I Don't Like Koala


Sean Ferrell - 2015
    Koala is a little creepy.Adam tries explaining this to his parents. He tries putting Koala away—far away. He tries taking Koala on a long, long walk. Nothing works. Will Adam ever be rid of Koala?This darkly funny debut picture book from Sean Ferrell and Charles Santoso celebrates imagination and bravery while addressing a universal childhood dilemma: what to do about that one stuffed animal who just won’t stop staring at you.

Black Dog


Levi Pinfold - 2011
    Only Small, the youngest Hope, has the courage to face the black dog, who might not be as frightening as everyone else thinks.

Twig


Aura Parker - 2016
    One, two three.Why won't someone play with me?Heidi is a stick insect, long and thin like the twig of a tree. It's her first day at Bug School, where she hopes to learn lots and make new friends. But no one will talk to her . . . and no one will play with her at lunch. No one notices her at all - not even her teacher Miss Orb. Perhaps she's blending in with the branches a little too well! Finally, Heidi speaks up for herself and Miss Orb comes up with a plan to help Heidi stand out.

The Little Red Fort


Brenda Maier - 2018
    She invites her brothers to help, but they just laugh and tell her she doesn't know how to build."Then I'll learn," she says.And she does!When she creates a dazzling fort that they all want to play in, it is Ruby who has the last laugh.With sprightly text and winsome pictures, this modern spin on the timeless favorite The Little Red Hen celebrates the pluck and ingenuity of young creators everywhere!

Number One Sam


Greg Pizzoli - 2014
    Will he learn what it truly means to be a winner?

Owl Babies


Martin Waddell - 1992
    At last she does, and they all bounce up and down with joy, welcoming her home.

The Happy Owls


Celestino Piatti - 1963
    Describes how a pair of owls share their secret of happiness with the quarrelsome barnyard fowls.

Huff & Puff


Claudia Rueda - 2009
    Three interior die-cut holes invite readers to huff, puff, and blow the pigs’ houses down! This fractured fairy tale ends sweetly when, rather than blowing down the third pig’s brick home, the wolf/reader blows out the candles on a cake baked by the pigs! A satisfying and engaging read for every young Three Little Pigs fan.Praise for Huff & Puff "Simple but wonderfully expressive, the illustrations are ink drawings with pale washes of tan, pink, yellow, and blue. A beautifully designed and wholly engaging picture book for young children."–Booklist"Sure to be a family favorite." –Shelf-Awareness “A good chance for youngsters to relish enacting the wicked role while still getting a friendly reconciliation at the end.”–Kirkus Reviews"Very young readers will get a kick out of taking the wolf’s part, and their parents will appreciate that the scariest bits of the original tale have been omitted."–School Library Journal"Like her repetitive text, Rueda’s illustrations are gently funny and elegantly simple."–Horn Book"The reader is encouraged to follow the pigs into the book."–Library Media Connection

Not Just a Dot


Loryn Brantz - 2014
    After all, Dot is only a dot, and what good is a dot? It looks like Dot could use a reminder of his important place in the world. How could a person see if he only had one dotted eye? And what would a dalmatian be without all its spots? More importantly, how could children ask for sweet treats without the dot in a question mark? Dot is about to get a big lesson on just how important he is—because there’s a special spot for every dot in this world!From author/illustrator Loryn Brantz comes a witty story about confidence and value. Interactive dialogue and illustrations encourage readers to point out missing dots on each page and makes Not Just a Dot a wonderful tool for teaching self-confidence.Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Grumpy Bird


Jeremy Tankard - 2007
    Too grumpy to eat or play -- too grumpy even to fly. "Looks like I'm walking today," says Bird. He walks past Sheep, who offers to keep him company. He walks past Rabbit, who also could use a walk. Raccoon, Beaver, and Fox join in, too. Before he knows it, a little exercise and companionship help Bird shake his bad mood. Praised by the Wall Street Journal as "comic perfection," this winsome, refreshingly original picture book is sure to help kids (and grown-ups) giggle away their grumpies, too! Bird's impeckably crafted, hilarious melodramas continue in the Grumpy Bird board book, Boo Hoo Bird, Hungry Bird, and coming in 2018, Sleepy Bird.

Jabari Tries


Gaia Cornwall - 2020
    I don’t need any help,” he declares. But it doesn’t work! Jabari is frustrated. Good thing Dad is there for a pep talk and his little sister, Nika, is there to assist, fairy wings and all. With the endearing father-child dynamic of Jabari Jumps and engaging mixed-media illustrations, Gaia Cornwall’s tale shows that through perseverance and flexibility, an inventive thought can become a brilliant reality.

Emergency Kittens!


Jody Jensen Shaffer - 2020
    . . EMERGENCY KITTENS!!!!!Who needs boring ol' superheroes who leap giant buildings and run faster than locomotives when your day can be saved by the cuddly, super-cute, full-on feline charm of Mimi, Twee-Twee, and Adorbs, aka EMERGENCY KITTENS!!!Meet the Emergency Kittens, a trio of furry, gentle superheroes who come to the rescue with their incredible cuteness when the going gets tough. When bullies steal Sheldon's ball in the playground, a pack of your usual, everyday, human caped crusaders leaps to the rescue. But when their showy feats of strength and agility fail to impress, some real heroes step in to save the day: EMERGENCY KITTENS!!! With their unending cuteness and unforgivably adorable purrs, this mighty trio of fluffy goodness turns any sticky situation into one of pure cuddles.Pages of silly, good-natured giggles await any kid who loves superheroes, cats, or really funny read-alouds. And parents and teachers will like the gentle way in which this story subtly teaches that kindness and cuddles can often solve a problem that strength and muscle cannot.

ZooZical


Judy Sierra - 2011
    So the animals are out of sorts—listless, grumpy, and no longer fun. All except two little friends, a very small hippo and a baby kangaroo. Their hip-hopping, toe-tapping,  and rap-rocking soon has the other animals joining in the hip-aroo beat. "Racoons danced in pairs, baboons danced in troops, and snakes joined the dancers as live hula-hoops." Children's favorite songs get a funny new spin—seals bark out "The seals on the bus go round and round"—as the animals create their very own musical.Young readers and listeners will be amazed and delighted at how the animals chase the winter doldrums by getting along as friends, pooling their talents, and pushing themselves to new heights. After all, these are the same clever animals who learned to read in Judy Sierra's and Marc Brown's Wild About Books, an award-winning New York Times #1 bestselling picture book. ZooZical is sure to inspire some "can do" fun in kindergarten and primary grades.From the Hardcover edition.

I'm Fun, Too! (A Classic LEGO Picture Book)


Jonathan Fenske - 2018
    If we were all ice cream, those guys would be the super-duper chunky happy birthday blast. And I would be the vanilla."After feeling down about being ordinary, he and his new friends piece together just how special he truly is. This vibrantly illustrated storybook will charm readers of all ages, reminding them that what makes each person special can be found on the inside.

Max's Words


Kate Banks - 2006
    Benjamin collects stamps and Karl collects coins, and neither one will share with their little brother. So Max decides to start a collection of his own. He’s going to collect words. He starts with small words that he cuts out of newspapers and magazines, but soon his collection has spilled out into the hall. All the while, his brothers are watching. Benjamin brags that he has one thousand stamps. Karl is just a few coins short of five hundred. But a thousand stamps is really just a bunch of stamps, and a lot of coins is only a heap of money. A pile of words, however, can make a story.  Bright, bold pictures incorporating clever wordplay accompany this highly original tale about a younger brother’s ingenuity. Max's Words is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.