The Arrival


Shaun Tan - 2007
    He's embarking on the most painful yet important journey of his life—he's leaving home to build a better future for his family. Shaun Tan evokes universal aspects of an immigrant's experience through a singular work of the imagination. He does so using brilliantly clear and mesmerizing images. Because the main character can't communicate in words, the book forgoes them too. But while the reader experiences the main character's isolation, he also shares his ultimate joy.

If You Decide to Go to the Moon


Faith McNulty - 2005
    A publishing event!"If you decide to go to the moon," writes Faith McNulty, "read this book first. It will tell you how to get there and what to do after you land. The most important part tells you how to get home.Written in the second person, the text allows the reader to participate in every aspect of the journey, from packing ("don't forget your diary and plenty of food") to liftoff (at first you'll feel heavy; don't worry") to traveling through space (where "the moon glows like a pearl in the black, black sky"). The reader lands at the Sea of Tranquility, the site of the first lunar landing.

The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon


Jacqueline Davies - 2004
     If there was one thing James loved to do more than anything else, it was to be in the great outdoors watching his beloved feathered friends. In the fall of 1804, he was determined to find out if the birds nesting near his Pennsylvania home would really return the following spring. Through careful observation, James laid the foundation for all that we know about migration patterns today. Capturing the early passion of this bird-obsessed young man as well as the meticulous study and scientific methods behind his research, this lively, gorgeously illustrated biography will leave young readers listening intently for the call of birds large and small near their own home.

Madame Pamplemousse and Her Incredible Edibles


Rupert Kingfisher - 2008
    By chance she comes across the most marvellous shop, run by Madame Pamplemousse, which is quiet, discreet, yet full of delicious and otherworldly 'edibles' - Pterodactyl Bacon, Scorpion Tails in Smoked Garlic Oil, and Great Squid Tentacle in Jasmine-Scented Jelly. A quiet comradeship develops between Madeleine, Madame Pamplemousse, and Madame's cat, Camembert. And together they create some wonderful culinary magic. Exquisite, beautifully formed prose that has echoes of Angela Carter belies a narrative that is full of pace. A wonderful fairy tale that will appeal to both adults and children.

Olive of Groves


Katrina Nannestad - 2015
    To tell the truth, dear reader, it is not what anyone expected!The headmistress is completely bonkers and Pig McKenzie, school bully and all-round nasty swine, is determined to make Olive's life unbearable.Olive, however, is clever, sweet and kind, and soon gains the loyalty and devotion of three rats, a short-sighted moose, a compulsive liar and a goose who faints at the sight of cherries.But will friendship and wits be enough when Pig McKenzie puts his Truly Wicked Plan into gear? Or will Olive be cast out of Groves forever?

The Legend of Grimm's Woods


Manuro - 2018
    Hocus & Pocus offers a new kind of reading experience--part game book, part graphic novel, and part Choose Your Own Adventure story. Readers can play as Hocus (a girl) or Pocus (a boy), choose a magic animal companion, and enter a colorful fairy tale forest of riddles, magical objects, and unusual characters. Succeed or fail, it's all up to you!

Another Monster at the End of This Book


Jon Stone - 1996
    In this sequel, furry old Grover is still fearful of monsters--and he learns that there's another one at the end of this book! Just who is the monster at the end of this book?

The Crowns of Croswald


D.E. Night - 2017
    Hailed by Kirkus Reviews as “an action-packed treat […] with a relatable heroine facing challenges in a vivid world of magic and mystery,” and called a new classic by readers, The Crowns of Croswald series is a magical romp through a fully formed universe with dragons, magical quills, potions, and mythical creatures.Ivy Lovely is 16 and she has no idea who she is—or what her powers could be. When she crosses a magical boundary, she discovers a whole new world of enchantment and mystery. Making friends that will last a lifetime—and save her life—she steps into her own abilities and discovers more about her hidden past, magical blood, and the power of Croswald’s mystical stones. But all is not well: a dark history and an evil Queen threatens all that is good. Will Ivy’s bravery and wit be enough?Curious and whimsical, both shy and brave, Ivy is a hero that connects with readers of all ages. For those who wished that Narnia, Harry Potter, and Alice in Wonderland could go on forever, Croswald opens a whole new world of magic. Recommended as a read-aloud for families and a first middle-grade fantasy read, The Crowns of Croswald is a four-part series that will carry readers to a whimsical world that they won’t want to leave.

