A Unicorn Named Sparkle


Amy Young - 2016
    She imagines the flowers that she'll braid into his beautiful pink mane, and she even picks the perfect name for him: Sparkle. But when Sparkle arrives, his ears are too long, his horn is too short, he smells funny--and oh, he has fleas. Lucy isn't pleased, but in the end she warms up to Sparkle and realizes that even though he wasn't exactly the unicorn she wanted, he might be just the one she needs.

Small Saul


Ashley Spires - 2011
    Ahoy there! Will this sweet little pirate find his place aboard The Rusty Squid or will he be forced to walk the plank? When Small Saul joins the crew of The Rusty Squid, it doesn't take long for the other pirates to notice something is very different about this tiny fellow. He was born to sing sea shanties, bake pineapple upside down cakes and redecorate, not to hold a sword and plunder. Being rough and tough just isn't in his nature. Small Saul learned at Pirate College that pirates only care about three things: their ship, being tough and lots and lots of treasure. Can Small Saul show these ruffians that despite his gentle spirit, he's worth his weight in gold? With treasure chests of laughs, Small Saul's high-seas adventure is a light-hearted celebration of individuality, perseverance and being true to one's self.

Lizzie and Lou Seal


Patricia Keeler - 2017
    They go shuffle shuffle across the rug, smack smack on the floor tiles, and thwap thwap down the stairs. Lizzie also loves her blow-up toy, Lou Seal. Lizzie and Lou Seal are off to the beach, but beach fun turns to beach disaster when Lizzie loses her flip-flops and Lou Seal starts losing air! It’s a sink or swim scenario. What will Lizzie do?This is a beautiful book with mixed media art and a lovely retro feel, for fans of Ladybug Girl at the Beach. Children will relate to Lizzie’s independence and creative problem solving and fall in love with Lou Seal themselves. Filled with lots of fun words and sounds, this is a perfect read aloud book for parents and children alike.

The Green Ember


S.D. Smith - 2014
    Till the Green Ember rises, or the end of the world.Heather and Picket are extraordinary rabbits with ordinary lives until calamitous events overtake them, spilling them into a cauldron of misadventures. They discover that their own story is bound up in the tumult threatening to overwhelm the wider world. Kings fall and kingdoms totter. Tyrants ascend and terrors threaten. Betrayal beckons, and loyalty is a broken road with peril around every bend.Where will Heather and Picket land? How will they make their stand?

Rumblestar


Abi Elphinstone - 2019
    So, it comes as a nasty shock to him when he accidentally stumbles into Rumblestar, an Unmapped Kingdom full of magical beasts. All Casper wants is to find a way home, but Rumblestar is in trouble. An evil harpy called Morg is sending her followers, the Midnights, into the kingdom to wreak havoc and pave the way for her to steal the Unmapped magic for herself. But Casper cannot turn a blind eye because the future of his own world, he discovers, is bound up with that of the Unmapped Kingdoms. And so, together with Utterly Thankless, a girl who hates rules and is allergic to behaving, and her miniature dragon, Arlo, Casper embarks upon an adventure full of cloud giants, storm ogres and drizzle hags. Can he, Utterly and Arlo, the unlikeliest of heroes, save the Unmapped Kingdoms and our world from the clutches of Morg and her Midnights? Live a life filled with adventure with Abi Elphinstone in this brand new series where a whole new world is waiting to be discovered...

Llama Destroys the World


Jonathan Stutzman - 2019
    Meet Llama, the next great picture-book megastar, who has most definitely driven a bus and who loves tacos way more than you.He also loves cake, and that’s where our story begins.On Monday, Llama discovers a pile of cake, which he promptly eats.On Tuesday, Llama squeezes into his dancing pants, which he promptly rips.The force of the rip creates a black hole (naturally).By Friday, Llama will (indirectly) destroy the world.

Hush, Baby Ghostling


Andrea Beaty - 2009
    But sleeping is hard when your head is filled with scary thoughts of human children! All of the elements of a classic good-night story are turned on their heads as Mama comforts her ghostling with thoughts of owls and bats and monsters. Young children will delight in seeing their bedtime rituals turned upside down. With gentle humor and glowing illustrations in the hues of dawn, this is a lullaby that any child—ghost or human—will look forward to hearing before bed.

