Tacky the Penguin


Helen Lester - 1988
    Will this nonconformist teach old penguins some new tricks and help save the day? This hilarious series following the adventures of one superlative penguin is a modern classic. Tacky likes to do splashy cannonballs and greet his friends with a loud, “What’s happening?” His fellow penguins find his odd behavior somewhat bothersome. But when fearsome poachers come to the iceberg hunting for penguins, Tacky’s odd ways may be just the thing that saves the day. From beloved children’s book author Helen Lester, and cherished illustrator Lynn Munsinger, Tacky the Penguin is a delightful tale about being true to yourself--even when it means being a little different from everybody else.

Day Dreamers: A Journey of Imagination


Emily Winfield Martin - 2014
    Whether cloud-gazing or wandering through a museum, reading a book or playing in a tide-pool, the children in this picture book find themselves in places  inhabited by magical creatures such as dragons, unicorns, griffins, and jackalopes. A whimsical rhyme accompanies the dream-worthy illustrations.From the Hardcover edition.

Pingo


Brandon Mull - 2009
    His friend was Pingo. The two would fight ninjas, brew magical potions, and float in zero gravity. Each day was a fun-filled adventure, until Chad decided he was too old to have an imaginary friend. But Pingo wasn't ready to leave Chad alone, and started tormenting him and causing all kinds of mischief. Can this once inseparable duo ever be friends again?

More Spaghetti, I Say!


Rita Golden Gelman - 1977
    My First Hello Readers use basic words to reinforce phonics and sight vocabulary. The books at this level offer punch-out flash cards plus six additional pages of skill-building activities. Levels 1 - 4 combine a greater vocabulary and longer sentence length. Each book has an introductory letter from an education specialist guiding parents on how to help their children learn to read. Preschool - Grades 2.

One Drowsy Dragon


Ethan Long - 2010
    . . but his little dragons are being way too noisy and have way too much energy! One drowsy dragon is trying to get some sleep, but his ten little dragons want to have fun instead. Five are playing with their toys, six are making milk shakes, and seven are watching scary shows on TV. Find out what a drowsy has to do to catch some ZZZZZZs in this rolicking counting book.

The Library Dragon


Carmen Agra Deedy - 1994
    Who could guard books better than a REAL dragon?"She kept a fiery eye out to make sure no one removed any books from the shelves...The very thought of sticky little fingerstouchingandclutching,pawingandclawing,smearingandtearingher precious books just made her hot under the collar."The teachers, singed and scorched, formed a delegation. But not even sweet Miss Lemon could convince Miss Lotta Scales that "the library belonged to the children."Fortunately, nearsighted Molly Brickmeyer stumbles into a copy of "Snuff the Magic Dragon" and reads the tale out loud. Her storytelling beckons the children back to the library and brings them face to face with the Library Dragon.Can an open book temper the flames of the school's hot-headed librarian?

Would You Rather Be a Princess or a Dragon?


Barney Saltzberg - 2016
    The message of this book is that you can actually be both!There are lots of things you can be: a little wild, a little sweet. A little polite, a little troublesome. A little dainty, a little dragony.There's nothing stopping you from being just what you want to be . . . so which would you rather be: a princess or a dragon? Here's just the book to help you sort through that difficult question. You might be surprised at what you decide by its end.

Bad Kitty


Nick Bruel - 2005
    Kitty is not happy when she's told that her favorite foods are all gone and all that's left are Asparagus, Beets, Cauliflower, Dill...and 22 other equally unappealing vegetables. So she: Ate my homework, Bit grandma, Clawed the curtains, Damaged the dishes, and so on, through Z. Only when tastier things arrive (An Assortment of Anchovies, Buffalo Burritos, Chicken Cheesecake...) does she Apologize to Grandma.Now, Roaring Brook is proud to introduce a new edition so deliciously funny, someone's already taken a bite out of it. With two die-cut ñbitesî on its side, special endpapers, and a brand new piece of artwork within, this eye-catching novelty edition of a proven best-seller is sure to be . . . devoured!

Crab Cake: Turning the Tide Together


Andrea Tsurumi - 2019
    Feed your craving for a hilarious, heart-warming story with Crab Cake. Humorous, intricate illustrations are perfect to engage readers aged 3-7 while teaching gentle lessons of civic engagement and rallying together as a community. Under the sea, fish do what fish do: Seahorse hides, Pufferfish puffs up, Parrotfish crunches coral, and Crab . . . bakes cakes?      Scallop swims, Dolphin blows bubbles, and . . . Crab bakes cakes.      And so life goes on, until one night when everything changes with a splash!      In the face of total disaster, can Crab's small, brave act help the community come together and carry on?

Gregory the Terrible Eater


Mitchell Sharmat - 1980
    A very picky eater, Gregory the goat refuses the usual goat diet staples of shoes and tincans in favor of fruits, vegetables, eggs, and orange juice.

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.

My Lucky Day


Keiko Kasza - 2003
    Fox's door "accidentally," the fox can hardly believe his good luck. It's not every day that dinner just shows up on your doorstep. It must be his lucky day! Or is it?Before Mr. Fox can say grace, the piglet has manipulated him into giving him a fabulously tasty meal, the full spa treatment (with bath and massage), and . . . freedom.In a funny trickster tale of her own, Kasza keeps readers guessing until the surprise ending when they'll realize it was piglet's lucky day all along.

The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!


Mo Willems - 2008
    He'll take really good care of it! What's the matter--don't you want him to be happy?The latest book in the best-selling Pigeon series is the funniest one yet.

Fairy Science


Ashley Spires - 2019
    For fans of Ada Twist, Scientist and Hidden Figures.Esther the fairy doesn't believe in magic. But fairies are all about magic, despite Esther's best efforts to reveal the science of their world. No matter how she and her bird, Albert, explain that rainbows are refracted light rather than a path to gold, or that mist is water evaporating rather than an evil omen, or the importance of the scientific method, her fairymates would rather just do magic. So when the other fairies' solution to helping a dying tree is to do a mystical moonlight dance, Esther decides to take it upon herself to resuscitate the tree . . . with the scientific method, some hypothesizing, a few experiments and the heady conclusion that trees need sunlight to live! But while Esther manages to save the tree, she can't quite change the minds of her misguided fairymates . . . or can she?Fairy Science, the first in a hilarious new picture book series, introduces a charming, determined heroine as she learns about the world and celebrates the joys of curiosity and exploring science.

Rules of Summer


Shaun Tan - 2013
    Each spread tells of an event and the lesson learned. By turns, these events become darker and more sinister as the boys push their games further and further.