The Cow That Was the Best Moo-ther


Andy Cutbill - 2009
    But Daisy isn't quite like the other baby cows—she's small and feathery, she has a beak, and she hatched from an egg! So there's no surprise that Daisy catches the judge's eye! But she's not the only one who attracts attention in this hilarious follow-up to the cow that laid an egg. Proud mom Marjorie is in store for an award of her own.

Are You a Cheeseburger?


Monica Arnaldo - 2021
    Rumbling in the trash. Looking for food.Seed is, well, a seed! Patiently waiting in the trash. Hoping someone will plant it.When the two finally meet, they realize they might be able to help each other! Grub has just one big question first: What will Seed grow? Could Seed grow Grub’s favorite food, mouthwatering cheeseburgers? Seed isn’t sure what a cheeseburger is exactly, but . . . maybe!And so begins a hilarious friendship following two unlikely strangers learning more about the other and discovering the pressure that comes with fulfilling expectations. Author-illustrator Monica Arnaldo will leave readers giggling and clamoring for more in this charming story that celebrates the unexpected—and how the most special friendships bloom only when we are unapologetically ourselves.

Great, Now We've Got Barbarians!


Jason Carter Eaton - 2017
    Playing and having fun is a kid s job, right? Cleaning up is a parent's job, right? Why do grown-ups make such a fuss about tidiness and cleanliness, anyway? What s the worst that could happen? A couple of ants pass through? A lone little mouse pays a midnight call? No big deal, right? Right? Author Jason Carter Eaton and illustrator Mark Fearing are here to caution you that being a slob might in fact be a big deal a really big deal. Maybe even a BARBARIAN-size deal! This outrageously absurd cautionary tale might just make you think twice about the cupcake crumbs in your bed and the half-eaten cheese curls behind the sofa. After all, you could end up with an infestation of barbaric proportions!"

Leave Me Alone!


Vera Brosgol - 2016
    Along the way, she encounters ravenous bears, obnoxious goats, and even hordes of aliens! But nothing stops grandma from accomplishing her goal--knitting sweaters for her many grandchildren to keep them warm and toasty for the coming winter.

The Bears in the Bed and the Great Big Storm


Paul Bright - 2008
    "There's no such thing as monsters," their dad tells each of them. "What a scaredy-bear you are." But when there's a rat-tat-tat at the door and the lights go out, Daddy Bear suddenly isn't quite as brave as he thought... Bestselling illustrator, Jane Chapman, vibrantly captures the joy of snuggling into a warm bed, as well as the strange shadows that can appear in the middle of the night. A wonderful story to read aloud, this is the perfect book for anyone, big or small, who might be afraid of the dark.

I Talk Like a River


Jordan Scott - 2020
    And I can't say them all . . . When a boy who stutters feels isolated, alone, and incapable of communicating in the way he'd like, it takes a kindly father and a walk by the river to help him find his voice. Compassionate parents everywhere will instantly recognize a father's ability to reconnect a child with the world around him.

The Two Mutch Sisters


Carol Brendler - 2018
    The two Mutch sisters have two of everything, and Violet believes they are as perfectly matched as the objects in their collections.   Ruby, however, has other ideas. And she’s ready to do something about them.   Carol Brendler and Lisa Brown present a silly, surprising, and insightful tale about staying close while respecting differences as Violet and Ruby prove that sometimes it takes a sister to know what a sister really needs.

Ask Me


Bernard Waber - 2015
    With so many things to enjoy, and so many ways to ask—and talk—about them, it's a snapshot of an ordinary day in a world that's anything but. This story is a heartwarming and inviting picture book with a tenderly written story by Bernard Waber and glorious illustrations by Suzy Lee.PreS-Gr 2—A vivacious child and her father share an early autumn stroll. "Ask me what I like," she says. Dad's dutiful answer is printed in purple: "What do you like?" Energetically she answers with a list. Sometimes dad presses for details, "Geese in the sky? Or geese in the water?" She answers, "I like geese in the sky. No, in the water. I like both. Ask me what else I like," she demands, seeing something new she wants to tell him about. So they proceed through their day, celebrating the brief but precious time when children are gaining a sense of self and exploring the power that comes with it. The patience required to converse with a small person who wants to dictate every part of the interaction is sure to be familiar to parents, but the poetic text rises above the mundane and captures the beauty, energy, and innocence of these conversations and holds them up for readers to appreciate without becoming saccharine or trite. Lee's lively, colored-pencil drawings are a perfect match to the text. The line drawings are similar in style to those in Wave (2008) and Shadow (2010, both Chronicle), but Lee expands from the single-color palette she employed in those titles to a full spectrum of bright autumn colors. VERDICT A first choice for libraries, especially those looking to expand their selection of father-as-caregiver stories.—Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Library, MN

Albert's Tree


Jenni Desmond - 2016
    What can be the matter? How can the bear cheer up his old friend? A funny and charming picture book about making friends in the most unexpected places from the award-winning Jenni Desmond.

Hello, Jimmy!


Anna Walker - 2021
    They have tacos and milkshakes, and make each other laugh. But lately Jack wonders if his dad is lonely when he isn’t there. Then Jimmy arrives. Jimmy is loud and obnoxious, but Dad thinks he’s clever and funny. Jack does not think he’s clever or funny. And he’s starting to wonder if Dad likes Jimmy better than he likes Jack. This beautifully written and illustrated book about the unconditional love a parent has for a child is both heartwarming and reassuring.

Hair Twins


Raakhee Mirchandani - 2021
    Other days he weaves it into one long braid hanging down her back, just like a unicorn tail.  But her favorite style is when he combs her hair in a tight bun on the top of her head, just like the joora he wears every day under his turban. They call this their hair twin look!

Little Bird's Bad Word


Jacob Grant - 2015
    Little Bird doesn't realize it, but this word might even hurt someone's feelings. What word will Little Bird learn to make things better?With the help of Papa Bird, maybe Little Bird will learn another new word--one that will make things all better.

The Sword in the Stove


Frank W. Dormer - 2016
    Was it Eenie? Was it Meenie? Was it Harold? WHO WOULD PUT A SWORD IN THE STOVE!? Frank Dormer’s rollicking whodunit has bumbling characters worthy of The Three Stooges, sly humor straight out of Monty Python, and an irresistible screwball spirit all its own.

Santa's New Jet


David Biedrzycki - 2011
    They're too out of shape. Fortunately the elves build Santa a fancy jet in time to deliver all the gifts. But the new jet crash-lands on rooftops and doesn't have a light as bright as Rudolph's nose. What's more, Blitzen's not on board to help choose which toys to give each child. Santa is in need of some serious help this Christmas!

11 Experiments That Failed


Jenny Offill - 2011
    Here are 12 "hypotheses," as well as lists of "what you need," "what to do," and "what happened" that are sure to make young readers laugh out loud as they learn how to conduct science experiments (really!). Jenny Offill and Nancy Carpenter—the ingenious pair that brought you 17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore—have outdone themselves in this brilliant and outrageously funny book.