The Graphic Alphabet


David Pelletier - 1996
    Discover a creative view of the alphabet, in this Caldecott Honor-winning picture book.A graphical representation of the alphabet gives a new view of the letters, from the A that crumbles as an avalanche approaches to the D that glows with the light of the devil.

Also an Octopus


Maggie Tokuda-Hall - 2016
    What happens next is up to you! A delightfully meta picture book that will set imaginations soaring.It begins with an octopus who plays the ukulele. Since this is a story, the octopus has to want something—maybe to travel to faraway galaxies in a totally awesome purple spaceship. Then the octopus sets out to build a spaceship out of soda cans, glue, umbrellas, glitter, and waffles. OK, maybe the octopus needs some help, like from an adorable bunny friend, and maybe that bunny turns out to be . . . a rocket scientist? (Probably not.) But could something even more amazing come to pass? Debut author Maggie Tokuda-Hall, with the help of illustrator Benji Davies, sets up an endearingly funny story, then hands the baton to readers, who will be more than primed to take it away.

Rhyming Dust Bunnies


Jan Thomas - 2009
    Well, except for Bob. Much to the other bunnies’ frustration, Bob can never get the rhythm right. Then he saves everyone from a big, scary monster wielding—gasp!—a broom, and they all breathe a sigh of relief. But can Bob save them from the big, scary monster’s next attack? Vrrrrrroooommm . . .

Max's Words


Kate Banks - 2006
    Benjamin collects stamps and Karl collects coins, and neither one will share with their little brother. So Max decides to start a collection of his own. He’s going to collect words. He starts with small words that he cuts out of newspapers and magazines, but soon his collection has spilled out into the hall. All the while, his brothers are watching. Benjamin brags that he has one thousand stamps. Karl is just a few coins short of five hundred. But a thousand stamps is really just a bunch of stamps, and a lot of coins is only a heap of money. A pile of words, however, can make a story.  Bright, bold pictures incorporating clever wordplay accompany this highly original tale about a younger brother’s ingenuity. Max's Words is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Apple Pie ABC


Alison Murray - 2010
    He Ogles it. He Pines for it. But will his ABC antics land him a slice? APPLE PIE ABC is a delicious twist on traditional verse brought to life by Alison Murray's simple words and whimsical illustrations. Sure to delight readers of all ages, it's a book to savor again and again.

Otto the Book Bear


Katie Cleminson - 2011
    Otto is no ordinary storybook character: when no one is looking, he comes to life! Otto loves to walk off of his book's pages, but when his book is taken away while Otto is off exploring, the book bear sets off on a grand adventure to find a new home. Except...it's an awfully big world for such a small bear and Otto misses his warm book. Will Otto ever find the perfect home?With sweet, timeless illustrations and a story that will have young readers watching their bookshelves in hopes of spotting wandering book creatures, this charming story is sure to delight book lovers everywhere.

Don't Push the Button!


Bill Cotter - 2013
    Who knows what would happen?Okay, quick. No one is looking... push the button.Uh, oh.

Bear Is Awake!: An Alphabet Story


Hannah E. Harrison - 2019
    So begins an unlikely friendship and an unexpected adventure as the girl attempts to figure out what a bear is supposed to be doing in the winter. (Hint: It's not eating pancakes or visiting the library!)With her trademark humor and warmth, Hannah E. Harrison puts her own irresistible spin on the classic alphabet book. The result is a story families will treasure for years to come.

Square Cat ABC


Elizabeth Schoonmaker - 2014
    Mouse wants a taste of his favorite vegetable, spinach, but our four-sided feline hates the green leafy stuff. Enter the threatening, pointed quills of a porcupine, and Mouse is ready to run! One letter leads to another and by the story’s end, Mouse and Porcupine are pals—and Eula might even try a taste of zesty spinach.

Alphabet School


Stephen T. Johnson - 2015
    Any school. Be it your school, one from memory, or even a dream school. Then enter and embark on a journey of wonder and delight. Look closely. There’s a letter C in the curve of a globe, a little L in the handle of a pencil sharpener, or at recess, a vibrant yellow V in a geodesic climbing dome.Can you find the letters on every page?From inside the classroom to outside on the playground, Caldecott Honor artist and author Stephen T. Johnson renders the ordinary extraordinary with timeless imagery, inviting us to reexamine and rediscover our schools anew, and to find beauty and joy in the most unexpected places.

Bats at the Library


Brian Lies - 2008
    Brian Lies’ joyful critters and their nocturnal celebration cast library visits in a new light. Even the youngest of readers will want to join the batty book-fest!

The Rabbit Listened


Cori Doerrfeld - 2018
    All the animals are sure they have the answer. The chicken wants to talk it out, but Taylor doesn't feel like chatting. The bear thinks Taylor should get angry, but that's not quite right either. One by one, the animals try to tell Taylor how to process this loss, and one by one they fail. Then the rabbit arrives. All the rabbit does is listen, which is just what Taylor needs.Whether read in the wake of tragedy or as a primer for comforting others, this is a deeply moving and unforgettable story sure to soothe heartache of all sizes.

A Is for Angry: An Animal and Adjective Alphabet


Sandra Boynton - 1987
    An Angry Animal Assortment Along an Arrow starts off the whimsy as a Big Bashful Bear, a Cute Clean Cat, a Tangled Turkey, a Wide Walrus, a Yellow Yak, and others in between romp through the letters A-Z. In classic Boynton style, the irresistible animal characters climb the tall letters, perch on the squat ones, hang from the curves of the round ones. Selection of the Children's Book-of-the-Month Club. Suitable for ages 3-5.

The Racecar Alphabet


Brian Floca - 2003
     B is for Belts turning, fuel burning, the buzz and bark of engines. C is for Curves and crowds and cars, of course -- A century of racecars, from bare beginnings to present-day marvels, from stock cars to Formula 1, from Ford to Ferrari, caught in crackling action, in fan-friendly pictures, and in words that bounce and jounce for the fun of it.

Rosie Revere, Engineer


Andrea Beaty - 2013
    When her great-great-aunt Rose (Rosie the Riveter) comes for a visit and mentions her one unfinished goal--to fly--Rosie sets to work building a contraption to make her aunt's dream come true. But when her contraption doesn't fl y but rather hovers for a moment and then crashes, Rosie deems the invention a failure. On the contrary, Aunt Rose inisists that Rosie's contraption was a raging success. You can only truly fail, she explains, if you quit.