Say What?


Angela DiTerlizzi - 2011
    With an interactive text and bright, playful illustrations, explore what baby animals really mean when they make their adorable baby animal sounds.When a lion says ROAR, does he really mean MORE? When a cow says MOO, does she really mean YOU? How do we know what animals say when they say what they say with their sounds everyday? With an interactive text and bright, playful illustrations, Angela DiTerlizzi and Joey Chou explore what baby animals really mean when they make their adorable baby animal sounds.

Little Mouse and the Big Cupcake


Thomas Taylor - 2010
    It's much too heavy for him to carry. So, one by one, Little Mouse asks his animal friends to help. They all say “yes”-but only after taking a nibble of the yummy treat. Will there be any cake left for the hungry Mouse?Thomas Taylor and Jill Barton have whipped up a tasty story of friendship and sharing…with a deliciously satisfying ending!

The Missing Mitten Mystery


Steven Kellogg - 1974
    Somehow Annie's red mitten has disappeared in all the fun. They look high and low. . . . It's not on the sledding hill, and it's not by the snow castles. Maybe an eagle carried it off to keep its baby's head warm. Or maybe a mouse is using it as a sleeping bag. When the sun goes down, Annie and Oscar have to give up their search and go inside. But when Annie looks out the window, something red catches her eye. . . .With entirely new full-color illustrations, this beautiful version of the beloved picture book The Mystery of the Missing Red Mitten retains all the charm of the original.

Mommy's Best Kisses


Margaret Anastas - 2003
    A loving rhyme and tender full-color illustrations of animal mothers and their babies demonstrate the best way to say I love you.

Bunny's Book Club


Annie Silvestro - 2017
    Bunny loves to sit outside the library with the kids and listen to summer story time. But when the weather gets cold and everyone moves inside, his daily dose of joy is gone. Desperate, Bunny refuses to miss out on any more reading time and devises a plan to sneak into the library at night . . . through the library's book drop! What follows is an adorable caper that brings an inquisitive, fuzzy bunny and his woodland pals up close and personal with the books they have grown to love. A warm celebration of the power of books, Bunny's Book Club is sure to bring knowing smiles to any child, parent, teacher, bookseller, and librarian who understands the one-of-a-kind magic of reading.

Funny Face, Sunny Face


Sally Symes - 2015
    Richly detailed scenes, cute characters, and rhyming text assure that even the youngest of children will join in, and adults will take pleasure in the colorful illustrations, however many times they're asked to read!

First Snow


Bomi Park - 2012
    Now look up. From the sky one flake falls, then another. And just like that—it's snowing. In this beautiful book from debut creator Bomi Park, a young girl wakes up to the year's first snowy day. From her initial glimpse out the window to her poignant adventures—rolling a snowman, making snow angels—the girl's quiet quests are ones all young readers will recognize. Simple, muted text and exquisite, evocative art conjure the excitement of a day spent exploring the wonder of snow—and the magic that, sometimes literally, such a day brings. As subtly joyful as a snow day itself, this book will find its home in the hearts of young adventurers everywhere.

It's Springtime, Mr. Squirrel


Sebastian Meschenmoser - 2009
    Squirrel’s friend, the hedgehog, catches sight of an attractive lady hedgehog, he isn’t sure what to do to win her heart. What a stroke of luck that he has a friend like Mr. Squirrel, who can help him.Mr. Squirrel knows all about love, and what ladies like. Lady hedgehogs like heroes! But can Mr. Squirrel and the hedgehog conquer the most dangerous animal in the forest?

