Bad Dog


Mike Boldt - 2019
    but gets a cat instead!"Look what I got for my birthday! A pet dog!" says a little girl holding a... cat? Rocky doesn't listen or obey like all the other dogs. (Because Rocky is a cat.) And Rocky hates her leash and doesn't seem to like other dogs. (Probably because Rocky is a cat.) And rather than play fetch, Rocky prefers to... lick between her toes? Ew. Rocky is a bad "dog"! BUT Rocky doesn't bark, and is so cute when she sleeps in sunny spots. Maybe Rocky IS a good dog? (Or, you know, maybe Rocky is a cat.)Cat lovers and dog lovers alike will howl with laughter at this little girl's willful insistence that her cat is a dog. The hilarious ways in which cats and dogs are different are brilliantly illuminated with each turn of the page and will leave young readers and their grown-ups giggling.

Dinosaur Kisses


David Ezra Stein - 2013
    There is so much to see and do. She tries this — STOMP! And she tries that — CHOMP! Then she sees a kiss and knows just what she wants to try next. Who can she kiss? And after a few disastrous attempts, can she figure out how to give someone a kiss without whomping, chomping, or stomping them first? Young children will chuckle and cheer when Dinah finds just the right creature for her dinosaur kisses in this funny new picture book from David Ezra Stein.

Dinosaur vs. School


Bob Shea - 2014
    series comes another rambunctious read-aloud that will tickle toddlers, teachers and parents at back-to-school time and every day after!Dinosaur is starting preschool today. ROAAAR! There are new friends to meet, dress-up outfits to wear, glitter and googly eyes to paste, musical instruments to play, and snacks to eat. What's not to like? But then... oh, no! It's Dinosaur vs. Clean-up Time! Fortunately, when friends work together, everyone wins! With all the bright colors, bold lines, and toddler-like exuberance that have made the previous Dinosaur vs. books irresistible, DINOSAUR VS. SCHOOL will both amuse and reassure anyone going off to school for the first time.* "Shea's illustrations are as unruly and imaginative as ever in this pitch-perfect, egocentric take on living (school) life to the max." —Publishers Weekly, starred reviewDon't miss the other Dinosaur vs. books:Dinosaur Vs. BedtimeDinosaur Vs. MommyDinosaur Vs. the PottyDinosaur Vs. the Library

The Very Fluffy Kitty, Papillon


A.N. Kang - 2016
    So fluffy that he's lighter than air! His owner tries to weigh him down, but Papillon just wants to fly. One particularly sunny day, he floats right out the window! Exploring the wide world is exhilarating, but it's also a little scary. Will his new friend, a bird, be able to help him find his way home?Whimsical art and airy text come together seamlessly in this delightful debut by A. N. Kang.

Cat Problems


Jory John - 2021
    But he has his problems too!The sun spot he's trying to bathe in won't stop moving. He keeps getting served dry food instead of wet. And don't even get him started on the vacuum--it's an absolute menace!--and the nosy neighbor squirrel that just can't seem to mind its own business. Will this cat ever find the silver lining?

Bruno, the Standing Cat


Nadine Robert - 2017
    It is very odd. Bruno likes to chew bubble gum, play house, and skateboard—and refuses to engage in any catlike behavior. But Peter likes Bruno, and so they become friends and do everything they can think of together.Jean Jullien (illustrator of the picture-book version of John Lennon’s song “Imagine”) is an emerging picture-book creator who works in a signature thick black line and bold, flat color. His quirky, subversive humor is childlike at its core, and kids will delight in his light and irreverent approach.

Cats Are a Liquid


Rebecca Donnelly - 2019
    Inspired by an Ig Nobel Prize–winning investigation of how cats behave like liquids, it introduces some of the physical properties of liquids—they adapt to fit a container, they flow like fluids—and is just pure fun. Like its inspiration, it makes you laugh, then think. Back matter includes a brief introduction to the different physical states: solid, liquid, gas.

What Will Fat Cat Sit On?


Jan Thomas - 2007
    Filled with hilarious asides and an interactive question-answer format, this irreverent young picture book will delight toddlers who love to shout "NO!"

The Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature


Nathan W. Pyle - 2021
    Pyle presents a picture book. When the nearest star rises, Lifegiver has an exciting quest planned for Offspring! Follow along as they observe a strange creature that sneaks, hides, and vibrates around their house.

Katie Loves the Kittens


John Himmelman - 2008
    She loves them so much!But Katie's enthusiasm frightens the kitties, and she's sad when they run away from her. Don't they know that she just wants to play?Katie Loves the Kittens is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Happy Cats


Catherine Amari - 2021
    Cat lovers will purr for this paws-itively charming picture book—a celebration of felines and their many moodsPorch catTree catBook catBarn cat     Sun catMat cat Wherever there is yarn cat      Emi Lenox’s charming and wonderfully expressive artwork is paired with a simple rhyming text that details all the different sorts of cats—because you can never have too many!

Jet the Cat (Is Not a Cat)


Phaea Crede - 2021
    . . but when other animals try to convince her that she's really a bird or a frog or a goat, she learns to embrace her unique identity. This hilarious story teaches us to celebrate our differences.

Max the Brave


Ed Vere - 2014
    Max the Brave, Max the Fearless, Max the Mouse-catcher...But, in order to be a Mouse-catcher, Max needs to know what a mouse is, so off he goes to find out.

Cat Nap


Toni Yuly - 2016
    If only he could find a good resting place to hide from playful (and wide awake) Kitten!Opposites and hide-and-seek make this a fun story for nap time -- or anytime.

Dog in Charge


K.L. Going - 2011
    . . takes a nap Dog can Sit. He can Stay. He can even Dance. But when he's in charge, can he keep the cats in line? All one, two, three, four, five of them? Illustrated by Caldecott winner, Dan Santat, and packed full of slapstick silliness and utterly earnest charm, Dog will quickly wiggle his way into preschoolers' hearts.