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


picture-books
animals
friendship
fiction

The Barnabus Project


Eric Fan - 2020
    A stunning picture book from international bestsellers The Fan Brothers, joined by their brother Devin Fan.Deep underground beneath Perfect Pets, where children can buy genetically engineered "perfect" creatures, there is a secret lab. Barnabus and his friends live in this lab, but none of them is perfect. They are all Failed Projects. Barnabus has never been outside his tiny bell jar, yet he dreams of one day seeing the world above ground that his pal Pip the cockroach has told him about: a world with green hills and trees, and buildings that reach all the way to the sky, lit with their own stars. But Barnabus may have to reach the outside world sooner than he thought, because the Green Rubber Suits are about to recycle all Failed Projects . . . and Barnabus doesn't want to be made into a fluffier pet with bigger eyes. He just wants to be himself. So he decides it's time for he and the others to escape. With his little trunk and a lot of cooperation and courage, Barnabus sets out to find freedom -- and a place where he and his friends can finally be accepted for who they are.This suspenseful, poignant and magical story about following your dreams and finding where you truly belong will draw readers into a surreal, lushly detailed world in which perfection really means being true to yourself and your friends.

The Runaway Pea


Kjartan Poskitt - 2019
    . . Poskitt’s lively rhyming verse as the pea plops, splashes, bangs and twangs his way across the kitchen' – The Observer

We're Going on a Bear Hunt


Michael Rosen - 1989
    We’re going on a bear hunt. We’re going to catch a big one.. Will you come too? For more than twenty-five years readers have been swishy swashing and splash sploshing through this award-winning favorite. Join in the fun!

Diary of a BABY Wombat


Jackie French - 2009
    And a perfect wombat story it is, featuring eating, scratching, digging, sleeping, and playing, as well as the important task of finding a new underground home big enough for baby and Mum. Wry, understated humor and gorgeous, funny illustrations make this new picture book a brilliant next chapter in the wombat saga.

Henny, Penny, Lenny, Denny, and Mike


Cynthia Rylant - 2017
    But one day, when they get an enchanting new fairy-tale castle, disaster strikes! Who can help?!

Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress


Christine Baldacchino - 2014
    He paints amazing pictures and he loves his classroom's dress-up center, especially the tangerine dress. It reminds him of tigers, the sun and his mother's hair. The other children don't understand--dresses, they say, are for girls. And Morris certainly isn't welcome in the spaceship his classmates are building--astronauts, they say, don't wear dresses. One day Morris has a tummy ache, and his mother lets him stay home from school. He stays in bed reading about elephants, and her dreams about a space adventure with his cat, Moo. Inspired by his dream, Morris paints a fantastic picture, and everything begins to change when he takes it to school.

The Happy Book


Andy Rash - 2019
    When you live in The Happy Book, the world is full of daisies and sunshine and friendship cakes . . . until your best friend eats the whole cake and doesn't save you one bite. Moving from happiness to sadness and everything in between, Camper and Clam have a hard time finding their way back to happy. But maybe happy isn't the goal--being a good friend is about supporting each other and feeling all the feels together.At once funny and thoughtful, The Happy Book supports social-emotional learning. It's a book to keep young readers company no matter how they're feeling!

The Bear and the Piano


David Litchfield - 2015
    As time passes, he teaches himself how to play the strange instrument, and eventually the beautiful sounds are heard by a father and son who are picnicking in the woods. The bear goes with them on an incredible journey to New York, where his piano playing makes him a huge star. He has fame, fortune and all the music in the world, but he misses the friends and family he has left behind. A moving tale of exploration and belonging from an exciting debut author-illustrator.

Rude Cakes


Rowboat Watkins - 2015
    Mixing hilarious text and pictures, Rowboat Watkins, a former Sendak fellow, has cooked up a laugh-out- loud story that can also be served up as a delectable discussion starter about manners or bullying, as it sweetly reminds us all that even the rudest cake can learn to change its ways.

Pumpkin Soup


Helen Cooper - 1998
    The Cat slices up the pumpkin, the Squirrel stirs in the water, and the Duck tips in just enough salt. But one day the Duck wants to stir instead, and then there is a horrible squabble, and he leaves the cabin in a huff. It isn't long before the Cat and the Squirrel start to worry about him and begin a search for their friend. Rendered in pictures richly evoking autumn, Helen Cooper's delightful story will resonate for an child who has known the difficulties that come with friendship. Included at the end is a recipe for delicious pumpkin soup.

Cookie's Week


Cindy Ward - 1988
    With its bright watercolor illustrations and one sentence of text per page, toddlers will love following Cookie through the days of the week--and seeing all the trouble he causes around the house!

Wolfboy


Andy Harkness - 2021
    This dynamic picture book from an award-winning art director shows how feeling hangry can turn even the sweetest kid into a Wolfboy!Wolfboy is hungry!He’s drooly and growly and fussy!As he stomps through the forest looking for rabbits, he grows hungrier and growlier by the minute! What will happen if Wolfboy can’t find those rabbits? And what will happen if he does?With bold illustrations and energetic storytelling, Wolfboy perfectly captures the big feelings that come with being very hungry! Engaging for young readers and parents, this funny and fresh picture book is perfect for fans of Grumpy Monkey and The Bad Seed and will be an instant favorite.