Only Small, the youngest Hope, has the courage to face the black dog, who might not be as frightening as everyone else thinks.

    But before he can deliver his gift, whipping wind and swirling snow come to town, too. Slushy sidewalks are no place for a cookie, but this Gingerbread Man won’t let a little bad weather stop him!“I’ll search on my own, as fast as I can!I’ll dash through this snow. I’m the Gingerbread Man!”With all the flavors of the season and generous dashes of kindness and gratitude, the Gingerbread Man’s newest adventure makes for a perfect read-aloud throughout the holidays.

    Who else could have braided the dog's hair? Who else could be playing that faint music in the air? And who else could've made those mysterious circles in the grass? So thinks a little girl as she sets out into the woods in her backyard searching for the elusive little creatures. Although readers can see them, as hard as she looks, the fairies are always just out of view for our heroine. In the end, it's clear (to the girl AND to readers) that there is magic all around, even when it's hidden in plain sight.Lush, multi-textured illustrations bring the woods (and the fairies) to life in this playful read-aloud by Phoebe Wahl. Kids will delight in seeing the fairies hidden in each piece of art and revel in the tricks and games the fairies play on our unsuspecting heroine.

    Sometimes the tiniest light can shine the brightest! Like the other mermaids of the deep, Pearl longs to care for the endless beaches, coral reefs, and towering kelp forests of her vast ocean world. So when her mother asks her to tend to a mere grain of sand, Pearl is heartbroken. It takes all her patience and determination to discover how even the littlest mermaid can transform the world. Caldecott Honor-winning author and artist Molly Idle has masterfully crafted a modern classic in this mesmerizing tale about the immense power of small actions.

    How can she say a tree has the trunk at the top and the leaves at the bottom? Until, that is, they consult wise Owl who suggests that if they just try looking at things from Bat's point of view, they might see thing very differently.

    Wide awake long past his bedtime, a young boy slips outside his house to join some special friends in a nighttime jubilation. Complete with howls and whoops, they joyously celebrate the mystery and magic of the night, basking in the glow of the moonlight. They howled at the moon, they howled at life, and they howled with all things in the night. But their revelry comes to a halt when the moon is caught in the branches of a tree. Is anyone brave enough to climb the tree and save the moon? Gorgeous atmospheric paintings lure readers of all ages into believing that anything can happen - at midnight! J. (Jim) Carroll's work has been displayed around the world, including at the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science & Technology in Milan and at the United Nations in NYC. He has been an instructor at the School of Visual Arts and at the Massachusetts Museum of Modern Art. His work has also been featured in Zoom, HOW, PRINT and Communication Arts magazines. The Boy and the Moon is his first children's book.

    With so many things to enjoy, and so many ways to ask—and talk—about them, it's a snapshot of an ordinary day in a world that's anything but. This story is a heartwarming and inviting picture book with a tenderly written story by Bernard Waber and glorious illustrations by Suzy Lee.PreS-Gr 2—A vivacious child and her father share an early autumn stroll. "Ask me what I like," she says. Dad's dutiful answer is printed in purple: "What do you like?" Energetically she answers with a list. Sometimes dad presses for details, "Geese in the sky? Or geese in the water?" She answers, "I like geese in the sky. No, in the water. I like both. Ask me what else I like," she demands, seeing something new she wants to tell him about. So they proceed through their day, celebrating the brief but precious time when children are gaining a sense of self and exploring the power that comes with it. The patience required to converse with a small person who wants to dictate every part of the interaction is sure to be familiar to parents, but the poetic text rises above the mundane and captures the beauty, energy, and innocence of these conversations and holds them up for readers to appreciate without becoming saccharine or trite. Lee's lively, colored-pencil drawings are a perfect match to the text. The line drawings are similar in style to those in Wave (2008) and Shadow (2010, both Chronicle), but Lee expands from the single-color palette she employed in those titles to a full spectrum of bright autumn colors. VERDICT A first choice for libraries, especially those looking to expand their selection of father-as-caregiver stories.—Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Library, MN

    Brian Karas share the nighttime experience of a father and child.When the sun sets, Dad's job as a school custodian is just beginning. What is it like to work on a Friday night while the rest of the city is asleep? There's the smell of lilacs in the night air, the dusky highway in the moonlight, and glimpses of shy nighttime animals to make the dark magical. Shooting baskets in the half-lit gym, sweeping the stage with the game on the radio, and reading out loud to his father in the library all help the boy's time pass quickly. But what makes the night really special is being with Dad. Newbery Medalist Karen Hesse's quietly powerful story of a boy and his father is tenderly brought to life by G. Brian Karas in this luminous tribute to an enduring, everyday sort of love.

    But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: We quit!Beige is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown. Blue needs a break from coloring all that water, while Pink just wants to be used. Green has no complaints, but Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking to each other. What is Duncan to do? Debut author Drew Daywalt and New York Times bestseller Oliver Jeffers create a colorful solution in this playful, imaginative story that will have children laughing and playing with their crayons in a whole new way.

    . . "Hey, I may be a squirrel, but my name is Taco! And I don't eat nuts and tree bark—blech—I prefer tacos!" The natural predator of squirrels is . . . "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Who is writing this book? I do not like where this is going." This hilarious send-up of a children's nature primer teaches kids that the most important story is the one you write yourself.

    But the bunnies have other plans...like baking cupcakes,going for a swim,playing at the carnival,and starting a Buddy fan club. He'll just have to eat them tomorrow. Maybe.

    Inspired by Pixar Animation Studios latest film, Finding Dory, this jacketed picture book features everyone's favorite forgetful fish and is complemented by stunning original artwork.

    Story featuring Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland.

    When the hen asks a cat, dog, and mouse for help planting some wheat, she gets no takers: "‘Not I!’ said the cat. ‘Not I!’ said the dog. ‘Not I!’ said the mouse." They won’t water, cut, or grind the wheat . . . or help bake a cake with it, either. So guess who eats the cake by herself in the end? The Caldecott Honor artist Paul Galdone’s delightfully detailed ink and wash illustrations—packed with charming details—add plenty of sly humor to the well-loved story that not only offers a sage message but also shows children what it takes to make a cake from the ground up!

    But Henry doesn't like to read books, he likes to eat them. Big books, picture books, reference books . . . if it has pages, Henry chews them up and swallows (but red ones are his favorite). And the more he eats, the smarter he gets--he's on his way to being the smartest boy in the world! But one day he feels sick to his stomach. And the information is so jumbled up inside, he can't digest it! Can Henry find a way to enjoy books without using his teeth? With a stunning new artistic style and a die-cut surprise, Oliver Jeffers celebrates the joys of reading in this charming and quirky picture book. It's almost good enough to eat.