The Crayon Box That Talked


Shane DeRolf - 1997
    The crayons in it just couldn't get along. Yellow did not like Red, and neither, for that matter, did Green. And no one at all seemed to like Orange. As Blue pointed out, something was very wrong.But something very right begins to happen when a little girl takes these crayons home and starts coloring with them. They realize that the big picture they make together is ever so much more exciting and varied—yes, even dazzling!—than the small pictures they make alone.This is a simple little story with a big important message.

In the Tall, Tall Grass


Denise Fleming - 1991
    You'll see ants and bees and birds--hip-hopping bunnies too. You'll even hear the sounds some of them make.Crunch, munch,caterpillars lunch...Crack, snap, wings flap...Beginning as the sun is high in the sky and ending as fireflies blink and the moon rises above, this backyard tour is one no child will want to miss.In the Tall, Tall Grass is a 1992 Boston Globe - Horn Book Award Honor Book for Picture Books.

Stegothesaurus


Bridget Heos - 2018
    So when he makes a friend--an allothesaurus---who is just as verbose as he, he is happy, thrilled, and ecstatic! But Stegothesaurus soon learns that the allothesaurus has very different ideas about what constitutes a good meal, and he'll discover there's one thing that he loves more than words: his family.Featuring clever but simple text from Bridget Heos and bold, exuberant art by T. L. McBeth, Stegothesaurus introduces young readers to a memorable, original, unforgettable dinosaur hero.

Thank You, Octopus


Darren Farrell - 2014
    . . in egg salad (No, thank you, Octopus)! Then it’s time to brush teeth…with paint brushes!  And don't worry, Octopus made sure there were no monsters under the bed…because they’re all in the closet! No, thank you, Octopus!  Each page turn brings new wordplay and laughs in this hip, nautical-themed take on bedtime and friendship . . . ending with a great big surprise for Octopus and sweet dreams for two best friends.

Open Very Carefully: A Book with Bite


Nick Bromley - 2013
    What would you do if you were settling down for a quiet bedtime story and you realized that a crocodile had fallen into your storybook and was — not to put too fine a point on it — wreaking havoc? Would you slam that book shut and cram it back onto the bookshelf? Or would you be brave enough to peek?

What a Wonderful World


Bob Thiele - 2014
    Sweet and positive in its message, with bright, beautiful art, this book is sure to be a hit. Perfect for sharing!

My Many Colored Days


Dr. Seuss - 1996
    Seuss wrote in 1973, was a letter outlining his hopes of finding "a great color artist who will not be dominated by me." The late Dr. Seuss saw his original text about feelings and moods as part of the "first book ever to be based on beautiful illustrations and sensational color." The quest for an artist finally ended—after the manuscript languished for more than two decades—at the paint brushes of husband-and-wife team Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher whose stunning, expressive paintings reveal such striking images as a bright red horse kicking its heels, a cool and quiet green fish, a sad and lonely purple dinosaur, and an angrily howling black wolf. Using a spectrum of vibrant colors and a menagerie of animals, this unique book does for the range of human moods and emotions what Oh, the Places You'll Go! does for the human life cycle. Here is a wonderful way for parents to talk with children about their feelings. With Johnson and Fancher's atmospheric, large-scale paintings bursting off the pages, Dr. Seuss's vision is brought to life. This rare and beautiful book is bound to appeal to both the innocent young and the most sophisticated seniors.

Max Attacks


Kathi Appelt - 2019
    He attacks. From socks to strings to many a fish, attacking, for Max, is most de-lish. But how many of these things can he actually catch? Well, let’s just say it’s no even match.

The Super Hungry Dinosaur


Martin Waddell - 2009
    From the very first "GRRRRRR!" and "ROAR!" of the Super Hungry Dinosaur, kids will be rooting for Hal to save his parents and his dog, Billy, from the huge beast. And Hal saves them in the most unusual way (hint: It involves spaghetti) in this delightful twist on the tantrum story from well-loved and bestselling author Martin Waddell and debut illustrator Leonie Lord.

Lizard from the Park


Mark Pett - 2015
    Inside is...a lizard!Leonard soon has a problem, though, and it's bigger than you can imagine. Will Leonard be able to keep his lizard under wraps, or is it becoming too much trouble to handle?

Cat Nap


Toni Yuly - 2016
    If only he could find a good resting place to hide from playful (and wide awake) Kitten!Opposites and hide-and-seek make this a fun story for nap time -- or anytime.

Petra


Marianna Coppo - 2016
    . . until a dog fetches her for its owner, and she is tossed into a bird's nest. A mountain? No, Petra is now an egg! An egg of the world in a world of possibility. Until she's flung into a pond, and becomes an amazing island . . . and, eventually, a little girl's pet rock. What will she be tomorrow? Who knows? But she's a rock, and this is how she rolls!

Andrew Drew and Drew


Barney Saltzberg - 2012
    The story literally unfolds step-by-step as readers are invited to follow Andrew through flaps and gatefolds. After sharpening his drawing implement on the first page, Andrew challenges the boundaries of each spread by beginning with a line that leads . . . and leads . . . to unexpected finishes. Staircases become dinosaurs, kites become rockets, and even the most unassuming squiggle morphs into a giant chicken! This lighthearted depiction of artistic inspiration is sure to engage doodlers of all ages. Praise for Andrew Drew and Drew "Any question of reality versus representation is the gentlest kind, utterly unobtrusive...Joyful imagination, plain and simple." —Kirkus Reviews "The magic comes from the accompanying artwork, which follows the eponymous boy and his adventures in drawing... Like a certain boy with a purple crayon, Andrew knows that drawing offers limitless possibilities, and readers will, too." —Publishers Weekly "In this humorous and heartfelt portrait of a young artist, Andrew models by example the ebb and flow of the creative process." —Shelf-Awareness "Each page in this cleverly-designed book is filled with a line, a loop, even a stair step that Andrew has doodled on the paper, and the beginnings of his drawings often lead to something that even the artist himself doesn’t expect." —Reading Today Online "The text is spare, with only a few words per page, letting the products of the boy’s imagination and readers’ anticipation of them shine as the focus of the book. Never has white space seemed so inviting." —School Library Journal "Children of all ages—especially those with an interest in drawing—will love exploring the pages of Andrew Drew and Drew. Along the way, they just might absorb some of the book’s message about the power of art and the joy of creating it." —BookPage AWARDS: GOLD - 2012 National Parenting Publications Book Awards RECOMMENDED - 2012 Parents' Choice Awards, Picture Books Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens - 2013 Capitol Choices

I Speak Dinosaur


Jed Henry - 2012
    Delivering a fun message that encourages young readers to express themselves creatively, yet cautioning that even dinosaurs need to be polite and say “please” and “thank you,” this dino-mite book will have larger-than-life kid appeal. Praise for I Speak Dinosaur "In this fun and energetic picture book, one that will definitely grab your boys’ attention, a young boy with a creative imagination chooses to speak in dinosaur language...This is a wonderful title for an elementary school counselor and for teachers of younger students."–Library Media Connection

Read It, Don't Eat It!


Ian Schoenherr - 2009
    You are holding a book.What should you do with it?Open it, and you will find out.