My Heart Is Like a Zoo


Michael Hall - 2009
    Caldecott Medalist Brian Selznick says, "Starting with one simple shape, Michael Hall shows us a nearly infinite number of ways to make a menagerie of love."This award-winning picture book is a must-have for every young reader, who will learn that a heart can be hopeful, silly, happy, rugged, snappy, or lonely. A heart holds every different feeling, and author-artist Michael Hall captures each one with his bold, graphic artwork. An ideal springboard for conversations about emotions, and for introducing concepts, math, and art projects in the classroom and at home. School Library Journal called it an "outstanding choice for one-on-one sharing."

Punk Farm


Jarrett J. Krosoczka - 2005
    But meanwhile, back at the barn . . .Cow sets up her drums.Pig plugs in his amp.Goat tunes his bass.Chicken sets up her keyboards.And Sheep checks the microphone.They are Punk Farm and tonight they're ready to ROCK! With adorable farm animals - and a surprise tribute to Old MacDonald - this rollicking tale is sure to have kids cheering--and singing--along.

You Belong Here


M.H. Clark - 2016
    So begins this classic bedtime book, richly illustrated by award-winning artist Isabelle Arsenault. The pages journey around the world, observing plants and animals everywhere, and reminding children that they are right where they belong. A beautiful title for new babies, adoptive families, and children of all ages.You are a dream that the world once dreamt,And now you are part of its song.That's why you are here, in the place where you're meant,For this is right where you belong.

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.

Pignic


Matt Phelan - 2018
    A shady tree. A bright kite. And a full picnic basket. Four little pigs and their parents head outside to enjoy a beautiful day. With a little help from some new (and unexpected) friends, they climb trees, fly kites, and enjoy a delicious picnic. Even a sudden rain shower can’t ruin their fun. Because rain means . . . MUD! Hooray!The award-winning and New York Times–bestselling Matt Phelan has created a timeless, must-have picture book for the youngest reader. Expressive watercolors; a simple, repetitive text; and gentle, satisfying twists will delight fans of Tad Hills’s Duck & Goose and Anna Dewdney’s Llama Llama books.

Penguin Problems


Jory John - 2016
    I bet you won't even finish reading this flap. Don't worry about it. Why would you want to learn about some penguin's problems when you have plenty of problems of your own? Just look around. The world's a mess!Besides, you probably don't even like penguins. Heck, I barely like penguins and I am a penguin.Seriously, I'll understand if you put the book back on the shelf. Go ahead. It's for the best. I'm sure you'd just get a bunch of paper cuts, anyway. And you'd probably bend the pages. And you'd get your little fingerprints everywhere.When was the last time you washed those grubby hands of yours? No offense.Sigh.Listen: I'm going back to bed. Read, don't read. Buy, don't buy. Whatever. Just try not to wake me up. I'm a light sleeper. And I have a lot on my mind.

Little Quack


Lauren Thompson - 2003
    As his brothers and sisters splish, splash, and splosh their way into the pond behind their mama, he is left all alone on the shore. Little Quack wants to join his family. Can he find the courage to be a very small duck in a very big pond? Count along and find out! The QUACK-U-LATOR keeps score, adding a splash of math to all the fun!

Noisy Nora


Rosemary Wells - 1973
    No one's paying any attention to Nora, so she decides to do something her family can't ignore: make noise. Nora slams windows, bangs doors, and upsets furniture, to no avail. It's not until she crashes out the door--and the house goes strangely silent--that her family realizes: a noisy Nora is much better than no Nora at all."A wonderful story." --Booklist

Dozens of Doughnuts


Carrie Finison - 2020
    But just before she takes the first bite, DING DONG! Her friend Woodrow (a woodchuck) drops by. LouAnn is happy to share her doughnuts, but as soon as she and Woodrow sit down to eat, DING DONG! Clyde (a raccoon) is at the door. One by one, LouAnn's friends come over--Topsy (an opossum) and then Moufette (a skunk) and then Chip and Chomp (chipmunks)--until it's one big party. LouAnn welcomes her surprise guests and makes batch after batch of doughnuts, always dividing them equally among her friends. But she makes one BIG miscalculation. Soon LouAnn's kitchen is bare, winter is near, and she's had nothing to eat at all!

Hide-and-Squeak


Heather Vogel Frederick - 2011
    He hides in the garden, hides in the kitchen, hides his little whiskers anywhere he can. Anything to keep from going to bed. But daddy is right behind him --"Mousebaby mousebaby, where can you be?"-- trying to get this little scamp all tucked in and ready to sleep.. Who will win at this adorable game of hide and squeak? Only time will tail...tell.

Have You Seen My Dragon?


Steve Light - 2014
    Readers will certainly spot the glorious beast, plus an array of big-city icons they can count. Is the dragon taking the crosstown bus, or breathing his fiery breath below a busy street? Maybe he took a taxi to the zoo or is playing with the dogs in the park.

Where Are My Books?


Debbie Ridpath Ohi - 2015
    He reads a book every night. But one morning his favorite book goes missing, and in its place is a tulip. Spencer searches high and low, but he can't find his book.The next morning another book is missing, a nut in its place. And the morning after that, another book is missing.What is happening to Spencer's books? When he finds out, Spencer devises a surprising solution that will delight readers (and librarians) everywhere.

Sleep Like a Tiger


Mary Logue - 2012
    In dialogue between a not-at-all sleepy child and understanding parents, the little girl decides “in a cocoon of sheets, a nest of blankets,” she is ready to sleep, warm and strong, just like a tiger.

Beep! Beep! Go to Sleep!


Todd Tarpley - 2015
    Not a peep. Three little robots are... BEEP! BEEP!When his three rambunctious robots give every possible excuse not to go to sleep, what's a little boy to do? With a fun refrain that will have readers of all ages chanting along, here's a book that kids will be begging to read every night before bed.

The Bear's Song


Benjamin Chaud - 2011
    Papa Bear is searching for Little Bear, who has escaped the den. Little Bear is following a bee, because where there are bees, there is honey! When the quest leads both bears into the bustling city and a humming opera house, theatrical hijinks ensue, culminating in a deliciously harmonious reunion. Children and parents alike will savor Benjamin Chaud's lush illustrations, and relish in the book's bonus seek-and-find elements.Looking for more Papa Bear and Little Bear? Check out Bear's Sea Escape!