When Papa arrives, Maomao hardly recognizes him at first. But before long, the family is making sticky rice balls, hearing the firecrackers, and watching the dragon dance in the street. Maomao loves doing ordinary things with Papa - getting a haircut, fixing things around the house, and sleeping tucked between her parents. But all too soon it is time for Papa to go away again.

    Poor Frog's pond has dried up and he has nowhere to live. Luckily, he meets friendly Mouse, who is just starting to build a new house. "Everybody's welcome, no matter who they are," explains Mouse. "Wherever they may come from, whether near or far." As Frog and Mouse build a house together, they meet more animals without a place to live. Soon, they all join in to build a big, beautiful home where everyone is welcome, safe, and warm.In this sweet forest setting, children will learn how important it is to extend a generous hand to those in need, whether neighbors in crisis, a friend with a problem, or a family immigrating to a new country. It's a timely, vital, and comforting story that will elicit useful conversations about caring, charity, and empathy.

    Children experience the same range of strong feelings as adults, but often don’t have the tools to deal with them. For children ages 4 to 8, Happy Right Now teaches emotional intelligence with fun, relatable imagery and clever rhymes.Award-winning author Julie Berry brings a playful bounce to the important lesson that kids don’t need to wait for fantastic gifts, school vacations, or sunny days to find joy in the moment. And even if they can’t find a way to choose happiness—if the blues are just too strong—Berry provides a series of quick practices to help young readers move through their sadness. Smartly illustrated by Holly Hatam, Happy Right Now is perfect for children, parents, and caregivers who want to learn how to navigate difficult emotions and embrace the bright side of any situation, rain or shine.

       “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” In this imaginative take on that popular saying, a child is surprised (and disappointed) to receive a lemon tree from Grandma for her birthday. After all, she DID ask for a new gadget! But when she follows the narrator’s careful—and funny—instructions, she discovers that the tree might be exactly what she wanted after all. This clever story, complete with a recipe for lemonade, celebrates the pleasures of patience, hard work, nature, community . . . and putting down the electronic devices just for a while.

    Mama Rose is tender and sweet—everything a child could wish for in a parent. But she is also as stern and demanding as any good parent should be. In the midst of their happy home, Carol Olivia Clementine misses her mother and father. While she longs to be with them, she also learns to embrace the love that is present. Mama Rose becomes her “home.” And Carol Olivia Clementine concludes that she loves Mama Rose “just like a mama.”This sweet read-aloud is, on the surface, all about the everyday home life a caregiver makes for her young charge: Mama Rose teaches Carol Olivia Clementine how to ride a bike, clean her room, tell time. A deeper look reveals the patience, intention, and care a child receives in the arms of a mother whose blood is not her blood, but whose bond is so deep, so unconditional, that it creates the perfect conditions for a child to feel safe, successful, and deeply loved.

    Fox is going to the moon! Away he goes in his hot air balloon. . . . But wait! Can Elephant come too? Sure! Let's bring along some pizza. What about Giraffe? And Squirrel? Everyone is welcome in Mr. Fox's balloon, but look out—will everyone fit? In the tradition of classic cumulative tales like Mr. Gumpy's Outing, Migy's And Away We Go! is an unforgettable debut picture book from an exciting new talent.

    Until one day, his short arms can't reach the monkey bars, he can't find anyone during hide-and-seek, AND he's too little to ride the big slide. Ravi is so mad -- so furious -- that he can't control his temper anymore . . . and he turns into a ferocious, roaring TIGER!Tigers can do anything they want! But who wants to play with a growling, wild tiger who won't share or behave? Ravi is about to discover something very important about voicing his feelings.While we all get angry sometimes, Ravi's Roar shows some good ways to channel those emotions to avoid hurting family and friends.The Big Bright Feelings picture book series provides kid-friendly entry points into emotional intelligence topics -- from being true to yourself to dealing with worries, managing anger, and making friends. These topics can be difficult to talk about. But these books act as sensitive and reassuring springboards for conversations about mental and emotional health, positive self-image, building self-confidence, and managing feelings.Read all the books in the Big Bright Feelings series!Ruby Finds a WorryPerfectly NormanRavi's RoarMeesha Makes FriendsTilda Tries Again

    Three kids and their helpful dog have taken over the kitchen for some early morning pancake fun. Just a few flips, splatters, and oozing toppings later, the children dig into the yummiest stack of flapjacks ever. Talented newcomer Tamson Weston and award-winning illustrator Stephen Gammell have teamed up to create a mouthwatering and fun book that's sure to send all kids--and their parents--straight to the kitchen for a heaping stack of their own! Features a tasty recipe for "Grandma's Pancakes."

    Mei struggles to find the magic needed to make noodles. Ultimately, she finds the magic--and the ability to succeed--within. Mei doesn't just make noodles--her magic noodles in varied shapes and sizes rain down from the sky!NOODLE MAGIC is written in the style of a Chinese folk story, with engaging cultural and community aspects. The family connection that's at the heart of the story has universal appeal. The grandfather and granddaughter work together to accomplish what one could not do alone. Meilo So, whose BRUSH OF THE GODS received four starred reviews, brings the story to life with beautiful, breathtaking illustrations.

    The subjects are, first, antonyms--such as above/below and weak/strong--and then lunch. The paired dinosaurs, in a goofy array of pastels, are almost all smiling, even when the rhyme insists they're "grumpy"--so when they settle down to a lunch with (and not of) each other, the end is satisfying. The pictures and swingy short verses will make this a good group read-aloud, even for the very young. -BooklistThese prehistoric monsters are just perfect for the preschool crowds. A natural for story time. -School Library Journal

    rex. She’d rather paint animals than chase them. She prefers sorting bones to gnawing on them. Bite and fight? Nope. Sam uses her words.Naturally, her parents and brother worry—will she ever be a strong, fearsome leader like a true T. rex? But when disaster strikes, it is Samanthasaurus Rex who saves the day—in her own unique way.

    Jane Yolen runs through the gamut of mealtime bad behaviour, satisfyingly concluding with impeccably behaved dinosaur guests.

    Hop is a bunny who raps superfast. One afternoon they see a poster for a rap contest and become friends. On the day of the big event, rappers like LudaFish and Notorious P.I.G. take the stage. It comes down to a rap-off between Hip and Hop, but this time neither slow nor fast wins the prize.This engaging new take on the fable of the tortoise and the hare combines elements of comics with a traditional picture book. Hilarious mini-raps recited at varying speeds make for a rollicking read-aloud that kids will want to hear-and perform-over and over.

    An entertainer. A legend. One Bear Extraordinaire. Bear wakes up one morning with a song in his head, but something is missing. What’s a one-bear band to do? He travels the forest in search of his song and meets a few other musicians along the way, but even with their help, his song still feels incomplete. Will Bear find the perfect accompaniment and learn that every song sounds sweeter with friends by his side? Jayme McGowan brings Bear and his merry band to life with intricate and innovative threedimensional cut-paper art that is nothing short of extraordinary.

    In this hilarious modern spoof of a favorite holiday song, the trip to Grandfather's house is no peaceful sleigh ride!