Book picks similar to
Chanticleer and the Fox by Barbara Cooney


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The House in the Night


Susan Marie Swanson - 2008
    Naming nighttime things that are both comforting and intriguing to preschoolers - a key, a bed, the moon - this timeless book illuminates a reassuring order to the universe.

Song and Dance Man


Karen Ackerman - 1988
    in full color. "In this affectionate story, three children follow their grandfather up to the attic, where he pulls out his old bowler hat, gold-tipped cane, and his tap shoes. Grandpa once danced on the vaudeville stage, and as he glides across the floor, the children can see what it was like to be a song and dance man. Gammell captures all the story's inherent joie de vivre with color pencil renderings that leap off the pages. Bespectacled, enthusiastic Grandpa clearly exudes the message that you're only as old as you feel, but the children respond--as will readers--to the nostalgia of the moment. Utterly original."--(starred) Booklist.

Owl Moon


Jane Yolen - 1987
    The trees stand still as statues and the world is silent as a dream. Whoo-whoo-whoo, the father calls to the mysterious nighttime bird.But there is no answer.Wordlessly the two companions walk along, for when you go owling you don't need words. You don't need anything but hope. Sometimes there isn't an owl, but sometimes there is.Distinguished author Jane Yolen has created a gentle, poetic story that lovingly depicts the special companionship of a young child and her father as well as humankind's close relationship to the natural world. Wonderfully complemented by award-winning John Schoenherr's soft, exquisite watercolor illustrations, this is a verbal and visual treasure, perfect for reading aloud and sharing at bedtime.

Interrupting Chicken


David Ezra Stein - 2010
    It's time for the little red chicken's bedtime story—and a reminder from Papa to try not to interrupt. But the chicken can't help herself! Whether the tale is "Hansel and Gretel" or "Little Red Riding Hood" or even "Chicken Little," she jumps into the story to save its hapless characters from doing some dangerous or silly thing. Now it's the little red chicken's turn to tell a story, but will her yawning papa make it to the end without his own kind of interrupting? Energetically illustrated with glowing colors—and offering humorous story-within-a-story views—this all-too-familiar tale is sure to amuse (and hold the attention of) spirited little chicks.

Jumanji


Chris Van Allsburg - 1981
    But they were bored and restless and, looking for something interesting to do, thought they'd give Jumanji a try. Little did they know when they unfolded its ordinary-looking playing board that they were about to be plunged into the most exciting and bizare adventure of their lives.In his second book for children, Chris Van Allsburg again explores the ever-shifting line between fantasy and reality with this story about a game that comes startingly to life.His marvelous drawings beautifully convey a mix of the everyday and the extraordinary, as a quiet house is taken over by an exotic jungle.

Baboushka and the Three Kings


Ruth Robbins - 1960
    The Russian folktale about an old woman's endless search for the Christ child.

John Henry


Julius Lester - 1994
    It's a deadly contest of man-vs-machine written with such power that this African-American folk hero becomes as awesome as a force of nature, yet as familiar as an older brother. Pinkney's stunning art shows John Henry's energy bursting from nature. Full color.

King Bidgood's in the Bathtub


Audrey Wood - 1985
    Perfect entertainment for bath time or for bedtime, the joyful music and hilarious rhyming tale will provide hours of fun for young readers.

Town Mouse, Country Mouse


Jan Brett - 1994
    She introduces two engaging mouse couples eager to get away from their everyday lives. But when they agree to swap homes, they find unexpected adventures around every corner. Lush green scenes alternate with the elegant details of a fine Victorian townhouse to make a sumptuous and stunning picture book.

The Egg Tree


Katherine Milhous - 1950
    Katy couldn't find anything until she went up to the attic. And there she discovered a very special set of eggs...Grandmom had painted them when she was a little girl. And now, she hung them from the branches of a tiny tree -an egg tree! So began a very special Easter tradition.

The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot July 25, 1909


Alice Provensen - 1983
    "This book...recounts the persistence of a Frenchman, Louis Bleriot, to build a flying machine to cross the English Channel....  The text is succinct, caption-like in its directness and brevity....The paintings...add the necessary testure and tone to this marriage.  This is vintage Provensen" – School Library Journal

Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present


Charlotte Zolotow - 1962
    Neither does her collaborator Maurice Sendak, who has illustrated so many of today's best-loved, as well as most distinguised, books for children. The heroine of their book has a problem. And at first it does not look as though Mr. Rabbit is going to be much help in solving it . For everyone knows you cannot give your mother a red roof, a yellow taxi-cab, a green caterpillar, or a blue lake for her birthday. But then all the little girl had said was that her mother liked red, yellow, green and blue -- and so Mr. Rabbit was trying.How he and the liitle girl come up with the absolutely perfect present makes a story the the youngest reader will love. And the wonderously bright full-color pictures will bring hours of pleasure to readers and lookers of all ages.

Song of the Swallows


Leo Politi - 1949
    Joseph's Day. Juan loves las golondrinas, and so does his friend, Julian, the gardener at the mission.This year Juan plants a garden in his own yard. There's nothing he wants more than for the swallows to nest there. And on St. Joseph's Day, his dream comes true.Leo Politi is beloved author and illustrator of Pedro, The Angel of Olvera Street, among many other books for children. Song of the Swallows won the Caldecott Medal in 1950.

Prayer for a Child


Rachel Field - 1944
    Though it was written for one little girl, the prayer is for all boys and girls, and it carries a universal appeal for all ages and races.

Anatole


Eve Titus - 1956
    When he realizes that humans are upset by mice sampling their leftovers, he is shocked! He must provide for his beloved family--but he is determined to find a way to earn his supper. And so he heads for the tasting room at the Duvall Cheese Factory. On each cheese, he leaves a small note--"good," "not so good," "needs orange peel"--and signs his name. When workers at the Duvall factory find his notes in the morning, they are perplexed--but they realize that this mysterious Anatole has an exceptional palate and take his advice. Soon Duvall is making the best cheese in all of Paris! They would like to give Anatole a reward--if only they could find him...