Just Because


Mac Barnett - 2019
    Little ones and their parents will be charmed and delighted as a patient father offers up increasingly creative responses to his child’s nighttime wonderings. Any child who has ever asked “Why?” — and any parent who has attempted an explanation — will recognize themselves in this sweet storybook for dreamers who are looking for answers beyond “Just because.”Curious minds are rewarded with curious answers in a fantastical bedtime book by Mac Barnett and Isabelle Arsenault.

Spencer's New Pet


Jessie Sima - 2019
    There’s just one hitch: Spencer’s new pet is a balloon. And that means No. Sharp. Objects. No drooling dogs at the park. No prickly porcupines at the vet. And absolutely no pinning tails on any donkeys! Spencer’s New Pet is a story of pure fun about a boy, his dog, and a friendship that endures life’s sharpest...and most unexpected twists.

My Heart Fills With Happiness


Monique Gray Smith - 2016
    The smell of warm bannock baking in the oven. Holding the hand of someone you love. What fills your heart with happiness? This beautiful board book, with illustrations from celebrated artist Julie Flett, serves as a reminder for little ones and adults alike to reflect on and cherish the moments in life that bring us joy. International speaker and award-winning author Monique Gray Smith wrote My Heart Fills with Happiness to support the wellness of Indigenous children and families, and to encourage young children to reflect on what makes them happy.

Something from Nothing


Phoebe Gilman - 1989
    Gilman's modern adaptation and lively illustrations turn this favorite Jewish tale into a contemporary classic.

Unstoppable


Adam Rex - 2020
    And, just like that, they team up. Pretty soon, the team includes every animal in the forest who's ever wanted someone else's special trait. But how will these animals stop humans from destroying the forest for a megamall? It's going to take claws, wings, and Congress together to be truly Unstoppable!.

Bedtime for Frances


Russell Hoban - 1960
    And then there are tigers and giants and ominous cracks in the ceiling to keep her up. Will Frances ever go to sleep?

Early Bird


Toni Yuly - 2014
    She is hungry. What will she have for breakfast?With language that emphasizes action words, this is a fun story for morning, nighttime, any time.

The Runaway Bunny


Margaret Wise Brown - 1942
    Generations of readers have fallen in love with the gentle magic of its reassuring words and loving pictures.

Polar Bear Night


Lauren Thompson - 2004
    . . A nighttime journey . . . A bedtime story of love and wonder.One keen, clear night, a polar bear cub wakes inside her warm den. Something in the moonlit stillness quietly beckons. What is it?The little cub sets out for the snow and sky and sea and ice, and the moon follows.So begins a magical journey through a starlit world filled with love and wonder. Soothing words and luminous pictures make this nighttime tale as comforting as a goodnight kiss.

Too Much Noise


Ann McGovern - 1967
    It seemed like a simple enough problem at the beginning, but more and more complications set in—in the forms of a donkey, a sheep, and a cow, to name a few, until it looked as though an entire farm had come to life right there in Peter’s house!But with the proper, if overwhelming, application of true folk wisdom, the trouble was ended. Peter’s house was finally quiet.Or was it?“This is a funny book, a very funny book.”—Publishers Weekly “The too-crowded house of a familiar old tale becomes a too noisy house in this entertaining picture-book story.”—Booklist

Persephone


Sally Pomme Clayton - 2009
    It is winter all year round. Persephone must return to Earth - but how can spring return where winter reigns?

The Matatu


Eric Walters - 2012
    But today, for his fifth birthday, he climbs aboard one with his grandfather. As the matatu pulls away from the market, the village dogs chase after them. When Kioko asks his grandfather why the dogs always bark and chase after matatus, his grandfather tells him an entertaining tale about a dog, a goat and a sheep. Set in East Africa, The Matatu is a colorful story filled with many unexpected turns and twists along the way.

Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn


Shannon Hale - 2021
    From bestselling duo Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham comes a kitty and unicorn story that celebrates the magic of friendship—and being exactly who you want to be! Kitty thinks she might be a unicorn. She feels so perfectly unicorn-y! “Neigh!” says Kitty. But when Unicorn clop clop clops over, sweeping his magnificent tail and neighing a mighty neigh, Kitty feels no bigger than a ball of lint.Can this unlikely pair embrace who they are, and truly see one another?

Fairy Tales for Mr. Barker: A Peek-Through Story


Jessica Ahlberg - 2016
    Barker, see on their fairy-tale adventure? Peek through from scene to scene to guess who they might meet next.Lucy is reading a fairy tale to Mr. Barker, but her dog has other ideas. When he jumps out the window — landing in a cottage with a broken chair, three bowls of porridge, and a little golden-haired girl — Lucy is right behind him. Goldilocks would rather not be there when the bears return, so she joins Lucy and Mr. Barker as they continue on their way, adding a trio of pigs, a boy with a goose, and a just-awakened princess during their journey. What happens next? Cutout windows throughout add visual surprises to this lighthearted fractured fairy tale.

A Story, a Story


Gail E. Haley - 1970
    He kept them in a box beside his throne. But Ananse, the Spider man, wanted them -- and caught three sly creatures to get them. This story of how we got our own stories to tell is adapted from an African folktale.