Once Upon a Winter Day


Liza Woodruff - 2020
    Instead, she encourages him to go out and play in the snow. At first, Milo is disappointed - he doesn't want to play outside, he wants a story.But when he starts to follow a trail of mouse-prints, he discovers signs of activity all around, prompting him to ask, What happened here? Before long, he's using his imagination -- depicted in lush wordless spreads that capture the vividness of Milo's fantasies -- to fill in the gaps. By the time Milo comes home, he's the one with stories to tell.A must have for the winter season, Liza Woodruff's Once Upon a Winter Day is a fun read-aloud that shares details about animal behavior from a child's perspective.A Bank Street Best Childrens Book of the Year!

Good-Night, Owl!


Pat Hutchins - 1972
    Owl can’t get to sleep in Pat Hutchins’s beloved Good-Night, Owl!How is Owl supposed to sleep the day away with the bees buzzing, the woodpecker pecking, the doves cooing, and the squirrels crunching? But when night falls and everything is finally quiet, suddenly there’s a new sound—and it’s coming from Owl! From author-illustrator Pat Hutchins, this cumulative bedtime story with a surprise ending will send little ones off to sleep with a smile.

Louis


Tom Lichtenheld - 2020
    Louis the bear has had enough. From day one, life has been one indignity after another. If he's not being used as a hankie, he's being hung out to dry—literally. (No one likes clothespins used on their ears!) This teddy is sneaking away just as soon as he can. Then again, no use running off in the rain . . .or during a show-and-tell routine. Maybe Louis has something to lose, after all.  This fresh and funny take on a teddy bear come to life is a salty and sweet, grumpy and tender, sly tribute to the ties that bind.

Cheetah Can't Lose


Bob Shea - 2013
    . . but the little cats have some tricks up their sleeves, so don't count them out!With his signature wit and bold, graphic art, Bob Shea brings us an irresistible story about the difference between brains and brawn.

Little Tree


Loren Long - 2015
    Life is perfect just the way it is. Autumn arrives, and with it the cool winds that ruffle Little Tree's leaves. One by one the other trees drop their leaves, facing the cold of winter head on. But not Little Tree—he hugs his leaves as tightly as he can. Year after year Little Tree remains unchanged, despite words of encouragement from a squirrel, a fawn, and a fox, his leaves having long since turned brown and withered. As Little Tree sits in the shadow of the other trees, now grown sturdy and tall as though to touch the sun, he remembers when they were all the same size. And he knows he has an important decision to make.

Hudson and Tallulah Take Sides


Anna Kang - 2021
    They can’t see eye to eye on anything. One day they venture out, and after nonstop disagreement, they realize something surprising: they don’t always have to agree to be on each other’s side.

The Lumberjack's Beard


Duncan Beedie - 2017
    Unfortunately, all sorts of creatures, including a bird, a porcupine, and a beaver, lose their homes in the process, so Jim gives them a home in his beard -- until one day it all gets to be too much. Time for Jim to come up with a better solution! This funny story carries a green message.

Let's Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy


Jan Thomas - 2012
    And her Brave Cowboy and his silly, interrupted lullaby are sure to get everybody singing—before they head off into cozy dreamland…

Duck on a Bike


David Shannon - 2002
    "I bet I could ride a bike," he thought. He waddled over to where the boy parked his bike, climbed on and began to ride. At first he rode slowly and he wobbled a lot, but it was fun! Duck rode past Cow and waved to her. "Hello, Cow!" said Duck. "Moo," said Cow. But what she thought was, "A duck on a bike? That's the silliest thing I've ever seen!" And so Duck rides past sheep, horse, and all the other barnyard animals. Suddenly, a group of kids ride by on their bikes and run into the farmhouse, leaving the bikes outside. What will happen now?

Big Bear, Small Mouse


Karma Wilson - 2016
    Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman team up again to bring the youngest Bear fans a delightful concept book that begs to be read out loud.

Second Banana


Blair Thornburgh - 2020
    Millet’s class are putting on their annual nutrition pageant. Every kid plays a food. Every kid gets a line. It is a big deal. But this year, there aren’t quite enough parts for everybody. So the class is cast: Fish, Cheese, Broccoli, Blueberry, Banana, and . . . Second Banana. Second Banana feels rotten. She wants to be the ONLY banana!In this deliciously original school story, Blair Thornburgh and Kate Berube recognize the dreadful disappointment that a casting list can cause—as well as the power of friendship, creative thinking, and a good attitude to turn a rotten situation into one that’s quite ap-peel-ing. Showtime!

Rodeo Red


Maripat Perkins - 2015
    Red's sure anyone who hollers that much'll be hauled to the edge of town and told to skedaddle, but her parents are smitten. When Slim sets his eye on Rusty, Red'd better figure out a way to save her best friend in all the world. Can she bargain with a varmint?

The Wolf Will Not Come


Myriam Ouyessad - 2019
    But how can you be so sure? This clever story disarms childhood bedtime anxieties in an unexpected way. A small rabbit getting ready for bed questions his mother on how she can be so sure that the wolf will not come to their house. Meanwhile, on the opposite page, we follow the progress of the wolf indeed creeping closer and closer to them, foiling the mother's reassurances one by one. In a delightful twist, the rabbit's fears are defused and all ends well. The irresistible drawings and surprise ending put nighttime anxieties in light-hearted perspective.

It's Only Stanley


Jon Agee - 2015
    "That's very odd," says Mr. Wimbledon each time, but when he returns from checking on the sounds, he's always reassuring: "It's only Stanley; he's fixing the oil tank." "It's only Stanley; he's clearing the bathtub drain."But what Stanley the dog is actually doing while his oblivious family goes back to bed is deliciously absurd: he's turning the house into a rocket ship to zoom himself and his family to another planet for an alien encounter. This is a perfect rhyming read-aloud for fans of irreverent tales like Click Clack Moo and I Want My Hat Back.

Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn


Shannon Hale - 2021
    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?