First the Egg


Laura Vaccaro Seeger - 2007
    Seed becomes flower, paint becomes picture, word becomes story--and the commonplace becomes extraordinary as children look through and turn the pages of this novel and winning book.First the Egg is a 2008 Caldecott Honor Book and a 2007 New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year.

Baby Penguins Everywhere!


Melissa Guion - 2012
    Even more unusual? Out of the hat pops a baby penguin. But not just one baby penguin . . . or even two. But a third, and a fourth, and on and on!At first the mama penguin is happy for the company. Until she realizes that taking care of a family is very hard, very tiring work, and what she could really use is just a moment alone. Yet as newcomer Melissa Guion reminds us in her adorable debut picture book, alone time is all well and good, but, it's together time that's best of all.Perfect for any mama penguin with a family, or classroom, full of mischievous little ones.

Have You Seen Elephant? (Gecko Press Titles)


David Barrow - 2015
    A small boy and his elephant play an absurd game of hide and seek - a brilliant debut from a Sebastian Walker Award-winning illustrator

Finding Spring


Carin Berger - 2015
    He asks all his friends for help . . . and finally finds something beautiful and full of magic and light. Spring! He wraps it up and takes it home, determined to show Mama and everyone else. The only problem? When Maurice wakes up, his little piece of spring (a snowball) has melted. This gloriously illustrated book celebrates friendship, curiosity, discovery, and the meaning and beauty of two seasons—winter and spring. Ideal for the classroom, seasonal story times, and bedtime reading.

Tickle Monster


Édouard Manceau - 2014
    His horns become the moon, his legs and arms become trees, his nose becomes a car. . . . Slowly but surely, the monster’s shapes build a peaceful nighttime landscape. Manceau’s bold, geometric illustrations create a deceptively simple visual narrative that encourages readers to see the parts as well as the whole. Reminiscent of Ed Emberley’s Go Away, Big Green Monster!, this book empowers the child to be brave and clever in the face of adversity.

In a Blue Room


Jim Averbeck - 2008
    Mama brings flowers, tea, a quilt, even lullaby bells to help her sleep. But none of these things are blue, and Alice can sleep only in a blue room. Yet when the light goes out, a bit of magic is stirred up. Pale blue moonlight swirls into her bedroom window. Then the night swirls out, around the moon and into the universe, leaving Alice fast alseep in a most celestial blue room.

Let's Count Goats!


Mem Fox - 2010
    But can you count the pilot goats with goggles on their faces?This hilarious count-to-ten book features goats of all shapes, sizes, hobbies, and professions—and each spread gives readers a delightful opportunity to count the funny four-legged creatures. Acclaimed author Mem Fox’s renowned humor and infectious rhyme merge with celebrated illustrator Jan Thomas’s bold and brilliant illustrations to make this an instant goat-by-numbers classic.

It's a Tiger!


David LaRochelle - 2012
    Perfect for acting out while reading, It's a Tiger offers just the right amount of excitement without being too scary, and a sweet ending with a bit of a twist.

One Gorilla


Anthony Browne - 2012
    With his striking palette, exquisite attention to detail, and quirky flair for facial expressions, Anthony Browne slyly extends the basic number concept into a look at similarities and differences — portraying an extended family we can count ourselves part of.

A Perfect Day


Lane Smith - 2017
    Dog is sitting in the wading pool, deep in the cool water. Chickadee is eating fresh seed from the birdfeeder. Squirrel is munching on his very own corncob. Today is a perfect day in Bert's backyard.Until Bear comes along, that is. Bear crushes the daffodils, drinks the pool water, and happily gobbles up the birdseed and corncob.Today was a perfect day for Cat, Dog, Chickadee, and Squirrel. Now, it's just a perfect day for Bear.Lane Smith uses perfect pacing and vibrant illustrations to emphasize the power of perspective in this hilarious picture book about the goings-on in Bert's backyard.This book has Common Core connections.An NPR Best Book of 2017A 2018 ALSC Notable Children's Book

Go Sleep in Your Own Bed!


Candace Fleming - 2017
    “Go sleep in your own bed!” he squeals, and sends her packing. But when Cow finally snuggles down into her stall, she finds Hen sleeping there. So begins a chain reaction of snoozing barnyard animals being awakened and sent off to their own beds, until every last one is in just the right place.

It Looked Like Spilt Milk


Charles G. Shaw - 1947
    Is it a rabbit, a bird, or just spilt milk? In this childhood classic, kids are kept guessing until the surprise ending and they're encouraged to improvise similar games of their own. This beloved classic picture book teaches that, with a little imagination, something ordinary could become something extraordinary.Supports the Common Core State Standards

Tyrannosaurus Wrecks!


Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen - 2014
    But each activity is another opportunity for the over-enthusiastic Tyrannosaurus Rex to wreak havoc. Parents and young children will love the call-and-response nature of the book, and young dinosaur fans will appreciate the listing (and pronunciation guide) for a dozen different dino species. The format is extra vertical in order to accommodate T. Rex’s biggest messes. Praise for Tyrannosaurus Wrecks "Punchy writing, an equally in-your-face palette, and OHora’s characteristically brash painting style make this as much a stompalong as a readaloud." --Publishers Weekly "Along with the pleasure of pronouncing those multisyllabic dino names, young audiences may find food for thought in the behavioral dynamics on display." --Kirkus Reviews "Warmly colored with childlike bodies and emotive faces, Ohora’s dinosaurs are among the cutest you will come across in children’s books." --Booklist "The brief rhyming text, which scans well, tells a story with child appeal. There is a good balance of two-to-three word sentences with large, uncluttered illustrations, making the book a good choice for reading aloud. In their simplicity, the brightly colored pictures have the look of children’s art, but they enhance the classroom setting appropriately with interesting details." --School Library Journal "The shapely dinos, whose rough charcoal-style outlines and strong colors vividly contrast with the white or sometimes black backgrounds, are chunky and friendly in an eight-crayon-box color scheme and snazzy Peanuts-reminiscent outfits." --Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books "Together the chanting rhythm, ragged lines, and setting of an un-chaperoned dinosaur class create a satisfyingly high-energy, primal read-aloud strongly reminiscent of Bob Shea’s 'Dinosaur vs.' series." --The Horn Book Magazine

One Big Pair of Underwear


Laura Gehl - 2014
    But look out—here comes a pack of twenty pigs ready to prove that sharing makes everything twice as fun! This seriously silly picture book with artwork by the New York Times bestselling illustrator of Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site irresistibly combines the concepts of counting and sharing.

The Bear in the Book


Kate Banks - 2012
    The bear in the book is preparing for his own deep slumber, hibernating through the winter while humans and other animals explore the snowy landscape around him. Just when the bear wakes up to greet the spring, the boy drifts off to sleep. Kate Banks’ soft and rhythmic text is brought to life by Georg Hallensleben’s strong, expressive paintings in this bedtime read that will carry young readers through the seasons.