Every day, they sit together on a big rock, sharing a picnic and looking out over the forest. But one day, Caterpillar goes missing and, try as he might, Beetle cannot find her. Just as he is about to give up hope, a very friendly (and rather familiar) butterfly appears out of nowhere. Can it be his friend? She might look different but she is still just the same and they are together again, at last.

    Monkey desperately wants Owl's balloon and tries everything to get what he wants—this is not a book about sharing.

    Lucky for the bird, wolf, and tiger, who pass by his cave, Theodore isn’t hungry…yet. But then something new approaches. A boy. Has Theodore found a new favorite food? Or something more?

    Hattie McFadden is a born explorer. Every morning she grabs her life jacket and paddles out in her canoe to discover something new on the lake, singing a little song on her way. When her singing draws up from the depths a huge mysterious beast, everyone in town is terrified except Hattie, who looks into the creature's friendly, curious eyes and knows that this is no monster. So Hattie sneaks out at night to see the giant whom she names Hudson and the two become friends. But how can she make the frightened, hostile townspeople see that Hudson isn't scary or dangerous at all? Chris Van Dusen brings his colorful, perspective-bending artwork to this satisfying new story about acceptance, friendship, and sticking up for those who are different.

    Life is perfect just the way it is. Autumn arrives, and with it the cool winds that ruffle Little Tree's leaves. One by one the other trees drop their leaves, facing the cold of winter head on. But not Little Tree—he hugs his leaves as tightly as he can. Year after year Little Tree remains unchanged, despite words of encouragement from a squirrel, a fawn, and a fox, his leaves having long since turned brown and withered. As Little Tree sits in the shadow of the other trees, now grown sturdy and tall as though to touch the sun, he remembers when they were all the same size. And he knows he has an important decision to make.

    She is hungry. What will she have for breakfast?With language that emphasizes action words, this is a fun story for morning, nighttime, any time.

    Yes, a dandy whoop-de-do!But Xander was the only panda. Just one panda at the zoo.The zoo’s paucity of pandas doesn’t impede Xander’s party planning for long. He decides to invite all the bears. But Koala protests. She’s not a bear—she's a marsupial! Does that mean she can’t come? Xander rethinks his decision to invite only bears, and “Calling all bears” evolves into “Calling all creatures.” The Newbery Medal author Linda Sue Park introduces animal taxonomy in a wonderfully engaging way, and the celebrated artist Matt Phelan’s charming ink and watercolor paintings are the icing on the cake. A read-aloud whoop-de-do!

    Today, Fish's story (about pirates!) is too grand to simply be told: Fish wants to show Snail. But that would mean leaving the familiar world of their book—a scary prospect for Snail, who would rather stay safely at home and pretend to be kittens. Fish scoffs that cats are boring; Snail snaps back. Is this book too small for the two feuding friends? Could this be THE END of The Story of Fish and Snail? Deborah Freedman, author of Blue Chicken, has created a sweet and playful story about friendship that truly jumps off the page.★"Right from the title page, Freedman's latest makes a splash... This marvelous metabook shines in both concept and beauty." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review"The theme of books as doorways into rich new adventures couldn't be more vividly conveyed, and the resolution of the conflict between two sweet friends provides encouragement for other "snails" to try new things." -- Publishers Weekly

    How really hard it is being different. And how especially hard it is being a giraffe in a school of human children.

    Every season of the year, "such a little mouse" pops out of his hole and goes out to explore the wider world.

    A hang gliding rhino! A deep-sea diving giraffe! Orville struggles to keep up, until one day he concocts an adventure all his own: build a spaceship and fly to the moon all by himself. Can one tiny penguin get there alone?Penguinaut is perfect for every child who's said, "I can do it myself!" and comes to find that the rewards are much richer when shared with friends. Marcie Colleen's playful text and Emma Yarlett's charming, whimsical illustrations are sure to delight both children and their parents.

    With quirky wordplay and infectious rhymes, Elizabeth Bluemle crystallizes an unexpected moment of community, while G. Brian Karas’s warm illustrations show the smiles to be had when a storm brings strangers together as friends.

    "Boo hoo hoo!" he cries. What will make Bird feel better? A kiss? A cookie? A Band-Aid? Bird's friends Raccoon, Rabbit, Beaver, Sheep, and Fox are full of sweet and funny ideas. Perfectly pitched and hilariously imagined, this charming story about a universal experience will put a smile on the face of every child who has suffered a boo-boo and every parent who has struggled to come up with just the right way to give comfort.

    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.

    Sitting contentedly on a rock in the middle of their pond, the pig opens his mouth and says: RIBBIT! The frogs are bewildered at first, and then a bit annoyed—"What did that little pig just say?", "Does he think he's a frog?", "Is he making fun of us?" Soon the pig draws the attention of all the nearby animals; everyone is curious to know what he wants! After much guessing (and shouting) and a visit to the wise old beetle, the animals realize that perhaps the pig was not there to mock them afterall—maybe he just wanted to make new friends!  But is it too late?  This is a warm, funny, and beautifully illustrated story of friendship, with boisterous RIBBIT!s throughout—perfect for reading aloud.