Miss Spider's Tea Party


David Kirk - 1994
    Being a florivore herself, she only wants to invite them over for cakes and tea. The ironic air wafting through Kirk's rhymed tale will not be lost on young readers, and the insects in the big, brightly colored illustrations beear comically apprehensive expressions as they hastily depart . . . At last, Miss Spider is able to convince a rain-soaked moth of her good intentions . . . A sweet tale" --School Library Journal

Apple Cake: A Gratitude


Dawn Casey - 2019
    / Thank you, flower, / Thank you, bee. / Thank you, rain, / Thank you, sun. / Thank you, farmers, / every one. In this simple rhyming story from the author of Held in Love, a child says thank you for the gifts nature provides, from hazelnuts in the hedge to apples from the tree, eggs from the hens to milk from the cow. Eventually, the family has enough ingredients to make something special…a delicious apple cake! With captivating illustrations that brim with emotion, this sweet picture book encourages children to be grateful for the world around them—the perfect read for Thanksgiving. A recipe for apple cake at the end allows you and your child to share in the joyful gratitude.

Home Is a Window


Stephanie Ledyard - 2019
    At home, everything always feels the same: comfortable and safe.But sometimes things change, and a home must be left behind.Follow a family as they move out of their beloved, familiar house and learn that they can bring everything they love about their old home to the new one, because they still have each other. This heartfelt picture book by Stephanie Parsley Ledyard is richly illustrated by former Pixar animator Chris Sasaki.

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story


Kevin Noble Maillard - 2019
    Fry bread is food.It is warm and delicious, piled high on a plate.Fry bread is time.It brings families together for meals and new memories.Fry bread is nation.It is shared by many, from coast to coast and beyond.Fry bread is us.It is a celebration of old and new, traditional and modern, similarity and difference.

Just Like Me


Vanessa Brantley-Newton - 2020
    With bright portraits in Vanessa's signature style of vibrant colors and unique patterns and fabrics, this book invites readers to find themselves and each other within its pages.

Teatime Around the World


Denyse Waissbluth - 2020
    Did you know that po cha, the traditional tea in Tibet, is thick and salty like soup? Or that in Iran, tea is served with a rock? (A rock candy, that is!) Or that afternoon tea was dreamed up in England by a duchess who complained of being hungry between lunch and dinner? Teatime Around the World welcomes the youngest of readers with simple, vivid poetry complemented by unique facts about different tea cultures. Vibrant, detailed pictures by Chelsea O’Byrne bring to life debut author Denyse Waissbluth’s joyous celebration of diversity and deliciousness.

I See You


Michael Genhart - 2017
    Over the course of a year, the boy is witness to all that she endures. Ultimately, in a gesture of compassion, the boy acknowledges her in an exchange in which he sees her and she experiences being seen. This book opens the door for kids and parents to begin a conversation about homelessness. In a "Note for Parents, Educators, and Neighbors," there are discussion questions and additional resources about helping the homeless.

Aaron Slater, Illustrator


Andrea Beaty - 2021
    But when it comes to reading, the letters just look like squiggles to him, and it soon becomes clear he struggles more than his peers. When his teacher asks each child in the class to write a story, Aaron can’t get a single word down. He is sure his dream of being a storyteller is out of reach . . . until inspiration strikes, and Aaron finds a way to spin a tale in a way that is uniquely his. Follow Iggy Peck, Rosie Revere, Ada Twist, Sofia Valdez, and Aaron Slater on all of their adventures! Add the picture books, chapter books, and activity books starring The Questioneers by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts to your family library today.

Good Night, Laila Tov


Laurel Snyder - 2012
    While the two explore the natural wonders of the seashore, woods, and fields, their parents plant trees as an offering of thanks for all they have received. In Jewish tradition, this is called tikkun olam, or repairing the world. As the children settle down to sleep, they are lulled by the soothing sounds around them that become the refrain: "good night, laila tov"—the same comforting words in English and Hebrew that their parents recite to them every night at bedtime.Laurel Snyder's lilting poem is both a song of praise to the beauty of nature and a gentle lullaby. Jui Ishida's rich, jewel-tone illustrations illuminate the text and incorporate details that readers will love to discover.Book Details: Format: Hardcover Publication Date: 3/27/2012 Pages: 32 Reading Level: Age 3 and Up

Happy to Be Nappy


bell hooks - 1999
    Happy with locks that twist and curl.Just all girl happy! Happy to be nappy hair!Nominated for an NAACP Image Award, here is a buoyantly fun read aloud brimming with playful -- and powerful -- affirmations.

All We Need


Kathy Wolff - 2021
    From the simplest essentials like air and water to the wonderful warmth of family, friends, and neighbors, there is so much in life to be thankful for.Kathy Wolff's melodic verse and Margaux Meganck's lush and cozy city scenes follow three families through moments of daily discovery and joy, culminating in a celebration of community and giving.When we have all we need, plus a little to spare, the only need left . . . is to share.

Little Shoes (A Colorful Children's Picture Book)


Amy Sansome - 2011
    Perfect for your Kindle app for iPad - will show in color on the iPad,Illustrations will show in black and white on regular Kindle.

Bedtime for Sweet Creatures


Nikki Grimes - 2020
    a loving, effective lullaby."―Publishers Weekly, STARRED reviewIt's bedtime. But Mommy's little one is not sleepy.He growls like a bear, he questions like an owl, he tosses his mane like a lion. He hunts for water like a sly wolf, and hides like a snake.Mommy needs to wrangle her sweet creature in bed so that the whole family can sleep. From tigers to squirrels to snakes, the little boy dodges around his bedtime, until he is tired enough to finally sleep. His imaginative animal friends weave their way through the illustrations, eventually joining him in curling up for the night."The mother's loving understanding is demonstrated by how she works with her child's rich imagination, never slipping into admonishment. As such, children will engage with the pajama-clad tot's antics and be soothed by the book's positive tone. A fabulous interpretation of an everyday battle."―Booklist, STARRED review

All Around Us


Xelena González - 2017
    We just have to look for them. Sometimes they exist in the most unusual places.Grandpa says circles are all around us. He points to the rainbow that rises high in the sky after a thundercloud has come. “Can you see? That’s only half of the circle. That rest of it is down below, in the earth.” He and his granddaughter meditate on gardens and seeds, on circles seen and unseen, inside and outside us, on where our bodies come from and where they return to. They share and create family traditions in this stunning exploration of the cycles of life and nature.

Life Without Nico


Andrea Maturana - 2014
    They never get tired of playing together. Unexpectedly, though, Nico and his family have to move far away for a while. Maia is devastated. .Now time passes slowly, and the emptiness is with Maia everywhere she goes.. She makes her way through the dark days, bored and alone. But, slowly, things begin to change, and .? Maia meets an unexpected companion ? She makes a new friend ? She even discovers a new passion.. Her life has become so happy and full, in fact, that she worries there will no longer be enough room for Nico. Of course, when he returns, she discovers there is. As Maia learns, .There is always space in your heart for friendship.. This poetic, touching picture book written by Andrea Maturana is sure to move readers of any age. It sensitively explores a child's capacity for friendship and the range of feelings experienced while trying to cope with loss. Losing a friend is a common childhood experience, and this book would offer a perfect opportunity for a classroom discussion on this or any kind of loss. It speaks to the resilience of children as well, and the experience of growing up and discovering that welcoming new things and people into your life doesn't mean losing the old. The sweet artwork by Francisco Javier Olea uses warm, muted colors that reinforce the reassuring tone of the story, as well as magical imagery that enhances its emotional depth.