Book picks similar to
Things to Do with Dad by Sam Zuppardi


picture-books
picture-book
imagination
family

La La La: A Story of Hope


Kate DiCamillo - 2017
    "La la la . . . la." A little girl stands alone and sings, but hears no response. Gathering her courage and her curiosity, she skips farther out into the world, singing away to the trees and the pond and the reeds -- but no song comes back to her. Day passes into night, and the girl dares to venture into the darkness toward the light of the moon, becoming more insistent in her singing, climbing as high as she can, but still there is silence in return. Dejected, she falls asleep on the ground, only to be awakened by an amazing sound. . . . She has been heard. At last.

Tad and Dad


David Ezra Stein - 2015
    But now little Tad is getting bigger. He’s growing new limbs and jumping to new heights. His dad is proud, but when Tad’s accomplishments carry over into nighttime—bringing lots of wiggling, croaking, and kicking in his sleep—their lily pad starts feeling mighty crowded! When Tad finally realizes it might be time for a bed of his own, will Dad be ready?

Camp Tiger


Susan Choi - 2019
    This year, the boy is going into first grade, and his mother is encouraging him to do things on his own, just like his older brother. And the most different thing of all . . . this year, a tiger comes to the woods.

I Am Perfectly Designed


Karamo Brown - 2019
    A boy and his father take a walk through the city, sharing memories, and discovering all the ways in which they are perfectly designed for each other and to be themselves.

Maple


Lori Nichols - 2014
    She and her tree grow up together, and even though a tree doesn’t always make an ideal playmate, it doesn’t mind when Maple is in the mood to be loud—which is often. Then Maple becomes a big sister, and finds that babies have their loud days, too. Fortunately, Maple and her beloved tree know just what the baby needs.

Bunny's Book Club


Annie Silvestro - 2017
    Bunny loves to sit outside the library with the kids and listen to summer story time. But when the weather gets cold and everyone moves inside, his daily dose of joy is gone. Desperate, Bunny refuses to miss out on any more reading time and devises a plan to sneak into the library at night . . . through the library's book drop! What follows is an adorable caper that brings an inquisitive, fuzzy bunny and his woodland pals up close and personal with the books they have grown to love. A warm celebration of the power of books, Bunny's Book Club is sure to bring knowing smiles to any child, parent, teacher, bookseller, and librarian who understands the one-of-a-kind magic of reading.

Bear Is a Bear


Jonathan Stutzman - 2021
    . . a new friend, a fellow mischief-maker, a protector, and a dreamer.Through all the many ups and downs of a little girl’s childhood, Bear is there to provide love and support. Until it is time to say goodbye . . . and hello again.

This Is Sadie


Sara O'Leary - 2015
    She has been a girl who lived under the sea and a boy raised by wolves. She has had adventures in wonderland and visited the world of fairytales. She whispers to the dresses in her closet and talks to birds in the treetops. She has wings that take her anywhere she wants to go, but that always bring her home again. She likes to make things -- boats out of boxes and castles out of cushions. But more than anything Sadie likes stories, because you can make them from nothing at all. For Sadie, the world is so full of wonderful possibilities ... This is Sadie, and this is her story.

There Is a Tribe of Kids


Lane Smith - 2016
    . .he trails a colony of penguins, undulates in a smack of jellyfish,clasps hands with a constellation of stars, naps for a night in a bed of clams,and follows a trail of shells, home to his tribe of friends.If Lane Smith's Caldecott Honor Book Grandpa Green was an homage to aging and the end of life, There Is a Tribe of Kids is a meditation on childhood and life's beginning. Smith's vibrant sponge-paint illustrations and use of unusual collective nouns such as smack and unkindness bring the book to life. Whimsical, expressive, and perfectly paced, this story plays with language as much as it embodies imagination.

Fly!


Mark Teague - 2019
    Mama bird thinks Baby bird is finally ready to leave the nest and learn to fly so he can migrate south with the rest of their flock. But Baby bird isn’t so sure. Can’t his mother keep bringing him worms in their nest? Can’t he migrate in a hot air balloon instead? Or perhaps a car?

Leaf Man


Lois Ehlert - 2005
    Fall has come, the wind is gusting, and Leaf Man is on the move. Is he drifting east, over the marsh and ducks and geese? Or is he heading west, above the orchards, prairie meadows, and spotted cows? No one's quite sure, but this much is certain: A Leaf Man's got to go where the wind blows. Ehlert crafts each illustration out of actual fall leaves and die-cut pages on every spread that reveal gorgeous landscapes. ThIs playful and whimsical book celebrates the natural world and the rich imaginative life of children. Includes facts on how to identify leaves out in the wild!

Moo!


David LaRochelle - 2013
    Moooo! But a bump in the road brings this joy ride to a troublesome end. Moo-moo. . . Has Cow learned her lesson about living life in the fast lane? Moo?Pairing two talented creators who managed to tell a complete story with just one word—MOO—this imaginative picture book will have readers laughing one moment and on the edge of their seats the next, as it captures the highs and lows of a mischievous cow's very exciting day.

Big Boys Cry


Jonty Howley - 2019
    When his father tries to comfort Levi, he falls back on the line his own father used to use with him: "Big boys don't cry." Though he immediately understands his misstep, he can't find the words to right the ship, and Levi leaves for school, still in need of reassurance.Fortunately, along his walk to school, Levi sees instance after instance of grown men openly expressing their sadness and fear. His learned mantra, "big boys don't cry," slowly weakens, and by the time he's at school he releases a tear. Once there, things aren't so bad after all, and on his walk home he sees the characters he's encounted on his journey in the aftermath of their expression.Upon his arrival home, he finds his father waiting for him on their porch, tears in his eyes. He's able to admit that he was scared for Levi, and the two embrace, closer than before.Jonty Howley's gorgeous debut paints the world we wish existed for our boys, and offers a path there! This story is the truest interpretation of the notion that we should "let boys be boys"; that is: let them express the full range of their emotions, vulnerable pieces and all!

How to Be a Cat


Nikki McClure - 2013
    A single word of text per spread teaches readers “how to be a cat”—how to stretch, clean, pounce, feast—while the striking paper cuts illustrate the kitten’s attempts to imitate an adult cat’s mastery of each skill. At times the kitten triumphantly succeeds, and at other times the kitten struggles, in vignettes that range from whimsical to profound. A celebration of all things feline, How to Be a Cat also tells a universal story of mastering life skills, and of the sometimes tender, sometimes stern relationship between parent and child, teacher and pupil. Cat lovers of all ages will connect to this loving portrayal of a mentor-student relationship. Praise for How to Be a Cat STARRED REVIEWS "Purrrrfect for beginning readers and little artists with an eye for fine cut-paper compositions and craftsmanship." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review "A delightful picture book in every way. Beginning with the paw-print endpapers, youngsters will know that they are in for an adventure. The simplicity and flow of page design are beautifully done as viewers follow a kitten and his mother as she teaches him basic feline behavior." —School Library Journal, starred review "McClure's cut-paper spreads can be mesmerizing." —Publishers Weekly "McClure wonderfully captures the shape and movement of the feline form, and kids will also enjoy pointing out the blue and white butterflies and the black-capped chickadee that also appear on several pages." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "Perfect for cat lovers of all ages, the book helps us reconnect with memories of our own jouney of growth and learning." —Cat Fancy

A Big Bed for Little Snow


Grace Lin - 2019
    But Mommy says this bed is for sleeping, not jumping! What happens when he can't resist jump, jump, jumping on his new fluffy, bouncy bed?