Mousetronaut: Based on a (Partially) True Story


Mark Edward Kelly - 2012
    The little mouse works as hard as the bigger mice to show readiness for the mission . . . and is chosen for the flight! While in space, the astronauts are busy with their mission when disaster strikes—and only the smallest member of the crew can save the day.

First Animal Encyclopedia


Penelope Arlon - 2004
    From aardvark to zebra, this book is packed with fascinating facts about animals, giving children a wonderful head start on learning about the animal world.

The ABC Bunny


Wanda Gág - 1933
    Every letter in the alphabet is represented in Bunny's journey, through what he eats (Greens), to whom he meets (Insects, Jay, Kitten, Lizard), and then a little sleep (Nap), to Tripping back to town, right side Up and Up-side-down." The creation of The ABC Bunny was a Gag family affair, with sister Flavia composing the "ABC Song," included in this faithful edition; brother Howard penning the lettering; and Wanda writing and illustrating the story.

The Berenstain Bears' Dinosaur Dig


Jan Berenstain - 2012
    Grab your shovels and join the Berenstain Bears on a dinosaur dig at the Bearsonian Museum in this lively addition to the classic New York Times bestselling series! What sort of fossils will they find? A stegosaurus? A spinosaurus? The mighty Tyrannosaurus rex? Dig in with the Berenstain Bears and find out in this 8 x 8 storybook.The perennial popularity of dinosaurs combined with the lovable nature of the Berenstain family makes Dinosaur Dig a tale that will delight Berenstain Bears fans old and new.

The Fourth of July Story


Alice Dalgliesh - 1956
    Simple text captures the excitement of the era, telling how word of Independence traveled up and down the thirteen colonies, touching the lives of everyday people throughout the land. Like all of Alice Dalgliesh’s work, The Fourth of July Story remains an American classic.

The Lion's Share


Matthew McElligott - 2009
    During dessert, the other guests do not mind their manners, each one taking half of the remaining cake as it is passed around. By the time it reaches Ant, barely a crumb is left for her to share with the King! She promises to make up for it by baking another cake for the King, and not to be outdone, all the other animals in turn offer to make twice as many cakes as the next. By the time the hippo speaks up, he's to bake 256 peanut butter cakes! With McElligott's signature humor and gorgeous mixed-media art, the math concepts of halving and doubling have never been so much fun.

Caterpillars and Butterflies


Stephanie Turnbull - 2003
    Caterpillars and Butterflies is part of an exciting series of books for children who are beginning to read on their own. The easy-to-read text has been specially written with the help of a reading expert.

Everybody Needs a Rock


Byrd Baylor - 1974
    Everybody needs a rock -- at least that's the way this particular rock hound feels about it in presenting her own highly individualistic rules for finding just the right rock for you.

A House Is a House for Me


Mary Ann Hoberman - 1978
    The poem engages in flights of fancy - what about a husk being a house for an ear of corn, or a throat being a house for a hum? "And once you get started in thinking this way,/ It seems that whatever you see/ Is either a house or it lives in a house,/ And a house is a house for me!" whimsical drawings color the imaginative text.

Germs Are Not for Sharing


Elizabeth Verdick - 2006
    Rather than focus on what germs are, this book teaches the basics of not spreading them: Cover up a sneeze or cough. Hug or blow kisses when you’re sick. And most of all, wash your hands! Child-friendly words and full-color illustrations help little ones stay clean and healthy. Includes tips and ideas for parents and caregivers.

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World


Marjorie Priceman - 1994
    in full color. An apple pie is easy to make...if the market is open. But if the market is closed, the world becomes your grocery store. This deliciously silly recipe for apple pie takes readers around the globe to gather ingredients. First hop a steamboat to Italy for the finest semolina wheat. Then hitch a ride to England and hijack a cow for the freshest possible milk. And, oh yes! Don't forget to go apple picking in Vermont! A simple recipe for apple pie is included.

Leif the Lucky


Ingri d'Aulaire - 1941
    Book by Daulaire, Ingri, D'Aulaire, Edgar Parin

Water Is Water: A Book About the Water Cycle


Miranda Paul - 2015
    Sip. Pour me a cup. Water is water unless...it heats up.Whirl. Swirl. Watch it curl by. Steam is steam unless...it cools high.This spare, poetic picture book follows a group of kids as they move through all the different phases of the water cycle. From rain to fog to snow to mist, talented author Miranda Paul and the always remarkable Jason Chin (Redwoods, Coral Reefs, Island, Gravity) combine to create a beautiful and informative journey in this innovative nonfiction picture book that will leave you thirsty for more.

Commotion in the Ocean (Picture Books)


Giles Andreae - 1998
    Collects poems describing the many creatures living beneath the sea, including the crab, dolphin, and angel fish.

If: A Mind-Bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers


David J. Smith - 2014
    But what if we took these big, hard-to-imagine objects and events and compared them to things we can see, feel and touch? Instantly, we'd see our world in a whole new way." So begins this endlessly intriguing guide to better understanding all those really big ideas and numbers children come across on a regular basis. Author David J. Smith has found clever devices to scale down everything from time lines (the history of Earth compressed into one year), to quantities (all the wealth in the world divided into one hundred coins), to size differences (the planets shown as different types of balls). Accompanying each description is a kid-friendly drawing by illustrator Steve Adams that visually reinforces the concept. By simply reducing everything to human scale, Smith has made the incomprehensible easier to grasp, and therefore more meaningful. The children who just love these kinds of fact-filled, knock-your-socks-off books will want to read this one from cover to cover. It will find the most use, however, as an excellent classroom reference that can be reached for again and again when studying scale and measurement in math, and also for any number of applications in social studies, science and language arts. For those who want to delve a little deeper, Smith has included six suggestions for classroom projects. There is also a full page of resource information at the back of the book.