Rain Makes Applesauce


Julian Scheer - 1964
    It doesn't pretend to be anything else. And yet it is an extraordinary creation, in which author and artist speak to children in a very special way. The fanciful nonsense and marvelously intricate pictures are full of sly subtleties and happy surprises for both eye and ear. It is a book of absurd delights, of tiny, fey graphic details, of captivating scenes and lyrical phrases that stretch the imagination. Children will return to it again and again for new meanings, new images, new responses.

Mirror


Jeannie Baker - 2010
    Meanwhile, in a small village in Morocco, a boy and his family go through their own morning routines and set out to a bustling market. In this ingenious, wordless picture book, readers are invited to compare, page by page, the activities and surroundings of children in two different cultures. Their lives may at first seem quite unalike, but a closer look reveals that there are many things, some unexpected, that connect them as well. Designed to be read side by side — one from the left and the other from the right —these intriguing stories are told entirely through richly detailed collage illustrations.

Puss in Boots


Charles Perrault - 1697
    So the question arises: Do we really need another edition of Puss? Presented with Fred Marcellino's magnificent interpretation of this nimble new translation of the authentic text, book lovers young and old are apt to decide that this Puss in Boots belongs on their shelf of special favorites.Long regarded as the preeminent designer of book jackets in America, Fred Marcellino provides an unstinting visual feast in his first full-color picture book. The eadventures of that rascal, Puss, and his master, the miller's sonare portrayed in a lavish series of illustrations that range from sumptuous grandeur to comedy both boisterous and sly.

1 Is One


Tasha Tudor - 1956
    The classic book with Tasha Tudor's verse and Caldecott Honor illustrations, 1 is One is a charming introduction to numbers.

Mice Twice


Joseph Low - 1980
    What would please Cat more than a mouse for dinner? Mice twice! But Mouse has other plans in this "highly entertaining" ("Booklist") Caldecott Honor Book.

Strega Nona


Tomie dePaola - 1975
    When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works.

The Snowy Day


Ezra Jack Keats - 1962
    Universal in its appeal, the story has become a favorite of millions, as it reveals a child's wonder at a new world, and the hope of capturing and keeping that wonder forever.The adventures of a little boy in the city on a very snowy day."Keats's sparse collage illustrations capture the wonder and beauty a snowy day can bring to a small child."—Barnes & Noble"Ezra Jack Keats's classic The Snowy Day, winner of the 1963 Caldecott Medal, pays homage to the wonder and pure pleasure a child experiences when the world is blanketed in snow."—Publisher's Weekly"The book is notable not only for its lovely artwork and tone, but also for its importance as a trailblazer. According to Horn Book magazine, The Snowy Day was "the very first full-color picture book to feature a small black hero"—yet another reason to add this classic to your shelves. It's as unique and special as a snowflake."—Amazon.com

The Hello, Goodbye Window


Norton Juster - 2005
    They lovingly watch stars, play games, work garden, and listen to Poppy play harmonica. Bright simple illustrations. In many languages.

Hildilid's Night


Cheli Durán Ryan - 1971
    She tries capturing the night in a sack, tying it up with vines, shaking her fist at it, but the night takes no notice - until it disappears.

May I Bring a Friend?


Beatrice Schenk de Regniers - 1964
    He accepts, with one question: “May I bring a friend?” “Any friend of our friend is welcome here,” says the King. But their guest’s friend turns out to be someone they never expected! Beatrice Schenk de Regniers’s rhythmic text and the fantastical, jewellike artwork of Beni Montresor have made this book a favorite for more than twenty-five years.

Hey, Al


Arthur Yorinks - 1986
    They eat together, they work together, they do everything together. So what's the problem?Their room is crowded and cramped; their life is an endless struggle. Al and Eddie are practically at each others throats when a large and mysterious bird offers them a new life in paradise. After some debate, they decide to accept.Transported to a gorgeous island in the sky, Al and Eddie are soon living a life of ease and luxury. But they come to find that the grass can be a little too green on the other side. After a dramatic, nearly tragic escape from their paradise prison, both man and dog agree: there really is no place like home. Hey, Al is the winner of the 1987 Caldecott Medal.

Prayer for a Child


Rachel Field - 1944
    Though it was written for one little girl, the prayer is for all boys and girls, and it carries a universal appeal for all ages and races.

The Little Island


Margaret Wise Brown - 1946
    There is a little island in the ocean—and this book is about how it is on that little island, how the seasons and the storm and the day and night change it, how the lobsters and seals and gulls and everything else live on it, and what the kitten who comes to visit finds out about it.

The Moon Over Star


Dianna Hutts Aston - 2008
    For the young protagonist of this lyrical and hopeful picture book, that landing is something that inspires her to make one giant step toward all of the possibilities that life has to offer. Caldecott Honor– winning painter Jerry Pinkney and the poetic Dianna Hutts Aston create a moving tribute to the historic Apollo 11 Mission, just in time to commemorate its upcoming fortieth anniversary.

Tops & Bottoms


Janet Stevens - 1995
    With roots in American slave tales, Tops & Bottoms celebrates the trickster tradition of using one’s wits to overcome hardship. “As usual, Stevens’ animal characters, bold and colorful, are delightful. . . . It’s all wonderful fun, and the book opens, fittingly, from top to bottom instead of from side to side, making it perfect for story-time sharing.”--BooklistThis title has been selected as a Common Core Text Exemplar (Grades 2-3, Stories)