Boxitects


Kim Smith - 2020
    A STEAM-centered, adorably illustrated picture book about Meg, a brilliant and creative boxitect who creates extraordinary things out of ordinary cardboard boxes.

Have You Seen Elephant? (Gecko Press Titles)


David Barrow - 2015
    A small boy and his elephant play an absurd game of hide and seek - a brilliant debut from a Sebastian Walker Award-winning illustrator

The Snatchabook


Helen Docherty - 2013
    But books are mysteriously disappearing. Eliza Brown decides to stay awake and catch the book thief. It turns out to be a little creature called the Snatchabook who has no one to read him a bedtime story. All turns out well when the books are returned and the animals take turns reading bedtime stories to the Snatchabook.

If You Take a Mouse to School


Laura Joffe Numeroff - 2002
    Thankfully, the bestselling duo of author Laura Numeroff and illustrator Felicia Bond -- creators of If You Take a Mouse to the Movies and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie -- have teamed up to show us the hijinks a whiskered school guest could cause.Starting with asking for your lunchbox, this critter is set for mischief. The feisty mouse asks for a snack for later (cookies of course), a notebook, and pencils, and wants "to share your backpack, too." After he arrives at school, the pushy classmate tries his hand (make that paw) at math and writing on the blackboard, afterward whipping up a messy, pink science experiment and building a "little mouse house" from blocks. The schooltime antics don't stop there, but a busy mouse tends to get hungry after so much playtime. Naturally his snack is in the lunchbox, which is stored "in a safe place" with his new picture book inside.Following the whimsical style of their previous books, Numeroff and Bond have done it again. Their high-adrenaline mouse will have readers cheering while their eyes comb the illustrations for extra nibbles of fun. Although the book's main human character looks positively exhausted at the end, we can only holler for more of the little guy with the huge school spirit. Matt Warner

I'm Not.


Pam Smallcomb - 2010
    Circus performer. Antarctic explorer. I'm not.Here is the perfect book for children who feel like their outgoing friend is oh-so-talented . . . and they're not. Our shy narrator lists all the things that her best friend, Evelyn, is good at—from jumping on the bed to roller skating really fast. Luckily, Evelyn points out what makes her so special: she's a one-of-a-kind true blue best friend. Robert Weinstock's hilarious illustrations wonderfully complement Pam Smallcomb's simple text, perfect for young children. This sweet depiction of friendship shows—in a completely fresh, original way—that everyone is special.

Not Quite Narwhal


Jessie Sima - 2017
    Sure, he’s always been a little bit different—his tusk isn’t as long, he’s not as good of a swimmer, and he really doesn’t enjoy the cuisine. Then one night, an extra strong current sweeps Kelp to the surface, where he spots a mysterious creature that looks just like him! Kelp discovers that he and the creature are actually unicorns. The revelation leaves him torn: is he a land narwhal or a sea unicorn? But perhaps, if Kelp is clever, he may find a way to have the best of both worlds.

I Will Not Eat You


Adam Lehrhaupt - 2016
    Lucky for the bird, wolf, and tiger, who pass by his cave, Theodore isn’t hungry…yet. But then something new approaches. A boy. Has Theodore found a new favorite food? Or something more?

The Friend Ship


Kat Yeh - 2016
    But then she overhears passersby talking about something that gives her hope-something called a Friend Ship! Hedgehog imagines a ship filled with friends of all kinds, and soon she's ready to hit the open seas in a boat of her own to track it down. Along the way, she meets other lonely animals eager to join her quest.They search north. They search south. They search east. But Hedgehog and her new friends can't find the Ship anywhere! Until she realizes she knows just where the Friend Ship is. . . This heartwarming tale by Kat Yeh, with charming illustrations by Chuck Groenink, proves that sometimes, what you're searching for is right in front of you.

Boot & Shoe


Marla Frazee - 2012
    They eat out of the same bowl, pee on the same tree, and sleep in the same bed. But they spend their days apart - Boot on the back porch because he's a back porch kind of dog, and Shoe on the front porch because he's a front porch kind of dog. This is exactly perfect for them. But then a crazy neighborhood squirrel arrives . . . and everything goes topsy-turvy!Caldecott Honor medalist Marla Frazee brings her signature wit, tenderness, and hilarious illustrations to this tale of an irresistible puppy pair.

The Clothesline


Orbie - 2019
    When he goes to spend his pocket money on candy—only when Mom’s not looking—he gives the knot on the clothesline by the outdoor stairs a good yank (it makes the best sound). One day, he tugs a little too hard, and takes the stairs a little too fast, and—whiiiiiz!—gets stuck hanging smack in the middle of the clothesline. He cries for help, but Mom doesn’t hear. He waits for someone to save him, but only a black cat slinks by. His arm gets tired—but if he hangs on with both hands, he’ll risk dropping his coins! It’s a true dilemma. Finally, he cries out so loudly that he tumbles to the ground. He still spends his pocket money on candy. But he NEVER touches the clothesline again. Told in sequential illustrations with simple text and vibrant sound effects, this is a suspenseful narrative offering an accessible entry point to early graphic novels and a lighthearted, laugh-out-loud reminder of the consequences of our choices.

Special Delivery


Philip C. Stead - 2015
    Along the way she meets an array of interesting characters, including an odd postal worker and a gang of bandit monkeys, who all help her get where she is going. This eccentric and hilarious story from Philip C. Stead, the author of the Caldecott-winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee and illustrator Matthew Cordell will surprise and entertain from beginning to end.

Grumpy Monkey Up All Night


Suzanne Lang - 2020
    Jim is going to a slumber party and there's LOTS to do. Jim plans on bobbing for mangoes, going termite fishing, and of course staying UP ALL NIGHT!But Jim gets more than a little frusrated when all the things he wanted to do go awry. One by one, everyone else falls asleep, while Jim is determined to stay up. How long will he last?In this delightful follow up in the GRUMPY MONKEY series, kids see what happens when you stay awake too late!

We Want a Dog


Lo Cole - 2021
    From the author-illustrator of Ten on a Twig comes a hysterical dog book for kids and adults alike, perfect for any pet lover!We want a dog! What kind of dog...?This hilarious rhyming texts takes us through twenty-seven unexpected and amusing varieties of dogs that one could have, like "one that begs, one that sheds, one that rips things into shreds." And while the book is sure to delight any dog lover, the narrator's choice at the end will make readers laugh out loud! See how many of these lovable and amusing pups you can recognize from your own life.

There Might Be Lobsters


Carolyn Crimi - 2017
    Lots of things at the beach scare Sukie. Lots. Because she is just a small dog, and the stairs are big and sandy, and the waves are big and whooshy, and the balls are big and beachy. And besides, there might be lobsters. With endearing illustrations and a perfectly paced text that captures a timid pup's looping thoughts, here is a funny and honest read-aloud about how overwhelming the world can be when you're worried and how empowering it is to overcome your fears when it matters the most.

Too Tall Houses


Gianna Marino - 2012
    They are perfectly happy . . . until Rabbit's garden gets in the way of Owl's view. So Owl builds his house a little taller. Only that blocks the sun from Rabbit's vegetables. So Rabbit builds his house taller. And soon it's a house-building frenzy and the two now not-so-good friends have the two tallest houses in the world!All it takes is a gust of wind to remind them that maybe living smaller and together is a much better way to remain friends.The creator of Meet Me at the Moon has delivered another wonderful animal fable for today's world.