Take Your Octopus to School Day


Audrey Vernick - 2018
    But no matter how hard he tries, one of his classmates is always showing him up with a slightly better costume or a slightly cooler object to share. His teacher says it’s not a competition, but just once Sam would like to be the best—which is why he’s so excited when Take Your Octopus to School Day is announced. Sam is pretty sure he’s the only kid with a real live pet octopus to bring, and Thurgood, his eight-tentacled best friend, is excited too. Together, they prepare Thurgood’s travel tank and get ready for a school day like no other…. What could possibly go wrong?Sprinkled with sly humor and scientific facts about the class Cephalopoda, readers who loved Flora and the Flamingo or Sparky! will want to get their tentacles on Take Your Octopus to School Day.

Lena's Shoes Are Nervous: A First-Day-of-School Dilemma


Keith Calabrese - 2018
    She is very excited. But there’s just one problem… Lena’s shoes are nervous. Lena doesn’t want to miss out on her first day of school, but she can’t go without her favorite shoes! How can she convince them to be brave?

Doing Business


Shawn Harris - 2021
    But who was it?Suspense builds as suspects are rhythmically, methodically eliminated. We know it wasn’t the baby (diaper), or Daddy (bathroom), or the lion at the zoo (too risky).There’s a place for everything, and Shawn Harris’s snappy text and stylish, accessible art shine in this universal, hilarious, and perfectly paced picture book about the right place for bathroom business.

Loving Hands


Tony Johnston - 2018
    Hands say, I am here for you always. In simple, stirring rhymes, author Tony Johnston pens a timeless ode to parenthood. The small moments and quiet scenes that make up childhood -- learning to clap, planting a garden, waving good-bye on the first day of school -- fill the pages of this gentle tale, capturing the reassurance and love that parents hand their children every day. Warm illustrations by Amy June Bates show a young boy reaching for his mother's hand as he grows older and more independent . . . until, perhaps, he can be the one to offer love and support with hands that say, I am here for you always. An eloquent look at the passage of time and the power of connection and care, this book is a heartfelt gift for loved ones at any and all milestones in life.

Little Mouse on the Prairie


Stephen Cosgrove - 1978
    But Tweezle and her friends help one another-she shows them the value of hard work while they teach her that laughter can make work more fun!

Naptastrophe!


Jarrett J. Krosoczka - 2017
     It s a tale as old as time naptime, that is. Lucy is not tired, not tired, NOT tired. She is not going to nap today. Lucy is an expert at staying awake. But when running errands with her dad, it s suddenly way too LOUD. The lights in the store are way too bright. It s . . . a naptastrophe! With vibrant, charming illustrations and a relatable main character, this hilarious story is the perfect reminder to parents and kids that you only miss out on the fun when you skip your nap!

Watch the Stars Come Out


Riki Levinson - 1980
    In this warm, poignant and highly praised story, a little girl hears how, long ago, another little red-haired girl--her great-grandmother--sailed across the sea with her older brother to join their immigrant parents in a strange new land called America."Goode's evocative illustrations effectively capture the immigration scene of the late 1800s with appropriate costumes and background details."--Booklist (starred review)"Levinson's first book is a literary event, written with a quiet understatement that magnifies its emotional effects. So do Goode's superb paintings . . ."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Young readers can return to the book many times with satisfaction. . . . An excellent introduction to the passage through Ellis Island."--School Library Journal"The theme of immigration, long popular in children's literature, is captured here for young readers in one of the year's finest books."--The Boston GuideALA Notable Children's Book Booklist Children's Editors' Choice Reading Rainbow Feature Selection Redbook's Top Ten Children's Books of the Year American Bookseller Pick of the Lists Parents' Choice Award for Literature NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies Society of Illustrators Citation of Merit NCTE Teachers' Choice

Three Squeezes


Jason Pratt - 2020
    When you could neither talk nor standlife’s hourglass still filled with sand,I gently held your tiny handand gave it three soft squeezes.When you awoke within the nightAnd cried from fear and called for light,I held you safe with all my mightand gave you three long squeezes.Follow a father and his son from babyhood to baseball games to graduation and beyond in this loving saga about the unbreakable bond between generations.A perfect gift, Three Squeezes is a tender, rhyming picture book that is an ode to the love between parent and child, no matter how old the child (or) parent is.

Scary, Scary Halloween


Eve Bunting - 1986
    Four pairs of eyes stare from the blackness to watch fearsome creatures trick-or-treat.

Dog Gone!


Leeza Hernandez - 2012
    But being a "dog gone" isn't as easy (or fun!) as it looks, and soon the pup misses his owner and home. Luckily, even though he's made a mistake, his human best friend is always waiting with open arms.Leeza Hernandez is an exciting new SCBWI award-winning author-illustrator who brings lively art to a classic friendship story, with easy-to-read verse perfect for a read-aloud or young readers just starting out.

Someday, Narwhal


Lisa Mantchev - 2017
    Potted plant. Umbrella stand. Piano. Red front door. Potted plant. Umbrella stand. Piano. That’s what the world looks like from inside Tiny Narwhal’s fishbowl. It’s not very exciting. She dreams of the world beyond: endless blue sky, tall buildings, a bridge. But Tiny Narwhal hasn’t any feet and doesn’t know the street names. And what if it’s cold outside? What this little narwhal does have, though, are good friends. With the help of her boy and his friends, plus a penguin, bat, and giraffe, Tiny Narwhal finally feels brave enough to go on an adventure. Someday, Narwhal features the same adorable cast of pets and sweet, lyrical language as Lisa Mantchev’s beloved Strictly No Elephants.

Let's Go to the Hardware Store


Anne Rockwell - 2016
    Anne Rockwell's perfectly pitched story and Melissa Iwai's child-friendly illustrations make this book ideal for the preschool audience.

Cat's Colors


Airlie Anderson - 2016
    What better thing to do on a grey day than collect some colours? Cat decides to do just that, but where will she find them? A charming, deceptively simple story about making the most of the world around us, and giving something back in return.

Room for Bear


Ciara Gavin - 2015
    Snead & Erin Stead’s Bear Has a Story to Tell.   When Bear wakes up one spring, he goes in search of a new home. And he thinks he’s found the perfect place. Unfortunately, things are a bit . . . snug. Can five little ducks find room for one big bear in their home—and in their hearts? Ciara Gavin’s luminous picture-book debut explores the unconditional love of families in all their colors, shapes, and sizes.

Bear Island


Matthew Cordell - 2021
    "Life will not be the same," Louise says, as she visits a little island that Charlie loved.But on a visit to the island after Charlie's death, something strange happens: She meets a bear. At first, she's afraid, but soon she realizes that the bear is sad, too. As Louise visits more often, she realizes that getting over loss takes time. And just when she starts to feel better, it's time for Bear to bed down for the winter. Once again, Louise believes that life will not be the same. But sometimes, things can change for the better, and on the first warm day of spring, her family welcomes a new member. Here is a lovely, poignant story about loss and healing that will bring comfort to even the youngest readers.