Potted plant. Umbrella stand. Piano. Red front door. Potted plant. Umbrella stand. Piano. That’s what the world looks like from inside Tiny Narwhal’s fishbowl. It’s not very exciting. She dreams of the world beyond: endless blue sky, tall buildings, a bridge. But Tiny Narwhal hasn’t any feet and doesn’t know the street names. And what if it’s cold outside? What this little narwhal does have, though, are good friends. With the help of her boy and his friends, plus a penguin, bat, and giraffe, Tiny Narwhal finally feels brave enough to go on an adventure. Someday, Narwhal features the same adorable cast of pets and sweet, lyrical language as Lisa Mantchev’s beloved Strictly No Elephants.

    Using rhyming text and a diverse cast of characters, this charming picture book will provide some important--and some not so important--library etiquette in a very entertaining way.

    From bestselling duo Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham comes a kitty and unicorn story that celebrates the magic of friendship—and being exactly who you want to be! Kitty thinks she might be a unicorn. She feels so perfectly unicorn-y! “Neigh!” says Kitty. But when Unicorn clop clop clops over, sweeping his magnificent tail and neighing a mighty neigh, Kitty feels no bigger than a ball of lint.Can this unlikely pair embrace who they are, and truly see one another?

    Barker, see on their fairy-tale adventure? Peek through from scene to scene to guess who they might meet next.Lucy is reading a fairy tale to Mr. Barker, but her dog has other ideas. When he jumps out the window — landing in a cottage with a broken chair, three bowls of porridge, and a little golden-haired girl — Lucy is right behind him. Goldilocks would rather not be there when the bears return, so she joins Lucy and Mr. Barker as they continue on their way, adding a trio of pigs, a boy with a goose, and a just-awakened princess during their journey. What happens next? Cutout windows throughout add visual surprises to this lighthearted fractured fairy tale.

    But it's not all mopping, slopping, rubbing, and scrubbing. Robomop also does a wicked honky-tonk dance to the window washer's radio, and he dreams of seeing the sun and sky. So when he's carried outside one day, Robomop believes his wish has come true at last. Has it? Well one thing is for certain: for this little robot, finding his place in the world means never giving up trying.

    When Lisa's red-and-white woolen stocking blows off the clothesline, Hedgie finds it and sticks his nose inside, only to discover his prickles prevent him from pulling out of it. Soon all the farm animals are coming around to chuckle at silly Hedgie's stocking cap. But in the end, nimble-witted Hedgie gets the last laugh. Now young fans of this glorious Scandinavian picture book can curl up with the illustrious Hedgie, himself! This fluffy 5-inch fellow, with long, lush, decidedly unprickly fur, sports the very sock--uh, hat--that got him in trouble. A soft body and cheerful smile guarantee many friends for this huggable guy. Packaged with the only available board book version of the award-winning The Hat, this delightful book and sweet plush toy set make a perfect gift any time of year! (Ages 3 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

    Otis is a special tractor. He loves his farmer and he loves to work. And he loves the little calf in the next stall, whom he purrs to sleep with his soft motor. In fact, the two become great friends: they play in the fields, leap hay bales, and play ring-around-the-rosy by Mud Pond.But when Otis is replaced with the big yellow tractor, he is cast away behind the barn, unused, unnoticed . . . until the little calf gets stuck in Mud Pond. Then there is only one tractor—and it’s not big or yellow—who can come to the rescue. It is little old Otis who saves his friend. It is Otis who saves the day.In a wonderful new palette, and in the tradition of classics like Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel and The Story of Ferdinand, Loren Long has crafted an unforgettable new story—and character—celebrating the power of friendship and perseverance.

    Baabwaa is a sheep who loves to knit. Wooliam is a sheep who loves to read. It sounds a bit boring, but they like it. Then, quite unexpectedly, a third sheep shows up. A funny-looking sheep who wears a tattered wool coat and has long, dreadfully decaying teeth. Wooliam, being well-read, recognizes their new acquaintance: the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing! The wolf is so flattered to discover his literary reputation precedes him that he stops trying to eat Baabwaa and Wooliam. And a discovery by the sheep turns the encounter into an unexpected friendship.

    His mom comes up with a way to keep him entertained--by drawing a picture of herself and him going outside, playing in the rain, and splashing in a giant puddle. They have so much fun drawing themselves that they decide to venture out and make the most of the rainy weather.

    So wrong. Leave it to Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell (with a little help from Dr. Seuss) to create an entirely new alphabet beginning with Z! This rhyming picture book introduces twenty new letters and the creatures that one can spell with them. Discover (and spell) such wonderfully Seussian creations as the Yuzz-a-ma-Tuzz and the High Gargel-orum. Readers young and old will be giggling from beginning to end . . . or should we say, from Yuzz to Hi!

    But can a story be as mighty as a sword?

    So he decides to go wild. But does he go too far? There is a time and place for everything...even going wild.

    With quirky wordplay and infectious rhymes, Elizabeth Bluemle crystallizes an unexpected moment of community, while G. Brian Karas’s warm illustrations show the smiles to be had when a storm brings strangers together as friends.

    Cookies are for eating, and he can't wait to eat his after spending all morning baking them with his class. But when it's time to take the gingerbread men out of the oven . . . they're gone! Now, to find those rogue cookies, Marshall and his class have to solve a series of rhyming clues. And Marshall just might have to rethink his stance on magic. Catch That Cookie! is an imaginative mystery, deliciously illustrated by Caldecott Medal winner David Small. It's sure to inspire a new classroom tradition . . . and maybe even a few new believers!

    But it isn’t long until they meet again… They have both been captured by hungry Bullfrog! If Horsely and Honeybee are to escape before dinnertime, they must find a way to work together.  With beautiful illustrations and simple text, this is a sweet story about sharing and friendship.