Small World


Ishta Mercurio - 2019
    But as she grows, the world grows too. It expands outward—from her family, to her friends, to the city, to the countryside. And as it expands, so does Nanda’s wonder in the underlying shapes and structures patterning it: cogs and wheels, fractals in snowflakes. Eventually, Nanda’s studies lead her to become an astronaut and see the small, round shape of Earth far away. A geometric meditation on wonder, Small World is a modern classic that expresses our big and small place in the vast universe.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Car


Kate Dopirak - 2018
    Now it’s time to go to bed. But you want to drive instead. It’s time for Little Car to go to sleep, but he isn’t tired yet! So he cruises around town saying goodnight to all of his friends, from the tractors in their shed to the buses and taxis in town to the cranes and diggers at the construction site. Finally exhausted, Little Car putt-putts home where at last his beep-beep dreams begin.

Down by the Bay


Raffi Cavoukian - 1988
    In this friendly board book edition, irresistible art by Nadine Bernard Westcott depicts wonderfully amusing creatures such as a bear combing his hair, a goose kissing a moose, and a whale with a polka-dot tail. Very young children will find this book both entertaining and instructive in early language skills such as rhyme, rhythm, and repetition, and will delight in hearing it read or sung aloud to them.

Bird Builds a Nest: A First Science Storybook


Martin Jenkins - 2018
    Uh-oh! One of the twigs falls to the ground! But after a day of hard work, Bird's nest is ready and waiting. Can you guess what it's waiting for? Using simple, clear language and beautiful illustrations, this engaging story is the perfect introduction to physical forces for very young readers. A final spread with some simple questions promotes discussion with parents, teachers, or caregivers and encourages readers to think about the concepts introduced.

The Croaky Pokey!


Ethan Long - 2011
    Each goofy frog gets a chance to show off its dance moves, hopping and bopping around the pond. But will the fly figure out that these frogs are really after some lunch? That's what it's all about!From a Geisel Winner and Daytime Emmy Nominee, this musical story is the perfect at-home readaloud or classroom tool to get preschool kids moving.

You Are Home: An Ode to the National Parks


Evan Turk - 2019
    In simple, soaring language and breathtaking art, acclaimed author-illustrator Evan Turk has created a stirring ode to nature and nation. From the rugged coast of Maine to the fiery volcanoes of Hawaii, You Are Home reminds us that every animal, plant, and person helps make this land a brilliant, beautiful sanctuary of life.

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11


Brian Floca - 2009
    Here for a new generation of readers and explorers are the steady astronauts, clicking themselves into gloves and helmets, strapping themselves into sideways seats. Here are their great machines in all their detail and monumentality, the ROAR of rockets, and the silence of the Moon. Here is a story of adventure and discovery—a story of leaving and returning during the summer of 1969, and a story of home, seen whole, from far away.

5 Little Ducks


Denise Fleming - 2016
    Young readers won’t be able to resist counting—and quacking—along!

The Library Book


Tom Chapin - 2017
    What is there to do today? Go to the library, of course! Who will we meet there? Let's find out!

The Stuff of Stars


Marion Dane Bauer - 2018
    . . nothing. But then . . . BANG! Stars caught fire and burned so long that they exploded, flinging stardust everywhere. And the ash of those stars turned into planets. Into our Earth. And into us. In a poetic text, Marion Dane Bauer takes readers from the trillionth of a second when our universe was born to the singularities that became each one of us, while vivid illustrations by Ekua Holmes capture the void before the Big Bang and the ensuing life that burst across galaxies. A seamless blend of science and art, this picture book reveals the composition of our world and beyond -- and how we are all the stuff of stars.

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More!


Karen Beaumont - 2005
    When the child gets caught painting everything from the ceiling to the floor, Mama says "Ya ain't a-gonna paint no more!" But nothing will keep this artist from painting! Written to the familiar tune "It Ain't Gonna Rain No More," the text bounces alongside vibrant stylized pen-and-ink drawings, while page-turns offer up a fun read-aloud guessing game in which kids will delightfully participate. What will the child paint next? "So I take some red and I paint my . . . HEAD!" Silliness paired with the ruckus read-aloud appeal will have every reader begging for repeat reads.

Glow: Animals with Their Own Night-Lights


W.H. Beck - 2015
    In this fun and fascinating nonfiction picture book, join world-renowned photographers and biologists on their close encounters with the curious creatures that make their own light. Author’s note and bibliography included.

Hibernation Station


Michelle Meadows - 2010
    Young readers will be soothed and delighted as this story introduces them to different types of hibernating animals. The creatures on the train are preparing to snuggle into sleep, although with a passenger list that includes chipmunks, bears, snakes, hedgehogs, groundhogs, frogs, turtles, mice, bats, and more, there’s a lot of noise! Will the hibernating critters ever get to sleep? Take a trip to Hibernation Station to find out!

Blue Floats Away


Travis Jonker - 2021
    Little Blue is very close to his iceberg parents so when he suddenly breaks away from them, he promises to return and, after traveling far and undergoing big changes, he may succeed.

What in the World?: Numbers in Nature


Nancy Raines Day - 1999
    This book uses playful rhyming text to explore these numerical sets in vibrant detail, ending with the stars in the sky—a number set too big to count!