Book picks similar to
Cats Ahoy! by Peter Bently


picture-books
pirates
children
animals

The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories


Dr. Seuss - 2011
    Seuss stories were published in magazines in the early 1950s and are finally available in book form. They include “The Bippolo Seed” (in which a scheming feline leads a duck toward a bad decision), “The Rabbit, the Bear, and the Zinniga-Zanniga” (about a rabbit who is saved from a bear by a single eyelash), “Gustav, the Goldfish” (an early rhymed version of the Beginner Book A Fish Out of Water), “Tadd and Todd” (about a twin who is striving to be an individual), “Steak for Supper” (in which fantastic creatures follow a boy home in anticipation of a steak dinner), “The Strange Shirt Spot” (the inspiration for the bathtub-ring scene in The Cat in the Hat Comes Back), and “The Great Henry McBride” (about a boy whose far-flung career fantasies are bested only by those of Dr. Seuss himself). An introduction by Seuss scholar Charles D. Cohen traces the history of the stories, which demonstrate an intentional move toward the writing style we now associate with Dr. Seuss. Cohen also explores the themes that recur in well-known Seuss stories (like the importance of the imagination or the perils of greed). With a color palette enhanced beyond the limitations of the original magazines, this is a collection that no Seuss fan (whether scholar or second grader) will want to miss.From the Hardcover edition.

A Squash and a Squeeze


Julia Donaldson - 1993
    A goat on the bed and a cow on the table tapping out a jig? My readers collapsed in heaps, and then had to have it read again. And again." - Vivian French in The Guardian

Pants


Giles Andreae - 2002
    They love talking about pants. They giggle whenever pants are mentioned. Let's face it - Pants are VERY FUNNY! PANTS is a picture book with a brilliant rhyming text by Giles Andreae and lots of hilarious pictures by Nick Sharratt. As we go through the book we meet lots of different animals, people and sometimes inanimate objects each wearing a different kind of pants - every shape, pattern, colour, size and style that you can think of - and lots more besides! This book will make children laugh and they will ask for it again and again. PANTS - which ones are your favourite?

Tomorrow Most Likely


Dave Eggers - 2019
    Rather than focusing on going to bed—and what kid wants to think about going to bed?—this book explores all of the dreamy, wonderful, strange things the next day might bring.

Crazy Hair


Neil Gaiman - 2009
    Crazy Hair is a fantastically fun tale written by New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman and illustrated by the astoundingly talented Dave McKean, the award-winning team behind The Wolves in the Walls.In Crazy Hair, Bonnie makes a friend who has hair so wild there's even a jungle inside of it! Bonnie ventures through the crazy hair, but she may need more than a comb to tame her friend's insane mane.

Max Attacks


Kathi Appelt - 2019
    He attacks. From socks to strings to many a fish, attacking, for Max, is most de-lish. But how many of these things can he actually catch? Well, let’s just say it’s no even match.

Llama Llama Loves to Read


Anna Dewdney - 2018
    Counting, writing, reading, rules. Friends and school -- there's nothing better. Llama learning all the letters!Anna Dewdney's beloved Llama Llama is growing up and learning to read! Throughout the school day, the teacher helps Llama Llama and the other children practice their letters, shows word cards, reads stories, and brings them to the library where they can all choose a favorite book. By the end of the day, Llama Llama is recognizing words and can't wait to show Mama Llama that he's becoming a reader!

Madeline in London


Ludwig Bemelmans - 1961
    To help celebrate his birthday, Miss Clavel and the girls pay him a visit. When his mother won't let Pepito keep one of his birthday presents--a horse--Madeline is more than willing to help out.

A Bad Kitty Christmas


Nick Bruel - 2011
    Or not. Nick Bruel's first picture book about Bad Kitty since the uproarious Poor Puppy in 2007 is full of rhyming mayhem... and Christmas cheer.

There's a Bear on My Chair


Ross Collins - 2015
    Mouse tries all kinds of tactics to move the pesky Bear but nothing works and poor Mouse gives up. Once Mouse has gone, Bear gets up and walks home. But what's that? Is that a Mouse in Bear's house?!

How Do Dinosaurs Learn to Read?


Jane Yolen - 2003
    The illustrations are lively and the rhyming text delivers the message well. As short as it is, this could be one book that parents might not mind reading over and over.- Amazon reviewer tvtv3

Shark In The Park


Nick Sharratt - 2000
    Peep through the die-cut holes in this book to see if you can spy a shark. Is that really a shark? Turn the page and find out . . .A delightful, entertaining story - with its rhyming text and ingenious die-cut pages, it's a book children will want to read again and again.

Blown Away


Rob Biddulph - 2014
    In this brilliantly captivating and gloriously illustrated story, a brave young penguin takes a kite flight to a tropical paradise. But in the end, he realizes that home is where his igloo is.

If All the Animals Came Inside


Eric Pinder - 2012
    The dishes would break.Oh, what a terrible mess we would make!If all the animals came inside, bears would run down the stairs, kangaroos would bounce on the couch, and hippos would play hide-and-seek through the halls! Join one family's wild romp as animals of all shapes and sizes burst through the front door and make themselves right at home.Extraordinary collage artwork from beloved illustrator Marc Brown (Arthur series) pairs with Eric Pinder's hilarious rhyming verse to make this the perfect book to read aloud again and again.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books!


Lucille Colandro - 2012
    Now she's swallowing items to make the very best of her first day back. And just in time for the bus... With rhyming text and funny illustrations, this lively version of the classic song will appeal to young readers with every turn of the page--a fun story for the first day of school!