The Love Letter


Anika Aldamuy Denise - 2019
    One day, they each find a letter. But not just any letter...A love letter. My word!            My whiskers!                        Aww, nuts!Someone loves them. But who? The answer may surprise you!Celebrated author Anika Aldamuy Denise and beloved illustrator Lucy Ruth Cummins deliver this heartwarming tale about a wonderful mix-up that reminds us of the joys of friendship.Makes for a perfect Valentine’s Day gift, or for any time you want to tell someone in your life how much you love them!

It's Valentine's Day


Jack Prelutsky - 1983
    "A humorous celebration." --Booklist.

Vincent Can't Sleep: Van Gogh Paints the Night Sky


Barb Rosenstock - 2017
    . .out, out, out he runs! flying through the garden--marigold, geranium, blackberry, raspberry--past the church with its tall steeple, down rolling hills and sandy paths meant for sheep, He dives at last into the velvety, violet heath, snuggles under a blanket of sapphire sky, and looks up, up, up . . . to visit with the stars. Vincent van Gogh often found himself unable to sleep and wandered under starlit skies. Those nighttime experiences provided the inspiration for many of his paintings, including his most famous, The Starry Night. Van Gogh sold only one painting in his lifetime--but he continued to pursue his unique vision, and ultimately became one of the most beloved artists of all time.

Little Red Riding Hood


Paul Galdone - 1974
    . .”So begins this classic tale about Little Red Riding Hood and her encounter with the wolf one day when she is on her way to visit her sick grandmother. Paul Galdone has drawn on the Brothers Grimm version of Little Red Riding Hood, and lends beautiful,vibrant illustrations to his exciting retelling of this classic fairy tale. Small children and Paul Galdone’s older fans will cheer as the old tale comes enchantingly alive in lovely,nostalgic, full-color pictures.A retelling of the folk tale about a little girl who finds a wolf in her grandmother's clothing.

Fiona's Lace


Patricia Polacco - 2014
    They find work in domestic service to pay back their passage, and at night Fiona turns tangles of thread into a fine, glorious lace. Then when the family is separated, it is the lace that Fiona’s parents follow to find her and her sister and bring the family back together. And it is the lace that will always provide Fiona with memories of Ireland and of her mother’s words: “In your heart your true home resides, and it will always be with you as long as you remember those you love.” This generational story from the family of Patricia Polacco’s Irish father brims with the same warmth and heart as the classic The Keeping Quilt and The Blessing Cup, which Kirkus Reviews called “deeply affecting” in a starred review, and embraces the comfort of family commitment and togetherness that Patricia Polacco’s books are known for.

Cranberry Valentine


Wende Devlin - 1986
    Whiskers have a secret admirer? For the first time in his life, Mr. Whiskers receives a valentine. And not just one, but several! Mr. Whiskers is beside himself...does he really have a secret admirer?How will Mr. Whiskers respond to this valentine gesture?

Johnny Appleseed


Reeve Lindbergh - 1990
    Rhymed text and illustrations relate the life of John Chapman, whose distribution of apple seeds and trees across the Midwest made him a legend and left a legacy still enjoyed today.

Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile


Gloria Houston - 2011
    Dorothy's dearest wish is to be a librarian in a fine brick library just like the one she visited when she was small, but her new home in North Carolina has valleys and streams but no libraries. So Miss Dorothy and her neighbors decide to start a bookmobile. Instead of people coming to a fine brick library, Miss Dorothy can now bring the books to them - at school, on the farm, even once in the middle of a river! Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile is an inspiring story about the love of books, the power of perseverance, and how a librarian can change people's lives.

Baby Penguins Love Their Mama!


Melissa Guion - 2014
    . . or any day! When you're a mama penguin with lots (and lots) of little ones to take care of, the days can melt together in a blur. Monday: swimming lessons. Tuesday: sliding. Wednesday: waddling. And on and on. Mama loves her babies so much. Do they know, she wonders, just how much? As it turns out, they do--because they love her just as much! And to show it, they surprise her with a thoughtful gesture of their own on Sunday. In her companion to Baby Penguins Everywhere! Melissa Guion offers another adorable book for sharing between mother and child. A perfect Valentine's Day,  Mother's Day—or any day—gift for the person who is always there for us.

Too Many Leprechauns: Or How That Pot o' Gold Got to the End of the Rainbow


Stephen Krensky - 2007
    Patrick's Day, leprechauns are lucky. But on every other day of the year, they make for noisy neighbors -- and they're turning the entire town of Dingle upside down! Fortunately, Finn O'Finnegan always has a clever plan brewing, and this time, with a little luck of the Irish, it's a scheme that just might fool even the cleverest of creatures.

Wintercake


Lynne Rae Perkins - 2019
    Wintercake is a great pick for story times during the winter season.When Thomas misplaces the basket of dried fruit he needs to make his seasonal wintercake, friends old and new come together to save the day. Newbery Medalist and acclaimed picture book creator Lynne Rae Perkins weaves a delightful holiday tale full of surprises and gentle humor.Wintercake is a book about holiday traditions and why they matter. It’s also a story about making mistakes and how mistakes can sometimes lead to wonderful things.With colorful and detailed paintings depicting the winter forest and its animal inhabitants, this seasonal title is perfect for classroom and family sharing all year round.

Planting the Wild Garden


Kathryn O. Galbraith - 2011
    In the wild garden, many seeds are planted too, but not by farmers' hands. Different kinds of animals transport seeds, often without knowing it. Sometimes rain washes seeds away to a new location. And sometimes something extraordinary occurs, like when the pods of Scotch broom burst open explosively in the summer heat, scattering seeds everywhere like popcorn.Kathryn Galbraith's lyrical prose seamlessly combines with Wendy Halperin's elegant, crisp illustrations to show how many elements work together through the seasons to create and sustain the wild meadow garden.

Dance at Grandpa's


Laura Ingalls Wilder - 1994
    Laura Ingalls Wilder's classic books, illustrated with Garth Williams' timeless artwork, have been cherished by millions of readers ever since they were first published over sixty years ago.

The Best Thing About Valentines


Eleanor Hudson - 2004
    I love it all!Ribbons, glitter, lace, and paste are all fun things to use when creating special Valentine's Day cards. Young children will enjoy reading this sweet rhyming story, narrated by a young child who loves to make cards and give them to family, friends, and classmates. But the very best thing of all is getting your very own valentines on Valentine's Day!

The Weight of a Mass: A Tale of Faith


Josephine Nobisso - 2002
    The baker writes “One Mass” on a scrap of paper and places it on his scale to determine how much bread it is worth. To his and the entire town’s surprise, nothing in the shop, not even the gigantic wedding cakes made for the king, outweighs the simple piece of paper representing the true worth of a mass. Luminous old-world watercolor paintings grace the interior of the book and gold foil artwork lends an air of solemnity and sacred beauty to the story. This has been a best-selling children's book since it was first published. It us often made into plays for catechises, or used in homilies, and read on YouTube, and on private sites and channels.