Book picks similar to
The Race of the Century by Barry Downard


picture-books
fairy-tale
animals
picture-book

Beauty and the Beast


Mahlon F. Craft - 2016
    His beautiful daughter sacrifices herself to a life in the beast’s castle to protect her father. The beast and the girl fall in love and live happily ever after…This beloved tale is captured with lyrical prose and lavish illustration. In the spirit of the Crafts’ previous collaborations, their acclaimed fairy-tale retellings of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, this timeless tale is brought to life with sumptuous paintings and ornamental detail in this lush picture book to be cherished at story time again and again.

I Was a Rat!


Philip Pullman - 1999
    Maybe it’s true. But what is he now? A terrifying monster running wild in the sewers? The Daily Scourge is sure of it. A victim of “Rodent Delusion”? The hospital nurse says yes. A lucrative fairground freak? He is to Mr. Tapscrew. A champion wriggler and a budding thief? That’s what Billy thinks. Or just an ordinary small boy, though a little ratty in his habits? Only three people believe this version of the story. And it may take a royal intervention—and a bit of magic—to convince the rest of the world.Set against the backdrop of a Royal Wedding—and a playful parody of the press, I Was a Rat! is a magical weaving of humor, fairy tale, and adventure.

Henry's Amazing Imagination


Nancy Carlson - 2008
    When Henry's imagination gets mixed up with the truth during show and tell, his teacher suggests that he write and illustrate his own stories.

Vampirina Ballerina


Anne Marie Pace - 2012
    First of all, you have to find a class that meets at night. Then you have to figure out how to perfect your form when you can't see yourself in the mirror? And then there's wearing pink (not the most flattering of colors if you happen to be undead) and that nagging urge to take a little nip out of the other dancers. And worse of all STAGE FRIGHT!!!

Walt Disney's Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too


Walt Disney Company - 1976
    He's on his way to see Rabbit and he also bounces into Piglet along the way. Rabbit is not amused when Tigger arrives and bounces him and decides to come up with a plan to "unbounce" Tigger.

Cubs in the Tub: The True Story of the Bronx Zoo's First Woman Zookeeper


Candace Fleming - 2020
    The cub's mother lost the instinct to care for him. "Just do for him what you would do with a human baby," Fred suggested...and she did. Helen named him MacArthur, and fed him milk from a bottle and cooed him to sleep in a crib.Soon enough, MacArthur was not the only cub bathed in the tub! The couple continues to raise lion and tiger cubs as their own, until they are old enough to return them to zoos. Helen becomes the first female zookeeper at the Bronx zoo, the keeper of the nursery.This is a terrific non-fiction book to read aloud while snuggling up with your cubs! Filled with adorable baby cats, this is a story about love, dedication, and a new kind of family.Gorgeously patterned illustrations by Julie Downing detail the in-home nursery and a warm pallet creates a cozy pairing with Candace Fleming's lovely language.Backmatter includes a short biography of Helen Martini and a selected bibliography.A Junior Library Guild Selection!

Lion Lessons


Jon Agee - 2016
      There are seven steps to becoming a proper lion, including Looking Fierce, Roaring, Prowling Around, and Pouncing. Our young hero, a rather meek and scrawny human boy, does his best to learn the necessary skills during his training with a master instructor (who just happens to be a real lion). After a grueling set of lessons, the boy discovers that that the final step—Looking Out for Your Friends—is the most important of all. That’s how any kid can earn his lion diploma (not to mention the affection of every cat in town).

Once Upon a Memory


Nina Laden - 2013
    Does a feather remember it once was a bird? Does a book remember it once was a word? A boy is swept away to a world where fantasy and reality come together in surprising and playful ways. From the cake that once was grain to the ocean that once was rain, whimsical before and after scenes offer readers a peek at the world as seen through the eyes of a curious child. Nina Laden's poetic and cleverly woven text is perfectly paired with artist Renata Liwska's captivating illustrations.

The Water Of Life: A Tale From The Brothers Grimm


Jacob Grimm - 1812
    A young man overcomes treachery and adversity to save his father.

Me and You


Anthony Browne - 2009
    Meanwhile, a girl with golden hair is hopelessly lost in a big, frightening city when she comes across a house with the door left invitingly open. Inside are three bowls of porridge in the kitchen, three chairs in the living room, and three comfortable-looking beds upstairs, and no one seems to be home . . .

Dear Peter Rabbit


Alma Flor Ada - 1994
    Full color.

Papa Gatto


Ruth Sanderson - 1995
    Seeking someone to care for his motherless kittens, Sir Gatto, advisor to the Prince, hires a beautiful, but lazy girl, and then her plain, but loving stepsister.

Vivid: Poems & Notes about Color


Julie Paschkis - 2018
    Orange you sweet? Orange you plump and juicy? Orange you my favorite fruit?Hey - you’re a tangerine!B-lime-y.With information about the science of sight and perception, pigment origins in art and textiles, colloquial expressions and word associations.

Raccoon's Last Race: A Traditional Abenaki Story


Joseph Bruchac - 2004
      Azban the Raccoon loves to race on his long legs. He is the fastest of all the animals, but he’s also the most conceited, mocking everyone with his speed. When the other animals grow tired of his attitude, Azban chooses Big Rock as his next opponent. Busy taunting instead of running, he trips, and Big Rock flattens him. Only the ants will help stretch him out again—as long as he promises to be their friend. But will a trickster like Azban keep his word?   This clever and funny reimagining of a traditional story is for fans of Ed Young’s Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China and David Wiesner’s The Three Pigs. “Lively, clever, and authentic.”—Kirkus “The text reads aloud smoothly and keeps the action moving quickly. A strong addition to picture-book collections.”—School Library Journal

Frogged


Vivian Vande Velde - 2013
    But since she is neither particularly good nor all that beautiful, she skips her homework to visit the pond. There she meets a talking frog who claims to be a prince under a witch's spell. Imogene kindly kisses him to remove the spell - and gets turned into a frog instead!Now the only way for the princess to un-frog herself is to convince someone else to kiss her. But before she can figure out a plan, Imogene gets kidnapped and becomes the unwilling star attraction in a third-rate traveling theater company. Can she find a way to undo the witch's spell - or will she be frogged forever?