Blob


Anne Appert - 2021
    a creature that can be anything they want) who finally finds out who they really are after a series of small discoveries.Blob is a creature of indeterminate kind. Blob can be a giraffe, cotton candy, and even an octopus. It’s not until a negligent (albeit well-meaning) narrator continuously calls them “Bob” that Blob starts to question who they really are.After a series of funny yet enlightening discoveries about all the possible things they can be, Blob realizes that the best thing to be is . . .Blob.(With the L.)This debut picture book by talented author, artist, and auntie Anne Appert is sure to please fans of What If, Pig?, Tiny T. Rex, and other hilariously charming and meaningful picture books.

Wow! Said the Owl


Tim Hopgood - 2009
    And what does she discover? A wow-worthy symphony of colors—from red butterflies to orange flowers, from white clouds to green leaves.This boisterous and bright book is the perfect read-aloud to savor with curious little owls everywhere who are exploring the world of colors for the first time.

Leaf


Sandra Dieckmann - 2017
    Then one day, they watch as he attempts to fly over the water with wings made of colorful leaves, just trying to go home.Maybe he needs some help?Sandra Dieckmann is a UK-based artist best known for her colorful and intricate drawings of nature and wildlife. Dieckmann was chosen by Oscar-winning animator and illustrator Shaun Tan as the Emerging Talent in Illustration for her image Fox Tree.

It Is Not Time for Sleeping (A Bedtime Story)


Lisa Graff - 2016
    But the little boy in this book is quite sure it is NOT time for sleeping. As each piece of his evening routine is completed—helping with the dishes, playing with the dog, getting into pajamas, brushing teeth with Dad, being tucked in by Mom, and listening to a story—he becomes a little more certain: it is definitely not time for sleeping. The question is, when WILL it be time for sleeping? A rhythmic, cumulative text and lush twilit scenes come together to create a perfect bedtime book that will be treasured for generations to come.

Miss Hazeltine's Home for Shy and Fearful Cats


Alicia Potter - 2015
    They come from all over, and Miss Hazeltine gives them lessons in everything, from “Bird Basics” to “How Not to Fear the Broom.”The most timid of all is Crumb. He cowers in a corner. Miss Hazeltine doesn’t mind. But when she gets in trouble and only Crumb knows where she is, will he find his inner courage and lead a daring rescue?Filled with adorable illustrations and ideal for fans of Disappearing Desmond and The Invisible Boy, Miss Hazeltine’s Home for Shy and Fearful Cats is a story that’s perfect for shy and fearful children as it both helps them face scary situations and accepts them just as they are.

Gilbert Goldfish Wants a Pet


Kelly DiPucchio - 2011
    But there's one BIG thing missing from his life: a pet. And so begins Gilbert's harrowing search for the perfect fishbowl companion - a search filled with loud barking, quiet buzzing, and one giant whiskered surprise! With snappy, rhythmic text and the most irresistible goldfish in picture book history, this tale of fish woe and triumph will make readers long for a pet as lovable as Gilbert.

The Antlered Ship


Dashka Slater - 2017
    Marco the fox has a lot of questions, like: how deep does the sun go when it sinks into the sea? And why do birds have such lizardy feet? But none of the other foxes share his curiosity. So when a magnificent ship adorned with antlers and with a deer for a captain arrives at the dock looking for a crew, Marco volunteers, hoping to find foxes who are as inquisitive as he is that can answer his questions. The crew finds adventure and intrigue on their journey. And, at last, Marco finds the answer to his most important question of all: What’s the best way to find a friend you can talk to?

Cow Boy Is Not a Cowboy


Gregory Barrington - 2020
    When she meets Merle—a bull—she mistakes him for a cowboy since he’s both a cow and a boy. Cowboys aren’t ordinary so Goat Girl can’t wait to introduce herself. “HOWDY COWBOY!"An annoyed Merle insists he's not a cowboy.But will this not-a-cowboy change his mind when his rootin’-tootin’ dream has a chance to come true?Saddle up and find out in this hilarious, rollicking unlikely friendship story perfect for fans of Jory John’s Goodnight Already!, Ryan T. Higgins’s Mother Bruce, and Suzanne Lang’s Grumpy Monkey.

