Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You


Sonia Sotomayor - 2019
    But in the same way that different types of plants and flowers make a garden more beautiful and enjoyable, different types of people make our world more vibrant and wonderful.In Just Ask, United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor celebrates the different abilities kids (and people of all ages) have. Using her own experience as a child who was diagnosed with diabetes, Justice Sotomayor writes about children with all sorts of challenges—and looks at the special powers those kids have as well. As the kids work together to build a community garden, asking questions of each other along the way, this book encourages readers to do the same: When we come across someone who is different from us but we're not sure why, all we have to do is Just Ask.

Poor Puppy


Nick Bruel - 2007
    Kitty's best friend stars in this zany companion to the best selling BAD KITTY. Poor, poor Puppy: Kitty isn't interested in playing, so all puppy's left with are: 1 Airplane, 2 Balls, 3 Cars, 4 Dolls... and 22 other toys. When he's done, Puppy's so tired, he takes a nap--and dreams of playing apple bobbing in Antarctica, Baseball in Brazil, Checkers in Canada, Dodgeball in Denmark... and 22 other games. Who else but Nick Bruel could combine the alphabet, a counting game, a whirlwind geography course, and a screamingly funny story... all in 40 pages?

You Matter


Christian Robinson - 2020
    Young readers will be drawn into the luminous illustrations inviting them to engage with the world in a new way and see how everyone is connected, and that everyone matters.

Biggest, Strongest, Fastest


Steve Jenkins - 1995
     What is the biggest land animal? What animal runs the fastest? Can elephants really eat more than 300 pounds of grass each day? Dive into this fascinating book that introduces fourteen members of the animal kingdom who hold “world records” for their astonishing traits. Young readers will find easy to understand comparisons, helpful charts, and a guide to where these amazing animals can be found in the wild. Made with his award-winning cut-page collage illustrations, Steve Jenkins brings the fascinating facts about our natural world alive in this educational and entertaining book.

My Teacher Is a Monster! (No, I Am Not.)


Peter Brown - 2014
    You see, his teacher is a monster.But when Bobby runs into his teacher outside of school, he learns there is more to her than meets the eye.

I am Albert Einstein


Brad Meltzer - 2014
    That’s the inspiring message of this New York Times Bestselling picture book biography series from historian and author Brad Meltzer.Even when he was a kid, Albert Einstein did things his own way. He thought in pictures instead of words, and his special way of thinking helped him understand big ideas like the structure of music and why a compass always points north. Those ideas made him want to keep figuring out the secrets of the universe. Other people thought he was just a dreamer, but because of his curiosity, Einstein grew up to be one of the greatest scientists the world has ever known. What makes a hero? This lively, fun biography series by best-selling author Brad Meltzer answers the question, one great role model at a time.

Substitute Creacher


Chris Gall - 2011
    Jenkins' class arrive at school one day to discover a substitute creacher has come to put a stop to their monkey business! He regales them with mind-boggling stories about his former students who didn't follow the rules: Keith the glue-eater, Zach the daydreamer, and Hank the prankster, to name a few. But even this multi-tentacled, yellow-spotted, one-eyed monster's cautionary tales about the consequences of mischief-making can't seem to change the students' wicked ways until he reveals the spookiest and most surprising story of all: his own.Chris Gall's vibrant artwork leaps off the page with a dynamic comic book aesthetic that will grab both parents and monster-loving kids!

The Eleventh Hour


Graeme Base - 1988
    But a mystery is afoot, for in the midst of the games, music, and revelry, someone has eaten the birthday feast. The rhyming text and lavish, detailed illustrations each provide clues, and it's up to the reader to piece them together and decide whodunit! "The fun of poring over the pictures is matched by the enjoyment derived from the textwitty, ingenious verses." -- Publishers Weekly Graeme Base is the author of many award-winning books for children, including Animalia (Puffin), The Sign of the Seahorse, and most recently, The Discovery of Dragons.

Dear Deer: A Book of Homophones


Gene Barretta - 2007
    Speaking in homophones, she describes the quirky animal behavior she sees. There's the MOOSE who loved MOUSSE and ATE EIGHT bowls, and the WHALE who was ALLOWED to WAIL ALOUD--and that's just for starters.This playful picture book introduces children to the richness of language through the concept of homophones. A romp through the zoo has never been so eye-opening.A Children's Book-of-the-Month Club Selection

Crankee Doodle


Tom Angleberger - 2013
    This unapologetically silly picture book reveals that the legendary ride to town (and the whole macaroni thing) was all suggested by Mr. Doodle’s overeager pony. This just makes Mr. Doodle cranky: “I do not want macaroni. I do not want a feather. I do not want any other clothing, any other pasta, or any other parts of a bird. I do not want anything that they have in town!” A historical note ends this colorful, comical take on a nonsensical old song.

Everybody Needs a Rock


Byrd Baylor - 1974
    Everybody needs a rock -- at least that's the way this particular rock hound feels about it in presenting her own highly individualistic rules for finding just the right rock for you.

On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein


Jennifer Berne - 2013
    But in his mind, he envisions himself traveling at a speed beyond imagining, on a beam of light. This brilliant mind will one day offer up some of the most revolutionary ideas ever conceived. From a boy endlessly fascinated by the wonders around him, Albert Einstein ultimately grows into a man of genius recognized the world over for profoundly illuminating our understanding of the universe. Jennifer Berne and Vladimir Radunsky invite the reader to travel along with Einstein on a journey full of curiosity, laughter, and scientific discovery. Parents and children alike will appreciate this moving story of the powerful difference imagination can make in any life.