Trout, Trout, Trout: (A Fish Chant)


April Pulley Sayre - 2004
    The jaunting text begs to be "chanted" out loud--if you can get through it without giggling! Wacky, bold illustrations add even more humor, yet accurately depict dozens of freshwater fish. "Trout, Trout, Trout! is an ideal collaboration of science and entertainment. Whether young readers enjoy fish in their own fish bowls, up at the lake, or on the end of their fishing poles, they'll get a kick out of chanting, "Trout, Trout, Trout!"

There Was an Old Pirate Who Swallowed a Fish


Jennifer Ward - 2012
    . . who swallowed a fish, a bird, a map, some gold, and even a whole pirate ship! Will the Old Pirate sink to the bottom of the deep, dark sea? Yo ho ho! Watch his belly grow! Jennifer Ward’s take on the “Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” song is perfectly matched with Steve Gray’s zany digital illustrations.

I Will Chomp You!


Jory John - 2015
    Don’t move a muscle, buster. Stay out of this book or I WILL CHOMP YOU!So says the not-so-fierce inhabitant of I Will Chomp You, a tale of deception, greed…and cake!Jory John and Bob Shea bring a fresh, hilarious twist to a time-tested blueprint as their little monster threatens, reasons and pleads with readers to go no further in the book because he will NOT share his beautiful, delicious cakes. Children will identify with the monster’s high valuation of his possessions, and (importantly) will laugh at the silly measures he takes to protect them.

I'm My Own Dog


David Ezra Stein - 2014
    Not this dog. He fetches his own slippers, curls up at his own feet, and gives himself a good scratch. But there is one spot, in the middle of his back, that he just can’t reach. So one day, he lets a human scratch it. And the poor little fella follows him home. What can the dog do but get a leash to lead the guy around with?

The Monster Next Door


David Soman - 2016
    The two become fast friends, even setting up a pulley-line to pass notes between their tree houses. The boy knows just how to celebrate this invention—with music! But the monster’s tuba music is loud. Really loud. WAY. TOO. LOUD. Before the boy can think, he hurls a water balloon at his neighbor to get him to stop. An epic water-balloon fight ensues, until the boy—fed up, spent, done—cuts the clothesline. No more note-passing. No more monster. Can the boy and monster ever be friends again? Does the boy even want to? Maybe he just needs to see things from a new, unexpected perspective.

Girl Versus Squirrel


Hayley Barrett - 2020
    One determined squirrel. Pearl has built three bird feeders--one looks like a house, one looks like a tube, and one looks like a teacup because it is a teacup. After she fills the bird feeders she sits back to enjoy the show--until a squirrel scares the birds away and gobbles up all the peanuts in the teacup. This will never do, and Pearl declares that girl versus squirrel is on. She raises the teacup higher and higher and finally builds an obstacle course to deter the squirrel. Does she succeed? Of course not--but Pearl learns that sometimes it is best--and can even be fun--to find a way to compromise.

Mary Had a Little Lab


Sue Fliess - 2018
    Petros Bouloubasis will illustrate; publication is slated for spring 2018.

How Do Dinosaurs Stay Safe?


Jane Yolen - 2015
    Now Jane Yolen and Mark Teague deftly approach this critical subject with warmth, humor, and hilarity.The wildly funny contrast between Teague's massive dinosaur children and their human-sized surroundings makes this subject especially appealing and funny. Where a book about safety for children might be potentially frightening, the antics of immense dinosaurs jumping on the bed or learning how to dial 9-1-1 on Mama's tiny phone will keep readers laughing from start to finish.Parents, children, teachers, and other caregivers need a comfortable way to discuss safety, and this book provides just that. And as children learn invaluable rules about safe behavior, they'll beg to read it again and again for the wildly appealing silliness on each page. Here is a book that belongs in every household!

Nugget and Fang: Friends Forever--or Snack Time?


Tammi Sauer - 2013
    There Nugget learns that minnows are supposed to be afraid of sharks! To regain Nugget’s trust, Fang takes desperate (and hilarious) measures. But it’s not until his big sharp teeth save the entire school that minnows learn this shark is no foe. Fantastically stylized artwork adds even more humor to this undersea story of unlikely friendship.

Big Bad Bubble


Adam Rubin - 2014
    It appears out of nowhere, then it attacks! At least, that's what Mogo says. He has convinced the other monsters in La La Land that bubbles are scary. But you know better, don't you? Talk to the monsters. See if you can convince them not to be afraid.

Bear with Me


Max Kornell - 2011
    Gary means well, though, and eventually Owen starts to see that there are some good things about having a bear in the family. Because Gary is such an unusual addition to the family, this story will appeal to kids getting used to any kind of new family member, be it a baby, grandparent, pet, or even sharing with a friend. Refreshing humor, expressive illustrations, and characters full of personality make this warm, funny debut a book that will be treasured.

The Baby Tree


Sophie Blackall - 2014
    Cleverly revealing the basics of reproduction in an age-appropriate way, award-winning Sophie Blackall has created a beautiful picture book full of playful details to amuse and engage readers. Sooner or later, every child will ask, Where do babies come from? Answering this question has never been this easy or entertaining! Join a curious little boy who asks everyone from his babysitter to the mailman, getting all sorts of funny answers along the way, before his parents gently set him straight.

Mix It Up!


Hervé Tullet - 2014
    Follow the artist's simple instructions, and suddenly colors appear, mix, splatter, and vanish in a world powered only by the reader's imagination. Tullet—who joins such greats as Eric Carle and Leo Lionni as a master of his craft—sets readers on an extraordinary interactive journey all within the printed page. Tullet prompts plenty of giggles in addition to a profound understanding of colors, and once again displays his unique genius and vision in a work that is a glorious and richly satisfying companion to Press Here.

If Your Monster Won't Go to Bed


Denise Vega - 2017
    They know a lot about putting kids to bed, but nothing about putting monsters to bed. It’s not their fault; they’re just not good at it. Read this book instead. It will tell you what to feed your monster before bed (it’s not warm milk), and what to sing to your monster (it’s not a soothing lullaby), and what to read to your monster to send him off to dreamland in no time (the scarier, the better).

Tickle Monster


Édouard Manceau - 2014
    His horns become the moon, his legs and arms become trees, his nose becomes a car. . . . Slowly but surely, the monster’s shapes build a peaceful nighttime landscape. Manceau’s bold, geometric illustrations create a deceptively simple visual narrative that encourages readers to see the parts as well as the whole. Reminiscent of Ed Emberley’s Go Away, Big Green Monster!, this book empowers the child to be brave and clever in the face of adversity.