And the Good Brown Earth


Kathy Henderson - 2004
    Sometimes they dig, sometimes they sow, and sometimes they just lie in the long green grass and sing - and all the while, the good brown earth gets on with doing what the good brown earth does best.

There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight


Penny Parker Klostermann - 2015
    Now meet the old dragon who swallows pretty much an entire kingdom! Will he ever learn a little moderation?! This rollicking rhyme is full to bursting with sight gags, silly characters, and plenty of burps! Parents and kids alike will delight in Ben Mantle’s precisely funny illustrations and in Penny Parker Klostermann’s wacky rhymes.In days of yore, before a certain fly's ultimately fatal encounter with an Old Lady, there was an old dragon who felt rather peckish. "There was an old dragon who swallowed a knight. / I don't know why he swallowed the knight // It's not polite!" He follows the knight with the knight's steed ("that galloped around at a terrible speed"). Then a squire, a cook, a lady, a castle, and finally a moat are each swallowed in turn. But…"With all of that water, he started to bloat. / And that's when the dragon roared, and I quote: / ‘Okay, enough! I've had enough— / More than enough of this swallowing stuff!' " So realizing that eating all those things might have been "a tad impolite," the old dragon burps them all out in reverse except the knight (which is "ahhh…just right"). Klostermann's debut is a rollicking and warped Medieval take on the well-worn cumulative rhyme. Prolific British animator and illustrator Mantle's expressive and bright cartoon illustrations of the red, horned dragon (and the contents of his stomach) are a perfect match. The antics within the dragon's stomach—every image of the steed is accompanied by a little "clippity, clippity, clippity, clop" in teeny type—and his copious burping will leave 'em laughing. No matter how many swallowed-fly titles you own, this one belongs on your shelf too. KIrkus, May 1,2015

Whose Garden Is It?


Mary Ann Hoberman - 2004
    But the woodchuck insists that it's his. And so do the rabbit, the butterfly, the squash bug, and the bumblebee. Even the tiny seeds and whistling weeds think the garden just couldn't grow without them. As they stroll through the exquisite plants and flowers, Mrs. McGee and her child listen and wonder: Whose garden is it? Children's book luminaries Mary Ann Hoberman and Jane Dyer reveal the secrets of a glorious garden in this beautiful and poetic rhyming read-aloud.

All Ears, All Eyes


Richard Jackson - 2017
    Who listens? Who looks? Who hears? Who sees? An homage to the melodies of nighttime, to each critter that sings, hoots, or glows, All Ears, All Eyes takes us on a moonlit journey where the landscape shimmers with Fantasia-like beauty. Where if you look and listen, you might spy an owl, a deer, a chipmunk—or—what else!—before falling asleep.

Jack's Garden


Henry Cole - 1995
    'This is the garden that Jack planted...' The final illustration presents a satisfied-looking boy surrounded by a lush, bird-filled flower garden....A concluding page of gardening suggestions serves as a springboard to books with more specific guidelines."--Horn Book.

Have You Ever Seen a Flower?


Shawn Harris - 2021
    One child experiences a flower with all five senses—from its color to its fragrance to the entire universe it evokes—revealing how a single flower can expand one's perspective in many ways.

Weeds Find a Way


Cindy Jenson-Elliott - 2013
    With lovely language and a sly sense of humor, this beautiful picture book celebrates the tenacious temperaments of these pesky plants and is sure to have little ones chanting, “Way to go, weeds!”

Wombat Walkabout


Carol Diggory Shields - 2009
    This whimsical counting poem follows six brave little wombats on walkabout in the Australian outback. But the wilderness is bound to bring more excitement than an innocent counting game. Soon enough, the curious wombats learn to beware the hungry dingo! Aussie native Sophie Blackall?s delicious illustrations set adorable wombats in a lush world of golden wattles, billabongs, kookaburras, and gum nuts. With marvelous wordplay and irresistible read-aloud phrases, this ingenious text is sure to become a well-worn favorite. Accompanied by a short, simple glossary of Australian terms and wildlife.

The Greedy Python


Richard Buckley - 1985
    Full-color illustrations.

Where Is the Green Sheep?


Mem Fox - 2004
    Here is the bath sheep, and here is the bed sheep. But where is the green sheep? Mem Fox and Judy Horacek take you on a wildly wonderful adventure in their rollicking search for the green sheep.

That's Not a Hippopotamus!


Juliette MacIver - 2016
    That's Not a Hippopotamus! is a deft and delightful tale, packed with word play and madcap energy and with a whole different story to enjoy in the illustrations.

Mary Had a Little Glam


Tammi Sauer - 2016
    From the kid who lives in a shoe (and dons some fab footwear, too) to Jack, who breaks his crown but gets a great new one, Mary's school friends look fantastic in their finery. But are they now too well dressed for recess? Not to worry—Mary always shows her flair for what to wear!

The Shape of Me and Other Stuff


Dr. Seuss - 1973
    Seuss's Surprising Word Book," The Shape of Me and Other Stuff certainly lives up to its billing. In this delightful book, first published in 1973, kids are encouraged to ponder shapes they may never have considered before: "Just think about the shape of beans and flowers and mice and big machines!" Dr. Seuss's illustrations are in silhouette (for the purpose of accenting the outlines of figures), but are nonetheless up to par with his usual wacky, amusing style. Soaring well beyond the mundane arena of circles, triangles, and squares, here we are challenged to consider "the shape of camels … the shape of bees and the wonderful shapes of back door keys!" Kids will love the silly rhymes and funny pictures, and parents will appreciate this original take on the largely untapped world of shapes. (Baby to preschool)

Tidy


Emily Gravett - 2016
    Pete the badger likes everything to be neat and tidy at all times, but what starts as the collecting of one fallen leaf escalates quickly and ends with the complete destruction of the forest! Will Pete realise the error of his ways and set things right?

Little Goblins Ten


Pamela Jane - 2011
    From author Pamela Jane and New York Times bestselling illustrator Jane Manning comes a delicious Halloween treat for readers to enjoy! Perfect for fans of The Spooky Wheels on the Bus and Ten Timid Ghosts.Over in the forestWhere the trees hide the sunLived a big mommy monsterAnd her little monster one.From monsters to ghosties to goblins, everyone’s favorite beasties haunt and howl and rattle their way through their forest home in this silly, spooky twist on the beloved nursery rhyme “Over in the Meadow.”