Nutik, the Wolf Pup


Jean Craighead George - 2000
    Named for the great wolf leader who saved the life of his big sister, Julie, Amaroq loved wolves as much as his big sister did.One day Julie brings home a sickly wolf pup named Nutik for Amaroq to feed and tend. "Don't fall in love with Nutik," Julie warns, "or your heart will break when the wolves come to take their pup home." Amaroq feeds and cares for Nutik, and soon the fuzzy little pup is romping and playing and following Amaroq everywhere. Amaroq and Nutik become best friends, but soon it's time for Nutik to rejoin his wolf family. Will Amaroq be strong like the great wolf leader he was named after and be able to let Nutik go?In this adventure-first told in Julie's Wolf Pack, sequel to the Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves Jean Craighead George brings the Arctic world of Julie and her family to a picturebook audience.

Queen of the Scene


Queen Latifah - 2006
    Basketball, stickball, jump–rope, soccer–there's nothing she won't try. And watch out, boys, because she's representing all the ladies and has girl power to the max.Queen Latifah, the Grammy Award–winning First Lady of Hip–Hop, teams up with the Caldecott Honor artist Frank Morrison in a celebration of spirit and pride.Ages 3 – 8

A Christmas Carol


Shona McKellar - 1997
    An authoritative retelling of Dickens's classic Christmas story about an elderly miser who, with the help of some ghostly visitors, discovers the true meaning of the holiday is accompanied by detailed annotations providing background information about the tale and its setting.

A Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina's Dream


Kristy Dempsey - 2014
    Little ballerinas have big dreams. Dreams of pirouettes and grande jetes, dreams of attending the best ballet schools and of dancing starring roles on stage. But in Harlem in the 1950s, dreams don’t always come true—they take a lot of work and a lot of hope. And sometimes hope is hard to come by.   But the first African-American prima ballerina, Janet Collins, did make her dreams come true. And those dreams inspired ballerinas everywhere, showing them that the color of their skin couldn’t stop them from becoming a star.   In a lyrical tale as beautiful as a dance en pointe, Kristy Dempsey and Floyd Cooper tell the story of one little ballerina who was inspired by Janet Collins to make her own dreams come true.

Chicken in the Kitchen


Nnedi Okorafor - 2015
    Is the nature spirit that lives in the wooden walls of her house a help or a hindrance? Is the mischievous giant chicken a friend or a foe? Most importantly, will Anyaugo be able to save the food her aunties have cooked for the New Yam Festival the next day? A hugely entertaining look at the fascinating masquerade culture of West Africa, from the perspective of a plucky young Nigerian girl who finds the courage to protect the traditions she loves.

Love: Selected Poems


E.E. Cummings - 2005
    Cummings, one of the 20th century's most celebrated poets, explores all the terrains of love, lust, romance and seduction.

Seven Candles for Kwanzaa


Andrea Davis Pinkney - 1993
    The word kwanzaa comes from the African language Swahili, and means "first fruits of the harvest."Since ancient times, in countries all over Africa, families have joined together to celebrate the end of the harvest and the beginning of the new planting season. Today in the United States, families and friends gather together to commemorate the strength of family ties, respect for ancestors, commitment to the growth of the community, and gratitude for life's good. For each day of Kwanzaa, a new candle is lit in the seven-branched kinara, or candleholder. Gathering around it, children and adults share their thoughts, sing songs, tell stories from the past, and dream about the future. On the last day, with seven flames dancing, everyone gathers for a delicious feast of international foods. Then the party begins!

Big Black Horse


Walter Farley - 1963
    With stunning retro illustrations and Farley's fast-paced text, this gorgeous book will appeal to the nostalgic and adventurous alike. As the sole human survivor of a devastating shipwreck, Alec finds himself alone on a small island with a magnificent stallion, black as night and dangerous as fire. Together they each realize that the other is the key to survival. Thus begins the most famous relationship in horse fiction.

Global Baby Girls


Global Fund for Children - 2013
    From Peru to China, Russia to Mali, this board book features captivating photographs of curious, joyful, and adventurous baby girls from fifteen different cultures. The bright and bold pictures paired with simple text share a powerful message: no matter where they are born, baby girls can grow up to change the world.

The Moon Over Star


Dianna Hutts Aston - 2008
    For the young protagonist of this lyrical and hopeful picture book, that landing is something that inspires her to make one giant step toward all of the possibilities that life has to offer. Caldecott Honor– winning painter Jerry Pinkney and the poetic Dianna Hutts Aston create a moving tribute to the historic Apollo 11 Mission, just in time to commemorate its upcoming fortieth anniversary.

Marta! Big & Small


Jen Arena - 2016
    . . with some extraordinary animal friends!As Marta explores the jungle, she knows she's bigger than a bug, smaller than an elephant, and faster than a turtle. But then she meets the snake, who thinks Marta is sabrosa—tasty, very tasty! But Marta is ingeniosa, a very clever girl, and she outsmarts the snake with hilarious results.With simple Spanish and a glossary at the end, this fun read-aloud picture book teaches little ones to identify opposites and animals and learn new words.

Homecoming


Michael Morpurgo - 2012
    The village is a stone’s throw from the sea, with a gull on every chimney stack, and is peopled by quirky characters such as the three Stebbing sisters, the white moustachioed Colonel Burton and Bennie the village thug. But the heroine of this story is the serene Mrs Pettigrew, who lives in a railway carriage down in the marshes with her dogs, donkey, bees and hens; she befriends the young Michael and lets him ride over the marshes on her donkey so he too can experience the magic of the local wildlife and environment. But industrial reality intrudes when plans are made to build a nuclear power station on the site of the marshes, endangering Mrs Pettigrew’s home and the gulls, owls, kestrels and thousands of insects and plants which also belong there. A village battle ensues for and against the environmental hazard of the power station, and the young Michael finds himself caught up in the sad fate of Mrs Pettigrew and the landscape of his boyhood.

Moví la mano / I Moved My Hand


Jorge Luján - 2002
    As she moves her known world, she discovers her own power and creates everything anew. The poem, written by Argentine poet Jorge Luján, comes from a culture saturated with magic, in which even the very young can make the world by reaching out and moving it. Mandana Sadat’s imaginative illustrations deepen and enrich the text. Moví la mano / I Moved My Hand is a very special contribution to the world of children’s books for the very young (and the not so young).

I Will Love You


Alyssa Satin Capucilli - 2017
    A love letter of unconditional love from a parent to a child.In the very first moment, when you came to be, I looked at you, and you looked at me.I whispered these words as I held you near,for all time, for all space, for the world to hearI will love you."

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi


Jerry Pinkney - 1894
    Nobel Prize winner Rudyard Kipling's timeless masterpiece has been lovingly passed from one generation of readers to the next. Triumphantly brought to life in stunning watercolors from Caldecott Honor artist Jerry Pinkney, this is a tale that will win the hearts of young and old alike.