What could their friends be up to?

    Olivia is sure she'll land the leading role. But instead of getting the lead role, she is assigned the role of "Cow Number 2" and has only one line in the whole play: "Moo!" With her penchant for turning lemons into lemonade, and the determination and humor that's unique to Olivia, she manages to secure her place in the spotlight after all.

    Bucket filling and dipping are effective metaphors for understanding the effects of our actions and words on the well being of others and ourselves.

    An ordinary boy in an ordinary world. With no words, only illustrations, Small Things tells the story of a boy who feels alone with worries but who learns that help is always close by. An extraordinary story, told simply and with breath taking beauty.

    Molly Lou Melon is different, but this doesn't slow her down.

    But when he proclaims himself a superbat, the other bats laugh and say that anything he can do, like fly and navigate through the dark, they can do too. Disheartened that his friends have the same superpowers as him, Pat is ready to rip off his cape and throw it away when suddenly his supersonic hearing picks up a terrified cry. A cat has trapped a poor mouse!Without a second thought, Pat quickly flies across the city using his echolocation and saves the mouse from the big, bad cat. His friends, who followed to watch, realize that Pat does have an amazing superpower: courage! A playful twist on the superhero theme, Matt Carr's debut picture book is perfect for anyone who has ever felt just out of place. Matt introduces some real bat characteristics in this superhero adventure, as well as some bat facts in the back of the book!

    After her cat, Tiger, dies, Kate needs another companion to love, someone to keep her feet warm at night. "Let's get a pup!" she proclaims as she bounces in bed with Mom and Dad. The young parents are quite cool with the idea and scan the papers until they find a Rescue Center. There they find a wide assortment of pooches: "sniffers, sleepers...fighters and biters...happy dogs, sad dogs." And then they see Dave. Dave is perfect -- small, cute, and brand-new. Content to leave with the new member of the family, they spot another dog, Rosy, who is old and gray and can barely stand up. But, as Graham so beautifully states, "she radiated Good Intention." Now they want Rosy too, but they can't save every dog, right? So, they reluctantly leave. That night the family can barely sleep, and only due in part to Dave's crying. They know what they have to do -- they go to the shelter and get Rosy.Graham uses pen-and-ink and watercolor to reveal the close-knit and very hip family. With Mom's tattoo and nose ring, and Dad's ear-pierced, funky look, this parental duo reflects the times. And their house, filled with the tiny details that make up our lives, makes for cozy reading. Uneaten toast on the counter, with shoes and toys strewn on the floor, will be familiar to young readers who don't have Donna Reed as a mother. Graham's signature watercolors are a perfect match for this easygoing and loving group. The text also complements the pace of the story. When they see their new pup, the name "Dave" is in bold, and is the only word on the page. And when they leave Rosy behind, white space and a minimum of words convey their heartbreaking decision.With expert storytelling and humorously endearing illustrations, Graham once again creates a loving family with unconventional folks. Their love of pups, and each other, is sure to tug at the heartstrings of every young reader. (Amy Barkat)

    In this engaging story about identity, loyalty and what it really means to be a family, Guji, Guji makes some pretty big decisions about who he is, what he is, and what it all means, anyway. Ages 4 and up.

    "You're named after a flower!" teases Victoria. "Let's smell her," says Jo. Chrysanthemum wilts. What will it take to make her blossom again?Supports the Common Core State Standards

    On his quest for the chocolates, he’s thwarted at every turn, but ends up discovering the real meaning of love.Told in simple prose by bestselling author Laura Sassi, this heartfelt and humorous picture book is a sweet reminder that real love isn’t found in a box–even one filled with chocolates. Love Is Kind takes a charming and gentle approach to teaching kids the true meaning of love as described in 1 Corinthians 13, while celebrating the bonds that kids have with their grandparents, and the many forms that love and happiness can take.Love Is Kind:Written by best-selling author Laura SassiIllustrated by Lison ChaperonBeautiful illustrations highlight 1 Corinthians 13Celebrates the special love between children and grandparents

    Every day she endures taunts for the birthmark on her face—though her beloved Pauline, the only person who has ever cared for her, tells her it is a precious diamond. When Pauline is sent to work for another carnival, Bee is lost.Then a scruffy dog shows up, as unwanted as she, and Bee realizes that she must find a home for them both. She runs off to a house with gingerbread trim that reminds her of frosting. There two mysterious women, Mrs. Swift and Mrs. Potter, take her in. They clothe her, though their clothes are strangely out of date. They feed her, though there is nothing in their house to eat. They help her go to school, though they won't enter the building themselves. And, strangely, only Bee seems able to see them.Whoever these women are, they matter. They matter to Bee. And they are helping Bee realize that she, too, matters to the world--if only she will let herself be a part of it.This tender novel beautifully captures the pain of isolation, the healing power of community, and the strength of the human spirit.

    Her parents think she can. Rather than begging or pleading, Amelia adopts an imaginary dog named Bones. But when Amelia's make-believe pup runs away, her parents are in for a real surprise!

    He was so small that the Kerby family didn?t think he would survive? so they brought him into the house where he met Tink, a new dachshund mom. When Tink saw Pink, she immediately adopted him into her family, and helped nurse him back to health. Pink thrived in his new family: the puppies didn?t mind that Pink looked nothing like them?he was just their size. This remarkable story has already garnered a great deal of media attention: the irresistible photographs documenting Pink and Tink?s relationship have appeared on Good Morning America and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Readers of all ages will be captivated by these adorable animals and the amazing bond that they share.

    But one day, Stump's grandfather starts to lose his memory—and his words, which literally fall from him. Stump tries his best to keep the lost words safe, collecting them in a special box. But Grandpa seems to forget more and more everyday, and the situation comes to a head one snowy night when Stump wakes up to find Grandpa missing. Together, Stump and Grandma must find new ways to connect with Grandpa, and show him that he's not alone.This poignant, tender picture book depicts the struggle of coping with a loved one's dementia with honesty and sensitivity, with a message of hope that affirms the deep bonds of love between grandchild and grandparent. This book includes an afterword to the adult reader about dementia and recollection, written by Ove Dahl, a historian and head of the Danish Center for Reminiscence. He provides some practical tips, as illustrated in the story with Stump, for establishing a meaningful way of being together when caring for a relative with dementia.

    But what happens when a monster can’t be mean any more? Is he still a monster at all?One young monster's attempts to live up to his name go hilariously awry as he discovers—with a little help from new friends—that it's not what you're called but who you are that counts.