The Stray


Molly Ruttan - 2020
    They name him Grub and set about training him, but that works surprisingly . . . poorly. Taking him for a walk is an unexpected adventure, too. As hard as they try to make Grub feel at home, it's just not working. Could he already have a family of his own? Maybe he isn't really a stray, after all--just lost. But how on earth will they be able to find his family when he seems to come from somewhere . . . out of this world?

A Flood of Kindness


Ellen Leventhal - 2021
    Written in spare prose and told from an intimate first-person point of view, the story follows Charlotte, a young girl who watches floodwaters rise in her home and is forced to evacuate to a shelter with her parents. Kind people she doesn't know give her food, socks and shoes to keep her feet warm, and a place to sleep. As Charlotte adjusts to the shelter--a strange, crowded place that is not home--she grapples with feelings of anger and sadness. But as the days go by, Charlotte starts to realize how grateful she is for the things that she does have--her parents, a cot to sleep on, food to eat--and starts looking for ways to help others in the shelter. All children deal with sadness and loss in some way, whether it stems from a natural disaster, the death of a pet, or moving to a new place. A Flood of Kindness acknowledges those difficult feelings and helps readers process them in a healthy way. Children will be encouraged to be kind to those who need a friend and to help others in whatever way they can, no matter how small.

Two for Me, One for You


Jörg Mühle - 2018
    Her friend Weasel cooks them up in the frying pan. But the friends have a problem: how to share three between two? Bear and Weasel each come up with one argument after another for why they should have more: I found them! I cooked them. I'm bigger. I'm still growing.... Until the fox comes around the corner and snatches a mushroom. That solved the problem. They eat the two mushrooms and it's time for dessert. Here comes Weasel with the scrumptious wild strawberries, three of them to share...

The Ugly Doodles


Valeria Wicker - 2020
    But the only thing she can seem to draw are ugly doodles -- and they won't go away, no matter how hard she tries to discard them! After a few increasingly inventive attempts to get rid of them, Raven realizes that the only way to learn to love her art is to just create.Valeria Wicker's endearing and quirky art style adds humor to her sweet and whimsical story about overcoming a fear of imperfection and failure.

Excellent Ed


Stacy McAnulty - 2016
      Ed wonders if this is why he isn’t allowed to eat at the table or sit on the couch with the other children. So he’s determined to find his own thing to be excellent at--only to be (inadvertently) outdone by a family member every time.   Now Ed is really nervous--what if he’s not excellent enough to belong in this family?   This funny and endearing story offers a subtle look at sibling rivalry and self esteem, and will reassure kids that everyone is excellent at something, and that your family loves you, just as you are.

The Bad Mood and the Stick


Lemony Snicket - 2017
    The stick appeared when a tree dropped it. Where did the bad mood come from? Who picked up the stick? And where is the bad mood off to now? You never know what is going to happen.

Ellie


Mike Wu - 2015
    While the other animals are busy working, Ellie finds a brush and some paints, and gives the zoo a big splash of color! Will her bright new talent be enough to keep the zoo's gates open for good?

The Christmas Extravaganza Hotel


Tracey Corderoy - 2018
    Frog is ready for a tinsel-tasting Christmas at the Extravaganza Hotel! Neither is ready for what happens next...

Bear Can't Sleep


Karma Wilson - 2018
    But when his friends come by to check on him, they realize that Bear is still awake! They brew him hot tea and sing him lullabies, but nothing seems to work. Can Bear get to bed? Or will he be up all winter?

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.

They Say Blue


Jillian Tamaki - 2018
    They Say Blue follows a young girl as she contemplates colours in the known and the unknown, in the immediate world and the world beyond what she can see. The sea looks blue, yet water cupped in her hands is as clear as glass. Is a blue whale blue? She doesn’t know — she hasn’t seen one.Stunningly beautiful illustrations flow from one spread to the next, as time passes and the imagination takes hold. The world is full of colour, and mystery too, in this first picture book from a highly acclaimed artist.

Hammer and Nails


Josh Bledsoe - 2016
    She and her friend are going to play dress up, do each other’s hair, and polish their nails. Daddy has plans, too. He’s going to read the paper, mow the lawn, and fix the fence. When Darcy’s friend cancels and she’s sure her day is ruined, Daddy suggests that they tackle their to-do lists together with a Darcy-Daddy Day. Daddy dons a tutu, and Darcy gives him a fancy hair do. They groom the lawn with Her Majesty’s Mowing Service and face off in a Daddy-directed sock battle. But will Darcy want to hammer? Will Daddy do nails? Stepping outside their comfort zones, Darcy and Daddy opt to be open-minded and even a bit daring. As Daddy says, “Sometimes things you’ve never done end up being fun!” With a gung-ho attitude, Darcy masters the hammer, and Daddy goes for it with the nails.

The Library Book


Gabby Dawnay - 2021
    But thanks to his friend’s stubborn efforts to show him the magic and excitement of reading, Jack finally goes to the library and finds a book he can’t put down.Featuring simple, rhyming text by Gabby Dawnay and dynamic pen- and-ink drawings by illustrator Ian Morris, this story is an ode to the joys of reading and a love letter to books and libraries.

Extraordinary Jane


Hannah E. Harrison - 2014
    She isn't strong, graceful, or brave like her family. When she tries to be those things, Jane just doesn't feel like herself, but she also doesn't feel special. Is she really meant for this kind of life? Her Ringmaster thinks so, but not for the reasons Jane believes. Ordinary can be extraordinary!

Milo Is Missing Something


Vern Kousky - 2021
    What could it be? The ocean world is strange and new. The coral reefs so colorful. The deep sea caves are dark and cozy.So what is Milo missing?Come along with Milo, a small yellow octopus, as he hatches from his egg and begins to explore the vast ocean. He's sure he's missing something, but he can't quite figure out what it could be. And so he sets off on an ocean adventure, swimming way down deep to explore sunken shipwrecks and traveling from shore to shore, befriending polar bears and jellyfish along the way. Eventually, Milo is too tired to search any longer and falls asleep on the ocean floor. Young ocean fans will love this simple aquatic mystery and delight in the big reveal of what he's been missing--his family!