The Beast of Bray Road: Tailing Wisconsin's Werewolf


Linda S. Godfrey - 2003
    The canid sensation was soon dubbed Beast of Bray Road, after the location of the first reported sightings. Author Linda Godfrey began investigating this story and soon found herself in the middle of a national sensation. Nobody has ever been able to prove whether the beast is a flesh-and-blood werewolf or will-o'-the-wisp, demon dog, or noble animal. But the author gives the reader plenty to chew on. Make up your own mind, if you do so at all, only after the marrow has been extracted and well digested.

D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths


Ingri d'Aulaire - 1962
    In a relaxed and humorous tone, these splendid artists bring to life the myths that have inspired great European literature and art through the ages, creating a book readers of all ages will cherish."For any child fortunate enough to have this generous book...the kings and heroes of ancient legend will remain forever matter-of-fact; the pictures interpret the text literally and are full of detail and witty observation."--The Horn  Book"The drawings, particularly the full-page ones in this oversized volume, are excellent  and excitingly evocative."--The New  York Times"Parents, uncles, and aunts who have been searching for a big picture book that has good reading-aloud value for the younger ones and fine read-it-yourself value on up, have it in this volume...a children's classic."--Christian Science Monitor

Some Writer!: The Story of E. B. White


Melissa Sweet - 2016
    B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. In Some Writer!, the two-time Caldecott Honor winner Melissa Sweet mixes White’s personal letters, photos, and family ephemera with her own exquisite artwork to tell his story, from his birth in 1899 to his death in 1985. Budding young writers will be fascinated and inspired by the journalist, New Yorker contributor, and children’s book author who loved words his whole life. This authorized tribute is the first fully illustrated biography of E. B. White and includes an afterword by Martha White, E. B. White's granddaughter.

The Three Golden Keys


Peter Sís - 1994
    He finds the way to his old home, but the house is dark, with three rusty padlocks on the door. A black cat with eyes of fire appears and leads him through Prague's silent streets and monuments in seach of the three golden keys that will open the door of his boyhood home and restore the city to life. In this reissue of one of his most personal works, Peter Sís recaptures the wonder of his own lost childhood in Prague and celebrates the city's wonderful cultural heritage, reborn after forty-five years of Communist rule. He wrote it for his young daughter, Madeleine, who is growing up in the New World, so that when she is old enough to understand it she will have a record of the strange and wonderful heritage that is her birthright. An utterly magical book on every level.

Project Puffin: The Improbable Quest to Bring a Beloved Seabird Back to Egg Rock


Stephen W. Kress - 1997
    As a young ornithology instructor at the Hog Island Audubon Camp, Dr. Stephen W. Kress learned that puffins had nested on nearby islands until extirpated by hunters in the late 1800s. To right this environmental wrong, he resolved to bring puffins back to one such island—Eastern Egg Rock. Yet bringing the plan to reality meant convincing skeptics, finding resources, and inventing restoration methods at a time when many believed in “letting nature take its course.” Today, Project Puffin has restored more than 1,000 puffin pairs to three Maine islands. But even more exciting, techniques developed during the project have helped to restore rare and endangered seabirds worldwide. Further, reestablished puffins now serve as a window into the effects of global warming. The success of Dr. Kress’s project offers hope that people can restore lost wildlife populations and the habitats that support them. The need for such inspiration has never been greater.

On The Origin of Species


Sabina Radeva - 2019
    But scientists started to challenge that idea and in 1859 Charles Darwin, a naturalist and biologist, wrote a famous book called On the Origin of Species that revolutionised the way that we have understood evolution ever since.Now molecular biologist and illustrator Sabina Radeva has recreated Darwin's most famous work as a beautifully illustrated book. The stunning pictures bring the theory of evolution to life for young readers, and anyone who wants to learn about evolution.Pulling together Darwin's observations from his travels around the world and his ground-breaking explanation of how species form, develop, and change over hundreds of thousands of years, On The Origin of Species is as relevant and important now as it ever was.A very important project, most beautifully realised. Sabina Radeva's thoughtful text and gorgeous pictures together tell the story of On The Origin of Species, and of Evolution itself, with clarity, humour and great charm. - Emma Darwin An entrancing picture-book retelling of Darwin's on the Origin of Species ... filled with informative, beautifully designed diagrams and maps. - The Guardian

Nibbles: The Book Monster


Emma Yarlett - 2016
    Nibbles is a very naughty book monster - he's chomping, munching and nibbling his way through fairytales that don't belong to him! Can you help catch him and put him back in his own story? Lift the flaps, peek through the peep holes, and chase Nibbles through a fantastical world of fairy tales including Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk and Goldilocks and the Three Bears.