Book picks similar to
The Best Way to Play: A Little Bill Book by Bill Cosby


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McDuff Moves in


Rosemary Wells - 1997
    After they feed him rice pudding and bathe him, they realize that they cannot bear to return him to the pound. Newly adopted, McDuff-named that night for their favorite shortbread biscuit-is last seen happily asleep on his back on a pillow next to Fred and Lucy's bed.Jeffers's illustrations brilliantly capture a bygone art deco America in Lucy and Fred's cozy home, a virtual-reality nostalgia unfaded. Dog lovers everywhere will recognize the very specific details that bring McDuff to life, from the familiar lift of a paw in the rain to the frightened eyes peeking out over the car dashboard.

Possum Magic


Mem Fox - 1983
    But when Hush longs to be able to see herself again, the two possums must make their way across Australia to find the magic food that will make Hush visible once more. “Another treat from Mem Fox that is sure to be treasured. The whimsical illustrations are a wonderful complement.”--Children’s Book Review Service

If You Give a Pig a Pancake


Laura Joffe Numeroff - 1998
    They continue the tradition that began with such whimsical titles as If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and If You Give a Moose a Muffin with yet another tale of actions and consequences: If You Give a Pig a Pancake. Once again, Numeroff follows the potential effects of one creature's chaotic demands, creating a tale filled with beguiling characters, delightful anticipation, and a fun sense of adventure. In addition to being humorous and entertaining, If You Give a Pig a Pancake allows children to see how their own constant demands might frazzle their parents. Kids should also enjoy studying the subtleties in Bond's colorful illustrations, such as the facial expressions of the book's adorable protagonist or the details found in a mountain of bubbles and the contents of a closet. Easy to understand, stimulating to both mind and eye, and irresistibly amusing, this is one book children will likely want to read over and over again. --Beth Amos

My Great-Aunt Arizona


Gloria Houston - 1992
    Based on a true story, author Gloria Houston's joyous recounting of her great-aunt Arizona's quiet yet meaningful life reminds us of the special place a great teacher can hold in our hearts—even after we've grown up.Arizona was born in a log cabin her papa built in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She grew into a tall girl who liked to sing, square-dance, and—most of all—read and dream of the faraway places she would visit one day. Arizona never did make it to those places. Instead she became a teacher, helping generations of children in the one-room schoolhouse which she herself had attended.Supports the Common Core State Standards.

The Story of Little Black Sambo


Helen Bannerman - 1899
    First written in 1899, the story has become a childhood classic and the authorized American edition with the original drawings by the author has sold hundreds of thousands of copies. Little Black Sambo is a book that speaks the common language of all nations, and has added more to the joy of little children than perhaps any other story. They love to hear it again and again; to read it to themselves; to act it out in their play.

There's a Hippopotamus on our Roof Eating Cake


Hazel Edwards - 1980
    I know why there's a hole. There's a hippopotamus on our roof eating cake.' The cake-eating hippo is ageless. This classic story about one of the largest and most famous imaginary friends has been delighting children around the world for almost 40 years. To celebrate the original hippo story was republished in a hardback gift edition for the 30th anniversary with a special sparkly hippo on the cover, ready to delight a whole new generation of children. Now available from Penguin Puffin, and in Chinese from Sichuan Children's Publishing, there are seven titles in the series. 'Ho Ho Ho There's a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Christmas Cake' sold out at Christmas 2018. . A short film made by Pocket Bonfire Productions was shown at the Sydney Opera House in 2012. In 2016, Garry Ginivan Attractions toured 'Hippo! Hippo! the Musical' nationally.In 2020 there will be special celebrations for the 40th anniversary of this across the generations, favourite book character.

Because a Little Bug Went Ka-choo!