The Night I Followed the Dog


Nina Laden - 1994
    Nothing exotic or special, just an ordinary dog. In fact, I always thought he was a boring dog. What I mean is, he can fetch, roll over, and shake hands, but mostly he sleeps and eats." Or so the little boy in this story thinks, until one morning when he opens the door a little early and sees his dog jump out of a limousine. That night he decides to follow his dog, and that's when the fun starts. Before he knows it, he has entered the little known world of doggy glamour. His dog, distinctly reminiscent of Humphrey Bogart, treats him to a nighttime adventure where he learns where dogs go to relax and sees what they do while their masters are fast asleep. A terrific read aloud, Nina Laden's story will have everyone captivated by the coolest dog around.

Twenty Yawns


Jane Smiley - 2016
    But later, she awakens in a dark, still room, and everything looks mysterious. How will she ever get back to sleep?

Also an Octopus


Maggie Tokuda-Hall - 2016
    What happens next is up to you! A delightfully meta picture book that will set imaginations soaring.It begins with an octopus who plays the ukulele. Since this is a story, the octopus has to want something—maybe to travel to faraway galaxies in a totally awesome purple spaceship. Then the octopus sets out to build a spaceship out of soda cans, glue, umbrellas, glitter, and waffles. OK, maybe the octopus needs some help, like from an adorable bunny friend, and maybe that bunny turns out to be . . . a rocket scientist? (Probably not.) But could something even more amazing come to pass? Debut author Maggie Tokuda-Hall, with the help of illustrator Benji Davies, sets up an endearingly funny story, then hands the baton to readers, who will be more than primed to take it away.

The Pirate Pig


Cornelia Funke - 1999
    They want to keep her as a pet, but they soon realize Julie is no ordinary pig. She can sniff out treasure! What happens if Barracuda Bill, the greediest and meanest pirate who ever sailed the seas, hears about Julie’s special talent?   Cornelia Funke’s charming and fun chapter books are available to an American audience for the very first time.From the Hardcover edition.

A Fly Went By


Mike McClintock - 1958
    A fly went by, followed by a frog, who's chased by a cat, who's chased by a dog and a host of other frantic characters, in a humorous cumulative tale.

Parks and Recreation: Leslie for Class President!


Robb Pearlman - 2021
    In order to win over voters, though, Leslie starts to make some big promises...ones she's not sure she can keep. Will Leslie be able to keep her word and become the best president Pawnee Elementary has ever seen? Filled with colorful, detailed illustrations and brimming with Easter eggs and nods to iconic moments from the show, this hilarious reimagining features a pint-sized cast.The story will introduce Parks and Recreation to a whole new generation and will teach them the importance of staying true to yourself. And waffles.Parks and Recreation © Universal Television LLC. All Rights Reserved.

I Don't Want to Eat Bugs


Rachel Branton - 2016
    When her animal friends try to help her find something tasty to eat, the real the problems begin! Join Lisbon on her funny misadventures. Each beautiful illustration is designed to inspire the imaginations of children. An activity page at the end of the book allows for more fun as they search for special items in the illustrations. This version of I Don’t Want to Eat Bugs has been designed specifically for ebook with a fixed layout and larger text for easy reading. While this is a great read-aloud book for parents, teachers, and other adults to share with children, we have chosen fonts that are similar to the way children form letters for easy recognition as they begin to read on their own. The print book is also available in 8.5” x 11” format. Author’s Note: I Don’t Want to Eat Bugs was written for my daughter, who was two when I wrote this story and didn’t like salad, but now she’s four and a half and loves it—if I give her plenty of salad dressing! (But don’t worry—this isn’t a book about eating salad.) Of course birds, cats, and dogs have a very different idea of what's good to eat, but through this fun adventure, Lisbon learns there is also food meant just for her—and it's good, especially compared with all the offerings from her animal friends. My daughter and I privately call this book the "Ice Cream Story" (she LOVES ice cream so there had to be ice cream involved), and now whenever something funny happens, she says, "We should write a new ice cream story about that." And we have! I Don’t Want to Eat Bugs is the first book in a series called Lisbon’s Misadventures. Book 2, I Don't Want to Have Hot Toes, is now available, and Tim Petersen is hard at work creating the illustrations for the next two books. Tim is obviously a fabulous artist, and I’m excited to be working with him. You can sign up on my website to learn when the next book comes out (http://teylarachelbranton.com/). Thank you and enjoy!

Classic Tales of Brer Rabbit


David Borgenicht - 1995
    Told and retold for hundreds of years, this young-reader's version of these folktales retains the original humor and wisdom, com- plemented by spirited, full-color illustrations by Don Daily.