Swallow the Leader


Danna Smith - 2016
    Count the fish from one to ten as each joins the game, then count back down to one when the leader snacks on a sea spider and sets off an unfortunate chain reaction (swallow the leader!). Luckily for everyone, fish number ten—the shark—gulps down his prey too quickly, and burrrrrrrp! they all swim out again.        Lively rhymed text and energetic artwork combine in this exuberant counting book that’s sure to delight little ones learning their numbers.

Ten on a Twig


Lo Cole - 2020
    One falls off, and then there are nine.Watch the birds fall as the pages turn! In this charming, deceptively simple counting book, ten birds sit on a twig. As each falls off, they take a piece of the twig with them, and in the end, they have a new home―just in time to say goodnight. This delightful, fun read is great for bedtime or playtime, and the clever die-cuts will charm young readers.Children learning how to count will be mesmerized by the actions that happen with the page turns. It encourages repetition and rereads, and is sure to help many kids remember their numbers as they laugh along the way.

Gallop!: A Scanimation Picture Book


Rufus Butler Seder - 2007
    It's impossible not to flip the page, and flip it again, and again, and again. A first book of motion for kids, it shows a horse in full gallop and a turtle swimming up the page. A dog runs, a cat springs, an eagle soars, and a butterfly flutters. Created by Rufus Butler Seder, an inventor, artist, and filmmaker fascinated by antique optical toys, Scanimation is a state-of-the-art six-phase animation process that combines the "persistence of vision" principle with a striped acetate overlay to give the illusion of movement. It harkens back to the old magical days of the kinetoscope, and the effect is astonishing, like a Muybridge photo series springing into action—or, in terms kids can relate to, like a video without a screen. Complementing the art is a delightful rhyming text full of simple questions and fun, nonsense replies: Can you gallop like a horse? giddyup-a-loo! Can you strut like a rooster? cock-a-doodle-doo!Every child who opens the book will be amazed—and so will every parent.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt


Michael Rosen - 1989
    We’re going on a bear hunt. We’re going to catch a big one.. Will you come too? For more than twenty-five years readers have been swishy swashing and splash sploshing through this award-winning favorite. Join in the fun!

My Farm Friends


Wendell Minor - 2011
    Naturally, cows make milk- but did you know they need to drink a bathtub-full of water every day? And of course turkeys gobble- but sometimes they purr like cats. Wendell Minor's bright, bold artwork and jaunty verse celebrate the wonders of our farm friends, and a list of fun facts gives curious animal-lovers even more to enjoy.Watch a Video

The Sleepy Little Alphabet: A Bedtime Story from Alphabet Town


Judy Sierra - 2009
    It's sleepy time in Alphabet Town. But the twenty-six little letters of the alphabet all have something they need--or want--to do before BIG-letter moms and dads tuck them in. Not since the classic Chicka Chicka Boom Boom has there been such an appealing way to teach the youngest child the ABCs while providing a one-minute goodnight story. Of course, Melissa Sweet's animated watercolor, pencil, and collage illustrations may beg for a little more time to match up all the toys with the right letters, and Judy Sierra's rollicking rhymed story will want to be heard again and again. Okay, so maybe it's a three-minute story!

The Hidden Rainbow


Christie Matheson - 2020
    Luckily, all the colors of the rainbow are hidden in this garden—but the bees need the reader’s help to find them. Brush off the camellia tree, tickle the tulips, and even blow a kiss to the lilac tree. With every action and turn of the page, a flower blooms and more bees are drawn to the feast.Christie Matheson is a master at creating simple picture books that encourage children to engage with the natural world. In The Hidden Rainbow, she introduces the colors of the rainbow, counting, and the basic ecosystem and vocabulary of a garden. Beautiful collage-and-watercolor art captures all the bold colors of a garden throughout the seasons, and the interactive text will captivate young readers at every story time.Perfect for fans of Herve Tullet’s Press Here and Kevin Henkes’s My Garden.Includes backmatter about bees and pollination.

10 Fat Turkeys


Tony Johnston - 2004
    Gobble gobble wibble wobble.Whoops! Now there are nine.Girls and boys will gobble up this hilarious story about ten goofy turkeys and their silly antics: swinging from a vine, strutting on a boar, doing a noodle dance, and more. Veteran author Tony Johnston has written a joyful text, which first-time illustrator Richard Deas brings to life as wild and wacky fun!

My Bus


Byron Barton - 2014
    The busy bus driver in Byron Barton's preschool tour-de-force has a job to do. He drives his bus along his route, picks up the cat and dog passengers waiting at the bus stops, and delivers them to their destinations—which in this case include the airport, the harbor, and the train station. Along the way, children are introduced to the concepts of addition, subtraction, and sets. A surprise ending of sorts—what will happen to the very last passenger?—makes this a great read-aloud for story time and bedtime. A companion to Byron Barton's critically acclaimed picture book My Car and a standout addition to this beloved author's body of work. Sure to appeal to fans of Richard Scarry, Donald Crews, and books about cars, trucks, and things that go!Supports the Common Core State Standards

Raindrop, Plop!


Wendy Cheyette Lewison - 2004
    One little raindrop,dark, dark sky.Two little raindrops,clouds go by...How many ways can you have fun on a rainy day?  From one little raindrop to ten toes soaking in a warm bubble bath, there are lots of things to see and count until the sun comes out again.  In between, there are silly boots to pull on and puddles to splash in and a rainy backyard just waiting to be explored.  A spirited rhyming text that's ideal for reading unexpected pleasures that a little wet weather can bring to a young child's day.

The Nice Book


David Ezra Stein - 2008
    . . well, maybe a little. Love was meant to be passed on.An adorable menagerie of irrestible animals populate this gentle look at friendship. Getting close to someone is an art and these little creatures demonstrate the simple ways to show you care. David Ezra Stein's expressive illustrations ooze charm and will inspire readers to be very nice indeed.

Chicken Break!: A Counting Book


Cate Berry - 2019
    One by one, the chickens break out. When all ten are out, they let loose! But chickens get tired, and after their wild day, one by one, they head back for some much needed relaxation. Even party animals need some rest.Filled with spunk and spirit, this is a fun and energetic way of engaging young readers to count to ten and from ten to one!

1 Big Salad: A Delicious Counting Book


Juana Medina - 2016
    One avocado deer saunters across the spread, two radish mice scurry by, until finally ten watercress seahorses swim onto the scene - all of the ingredients in one big salad!Medina's previous book with Viking, SMICK!, introduced her to the children's book world, and now she's bringing her fresh and innovative take on the concept book form.

1 to 20, Animals Aplenty


Katie Viggers - 2014
    At once fun to read and educational, 1 to 20, Animals Aplenty shows each number both numerically and as a quantity, which is the key to teaching children not only to count but also the building blocks of mathematical skills. Each number is depicted in animals, so kids learn the number and also instantly see how many. All this education is disguised by Katie's adorable, detailed creatures, who romp through the numbers with unexpected and frequently silly props—and it all rhymes! For example..."5 goats wearing coats""7 pigs, 7 wigs""15 bats who are acrobats"

Clip-Clop


Nicola Smee - 2006
    Again! Again, they squeal. That’s the rapturous joy Nicola Smee captures, in simple rhythmic text and charming pictures. One after the other, a group of barnyard friends climb aboard Mr. Horse for a ride. Faster, they beg…, faster! But will faster lead to disaster? No…--just a satisfying ending that toddlers will love!