Book picks similar to
When Mama Comes Home Tonight by Eileen Spinelli
picture-books
family
children-s-books
bedtime
Bedtime for Sweet Creatures
Nikki Grimes - 2020
a loving, effective lullaby."―Publishers Weekly, STARRED reviewIt's bedtime. But Mommy's little one is not sleepy.He growls like a bear, he questions like an owl, he tosses his mane like a lion. He hunts for water like a sly wolf, and hides like a snake.Mommy needs to wrangle her sweet creature in bed so that the whole family can sleep. From tigers to squirrels to snakes, the little boy dodges around his bedtime, until he is tired enough to finally sleep. His imaginative animal friends weave their way through the illustrations, eventually joining him in curling up for the night."The mother's loving understanding is demonstrated by how she works with her child's rich imagination, never slipping into admonishment. As such, children will engage with the pajama-clad tot's antics and be soothed by the book's positive tone. A fabulous interpretation of an everyday battle."―Booklist, STARRED review
Everything is Mama
Jimmy Fallon - 2017
. .MAMA!Jimmy Fallon, one of the most popular entertainers in the world, was on a mission with his first children's book to have every baby's first word be DADA. And it worked! A lot of babies' first words were DADA. However, everything after that was MAMA.So take a lighthearted look at the world from your baby's point of view as different animals try to teach their children that there are other words in addition to MAMA for familiar objects and activities.
A Piglet Named Mercy
Kate DiCamillo - 2019
Watson and Mrs. Watson live ordinary lives. Sometimes their lives feel a bit too ordinary. Sometimes they wish something different would happen. And one day it does, when someone unpredictable finds her way to their front door. In a delightful origin story for the star of the Mercy Watson series, a tiny piglet brings love (and chaos) to Deckawoo Drive — and the Watsons’ lives will never be the same.
Stella Brings the Family
Miriam B. Schiffer - 2015
Stella has her Papa and Daddy who take care of her, and a whole gaggle of other loved ones who make her feel special and supported every day. She just doesn't have a mom to invite to the party. Fortunately, Stella finds a unique solution to her party problem in this sweet story about love, acceptance, and the true meaning of family.
Clara and Asha
Eric Rohmann - 2003
Clara's friend Asha is an enormous fish, which means that hide-and-seek, Halloween, snow days, and afternoons in the park offer surprising opportunities for adventure. With oil paintings that playfully suggest stories within stories and convey great emotional range, this is a captivating book about the special world of a child's imagination--where a giant fish might come to visit, and the things you do and the things you fell with an imaginary friend are intensely real.
Nana in the City
Lauren Castillo - 2014
But then Nana makes him a special cape to help him be brave, and soon the everyday sights, sounds, and smells of the city are not scary—but wonderful. The succinct text is paired with watercolor illustrations that capture all the vitality, energy, and beauty of the city.
The Princess Knight
Cornelia Funke - 2001
But she wants to be a knight. At night, she practises at becoming the best knight in the land. When her father, the king, stages a tournament for Violetta's hand in marriage, she knows she must win the greatest battle yet, for the most important prize of all - herself.
Jabari Jumps
Gaia Cornwall - 2017
He's finished his swimming lessons and passed his swim test, and he's a great jumper, so he's not scared at all. "Looks easy," says Jabari, watching the other kids take their turns. But when his dad squeezes his hand, Jabari squeezes back. He needs to figure out what kind of special jump to do anyway, and he should probably do some stretches before climbing up onto the diving board. In a sweetly appealing tale of overcoming your fears, newcomer Gaia Cornwall captures a moment between a patient and encouraging father and a determined little boy you can't help but root for.
Little Owl's Night
Divya Srinivasan - 2011
Hedgehog sniffs for mushrooms, Skunk nibbles at berries, Frog croaks, and Cricket sings. A full moon rises and Little Owl can't understand why anyone would want to miss it. Could the daytime be nearly as wonderful? Mama Owl begins to describe it to him, but as the sun comes up, Little Owl falls fast asleep.Putting a twist on the bedtime book, Little Owl's Night is sure to comfort any child with a curiosity about the night.
Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote
Duncan Tonatiuh - 2013
Papa Rabbit traveled north two years ago to find work in the great carrot and lettuce fields to earn money for his family. When Papa does not return, Pancho sets out to find him. He packs Papa’s favorite meal—mole, rice and beans, a heap of warm tortillas, and a jug of aguamiel—and heads north. He meets a coyote, who offers to help Pancho in exchange for some of Papa’s food. They travel together until the food is gone and the coyote decides he is still hungry . . . for Pancho!Duncan Tonatiuh brings to light the hardship and struggles faced by thousands of families who seek to make better lives for themselves and their children by illegally crossing the border.
Praise for Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote
STARRED REVIEWS"Tonatiuh’s great strength is in the text. No word is wasted, as each emotion is clearly and poignantly expressed. The rabbits’ future is unknown, but their love and faith in each other sustains them through it all. Accessible for young readers, who may be drawn to it as they would a classic fable; perfect for mature readers and the classroom, where its layers of truth and meaning can be peeled back to be examined and discussed. An incandescent, humane and terribly necessary addition to the immigrant-story shelf."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review"In both prose and art, Tonatiuh expertly balances folkloric elements with stark, modern realities; Pancho Rabbit’s trip has the feel of a classic fable or fairy tale, with the untrustworthy coyote demanding more and more of him."—Publishers Weekly, starred review"The book shows the fragility of making a living, the desperation that many migrants experience, and the deep family ties that bind the characters. Classrooms studying the migrant experience will find plenty to discuss here."—School Library Journal“This will spark strong responses and needed discussion.”—Booklist"Tonatiuh is so careful in weaving his allegory that his empathetic contemporary tale feels like age-old folklore, with simple but compelling text and a step-by-step escalation of the story through gripping, kid-understandable challenges."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books AwardsPura Belpré Author and Illustrator Honor book 2014New York Public Library’s annual Children’s Books list: 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2013Kirkus Best Books of 2013Best Multicultural Children's Books 2013 (Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature)Notable Children's Books from ALSC 2014Notable Books for a Global Society Book Award 2014
Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?
Jon AgeeMarla Frazee - 2006
We've all told it. Kids love to tell it over and over and over again, with as many different punch lines as possible. And now we've found out that famous award-winning artists love to tell the joke too—and they have some wacky and downright hilarious ideas about why that chicken really did cross the road. Mo Willems's chicken confesses his motives to a police officer; David Shannon's chicken can drive a car; Marla Frazee's chicken is looking for a more luxurious coop; and Harry Bliss's chicken encounters aliens. And this is just the beginning. One thing is for sure—you won't cross this book without a good laugh!
Blackout
John Rocco - 2011
The TV shuts off and a boy wails, "Mommm!" His sister can no longer use the phone, Mom can't work on her computer, and Dad can't finish cooking dinner. What's a family to do? When they go up to the roof to escape the heat, they find the lights--in stars that can be seen for a change--and so many neighbors it's like a block party in the sky! On the street below, people are having just as much fun--talking, rollerblading, and eating ice cream before it melts. The boy and his family enjoy being not so busy for once. They even have time to play a board game together. When the electricity is restored, everything can go back to normal . . . but not everyone likes normal. The boy switches off the lights, and out comes the board game again.Using a combination of panels and full bleed illustrations that move from color to black-and-white and back to color, John Rocco shows that if we are willing to put our cares aside for a while, there is party potential in a summer blackout.
Twenty Yawns
Jane Smiley - 2016
But later, she awakens in a dark, still room, and everything looks mysterious. How will she ever get back to sleep?
I Love You With All My Heart
Noris Kern - 1998
How is this possible? he wonders. He asks several of his Arctic friends how their mothers love them. Pinpin, the penguin, explains that his mother loves him with all her wings. Felix, the seal, knows that his mother loves him with all her flippers. When Polo finally asks his mother, she explains that she loves him with her whole body -- her fur when she rubs against him; her eyes that shine when she sees him; her nose that smells his warmth when she hugs him; her paws when she tickles him. But more than anything else she loves him with all her heart. This tender story, accompanied by adorable illustrations, captures the all-encompassing quality of a parent's love. Readers will soon love Polo with all of their hearts, as children snuggle up to their parents to hear this story read again and again.
Goodnight, Astronaut
Scott Kelly - 2021
But that's not the only unusual place he's slept! As a child, he slept in treehouses, boats and tents, but his thrill-seeking nature has led to him snatching shuteye in every place imaginable. From the bottom of the ocean, to Mount Everest Base Camp, to the International Space Station, Scott will send readers to sleep dreaming of exploring the wildest places.This sweet and adventurous story is the perfect bedtime tale for future astronauts and adventurers!