Don't Paint the Cat: Can there really be too much of a good thing?


Julia Inserro - 2019
     But then one day she paints, and she paints, and she paints some more, until she runs out of things to paint. Or does she? Don't Paint the Cat is a silly story about embracing the things we love, but also recognizing that even fun things must have their limits. It also teaches that even mommies can say, "I was wrong."Perfect for kids from 4-9, and parents of all ages.

Rumple Buttercup: A Story of Bananas, Belonging, and Being Yourself


Matthew Gray Gubler - 2019
    A charming and inspiring story written and narrated by Criminal Minds actor/director, Matthew Gray Gubler.Rumple Buttercup has five crooked teeth, three strands of hair, green skin, and his left foot is slightly bigger than his right.He is weird.Join him and Candy Corn Carl (his imaginary friend made of trash) as they learn the joy of individuality as well as the magic of belonging.

Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman


Marc Tyler Nobleman - 2008
    Both boys escaped into the worlds of science fiction and pulp magazine adventure tales. Jerry wrote stories, and Joe illustrated them. In 1934, they created a superhero who was everything they were not. It was four more years before they convinced a publisher to take a chance on their Man of Steel in a new format—the comic book. The author includes a provocative afterword about Jerry and Joe’s long struggle with DC Comics when they realized they had made a mistake in selling all rights to Superman for a mere $130!Marc Tyler Nobleman’s text captures the excitement of Jerry and Joe’s triumph, and the energetic illustrations by Ross MacDonald, the author-artist of Another Perfect Day, are a perfect complement to the time, the place, and the two young visionaries.

This Is the Earth


Diane Z. Shore - 2016
    Shore and Jessica Alexander, with art by award-winning illustrator Wendell Minor.This Is the Earth explores hundreds of years of changing landscapes and the positive and negative impacts humans have had on the environment. Even the smallest actions can help save the world, and this lyrical, rhyming read-aloud text shows how smart and simple everyday habits can protect the planet.

13 Ways to Eat a Fly


Sue Heavenrich - 2020
    Science meets subtraction as a swarm of flies buzzes along, losing one member to each predator along the way. Includes a guide to eating bugs, complete with nutritional information for a single serving of flies."--

You and Me


Susan Verde - 2014
    An adorable cat muses about the what-ifs in life: What if he had slept late that one special morning? What if he’d missed his train on that fateful day? Then he might never have met his favorite person in the world, and his entire life would be different! Two friends delight in the incredible power of serendipity in this charming tale. Illustrated by the bestselling Peter H. Reynolds, You and Me is the ultimate gift for the closest of friends on Valentine’s Day or any day of the year.

Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses


Kimberly Dean - 2013
    But with the help of some magic sunglasses, Pete learns that a good mood has been inside him all along.Fans of Pete the Cat will love watching him take his positive outlook and transform a grumpy day into an awesome day!The fun never stops—download the free groovin’ song. Time for magic fun in the sun!

Sowa's Ark: An Enchanted Bestiary


Michael Sowa - 1996
    A miniature pig splashing in a bowl of soup; a duck leading a wheelbarrow down a country lane; a woman gently stroking her daughter's face with a rabbit: take a trip into Sowa's brilliant and darkly comic imagination, where a menagerie of creatures adopt strange personae and pop up in the most unexpected places. In the same realm as Chris Van Allsburg and Maurice Sendak, Sowa's paintings take on the other-worldly look of a whacked-out fairy tale—each work full of irony, a wry Brothers Grimm for grown-ups. These witty and satirical images—a cross between Magritte and The Far Side—are sure to attract a well-deserved and passionate following in the States.

So Big!


Mike Wohnoutka - 2019
    A simple, clever text paired with utterly adorable animal characters makes school-day jitters seem not so big after all!Bear is so big, and he's ready to start school!But even if you're SO BIG, you might feel a little nervous at times.Can Bear brave his first day and find a way to make it feel just right?A clever and charming story, So Big! will help young readers through all the important first steps in life.Acclaim for Dad's First DayBank Street Best Children's Books of 2016--outstanding merit titleAcclaim for Moo! An ALA Notable bookA BCCB Blue Ribbon selection

Wild Ideas: Let Nature Inspire Your Thinking


Elin Kelsey - 2015
    Wild Ideas looks deep into the forests, skies and oceans to explore how animals solve problems. Whether it’s weaving a safe place to rest and reflect, blowing a fine net of bubbles to trap fish, or leaping boldly into a new situation, the animals featured (including the orangutan, humpback whale and gibbon) can teach us a lot about creative problem solving tools and strategies.Like You Are Stardust, this book uses lyrical text grounded in current science alongside wonderfully detailed art to present problems as doorways to creative thinking. Wild Ideas encourages an inquiry-based approach to learning, inviting readers to indulge their sense of wonder and curiosity by observing the natural world, engaging with big ideas and asking questions. An author’s note at the end delves deeper into the research behind the text.

Dad's Birthday


Roderick Hunt - 2015
    It is based on Oxford Reading Tree which is used in 80% of primary schools. Read With Biff, Chip and Kipper Level 2 Phonics storybooks have been specially written to allow children to practise their letters and sounds as they do at school. Fun plots, familiar characters and carefully levelled text create the perfect combination to build children's confidence and enjoyment of reading. Level 2 practises single letter sounds like 'f' and two letters that make one sound such as 'ff' and combining those sounds to read simple one and two syllable words. These sounds are introduced at Level 2: s a t p i n m d g o c k ck e u r h b f ff l ll ss j x y z zz. Each book includes two stories as well as practical tips and ideas for you to use when you reading with your child and fun activities. Visit the Oxford Owl web site for practical advice, all you need to know about phonics and lots of fun activities and free eBooks. With plenty of support available inside the book and online phonics practice at home has never been so fun or so easy!

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!

Missing Jack


Rebecca Elliott - 2015
    But Jack is getting old - and Toby will miss his furry best friend terribly when he's gone. Then Toby meets a crazy cat called Humphrey. In this charming and beautifully illustrated picture book Rebecca Elliott addresses the difficult subject of a child's first experience of the death of a pet with warmth, sensitivity and well placed humour. Awards: 2011 JUNIOR MAGAZINE DESIGN AWARDS Most Promising New Talent- SHORTLISTED, 2011 NASEN AWARDS (National Association of Special Education Needs) Inclusive Children's Book of the Year - SHORTLISTED, 2011 NURSERY WORLD AWARDS Three to Fives New Launch - FINALIST, 2010-11 PEOPLE'S BOOK PRIZE Children's Book of the Year - FINALIST, 2012 - KATE GREENAWAY MEDAL - LONG LIST, 2012 - DOLLY GRAY CHILDREN'S LITERATURE AWARD - WINNER

Lost in the Library


Josh Funk - 2018
    The city is about to awake, and the lions absolutely must be in their places before the sun rises. Now, Fortitude must abandon his own post to find his best friend in the Library’s labyrinthine halls.

The Witch Who Was Afraid to Fly


Yonit Werber - 2013
    No matter how hard her mother tried to convince her that she wouldn’t fall, the young witch refused. This was until one day the fairy queen visited her in a dream. Realizing that the young witch had never faced the reasons for her fear, the fairy queen asked her one simple question; one simple question that changed the young witch’s destiny, forever. A wonderfully-illustrated story in rhyme, for children aged 3 to 7 years old, about coming to terms with fear and realizing that often our fears are only thoughts. Most of the time one simple question can motivate us so much that we find the courage inside ourselves to do the things that we were, at first, afraid of.