I Am Josephine: (And I Am a Living Thing)


Jan Thornhill - 2016
    She’s also a mammal, an animal, and a living thing—all identities she explores with readers in this simple informational picture book.Josephine presents her family (and herself) as examples of human beings, and then familiar creatures like her dog and her mom (and herself) as mammals. Next, she adds whales, lobsters, hummingbirds, and elephants (and herself) as examples of animals. Finally, she shares examples of living things, including moose, foxes, butterflies, flowers, and bugs… and, of course, herself!Inspired by science and nature writer Jan Thornhill’s many classroom visits, this book is intended to help children recognize themselves as part of the natural world, with an emphasis on how all living things share similarities.Playful, kid-friendly illustrations in vibrant colors paired with minimal text make this an easy introduction to the classification of living things. Endmatter goes into further detail about the unique characteristics of humans, mammals, animals, and living things.LEVELINGGrade Range: PreK–2Fountas & Pinnell: FReading Recovery: 9–10Lexile: AD 530LCOMMON CORERI.1.1,2,3,4,6,7,8,10L.1.1,1g,2,2a,2b,2c,4,5,5b,6RF.1.1,2,3,4,4a,4b,4cSL.1.1,1a,1b,1c,2,3,4,5,6W.1.1,2,3,5,6,7,8

A Boy and a House


Maja Kastelic - 2015
    Before continuing up the stairway, the boy picks up one of several discarded drawings that litter the floor.Another open door awaits. Again, the boy follows the cat, this time into an apartment filled with books and toys. No one is there, but a table set for tea testifies to the fact that someone has been there recently. More drawings are scattered throughout, which the boy picks up one by one. With his pile of sketches in hand, he continues up several more staircases until he reaches an attic where a wonderful surprise awaits him.The stunning illustrations in this wordless book invite the reader into a mysterious world that evokes the beauty of the past. Drawn by the light radiating from every open doorway, the boy lets his curiosity take him on an amazing journey of discovery, which young readers can elaborate with their own versions of the story.

Baby Animals from Africa: A rhyming picture book for children aged 0-5


Barb Asselin - 2014
    He prowls and growls and roars. He sleeps for twenty hours out of every twenty-four." Celebrating the unique qualities of baby animals from Africa, this rhyming book features a host of African animals and fun facts about each one. Perfect for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, this book is filled with cute animal illustrations your children will love! Enjoy with your child today! Scroll up and you can download your copy now. Have fun!

A Stopwatch from Grampa


Loretta Garbutt - 2020
    "I don't want his stopwatch. I want him." Grampa used to time everything. A race to the end of the street and back: 24 seconds. Eating bubblegum ice cream: 1 minute, 58 seconds. But now, Grampa's gone. "There are no more Grampa minutes, Grampa seconds," the child says. "Time just stops." As the seasons come and go, the stopwatch becomes a cherished symbol of remembrance, and the child uses it to carry on Grampa's favorite pastimes and traditions.Loretta Garbutt uses subtlety and sensitivity to explore the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance) in this moving picture book story of loss. It features a gender-neutral main character (no first name or pronouns are given) making the story universally relatable. This is a perfect choice for fostering discussions with children about their emotions, particularly the feeling of loss. It also offers a poignant representation of an intergenerational relationship between a grandfather and grandchild. Carmen Mok's expressive and thoughtful illustrations employ a limited color palette to convey the character's emotional trajectory. There are curriculum applications here in social-emotional development as well as character education lessons in caring and resilience.

Our Shed: A Father-Daughter Building Story


Robert Broder - 2021
    For each practical element the dad brings to the project, his daughter adds her own imaginative creative spin. In the end, they are both happy with their collaboration.And, just as dad passes building skills on to his daughter, so does his daughter eventually pass those skills on to her own son when they fix up the peeling shed at the end of the story.Kids love tools, building things, and spending time with parents. This story hits all those points with love and humor.

Stay!


Alex Latimer - 2015
    Rabbit and Pig and Small guarantees giggles!

The Elephants' Guide to Hide-And-Seek


Kjersten Hayes - 2020
    This handy guide offers sympathy, support, and superior hiding solutions to elephants who long to overcome their size disadvantage when playing hide-and-seek.A hilarious tongue-in-cheek book perfect for elephants and their best human pals. Readers of Have You Seen Elephant? will love this silly elephant game of hide and seek, and all its handy tips and tricks for hiding!

