A Baby Sister for Frances


Russell Hoban - 1964
    But when she overhears her parents talking about how much they all miss her, she decides that she should go back home. After all a being a big sister means she has lots of grown up things to do!

Shout!: Little Poems that Roar


Brod Bagert - 2007
    Brod Bagert’s often silly, always winsome poems cover everything from the seasons and the stars to finger paint and kids who quack. With humor and warmth, Shout! shows us there’s fun in work and play, poetry in everything, and a million different uses for ketchup. Kids are sure to shout for a reread.

I Wanna Iguana


Karen Kaufman Orloff - 2004
    He promises that she won't have to feed it or clean its cage or even see it if she doesn't want to. Of course Mom imagines life with a six-foot-long iguana eating them out of house and home. Alex's reassurances: It takes fifteen years for an iguana to get that big. I'll be married by then and probably living in my own house. and his mom's replies: How are you going to get a girl to marry you when you own a giant reptile? will have kids in hysterics as the negotiations go back and forth through notes. And the lively, imaginative illustrations show their polar opposite dreams of life with an iguana.

14 Cows for America


Carmen Agra Deedy - 2007
    Hundreds of Maasai surround an American diplomat to bestow a gift on the American people. The gift is as unsought and unexpected as it is extraordinary. A mere nine months have passed since the September 11 attacks, and hearts are raw. Tears flow freely as these legendary warriors offer their gift to a grieving people half a world away. Word of the gift will travel news wires around the globe. Many will be profoundly touched, but for Americans, this selfless gesture will have deeper meaning still. For a heartsick nation, the gift of fourteen cows emerges from the choking dust and darkness as a soft light of hope and friendship. Master storyteller Carmen Agra Deedy hits all the right notes in this story of generosity that crosses boundaries, nations, and cultures. An afterword by Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah, the Maasai warrior at the center of the story, provides additional information about his tribe and their generosity. Thomas Gonzalez's stunning paintings are saturated with rich hues of oranges and browns and blues and greens, which capture the nobility of the Maasai people and the distinctive landscape of the African plain.

The Hallo-Weiner


Dav Pilkey - 1995
    But one brave act on Halloween makes Oscar a Grade-A hero, proving that a little wiener can be a real winner!

A Year with Marmalade


Alison Reynolds - 2012
    It’s about losing old friends and making new ones. It’s about change, which isn’t always a bad thing… When Maddy’s family relocate for a year, she must leave behind her cat, Marmalade, and her best friend Ella. The story of the growing friendship between Marmalade and Ella is set against a backdrop of the changing seasons.

Pig the Pug


Aaron Blabey - 2014
    He is ill-tempered, rude and unreasonable. When Pig the Pug is asked to share his toys, something unexpected happens. Hopefully Pig has learned a lesson!For ages 5-9

From Wolf to Woof: The Story of Dogs


Hudson Talbott - 2016
       Striking paintings, from an adorable wolf pup to a wide range of modern-day dog breeds, illustrate this insightful story of teamwork and friendship. Through the eyes of a prehistoric boy and a lone wolf pup, we see how the bond between our ancestors and these wild animals may have developed. Starting as enemies competing for food, the wolf and the boy realize that they’ll eat better and be safer if they team up. Over time, others catch on, and as many of the wolves become more domesticated, the humans breed them for skills like hunting, herding, pulling, and rescuing. And today, there are more breeds of dog than of any other animal, all thanks to this relationship that started so long ago.

Manana, Iguana


Ann Whitford Paul - 2004
    Tortuga the tortoise, Conejo the rabbit, and Culebra the snake all want to come. But do they want to help Iguana deliver invitations or stuff the pinata or cook the food? No, no, and no! A lazy trio loses out in this clever update of the story of the Little Red Hen with a Mexican twist. A glossary of Spanish words is included.

When a Pet Dies (First Experiences)


Fred Rogers - 1988
    "A sensitive and sensible first book about death." The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Filled with warmth and reassurance,...When a Pet Dies assures youngsters that no matter how badly they feel when they lose a pet, in time their hurt will ease, and they will be able to remember with fondness the happiness they shared.Booklist Fred Rogers and Jim Judkis live in Pittsburgh, PA.

An Octopus Is Amazing


Patricia Lauber - 1990
    And if an octopus loses an arm, it will eventually grow another one. Amazing! Read and find out about the many other ways an octopus is amazing. This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 4 to 6. It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children."[Here is] a charming introduction to the truly amazing octopus [from its intelligence to its ability to change colors to the camouflaging black ink it squirts to escape predators]. Lauber's chatty, fact-filled text makes the book a good read-aloud, and Keller's amusing and colorful drawings enhance it—a perfect match of text and illustration." —SLJ.This is a Level 2 Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science title, which means the book explores more challenging concepts for children in the primary grades and supports the Common Core Learning Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards. Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.

Marshmallow


Clare Turlay Newberry - 1942
    Marshmallow is an endearingly and beautifully illustrated book about an adorable baby bunny who comes to live in the house of a pampered cat, and the friendship that develops between them.

Animals in Winter


Henrietta Bancroft - 1963
    Butterflies can't survive cold weather, so when winter comes, many butterflies fly to warmer places. They migrate. Woodchucks don't like cold weather either but they don't migrate; they hibernate. Woodchucks sleep in their dens all winter long. Read and find out how other animals cope with winter's worst weather. This is a Level One Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science title, which means the book explores more challenging concepts for children in the primary grades and supports the Common Core Learning Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards. Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.

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.

Science Verse


Jon Scieszka - 2004
    / 'Cause whether his or hers amoeba, / They too feel like you and meba.What if a boring lesson about the food chain becomes a sing-along about predators and prey? A twinkle-twinkle little star transforms into a twinkle-less, sunshine-eating-and rhyming Black Hole? What if amoebas, combustion, metamorphosis, viruses, the creation of the universe are all irresistible, laugh-out-loud poetry? Well, you're thinking in science verse, that's what. And if you can't stop the rhymes ... the atomic joke is on you. Only the amazing talents of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, the team who created Math Curse, could make science so much fun.