Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks


Margaret Sutherland - 2000
    Cheerful, colorful illustrations accompany the simple text in this celebration of family, friends, and the holiday that brings them all together.

How to Be a Friend: A Guide to Making Friends and Keeping Them


Laurie Krasny Brown - 1998
    Fun dinosaur characters teach young children all about friendship—the value of friends, how to make friends, and how to be a good friend.With playful full-color illustrations, Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown help kids cope with everyday social situations and learn:★ Who can be your friend.★ How to show someone you would like to be friends.★ How to handle bosses and bullies.★ The best ways to be a friend and ways not to be a friend.★ Ways to settle an argument with a friend.

Whoever You Are


Mem Fox - 1997
    Every day all over the world, children are laughing and crying, playing and learning, eating and sleeping. They may not look the same. They may not speak the same language. Their lives may be quite different from each other. But inside, they are all alike. Stirring words and bold paintings weave their way around our earth, across cultures and generations and remind children to accept differences, to recognize similarities, and--most importantly--to rejoice in both.

The Story of Ferdinand


Munro Leaf - 1936
    All the other bulls would run and jump and butt their heads together. But Ferdinand would rather sit and smell the flowers. And he does just that, until the day a bumblebee and some men from the Madrid bullfights give gentle Ferdinand a chance to be the most ferocious star of the corrida—and the most unexpected comic hero. This cherished hardcover is perfect for those who love Ferdinand, and those who have yet to meet him.

I Love You, Stinky Face


Lisa McCourt - 1997
    Lisa McCourt and Cyd Moore beautifully weave a reassuring tale of the love and affection of a parent. The imaginative son turns himself into a meat-eating dinosaur, a swamp creature and much, much more before being satisfied with the fact that no matter how stinky he is or how slimy of a creature he could possibly be, he is loved and nothing will change that.

Tacky the Penguin


Helen Lester - 1988
    Will this nonconformist teach old penguins some new tricks and help save the day? This hilarious series following the adventures of one superlative penguin is a modern classic. Tacky likes to do splashy cannonballs and greet his friends with a loud, “What’s happening?” His fellow penguins find his odd behavior somewhat bothersome. But when fearsome poachers come to the iceberg hunting for penguins, Tacky’s odd ways may be just the thing that saves the day. From beloved children’s book author Helen Lester, and cherished illustrator Lynn Munsinger, Tacky the Penguin is a delightful tale about being true to yourself--even when it means being a little different from everybody else.

Big Red Barn


Margaret Wise Brown - 1956
    A lulling text and exquisite illustrations follow the animals' day on the farm as they make their noises, play in the grass, and return to the big red barn to fall sound asleep.

The Rainbow Fish


Marcus Pfister - 1992
    Eye-catching foilstamping, glittering on every page, offers instant child-appeal, but it is the universal message at the heart of this simple story about a beautiful fish, who learns to make friends by sharing his most prized possessions, that gives the book its lasting value.

Thunder Cake


Patricia Polacco - 1990
    "This is Thunder Cake baking weather," calls Grandma, as she and her granddaughter hurry to gather the ingredients around the farm. A real Thunder Cake must reach the oven before the storm arrives. But the list of ingredients is long and not easy to find . . . and the storm is coming closer all the time!Reaching once again into her rich childhood experience, Patricia Polacco tells the memorable story of how her grandma--her Babushka--helped her overcome her fear of thunder when she was a little girl. Ms. Polacco's vivid memories of her grandmother's endearing answer to a child's fear, accompanied by her bright folk-art illustrations, turn a frightening thunderstorm into an adventure and ultimately . . . a celebration!Whether the first clap of thunder finds you buried under the bedcovers or happily anticipating the coming storm, Thunder Cake is a story that will bring new meaning and possibility to the excitement of a thunderstorm.

Billy and Blaze: A Boy and His Pony


C.W. Anderson - 1936
    Anderson.Billy was a little boy who “loved horses more than anything else in the world.” Imagine how happy he was when he got his very own pony for his birthday! From that day on, Billy was seldom seen without his new friend, Blaze. Riding through fields and woods, Billy and Blaze learned to trust and understand one another—and to jump over fences and fallen trees with ease. They were a great team, but were they good enough to win the gleaming silver cup at the Mason Horse Show? This is the first book in the classic Billy and Blaze series. Sensitive drawings and easy-to-read words capture the warmth and gentle understanding between a boy and his horse.

A New Coat for Anna


Harriet Ziefert - 1986
    in full color. "A fresh and moving story of a mother's dedication to acquire a coat for her daughter in post-World War II hard times. Anna's mother decides to trade the few valuables she has left for wool and for the services of a spinner, a weaver, and a tailor. Lobel's pictures do a tremendous job of evoking the period. Insightful and informative, this may make children consider how precious the ordinary can become in times of turmoil."--(starred) "Booklist"

I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem


Jamie Lee Curtis - 2002
    From the #1 New York Times bestselling team of Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell, creators of Today I Feel Silly and Where Do Balloons Go?, comes I’m Gonna Like Me, a funny and moving celebration of self-esteem and loving the skin you’re in.Celebrate liking yourself! Through alternating points of view, a girl's and a boy's, Jamie Lee Curtis's triumphant text and Laura Cornell's lively artwork show kids that the key to feeling good is liking yourself because you are you.A book to rejoice in and share, I'm Gonna Like Me will have kids letting off some self-esteem in no time!

Scaredy Squirrel


Mélanie Watt - 2006
    It's way too dangerous out there. He could encounter tarantulas, green Martians or killer bees. But in his tree, every day is the same and if danger comes along, he's well-prepared. Scaredy Squirrel's emergency kit includes antibacterial soap, Band-Aids and a parachute.Day after day he watches and waits, and waits and watches, until one day ... his worst nightmare comes true! Scaredy suddenly finds himself out of his tree, where germs, poison ivy and sharks lurk. But as Scaredy Squirrel leaps into the unknown, he discovers something really uplifting ...

All the World


Liz Garton Scanlon - 2009
     It is there. It is everywhere. All the world is right where you are. Now. Following a circle of family and friends through the course of a day from morning till night, this book affirms the importance of all things great and small in our world, from the tiniest shell on the beach, to warm family connections, to the widest sunset sky

Danny and the Dinosaur


Syd Hoff - 1958
    When he sees one at the museum and says, "It would be nice to play with a dinosaur," a voice answers, "And I think it would be nice to play with you." So begins Danny's and the dinosaur's wonderful adventure together!This edition contains altered illustrations, but not the later recolored ones.