The Sailor Dog


Margaret Wise Brown - 1953
    Scuppers the Dog wants to be a sailor. He was born at sea and he wants nothing more than to return to water. Finally, after a long time, Scuppers gets the chance to go out into the deep blue ocean--but his ship gets wrecked! Oh no! But Scuppers won't let that bother him. He fixes his boat and gets right back to it!

Verdi


Janell Cannon - 1997
    He likes his bright yellow skin and sporty stripes. Besides, all the green snakes he meets are lazy, boring, and rude. When Verdi finds a pale green stripe stretching along his whole body, he tries every trick he can think of to get rid of it--and ends up in a heap of trouble. Despite his efforts, Verdi turns green, but to his delight, he discovers that being green doesn’t mean he has to stop being himself. “Cannon is on a roll, her gift for creating memorable characters and scenes on glorious display in this tale of a feisty python hatchling.”--Publishers Weekly

The Napping House


Audrey Wood - 1984
    Awards: ALA Notable Children’s Book, New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year, Golden Kite Award winner, California Young Reader Medal winner, Booklist Editors’ Choice

Stone Soup


Ann McGovern - 1971
    As the pot of water boils with the stone in it, he urges her to add more and more ingredients until the soup is a feast "fit for a king".

Wacky Wednesday


Theo LeSieg - 1974
    in full color. A baffled youngster awakens one morning to findeverything's out of place, but no one seems to notice! Beginning readers willhave fun discovering all the wacky things wrong on each page while sharpeningtheir ability to observe, as well as to read.

Iggy Peck, Architect


Andrea Beaty - 2007
    Iggy has one passion: building. His parents are proud of his fabulous creations, though they’re sometimes surprised by his materials—who could forget the tower he built of dirty diapers? When his second-grade teacher declares her dislike of architecture, Iggy faces a challenge. He loves building too much to give it up! With Andrea Beaty’s irresistible rhyming text and David Roberts’s puckish illustrations, this book will charm creative kids everywhere, and amuse their sometimes bewildered parents.  Also from the powerhouse author-illustrator team of Iggy Peck, Architect, is Rosie Revere, Engineer, a charming, witty picture book about believing in yourself and pursuing your passion. Ada Twist, Scientist, the companion picture book featuring the next kid from Iggy Peck's class, is available in September 2016.

Diary of a Wombat


Jackie French - 2002
    Their favorite activities are eating, sleeping, and digging holes. Here, in the words of one unusually articulate wombat, is the tongue-in-cheek account of a busy week; eating, sleeping, digging holes . . . and training its new neighbors, a family of humans, to produce treats on demand. This entertaining book, with its brief, humorous text and hilarious illustrations, will endear the wombat to young children, who may recognize in the determined furry creature some qualities that they share.

Llama Llama Mad at Mama


Anna Dewdney - 2007
    Lots of aisles. Long lines. Mama is too busy to notice that Llama Llama is getting m-a-d! And before he knows it, he's having a full-out tantrum! Mama quickly calms him down, but she also realizes that they need to make shopping more fun for both of them. Parents and children are sure to recognize themselves in this fun-to-read follow-up to the popular Llama Llama Red Pajama.Watch a Video

Art & Max


David Wiesner - 2010
    Arthur is an accomplished painter; Max is a beginner. Max’s first attempt at using a paintbrush sends the two friends on a whirlwind trip through various artistic media, which turn out to have unexpected pitfalls. Although Max is inexperienced, he’s courageous—and a quick learner. His energy and enthusiasm bring the adventure to its triumphant conclusion. Beginners everywhere will take heart.

The Complete Brambly Hedge


Jill Barklem - 1999
    The way the mice live is completely natural, which is how I think life ought to be. They appreciate and use everything that grows around them. Theirs is a loving, caring society, but the mice are not just serious and worthy. They have FUN! The much-loved Brambly Hedge mice first made their entrance in 1980 when four seasonal stories were published. Since then, readers have loved exploring the miniature hedgerow world and meeting the families who make their home there. Jill Barklem's warm, traditionally styled illustrations which evoke both drama and a sense of humour, are richly detailed, gentle and touching, and appeal to readers young and old.For the first time ever all the Brambly Hedge stories are brought together in one glorious volume, an exquisite gift book that will delight committed fans and introduce new readers to the wonders of Barklem's hedgerow life.The collection is introduced by Barklem herself, who explains how the stories came about, and what the world of Brambly Hedgemeans to her and to her legions of avid fans. A perfect gift for anyone who has ever basked in the warmth of these simple, romantic stories, The Complete Brambly Hedge is also an excellent way of introducing new readers to the wonders of the hedgerow, and is ideal for younger readers to enjoy with their parents, or for older, more confident readers to enjoy alone. (Age 4 and over) --Susan Harrison

Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months


Maurice Sendak - 1962
    Maurice Sendak, the Caldecott Medal-winning creator of the iconic Where the Wild Things Are, created a warmly loved classic book of months, in verse, with Chicken Soup with Rice.This rhyming book cleverly uses a little boy’s love for soup to teach children the months of the year and features Sendak’s imaginative drawings and lyrical verses.Who says you can only slurp chicken soup with rice in cold January or freezing December? Chicken soup with rice is nice all year round!

This Book Just Ate My Dog!


Richard Byrne - 2014
    But when the helpers disappear too, Bella realizes it will take more than a tug on the leash to put things right. Cleverly using the physicality of the book, This book just ate my dog! is inventive, ingenious, and just pure kid-friendly fun!

A Perfectly Messed-Up Story


Patrick McDonnell - 2014
    Little Louie's story keeps getting messed up, and he's not happy about it! What's the point of telling his tale if he can't tell it perfectly? But when he stops and takes a deep breath, he realizes that everything is actually just fine, and his story is a good one--imperfections and all.

The Three Questions


Jon J. Muth - 2002
    So he goes to ask Leo, the wise turtle. When he arrives, the turtle is struggling to dig in his garden, and Nikolai rushes to help him. As he finishes work, a violent storm rolls in. Nikolai runs for Leo's cottage, but on his way, he hears cries for help from an injured panda. Nikolai brings her in from the cold, and then rushes back outside to rescue her baby too.

The Big Orange Splot


Daniel Pinkwater - 1977
    Plumbean's expression of creativity and individuality challenges his neighbor's ideas about the importance of having a “neat street.” By repainting his house to reflect his colorful dreams, Mr. Plumbean breaks away from the conformity of his street.“My house is me and I am it. My house is where I like to be and it looks like all my dreams.”— Daniel Pinkwater