The Greedy Python


Richard Buckley - 1985
    Full-color illustrations.

The Big Orange Splot


Daniel Pinkwater - 1977
    Plumbean's expression of creativity and individuality challenges his neighbor's ideas about the importance of having a “neat street.” By repainting his house to reflect his colorful dreams, Mr. Plumbean breaks away from the conformity of his street.“My house is me and I am it. My house is where I like to be and it looks like all my dreams.”— Daniel Pinkwater

Smelly Socks


Robert Munsch - 2004
    Bestselling team Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko create another funny adventure about a girl named Tina, who loves her brand-new socks so much that she's never ever going to take them off!Tina loves her brand-new socks so much that she's never ever going to take them off! But when her wonderful socks start to get smelly, her friends have to take action!

Pierre: A Cautionary Tale in Five Chapters and a Prologue


Maurice Sendak - 1962
    Young Pierre, whose favorite line is I don't care! changes his mind after meeting a hungry lion. Three-color illustrations.

Dinosaur Roar!


Paul Stickland - 1994
    The subjects are, first, antonyms--such as above/below and weak/strong--and then lunch. The paired dinosaurs, in a goofy array of pastels, are almost all smiling, even when the rhyme insists they're "grumpy"--so when they settle down to a lunch with (and not of) each other, the end is satisfying. The pictures and swingy short verses will make this a good group read-aloud, even for the very young. -BooklistThese prehistoric monsters are just perfect for the preschool crowds. A natural for story time. -School Library Journal

Bear Despair


Gaëtan Dorémus - 2012
    If you do, you'll be in for trouble. Big trouble. For a bear whose teddy has been stolen isn't simply heartbroken, but determined to get it back. So determined that he might just gobble up more than honey to do so! However, should he succeed in getting his teddy back, then there just might be a surprise in store. This is a book that all readers will relish, and one they will want to read again and again.Born in 1971, Gaëtan Dorémus received his degree from the School of Decorative Arts in Strasbourg, France, in 1999, after which he picked up a few other degrees while creating picture books and illustrations for the press. Dorémus has illustrated over twenty books and has produced hundreds of freestanding illustrations and cartoons. He loves to bicycle ride, walk in the mountains, and eat green tomatoes with cinnamon. In 2006, he became a Papa.

Mooseltoe


Margie Palatini - 2000
    With checklist in hoof and ho ho ho's on his mind, he makes sure everything is perfect. He wraps, he decorates, he bakes and he sings. He does it all, except one thing. Somehow, some way, some moosetake has occurred, and one little item has gone unchecked. Moose has forgotten the Christmas tree. Nothing will ruin this Moose family's Christmas, though, and with a little imagination (and a lot of glue) Moose's moosetache turns him into a splendid, breathing Christmas tree.This sweet story is guaranteed to have children chuckling as they follow Moose through his holiday

Over the River and Through the Wood


Lydia Maria Francis Child - 1844
    In this hilarious modern spoof of a favorite holiday song, the trip to Grandfather's house is no peaceful sleigh ride!

Peek-a-Boo


Janet Ahlberg - 1981
    A series of holes peeping through to the next page leads the young child on to the next stage of the day, giving a hint of what is to come.

Russell the Sheep


Rob Scotton - 2005
    until, at last, he falls asleep.

Xander's Panda Party


Linda Sue Park - 2013
    Yes, a dandy whoop-de-do!But Xander was the only panda. Just one panda at the zoo.The zoo’s paucity of pandas doesn’t impede Xander’s party planning for long. He decides to invite all the bears. But Koala protests. She’s not a bear—she's a marsupial! Does that mean she can’t come? Xander rethinks his decision to invite only bears, and “Calling all bears” evolves into “Calling all creatures.” The Newbery Medal author Linda Sue Park introduces animal taxonomy in a wonderfully engaging way, and the celebrated artist Matt Phelan’s charming ink and watercolor paintings are the icing on the cake. A read-aloud whoop-de-do!

Sugar Snow


Laura Ingalls Wilder - 1998
    A late snow helps the trees make more sap for maple syrup, and maple syrup means sweet sugar cakes and sticky fingers for Laura! Doris Ettlinger's enchanting full-color illustrations, inspired by Garth Williams's artwork, perfectly capture Laura and her family in this My First Little House Book, adapted from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House in the Big Woods.

How to Read a Story


Kate Messner - 2015
    (A good one.)Step Two: Find a reading buddy. (Someone nice.)Step Three: Find a reading spot. (Couches are cozy.)Now: Begin.Accomplished storytellers Kate Messner and Mark Siegel chronicle the process of becoming a reader: from pulling a book off the shelf and finding someone with whom to share a story, to reading aloud, predicting what will happen, and—finally—coming to The End. This picture book playfully and movingly illustrates the idea that the reader who discovers the love of reading finds, at the end, the beginning.

If You Ever Want to Bring a Piano to the Beach, Don't!


Elise Parsley - 2016
    She is NOT talking about the piano. But Magnolia is a little girl with a big idea, determination, and one very heavy upright piano that, she insists, she needs to take with her. What's the worst that can happen? In a riotous series of mishaps, Magnolia quickly learns that--not surprisingly--a piano doesn't mix well with sand, sun, and seagulls!

Little Blue Truck


Alice Schertle - 2008
    A muddy country road is no match for this little pick up--that is, until he gets stuck while pushing a dump truck out of the muck. Luckily, Blue has made a pack of farm animal friends along his route. And they're willing to whatever it takes to get their pal back on the road. Filled with truck sounds and animals noises, here is a rollicking homage to the power of friendship and the rewards of helping others.