But there are cranes of all sizes, too, and they are always ready and able to be Really Useful and help out!

    This gem comes to us from Kim Krans, the creator of The Wild Unknown—a lifestyle website offering prints, calendars, and more.

    The grasshopper king shuns the little bug. But when his throne is in danger of tipping, that little bug might be the only one who can save him. With beautiful, bold illustrations and a folk-tale sensibility, Bring Me a Rock! is a classic underdog tale with a humorous twist.

    With a perfect nighttime rhyme and gorgeous illustrations, this book is irresistible.

    Don Carter combines the irresistible lure of heavy machinery with simple learning concepts and bright dimensional art -- as vivid and appealing as the toys in the toy box.

    All day long they bicker: It’s mine! It’s mine! It’s mine! But a bad storm and a big brown toad help them realize that sharing is much more fun. With characteristic clarity, simplicity and exuberance, Leo Lionni makes it possible for kids to see themselves through the antics of others who share our world.

    It only costs a buck—what luck! Mom buys Chuck the truck, and he loves everything about it. At home, he plays with it nonstop: in the sandbox, the yard, and the mud. But after bath time, once Chuck is squeaky clean, his fire truck is nowhere to be seen! Dumbstruck, Chuck hunts all over the house. Where is his truck?! Was it sucked up into the vacuum, now stuck? Finally, Chuck and his truck are reunited, just in time for bed. Told not in verse but with plenty of fun rhyme and repetition, this story’s bright, cartoon-like art conveys Chuck’s full range of emotions. With humor and warmth, it’s a lovable read-aloud that captures a child’s joy for their favorite toy.

    As soon as the sun goes down, the animals are up! ("Sheep can't sleep. Sheep can't sleep. Sheep can't sleep 'cause they got that beat!") Before long, there's a giant farmyard dance party, complete with funny animal sounds. But what happens when all the racket wakes up Farmer Sue? Here's a colorful bedtime story that begs to be read aloud.

    Racing across the country, from coast to coast. All aboard!Climb aboard a red-striped Commuter Train in the East. Switch to a blue Passenger Train rolling through midwestern farmland. Then hop on a Freight Train, soar over mountains on an Overnight Train, and finish on a High-Speed Train as it races to the West Coast.Trains are moving. Fast and loud, colorful and powerful. Experience their sights, sounds, smells--and the engineers and conductors who make them go--as they roll across the country.

    Moooo! But a bump in the road brings this joy ride to a troublesome end. Moo-moo. . . Has Cow learned her lesson about living life in the fast lane? Moo?Pairing two talented creators who managed to tell a complete story with just one word—MOO—this imaginative picture book will have readers laughing one moment and on the edge of their seats the next, as it captures the highs and lows of a mischievous cow's very exciting day.

    Ride up and around, along and through, out and down. Frank's striking graphic style is executed in just five joyous colors, and his spare, rhythmic language is infectious. Hit a bump? Get back on track! Reach the end? Start again!

    But then along comes Tiny Chick, who begs Baby Owl to read to him. Before you can say “once upon a time,” they're joined by a crowd: Tiny Chick's brothers and sisters and cousins and friends all want a story, too. Soon Baby Owl is smothered by lots of fluffy chicks. How can he EVER read? Fantastic fun with a favorite character.

    They dinoblow. They run, push, leap, flap-and take flight! The sky becomes their stage, as they join an air show. Zipping and zooming and dancing on wings, the dinos are soon upside down and dinosick! They decide to bail, hoping their dinochutes will work. They dino-do!In this exuberant follow up to Dinosailors and All Aboard the Dinotrain, the rollicking rhymes and paintings of reckless reptiles are dinofabulous.

    / Bells are clang-clang-clangin’. / I’m on the good track! He has people and cargo to carry past cities and towns, through a tunnel, across bridges, and up and down hills as he click-clack-clicks all the way to a favorite destination—the seashore! With rhythmic verse that perfectly echoes the chugging of a train and whimsical paintings showing the various landscapes along the way, the youngest kids will be eager to take a ride with charming Mr. Choo-choo.

    But he also has many demands, and when his faithful subjects let him down, King Baby himself must take royal action!