear!


Cynthea Liu - 2015
    Discover how he overcomes his two-wheeled challenge in this irresistibly adorable picture book!Bear can do almost anything. His one-paw pawstand is perfection. He can solve the trickiest of equations. He can even out-build a brigade of beavers. But the one thing Bear can't do? Ride a bike.Bear tries everything to help him learn: library books, training wheels and super-cheers from his fellow animal friends. But all of those fail to get poor Bear on two wheels.The situation is looking unbearable—but an unexpected mishap might be just the thing that propels Bear to bike on!

Hilda Must Be Dancing


Karma Wilson - 2004
    When Hilda dances, it sounds like this: Ka-bump! Ka-bump! Crash! Crash! Crash! Thumpity-bump! Thumpity-bump! Boom! Bang! Bash! The other animals beg her to find a quieter hobby. Knitting? Singing? For Hilda, nothing else will do. What could possible be as fun as dancing?

Whoops!


Suzi Moore - 2014
    Here is the cat, the dog and the mouse, and the old lady in the tumbledown house.She has a spell to make them all well…but she just can’t find it! WHOOPS!A hilariously chaotic story, full of funny animal noises, illustrated by Russell Ayto, winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Smarties Children’s Book Prize.