Poppy and Sam and the Leaf Thief


Cathon - 2018
    Their friend Basil--who has always been known for his elegance--is in tears, because somebody nibbled his leaves last night!Poppy puts her detective skills to work, with help from Sam, and together they set out to find the culprit. They start by interviewing the insects, but Ms. Honeybee, Madame Ladybug, and Mr. Bumblebee all have contradictory suspicions of their own. So Poppy and Sam test some creative methods to catch the vandal red-handed. After a few misadventures, they find the remorseful nibbler--and Basil helps him understand that everything tastes better when it is freely offered.Illustrated with charming details and lots of kid appeal, this is an easy-to-read graphic novel with friendly characters and a suspenseful story line.

Counting with Barefoot Critters


Teagan White - 2016
    What is a day of counting with Barefoot Critters?ReadingMaking pancakesHelping friendsExploringSwimmingPlaying piratesLearning about numbers!Join this adorable cast of animal characters as they explore numbers and counting over the course of a day, having fun at all stops along the way.

Edie's Ensembles


Ashley Spires - 2014
    She and her best friend Andrew spend a lot of time playing dress-up. The school hall is their runway. Edie loves the compliments and whispers of admiration, so much so that she begins dressing in increasingly outrageous outfits to get even more attention. No outfit is too bizarre, no costume too flamboyant for Edie. She's so busy coming up with her newest eye-catching ensemble that she doesn't even have time for Andrew anymore ... until one day Edie creates an outfit so weird and so big and bulky that she gets stuck in the doorway. Will anyone notice that this budding fashionista is in trouble?

Ming's Christmas Wishes


Susan L. Gong - 2020
    First, to sing in the school Christmas choir. Second, to have a Christmas tree like the one in the department store window. And third, to feel she belongs somewhere.As a daughter of immigrants in 1930s California, Ming is often treated differently than other children at school. She’s pointedly not invited to sing in the Christmas choir. At home, when Ming lobbies her parents for a Christmas tree, her mother scolds her for trying to be American. Ming doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere: she’s not quite American enough at school, not quite Chinese enough at home.Seeing his daughter’s unhappiness, Pop takes her into the mountains to visit a wise old friend. Always happy for an adventure with her kind father, Ming hopes to persuade Pop to bring home a mountain pine to be their Christmas tree. But he has something else in mind, something that will help Ming draw strength from nature, from their Chinese heritage, and from deep and enduring family ties.

The Line


Paula Bossio - 2011
    She wiggles the line, slides down it and spins inside circles made from it. In her hands, the line transforms into bubbles to blow, a jungle vine to swing from and a tightrope to balance on. The girl is having such a good time! Until suddenly, the line turns into a big, hungry monster! Oh, no! Will the little girl be eaten, or will another surprise twist to the line save her from the frightening creature? Young children will become instantly involved in this story, curious to see what's next for the magical line that is transformed again and again, and delighted by the surprise on the last page, where the drawer of the line is revealed. Award-winning illustrator Paula Bossio has created a fresh way to tell an original story full of play and creativity. It offers young children an easy-to-understand yet powerful message about imagination and the nearly limitless ways to have fun. This book makes a perfect story starter for early-elementary children as they begin to explore narrative, either by using one of the girl's creations in the story or by coming up with their own way of turning the line into a plaything. The art concept could also be extended by having children draw their ideas. This book makes a great choice for working on visual literacy with pre-readers.

The Marvelous Mustard Seed


Amy-Jill Levine - 2018
    It is an itty-bitty seed. It isn't anything very special--yet."Discover the surprising potential of one small seed in The Marvelous Mustard Seed. Based on Jesus' parable of the Mustard Seed, this inspiring children's book shows young readers that one tiny seed--just like one small child--carries a world of potential. The Marvelous Mustard Seed features ethnically diverse characters, and it is ideal for children ages 4-8. A special note for parents and teachers is included.

A Page in the Wind


José Sanabria - 2018
    Each page travels to a different place and experiences a vastly different life—from being used to clean a mirror and line the cage of a pet to being formed into a boat by a child and sheltering a homeless person from the cold—until, at last, the final page finds it’s true calling. Sanabria’s expressive art and thoughtful story reflect many ways our lives can be touched.

Help, I Don't Want a Babysitter!


Anke Wagner - 2015
    . . what if the babysitter only cooks yucky green vegetables? But when Ollie and Stubbs meet Ella . . . what happens next just might surprise you! Anke Wagner’s pitch-perfect story and Anne-Kathrin Behl’s humorous illustrations will comfort and entertain!