Randy, the Badly Drawn Horse


T.L. McBeth - 2020
    L. McBeth's Randy, the Badly Drawn Horse is the hilarious picture book tale of a child's illustrated creation who (never having seen himself) thinks he's extraordinarily beautiful.Randy knows he’s a beautiful horse—everyone says so. From his silky coat to his perfect smile to his very name, reserved only for the most special of creatures, Randy is beyond compare.This laugh-out-loud picture book plays with expectations and takes you inside a child's imaginary world, through construction-paper mountains, popsicle-stick forests, and sandpaper deserts. Readers are sure to fall for this maybe-not-so-beautiful but wholly endearing character.

The Sky is Falling!


Mark Teague - 2015
    The chickens started dancing--they moonwalked, they mamboed, and they did the twist. Pretty soon the other animals joined them. You can't blame someone for wanting to dance, even if the sky isn't really falling!

Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug


Jonathan Stutzman - 2019
    Meet Tiny, a diminutive but determined T-Rex in a big world, as he embraces all obstacles against him in his quest to learn how to hug.

Kitties on Dinosaurs


Michael Slack - 2020
    The level-headed narrator warns the kitties that the dinosaurs look hungry, that their teeth are super big, that things look terribly bleak if they go through with climbing the dinosaurs. But these kitties have a plan. And then another plan. And then another...well, you get the idea. Can these fair kitties conquer their biggest challenge yet and avoid cat-astrophe?

Wolfboy


Andy Harkness - 2021
    This dynamic picture book from an award-winning art director shows how feeling hangry can turn even the sweetest kid into a Wolfboy!Wolfboy is hungry!He’s drooly and growly and fussy!As he stomps through the forest looking for rabbits, he grows hungrier and growlier by the minute! What will happen if Wolfboy can’t find those rabbits? And what will happen if he does?With bold illustrations and energetic storytelling, Wolfboy perfectly captures the big feelings that come with being very hungry! Engaging for young readers and parents, this funny and fresh picture book is perfect for fans of Grumpy Monkey and The Bad Seed and will be an instant favorite.

Extraordinary Jane


Hannah E. Harrison - 2014
    She isn't strong, graceful, or brave like her family. When she tries to be those things, Jane just doesn't feel like herself, but she also doesn't feel special. Is she really meant for this kind of life? Her Ringmaster thinks so, but not for the reasons Jane believes. Ordinary can be extraordinary!

My Forest Is Green


Darren Lebeuf - 2019
    The boy is a keen observer who uses poetic, rhythmic language to describe the diversity he finds through all four seasons. His forest is both “fluffy” and “prickly,” “dense” and “sparse,” “crispy” and “soft.” It's also “scattered and soggy, and spotted and foggy.” His forest is made up of many colors --- but he decides that “mostly it's green.” Each aspect of the forest inspires the boy to create a different kind of art: charcoal rubbing, rock art, photography, sponge painting, snow sculpture, cut-paper collage. To this artist, there's always something new to discover, and to capture! In this delightful picture book, Darren Lebeuf, an award-winning photographer, encourages small children to look closer at and appreciate the nature that surrounds them. And by providing such a broad range of ideas for artistic expression, it's sure to awaken the nature artist in every child. Bright, deeply textured illustrations by Ashley Barron bring the forest and the boy's artworks to vivid life. This story provides an excellent depiction of nature-based education in an outdoor classroom. The specificity of the concrete and abstract adjectives used in the text works as a perfect complement to primary science lessons on investigating, comparing and identifying the physical characteristics of plants and animals. This book also makes for an enjoyable, lyrical read-aloud.