Rosetta Stone - 1975
    Young readers will delight in this action-packed tale of mishaps and mayhem! This title belongs to the highly acclaimed Beginner Book series developed by Dr. Seuss, in which the essential ingredients of rhyme, rhythm and repetition are combined with zany artwork and off-the-wall humour to create a range of books that will encourage even the most reluctant child to learn to read.Originally published under the pseudonym of Rosetta Stone, Because A Little Bug Went Ka-Choo! is being relaunched with a stylish new cover design which reveals, for the first time, the true identity of the author – Dr. Seuss himself!

The Raft


Jim LaMarche - 2000
    He's not too thrilled about all the chores either—especially fishing. Before long, though, a raft appears in the nearby river, and it changes everything. As Nicky explores, the raft works a subtle magic on the obstinate young boy, opening up the wonders all around him: the animals of river and woods, his grandmother's humor and wisdom, and his own special talent as an artist.This is a serene story about a summer in the woods, appreciating things—and people—in a whole new light, and discovering one's own talents. School Library Journal proclaimed, "this dazzling picture book is an artistic triumph." A note from the author describes the similarities between LaMarche's and Nicky's life.Supports the Common Core State Standards

Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky


Faith Ringgold - 1992
    in full color. Cassie, who flew above New York in Tar Beach, soars into the sky once more. This time, she and her brother Be Be meet a train full of people, and Be Be joins them. But the train departs before Cassie can climb aboard. With Harriet Tubman as her guide, Cassie retraces the steps escaping slaves took on the real Underground Railroad and is finally reunited with her brother at the story's end.

Flower Garden


Eve Bunting - 1994
    Rhyming verse carries the brief story, while wonderful, warm, full-color illustrations present scenes from novel angles, and depict a loving family with a sense of intimacy, sincerity, and joy.”—School Library Journal

Lost in the Snow


Holly Webb - 2006
    But nobody seems to want Fluff, and after a heartbreaking encounter with a little girl called Ella, she gives up on her dream of a loving home and flees the farm out into the big scary world. Fluff is soon lost and all alone…

Papa's Mechanical Fish


Candace Fleming - 2013
    Although he is an inventor, he has never made anything that works perfectly, and that's because he hasn't yet found a truly fantastic idea. But when he takes his family fishing on Lake Michigan, his daughter Virena asks, "Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a fish?"—and Papa is off to his workshop. With a lot of persistence and a little bit of help, Papa—who is based on the real-life inventor Lodner Phillips—creates a submarine that can take his family for a trip to the bottom of Lake Michigan.

Migrant


Maxine Trottier - 2011
    Sometimes she feels like a bird, flying north in the spring and south in the fall. Sometimes she feels like a jack rabbit living in an abandoned burrow, as her family moves into an empty house near the fields. But most of all she wonders what it would be like to stay in one place.The Low German-speaking Mennonites from Mexico are a unique group of migrants who moved from Canada to Mexico in the 1920s and became an important part of the farming community there. But it has become increasingly difficult for them to earn a livelihood, and so they come back to Canada each year as migrant workers in order to survive. And while they currently have the right to work in Canada, that right may be challenged. Working conditions are difficult for all migrant workers, most of whom have to leave families far behind. And yet countries like Canada and the United States benefit greatly from their labor.Beautifully written by Maxine Trottier and imaginatively illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault, this book describes what it is like to be a child in a migrant family.

Fish is Fish


Leo Lionni - 1970
    When the tadpole, now a frog, returns to tell his friend of the extraordinary things he’s seen, the minnow, now a fish, tries to follow in his footsteps, but quickly finds that land is not what he expected. Friendship truly saves the day in this imaginative tale of a fish out of water.

You Belong Here


M.H. Clark - 2016
    So begins this classic bedtime book, richly illustrated by award-winning artist Isabelle Arsenault. The pages journey around the world, observing plants and animals everywhere, and reminding children that they are right where they belong. A beautiful title for new babies, adoptive families, and children of all ages.You are a dream that the world once dreamt,And now you are part of its song.That's why you are here, in the place where you're meant,For this is right where you belong.