The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown


Mac Barnett - 2019
    Illustrated with sumptuous art by rising star Sarah Jacoby, this is essential reading for children's book lovers of every age.

The Music in George's Head: George Gershwin Creates Rhapsody in Blue


Suzanne Slade - 2016
    Classical, ragtime, blues, and jazz—George’s head was filled with a whole lot of razzmatazz! With rhythmic swirls of words and pictures, author Suzanne Slade and illustrator Stacy Innerst beautifully reveal just how brilliantly Gershwin combined various kinds of music to create his masterpiece, Rhapsody in Blue, a surprising and whirlwind composition of notes, sounds, and one long wail of a clarinet. Includes author’s note, timeline, and bibliography.

A to Z


Sandra Boynton - 1984
    Artist Sandra Boynton is back and better than ever with completely redrawn versions of her multi-million selling board books. These whimsical and hilarious books, featuringnontraditional texts and her famous animal characters, have been printed on thick board pages,and are sure to educate and entertain children of all ages.

Ideas Are All Around


Philip C. Stead - 2016
    Wednesday chases squirrels while the two friends discuss fishing and war and how back before the neighborhood was there enormous woolly mammoths roamed where houses now sit.Thoughts open up to other thoughts, and ideas are born and carried forward, often transforming into other ideas until he finds that ideas really are all around, you just have to know what to do with them.

Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book


Muriel L. Feelings - 1974
    A companion to the Caldecott Honor Book Moja Means One: Swahili Counting Book Jambo Means Hello introduces children to the Swahili alphabet with helpful pronunciation keys, while presenting East African culture and lifestyles through an easy-to-understand narrative and vivid illustrations.A Caldecott Honor Book* "A lyrical song of Swahili life."--School Library Journal, starred review

Hattie and the Wild Waves: A Story From Brooklyn


Barbara Cooney - 1990
    . . . An idyllic childhood . . . serves as a glamorous backdrop for Hattie's emerging determination to become an artist".--Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books. Full color.

Tar Beach


Faith Ringgold - 1991
    Part autobiographical, part fictional, this allegorical tale sparkles with symbolic and historical references central to African-American culture. The spectacular artwork resonates with color and texture. Children will delight in the universal dream of mastering one's world by flying over it.

Alphabatics


Suse MacDonald - 1986
    But did you know that if you turn an A upside down and round the point out a little, it becomes an ark? B is for balloon. But did you know that if you blow it up really big, the hole in the middle floats away like a balloon? In this wonderfully creative alphabet book, letters are pulled, twisted, reversed, and curled until they become part of what they represent. F becomes a fish, and Y becomes a yak! Young readers will be fascinated with the way the letters evolve into the final creation. They'll never look at the alphabet the same way again!

When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop


Laban Carrick Hill - 2013
    Her brother, Clive Campbell, spun the records. He had a new way of playing the music to make the breaks—the musical interludes between verses—longer for dancing. He called himself DJ Kool Herc and this is When the Beat Was Born. From his childhood in Jamaica to his youth in the Bronx, here's how Kool Herc came to be a DJ, how kids in gangs stopped fighting in order to breakdance, and how the music he invented went on to define a culture and transform the world.

The Secret Subway


Shana Corey - 2016
    New York City in the 1860s was a mess: crowded, disgusting, filled with garbage. You see, way back in 1860, there were no subways, just cobblestone streets. That is, until Alfred Ely Beach had the idea for a fan-powered train that would travel underground. On February 26, 1870, after fifty-eight days of drilling and painting and plastering, Beach unveiled his masterpiece—and throngs of visitors took turns swooshing down the track. The Secret Subway will wow readers, just as Beach’s underground train wowed riders over a century ago.

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade


Melissa Sweet - 2011
    Meet the master puppeteer who invented the first balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Melissa Sweet, author of Girls Think of Everything, brings to life the inspirational story of Tony Sarg, the puppeteer who invented the giant balloons floating in the sky during the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The Caldecott Honor artist brilliantly captures the essence of Tony Sarg, a self-taught immigrant with a fascinating imagination. The collage illustrations coupled with Sweet’s storytelling portrays Sarg’s joy in his childhood inventions and his ingenious balloon creations that still bring delight to viewers around the country. This nonfiction illustrated book will capture the hearts of all ages sitting around the dinner table on Thanksgiving Day.

Adèle & Simon


Barbara McClintock - 2006
    Ad�le makes Simon promise to try not to lose anything. But as they make their way home, distractions cause Simon to leave something behind at every stop. What will they tell their mother?Detailed pen-and-ink drawings - filled with soft watercolors - make a game of this unforgettable tour through the streets and scenes of early-twentieth-century Paris. Illustrated endpapers extend the fun by replicating a 1907 Baedeker map of Paris.Adèle & Simon is a 2006 New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year and a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Alphablock


Christopher Franceschelli - 2013
    Sprinkles, hot fudge, and cherries hint at I’s ice cream sundae, while aquarium accessories hint at F’s fish. As readers interact with the pages, they will familiarize themselves not only with the 26 letters and associated words, but also with each letter’s physicality—angles, holes, and curves, both front and back. With Peskimo’s animated, stylish visuals, this fresh ABC book encourages readers to manipulate the alphabet in a whole new way. Note: illustrations have a retro feel, with imperfect variations in color and texture. Praise for Alphablock STARRED REVIEW "All the parts together make an appealing and fun way for youngsters to interact with the alphabet, and for slightly older children to enjoy the clever artwork." —School Library Journal, starred review "The straightforward vocabulary, cheery vintage-style graphics, and neat incorporation of cut-out letters make for a sharply designed package." —Publishers Weekly "With a pleasing, retro feel, Peskimo’s art uses bold colors in a slightly muted hue and the weathered look of woodblock prints… A visually captivating delight for careful little ones." —Kirkus Reviews "While it’s graphically sophisticated enough to please adults, little children can happily flip through this book on their own." —The New York Times "The baby, toddler or nursery-schooler who tears the gift wrapping off Christopher Franceschelli's Alphablock may think that she has just opened a toy, for how lively and tactile the thing in her hands will be." —The Wall Street Journal Awards Parents 10 Best Children’s Books of 2013

This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth


Sean Rubin - 2021
    Over the years, the tree provided a home for birds and shade for people looking for a place to rest, along with the first blooms of spring.On September 11, 2001, everything changed. The tree's home was destroyed, and it was buried under the rubble. But a month after tragedy struck, a shocking discovery was made at Ground Zero: the tree had survived.Dubbed the "Survivor Tree," it was moved to the Bronx to recover. And in the thoughtful care of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, the Callery pear was nursed back to health. Almost a decade later, the Survivor Tree returned home and was planted in the 9/11 Memorial to provide beauty and comfort...and also hope.This is the story of that tree--and of a nation in recovery. Told from the tree's perspective, This Very Tree is a touching tribute to first responders, the resilience of America, and the restorative power of community.

LMNO Peas


Keith Baker - 2010
    Featuring a range of zippy characters from Acrobat Peas to Zoologist Peas, this picture book highlights a variety of interests, hobbies, and careers; each one themed to a letter of the alphabet and gives a wonderful sense of the colorful world we live in.