If You Decide to Go to the Moon


Faith McNulty - 2005
    A publishing event!"If you decide to go to the moon," writes Faith McNulty, "read this book first. It will tell you how to get there and what to do after you land. The most important part tells you how to get home.Written in the second person, the text allows the reader to participate in every aspect of the journey, from packing ("don't forget your diary and plenty of food") to liftoff (at first you'll feel heavy; don't worry") to traveling through space (where "the moon glows like a pearl in the black, black sky"). The reader lands at the Sea of Tranquility, the site of the first lunar landing.

I am Abraham Lincoln


Brad Meltzer - 2014
    That’s the inspiring message of this lively, collectible picture book biography series from New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer. Kids always search for heroes, so we might as well have a say in it, Brad Meltzer realized, and so he envisioned this friendly, fun approach to biography for his own kids, and for yours. Each book tells the story of one of America’s icons in an entertaining, conversational way that works well for the youngest nonfiction readers, those who aren’t quite ready for the Who Was series. Each book focuses on a particular character trait that made that role model heroic. For example, Abraham Lincoln always spoke up about fairness, and thus he led the country to abolish slavery. This book follows him from childhood to the presidency, including the Civil War and his legendary Gettysburg Address. This engaging series is the perfect way to bring American history to life for young children, and to inspire them to strive and dream.

Up, Down, and Around


Katherine Ayres - 2007
    From seeds dropping into soil to corn bursting from its stalks, from children chasing butterflies to ants burrowing underground, everything in this vibrant picture book pulses with life — in all directions! Sprightly illustrations set the mood for a rhythmic text that follows nature’s course to a final feast of backyard bounty.

Fancy Nancy: Poet Extraordinaire!


Jane O'Connor - 2010
    And with limericks, couplets, free verse, and more, poetry is plenty fancy! So when her teacher Ms. Glass gives Nancy and her classmates an assignment to come up with their very own poems, Nancy is determined to write one that is superb. But what happens when she can't think of a good idea?Complete with Nancy's very own poetry anthology, Fancy Nancy: Poet Extraordinaire! shows how a true love of words can be très fancy. Ooh la la! And with a little inspiration, which is fancy for something that helps you get good ideas, Fancy Nancy just might be a Poet Extraordinaire after all.

The Squirrels' Busy Year: A First Science Storybook


Martin Jenkins - 2018
    It's cold! The squirrels are digging up acorns to eat. But what will they eat in the spring, when the acorns are gone? As the bushy-tailed creatures weather snowstorms, thunderstorms, and hot summer days, this gentle story uses simple, clear language and beautiful illustrations to introduce very young readers to the seasons and the changing weather they bring. Basic questions at the end help children remember and expand on what they've learned, and back matter includes an index.

Nesting


Henry Cole - 2020
    Then mother robin lays four beautiful blue eggs and will keep the eggs warm in the nest until they hatch into four baby robins.The father robin protects the babies until they can fly on their own. The perils the babies encounter are many, including snakes and storms. The nest is always their safe place.Nesting provides introductory biology and animal science concepts for very young children, and also makes a spectacular springtime gift.Award-winning author-illustrator Henry Cole has re-created the life story of the robin with simple text and stunning artwork. Nesting is the perfect primer for young bird-watchers and nature lovers. The beautiful, intricate black-and-white illustrations are illuminated with lovely washes of blue that breathe life into the artwork.

Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain: A Nandi Tale


Verna Aardema - 1981
    A cumulative rhyme relating how Ki-pat brought rain to the drought-stricken Kapiti Plain. Verna Aardema has brought the original story closer to the English nursery rhyme by putting in a cumulative refrain and giving the tale the rhythm of “The House That Jack Built.”

Bringing In the New Year


Grace Lin - 2008
    Each member of the family lends a hand as they sweep out the dust of the old year, hang decorations, and make dumplings. Then it’s time to put on new clothes and celebrate with family and friends. There will be fireworks and lion dancers, shining lanterns, and a great, long dragon parade to help bring in the Lunar New Year. And the dragon parade in our book is extra long–on a surprise fold-out page at the end of the story. Grace Lin’s artwork is a bright and gloriously patterned celebration in itself! And her story is tailor-made for reading aloud.

The Salamander Room


Anne Mazer - 1991
    Together, Anne Mazer and Steve Johnson have created a woodland paradise that any salamander would love to share with a child.

Actual Size


Steve Jenkins - 2004
    Sometimes you need to see things for yourself—at their actual size.

How Are You Peeling?


Saxton Freymann - 1999
    And leaves you feeling great no matter what the answers are!"Who'd have dreamed that produce could be so expressive, so charming, so lively and so funny?...Freymann and...Elffers have created sweet and feisty little beings with feelings, passions, fears and an emotional range that is, well, organic."-The New York Times Book Review

The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot July 25, 1909


Alice Provensen - 1983
    "This book...recounts the persistence of a Frenchman, Louis Bleriot, to build a flying machine to cross the English Channel....  The text is succinct, caption-like in its directness and brevity....The paintings...add the necessary testure and tone to this marriage.  This is vintage Provensen" – School Library Journal

The Night Before Summer Vacation


Natasha Wing - 2002
    . . or at least they are trying to. In the effort to pack everything that will be needed, there's bound to be something overlooked, and what that is provides a funny ending to this meter-perfect "twist" on Clement Moore's classic.

Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb


Al Perkins - 1969
    in full color. A madcap band of dancing, prancing monkeys explain hands, fingers, and thumbs to beginning readers.

If You Sailed On The Mayflower


Ann McGovern - 1969
    What if you sailed on the Mayflower?A different time...a different place...What if you were there?If you sailed on the Mayflower--What could you take with you?--How would you keep clean?--What would you do when you first got to shore?Get ready to go back in time to 1620 to discover what it was like to sail the Mayflower!