Book picks similar to
I'm Not Grumpy! by Steve Smallman


picture-books
animals
friendship
fiction

Bunny's Book Club


Annie Silvestro - 2017
    Bunny loves to sit outside the library with the kids and listen to summer story time. But when the weather gets cold and everyone moves inside, his daily dose of joy is gone. Desperate, Bunny refuses to miss out on any more reading time and devises a plan to sneak into the library at night . . . through the library's book drop! What follows is an adorable caper that brings an inquisitive, fuzzy bunny and his woodland pals up close and personal with the books they have grown to love. A warm celebration of the power of books, Bunny's Book Club is sure to bring knowing smiles to any child, parent, teacher, bookseller, and librarian who understands the one-of-a-kind magic of reading.

Stormy: A Story about Finding a Forever Home


Guojing - 2019
    With gentle coaxing, the woman tries to befriend the animal, but the dog is too scared to let her near. Day after day, the woman tries--and day after day, the dog runs away. With perseverance and patience--and help from an enticing tennis ball--a tentative friendship begins. But it's not until a raging storm forces the two together that a joyous and satisfying friendship takes hold.

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes


Eric Litwin - 2010
    Along the way, his shoes change from white to red to blue to brown to WET as he steps in piles of strawberries, blueberries, and other big messes!But no matter what color his shoes are, Pete keeps movin' and groovin' and singing his song...because it's all good. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes asks the reader questions about the colors of different foods and objects—kids love to interact with the story.The fun never stops—download the free groovin’ song.

The Gigantic Turnip


Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy - 1910
    One fine spring morning, they decide that it is time to sow the vegetables. Throughout the summer the seeds turn into ripe, juicy vegetables and the time comes for them to harvest their crop. Soon there is just one turnip left at the end of the row. It looks very big -- in fact, it looks gigantic!This hilarious retelling features simple vocabulary and has lots of repetition. It is perfect for reading aloud and will soon have young readers joining in. Niamh Sharkey's quirky illustrations also provide plenty of counting practice for small children.

Emma Kate


Patricia Polacco - 2005
    But a hilarious twist ending will have readers realizing there’s more to this imaginary friend than meets the eye!Another of Polacco’s immensely popular younger books, Emma Kate is a wonderfully original story of pretend play and real friendship.

Koala Lou


Mem Fox - 1988
    Perfect for growing families or as a baby shower gift. When Koala Lou’s mother becomes so busy that she forgets to tell her firstborn how much she loves her, Koala Lou enters the Bush Olympics, intending to win an event and her mother’s love all at one time. Filled with charming art and featuring a heartwarming story about family, read the classic that's been called, “a first-rate choice for bedtime, story hour, or reading aloud.”--The Horn Book.

I Walk with Vanessa: A Story about a Simple Act of Kindness


Kerascoët - 2018
    I Walk with Vanessa explores the feelings of helplessness and anger that arise in the wake of seeing a classmate treated badly, and shows how a single act of kindness can lead to an entire community joining in to help. With themes of acceptance, kindness, and strength in numbers, this timeless and profound feel-good story will resonate with readers young and old.

Lovabye Dragon


Barbara M. Joosse - 2012
    In his nest in his cave in his mountain, a dragon dreams of a girl.When a lonely dragon follows a trail of princess tears, a beautiful friendship is born. They march and sing, roar and whisper, hide and seek, then settle into snug companionship at bedtime. Barbara Joosse’s fiercely protective and gently loving dragon cavorts across the pages, endearingly illustrated by Randy Cecil. At the end of the day, who can resist curling up in the embrace of a lovabye dragon?

The Day the Crayons Came Home


Drew Daywalt - 2015
    From Maroon Crayon, who was lost beneath the sofa cushions and then broken in two after Dad sat on him; to poor Turquoise, whose head is now stuck to one of Duncan's stinky socks after they both ended up in the dryer together; to Pea Green, who knows darn well that no kid likes peas and who ran away—each and every crayon has a woeful tale to tell and a plea to be brought home to the crayon box. Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers have combined to create a companion book every bit as funny and kid-friendly as the #1 bestselling The Day the Crayons Quit.Praise for The Day the Crayons Quit The #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon — over 80 weeks on the bestseller list!Winner of the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award Amazon’s 2013 Best Picture Book of the Year A Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2013 Goodreads’ 2013 Best Picture Book of the Year  * “Hilarious . . . Move over, Click, Clack, Moo; we’ve got a new contender for the most successful picture-book strike.” –BCCB, starred review  “Jeffers . . . elevates crayon drawing to remarkable heights.” –Booklist “Fresh and funny.” –The Wall Street Journal "This book will have children asking to have it read again and again.” –Library Media Connection * “This colorful title should make for an uproarious storytime.” –School Library Journal, starred review  * “These memorable personalities will leave readers glancing apprehensively at their own crayon boxes.” –Publishers Weekly, starred review  “Utterly original.” –San Francisco Chronicle

The Bad Mood and the Stick


Lemony Snicket - 2017
    The stick appeared when a tree dropped it. Where did the bad mood come from? Who picked up the stick? And where is the bad mood off to now? You never know what is going to happen.

I'm The Best


Lucy Cousins - 2010
    He thinks they're brilliant. But he also thinks that he's the best, and he just won't stop telling them! So what happens when his friends decide to teach him a lesson, by showing him all the things they are best at?

The Octopuppy


Martin McKenna - 2013
    He's determined to train his new puppy. Sit. Stay. Fetch. What could go wrong? It's just that Edgar's dog happens to be an octopus. A particularly brilliant octopus at that. Meet Jarvis. Edgar's life is about to change forever.

While We Can't Hug: Mini Gift Edition


Eoin McLaughlin - 2020
    They wanted to give each other a great, big hug. But they weren't allowed to touch. "Don't worry," said Owl. "There are lots of ways to show someone you love them." So the two friends wave to each other, blow kisses, sing songs, dance around and write letters. And even though they can't hug and they can't touch, they both know that they are loved.A gorgeous, uplifting, inspiring picture book that makes social distancing fun!

A Greyhound, a Groundhog


Emily Jenkins - 2017
    With very spare, incredibly lively language, this is an entertaining read-aloud, with two amazing and oh-so-adorable characters at its heart. When a greyhound meets a groundhog, wordplay and crazy antics ensue. The two animals, much like kids, work themselves into a frenzy as they whirl around and around one another. ("Around, round hound. Around, greyhound.") The pace picks up ("Around and around and astound and astound"), until they ultimately wear themselves out. Jenkins s masterful text is deceptively simple. NPR on "Toys Meet Snow" by Emily Jenkins Appelhans, whose career up to now has been in animated films such as "Coraline, " is a revelation. "Booklist, " Starred, on "Sparky!, " illustrated by Chris Appelhans Appelhans makes an auspicious picture book debut with strikingly beautiful watercolor and pencil illustrations. His style, reminiscent of Jon Klassen s, incorporates a muted color palette, but with a slightly softer, rounder quality, while also weaving in visual deadpan humor. "The Horn Book""

Dogger


Shirley Hughes - 1977
    "Warmly satisfying....Hughes has a way of zeroing in on the foibles of childhood with remarkable accuracy; this doesn't miss its mark."--Booklist.