Ribbit!


Rodrigo Folgueira - 2012
    Sitting contentedly on a rock in the middle of their pond, the pig opens his mouth and says: RIBBIT! The frogs are bewildered at first, and then a bit annoyed—"What did that little pig just say?", "Does he think he's a frog?", "Is he making fun of us?" Soon the pig draws the attention of all the nearby animals; everyone is curious to know what he wants! After much guessing (and shouting) and a visit to the wise old beetle, the animals realize that perhaps the pig was not there to mock them afterall—maybe he just wanted to make new friends!  But is it too late?  This is a warm, funny, and beautifully illustrated story of friendship, with boisterous RIBBIT!s throughout—perfect for reading aloud.

The Whale in My Swimming Pool


Joyce Wan - 2015
    . . There's a big whale in the water and it's not budging! The boy tries everything to get the whale to leave. Nothing seems to work. Not fetch. Not tag. Not even offering his allowance. What's a boy to do? Luckily, he comes up with the perfect solution: he decides to chill out on a spray of water over the whale's spout. This colorful whale of a tale from the talented Joyce Wan is sure to inspire giggles from little guppies!

Aliens Love Underpants


Claire Freedman - 1998
    This humorous tale describes how aliens, rather than visiting Earth to take over the planet, really visit to steal your pants.

Dancing Feet!


Lindsey Craig - 2010
    Clickity! Clickity! Happy feet!Introducing a get-up-and-dance toddler book-so catchy and rhythmic, you'll almost want to sing it.Lindsey Craig's rollicking text features funny sound words (Tippity! Creepity! Stompity! Thumpity!), dancing animals, a singsong beat, and a guessing element just easy enough for preschoolers to anticipate. Marc Brown's artwork is bright, textured, and joyful, a collage of simple shapes for kids to find and name.So grab a partner and tap your feet to this read-aloud picture-book treat.

Sheep Take a Hike


Nancy E. Shaw - 1994
    Rapid rhythm, rhyme, and colorful illustrations make this a perfect introduction to poetry.

Crash, Splash, or Moo!


Bob Shea - 2018
    McMonkey is your host, and your contestants are America's favorite stunt clam, Action Clam...and a cow! These unlikely daredevils face off in a sequence of challenges--and readers get to guess the outcome of all the wacky stunts. The winner gets a Golden Banana!

I Don't Want a Cool Cat!


Emma Dodd - 2009
    Along the way, she meets a zany mix of cats with distinct personalities, but none of them are right for her! After a comical cat chase, she finally finds a special one to call her very own. In this follow-up to I Don't Want a Posh Dog!, Emma Dodd reminds readers that, while there are many different kinds of pets to choose from, everyone of us can find a loveable four-legged friend to share our hearts and hugs with. With whimsical illustrations and playful rhyming text, I Don't Want a Cool Cat! demonstrates the bond people share with their favorite feline friends--the perfect read-aloud for cat lovers and their little ones.

How to Be a Cat


Nikki McClure - 2013
    A single word of text per spread teaches readers “how to be a cat”—how to stretch, clean, pounce, feast—while the striking paper cuts illustrate the kitten’s attempts to imitate an adult cat’s mastery of each skill. At times the kitten triumphantly succeeds, and at other times the kitten struggles, in vignettes that range from whimsical to profound. A celebration of all things feline, How to Be a Cat also tells a universal story of mastering life skills, and of the sometimes tender, sometimes stern relationship between parent and child, teacher and pupil. Cat lovers of all ages will connect to this loving portrayal of a mentor-student relationship. Praise for How to Be a Cat STARRED REVIEWS "Purrrrfect for beginning readers and little artists with an eye for fine cut-paper compositions and craftsmanship." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review "A delightful picture book in every way. Beginning with the paw-print endpapers, youngsters will know that they are in for an adventure. The simplicity and flow of page design are beautifully done as viewers follow a kitten and his mother as she teaches him basic feline behavior." —School Library Journal, starred review "McClure's cut-paper spreads can be mesmerizing." —Publishers Weekly "McClure wonderfully captures the shape and movement of the feline form, and kids will also enjoy pointing out the blue and white butterflies and the black-capped chickadee that also appear on several pages." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "Perfect for cat lovers of all ages, the book helps us reconnect with memories of our own jouney of growth and learning." —Cat Fancy

Also an Octopus


Maggie Tokuda-Hall - 2016
    What happens next is up to you! A delightfully meta picture book that will set imaginations soaring.It begins with an octopus who plays the ukulele. Since this is a story, the octopus has to want something—maybe to travel to faraway galaxies in a totally awesome purple spaceship. Then the octopus sets out to build a spaceship out of soda cans, glue, umbrellas, glitter, and waffles. OK, maybe the octopus needs some help, like from an adorable bunny friend, and maybe that bunny turns out to be . . . a rocket scientist? (Probably not.) But could something even more amazing come to pass? Debut author Maggie Tokuda-Hall, with the help of illustrator Benji Davies, sets up an endearingly funny story, then hands the baton to readers, who will be more than primed to take it away.

Big Bad Bunny


Franny Billingsley - 2008
     Just look at her name: Baby Boo-Boo. She's no baby! The word drives her wild in a big, bad way. And here's Mama Mouse calling, always calling after her, "Baby! Where are you, Baby?" It's humiliating. Mice (and other small persons) will understand what Big Bad Boo-Boo does. It's quite naughty.

Llama Destroys the World


Jonathan Stutzman - 2019
    Meet Llama, the next great picture-book megastar, who has most definitely driven a bus and who loves tacos way more than you.He also loves cake, and that’s where our story begins.On Monday, Llama discovers a pile of cake, which he promptly eats.On Tuesday, Llama squeezes into his dancing pants, which he promptly rips.The force of the rip creates a black hole (naturally).By Friday, Llama will (indirectly) destroy the world.

We Are the Dinosaurs


Laurie Berkner - 2017
    WHADDAYA THINK OF THAT?

Eat Pete!


Michael Rex - 2018
    Now Pete has someone to play with! And the hungry monster couldn't be more thrilled to be there, either. Now he can . . . EAT PETE!But Pete has other ideas. And they are all good fun and quite distracting--things like playing cars and pirates. Well, we all know the course of playing together nicely never did run smoothly. So how much longer will the monster have to wait before he can . . . EAT PETE?

Little Elliot, Big City


Mike Curato - 2014
    In spite of the challenges he faces, Elliot finds many wonderful things to enjoy—like cupcakes! And when his problems seem insurmountable, Elliot discovers something even sweeter—a friend.

How to Give Your Cat a Bath: In Five Easy Steps


Nicola Winstanley - 2019
    The perfect read-aloud for fans of Snappsy the Alligator and Interrupting Chicken.Step one: fill the bathStep two: put the cat in the bathStep three: put shampoo on the catStep four: rinse the catStep five: dry the catSeems simple, right? One problem: the cat has no intention of doing ANY of these things! Watch as the steps keep changing, the cat keeps escaping, the girl keeps eating cookies and the mess keeps escalating. Soon it's not just the cat who needs a bath--it's the whole house!This spoof on an instruction manual features an increasingly bewildered human, a nonchalant cat and a know-it-all narrator . . . who really doesn't know it all. How DO you give a cat a bath? Read on to find out!