Quackenstein Hatches a Family


Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen - 2010
    All the animals in the zoo have friends and family to play with and love. All of them, that is, except Quackenstein. Lonely and bitter in his ramshackle corner, he decides to adopt an egg. He cares for it diligently, waiting until the moment when it will hatch a baby duck of his own. On a dark and stormy night, the egg hatches, Quackenstein cackles, and lightning strikes, but wait—what’s this? That baby’s not a duck! What will he do? Where can he hide? And will Quackenstein ever find someone (or something) to cuddle? Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen’s clever rhyming text is perfectly paired with cute and spooky art from Brian T. Jones."Jones gleefully uses every cliché in the book, from lurid lettering and backgrounds to effective use of silhouettes and shadows. Bardhan-Quallen, too, takes advantage of horror-movie tropes, but she also mixes in some instruction in the form of cumulative nouns for animals. The surprise twist at the end happily resolves Quack’s fatherless state." -Kirkus Reviews

The Snow Day


Komako Sakai - 2005
    A young rabbit wakes up to wonderful news: A snow day! School is canceled, and the day that follows is rich with the magic and delight of the falling snow. And yet there is longing too, as the young rabbit and his mother wait for news of his father, grounded on a plane in a faraway city.... The news that his father will be home tomorrow gives the book a peaceful, comforting, and perfect ending.

The Jolly Barnyard


Annie North Bedford - 1950
    “Cluck! I will give him eggs,” said the hen. / Said the rooster, “I’ll wake him in the mornings, then.” / “Baa-aa, we’ll give him wool,” said the sheep. / “For our fleece is soft and warm and deep.”

Red Knit Cap Girl


Naoko Stoop - 2012
    Red Knit Cap Girl lives with her animal friends in an enchanted forest. There is so much to see and do, but more than anything Red Knit Cap Girl wishes she could talk to the Moon. Join Red Knit Cap Girl and her forest friends on a journey of curiosity, imagination, and joy as they search for a way to meet the Moon. Gorgeously illustrated on wood grain, Red Knit Cap Girl's curiosity, imagination, and joy will captivate the hearts of readers young and old as her journey offers a gentle reminder to appreciate the beauty of the natural world around us.

Lemons Are Not Red


Laura Vaccaro Seeger - 2004
    Apples are red. Lemons are yellow. . . .Clever cutouts in the pages make a simple, original, and utterly beguiling introduction to color.Laura Vaccaro Seeger, whose The Hidden Alphabet dazzled critics and readers alike, introduces young children to color in this unique concept book with die cuts. The opening spread features a big, bright red lemon and the simple text, "Lemons are not RED." When the spread is turned an equally bright yellow lemon appears ("Lemons are YELLOW") across from a luscious red apple ("Apples are RED").And so it goes, from carrots that are not purple through reindeer that are not white, et al. The book ends with "The moon is not BLACK / The moon is SILVER / The night is BLACK / Good night! And the reader sees a tranquil night landscape and a house with the lights turned out.This title has Common Core connections.

How to Be a Cat


Nikki McClure - 2013
    A single word of text per spread teaches readers “how to be a cat”—how to stretch, clean, pounce, feast—while the striking paper cuts illustrate the kitten’s attempts to imitate an adult cat’s mastery of each skill. At times the kitten triumphantly succeeds, and at other times the kitten struggles, in vignettes that range from whimsical to profound. A celebration of all things feline, How to Be a Cat also tells a universal story of mastering life skills, and of the sometimes tender, sometimes stern relationship between parent and child, teacher and pupil. Cat lovers of all ages will connect to this loving portrayal of a mentor-student relationship. Praise for How to Be a Cat STARRED REVIEWS "Purrrrfect for beginning readers and little artists with an eye for fine cut-paper compositions and craftsmanship." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review "A delightful picture book in every way. Beginning with the paw-print endpapers, youngsters will know that they are in for an adventure. The simplicity and flow of page design are beautifully done as viewers follow a kitten and his mother as she teaches him basic feline behavior." —School Library Journal, starred review "McClure's cut-paper spreads can be mesmerizing." —Publishers Weekly "McClure wonderfully captures the shape and movement of the feline form, and kids will also enjoy pointing out the blue and white butterflies and the black-capped chickadee that also appear on several pages." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "Perfect for cat lovers of all ages, the book helps us reconnect with memories of our own jouney of growth and learning." —Cat Fancy

Time for a Hug


Phillis Gershator - 2012
    Whether they bake or build, bike or hike, a caring hug always feels just right.This is a book that is generous with love, and full of the sweetest illustrations you've ever seen.