I Saw a Peacock with a Fiery Tail


Ramsingh Urveti - 2011
    Indian folk art triumphantly meets 17th-century English trick verse in this sophisticated graphic venture fit for middle graders on up." - Starred, Kirkus Reviews"A stunning reminder of why people keep making real-live books... Visually delicious and beautifully made. . . a testament to the vitality of two art forms that just won't answer to their death knells: poetry and the book." - NPR Summer Reads PickThis 17th century British poem is a form of trick verse. Here, the very design of the book brings clarity to the verse, as whimsical die-cuts in each page reveal the poem's nuanced meaning. Read straightforwardly, the poem sounds interestingly surreal. But if the lines are broken up in the middle, then everything falls into place. Illustrations by award-winning Gond artist Ramsingh Urveti (of The Night Life of Trees), book design by Jonathan Yamakami.US Grade Level Equivalent: 2US Guided Reading Level: K

Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes


Roald Dahl - 1994
    Quentin Blake's illustrations combine with full-color photographs of the luscious results to perfectly capture Roald Dahl's wicked sense of fun."Deliciously playful. Dahl, one suspects, would have been tickled." -- Publishers WeeklyThe late Roald Dahl was one of the most beloved storytellers of all time. Quentin Blake has illustrated more than a dozen books by Roald Dahl.

How Do I Love Thee?


Jennifer Adams - 2018
     Bestselling author Jennifer Adams has reimagined Elizabeth Barrett Browning's beloved "Sonnet 43," best known by its opening lines, creating a lyrical, evocative ode to the love of family and friends. Christopher Silas Neal brings the poetry to life with his beautiful, imaginative, and whimsical illustrations.

Mix It Up!


Hervé Tullet - 2014
    Follow the artist's simple instructions, and suddenly colors appear, mix, splatter, and vanish in a world powered only by the reader's imagination. Tullet—who joins such greats as Eric Carle and Leo Lionni as a master of his craft—sets readers on an extraordinary interactive journey all within the printed page. Tullet prompts plenty of giggles in addition to a profound understanding of colors, and once again displays his unique genius and vision in a work that is a glorious and richly satisfying companion to Press Here.

I'm Trying to Love Spiders


Bethany Barton - 2015
    Lay on a BIG spidey smoocheroo.b. Smile, but back away slowly.c. Grab the closest object, wind up, and let it fly.d. Run away screaming.If you chose b, c, or d, then this book is for you! (If you chose a, you might be crazy.)I'm Trying to Love Spiders will help you see these amazing arachnids in a whole new light, from their awesomely excessive eight eyes, to the seventy-five pounds of bugs a spider can eat in a single year! And you're sure to feel better knowing you have a better chance of being struck by lightning than being fatally bit by a spider. Comforting, right? No? Either way, there's heaps more information in here to help you forget your fears . . . or at least laugh a lot!

The Cat in the Hat and Other Dr. Seuss Favorites


Dr. SeussBilly Crystal - 2003
    11 complete stories at a great price!Featuring:The Cat in the Hat read by Kelsey GrammerHorton Hears a Who read by Dustin HoffmanHow the Grinch Stole Christmas read by Walter MatthauDid I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? read by John CleeseThe Lorax read by Ted DansonYertle the Turtle, Gertrude McFuzz, and The Big Brag read by John LithgowThidwick, the Big-Hearted Moose read by Mercedes McCambridgeHorton Hatches the Egg read by Billy CrystalThe Cat in the Hat Comes Back read by Kelsey Grammer

The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge


Hildegarde Hoyt Swift - 1942
    One day a great expanse of gray steel, which also shines a bright light into the fog and darkness, is built over it. The little red lighthouse feels insignificant and useless in comparison but soon learns that . . . small can be mighty!

The Pilot and the Little Prince: The Life of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry


Peter Sís - 2014
    Antoine dreamed of flying and grew up to be a pilot—and that was when his adventures began. He found a job delivering mail by plane, which had never been done before. He and his fellow pilots traveled to faraway places and discovered new ways of getting from one place to the next. Antoine flew over mountains and deserts. He battled winds and storms. He tried to break aviation records, and sometimes he even crashed. From his plane, Antoine looked down on the earth and was inspired to write about his life and his pilot-hero friends in memoirs and in fiction. Peter Sís's remarkable biography celebrates the author of The Little Prince, one of the most beloved books in the world. A Frances Foster Book.

Papa's Mechanical Fish


Candace Fleming - 2013
    Although he is an inventor, he has never made anything that works perfectly, and that's because he hasn't yet found a truly fantastic idea. But when he takes his family fishing on Lake Michigan, his daughter Virena asks, "Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a fish?"—and Papa is off to his workshop. With a lot of persistence and a little bit of help, Papa—who is based on the real-life inventor Lodner Phillips—creates a submarine that can take his family for a trip to the bottom of Lake Michigan.

And Tango Makes Three


Justin Richardson - 2005
    But Tango's family is not like any of the others. This illustrated children's book fictionalizes the true story of two male penguins who became partners and raised a penguin chick in the Central Park Zoo.

Hug Machine


Scott Campbell - 2014
    Everyone deserves a hug—and this book!

The Way to Start a Day


Byrd Baylor - 1978
    Beautiful paintings highlight a text depicting the ways various peoples from around the world welcome the sun and the start of a new day.Text first appeared in McCall Magazine, February, 1977.

President Taft Is Stuck in the Bath


Mac Barnett - 2014
    Abraham Lincoln saved the Union. William Howard Taft got stuck in a bathtub and then got unstuck. This is his story.

Ed Emberley's Big Purple Drawing Book


Ed Emberley - 1981
    Presents step-by-step instructions for drawing people, animals, and objects using a minimum of line and circle combinations.

The New Kid on the Block


Jack Prelutsky - 1984
    “The illustrations bring the frivolity to a fever pitch.”—School Library Journal.Open this book to any page to begin your exploration. Here are poems about things that you may never have thought about before. You'll be introduced to jellyfish stew, a bouncing mouse, a ridiculous dog, and a boneless chicken.You'll learn why you shouldn't argue with a shark, eat a dinosaur, or have an alligator for a pet. You'll meet the world's worst singer and the greatest video game player in history. You'll even find an invitation to a dragon's birthday party....This playful collection is a wonderful introduction to the pleasures of poetry and word play from a master of the genre, Jack Prelutsky.“It’s the author’s joyous sense of the absurd that propels the reader from page to page.”—Horn Book (starred review)