Not books. Not magazines. Not even the menu on the ice cream truck.Fortunately, Madeline Finn meets Bonnie, a library dog. Reading out loud to Bonnie isn't so bad. When Madeline Finn gets stuck, Bonnie doesn't mind. Madeline Finn can pet her until she figures the word out.As it turns out, it's fun to read when you're not afraid of making mistakes. Bonnie teaches Madeline Finn that it's okay to go slow. And to keep trying. And to get support from a friend.

    a loving, effective lullaby."―Publishers Weekly, STARRED reviewIt's bedtime. But Mommy's little one is not sleepy.He growls like a bear, he questions like an owl, he tosses his mane like a lion. He hunts for water like a sly wolf, and hides like a snake.Mommy needs to wrangle her sweet creature in bed so that the whole family can sleep. From tigers to squirrels to snakes, the little boy dodges around his bedtime, until he is tired enough to finally sleep. His imaginative animal friends weave their way through the illustrations, eventually joining him in curling up for the night."The mother's loving understanding is demonstrated by how she works with her child's rich imagination, never slipping into admonishment. As such, children will engage with the pajama-clad tot's antics and be soothed by the book's positive tone. A fabulous interpretation of an everyday battle."―Booklist, STARRED review

    It's a good plan, until the cranky sheep land in his bedroom -- and start in with their many demands.It's bedtime for Amos, who smiles as he closes his eyes and counts some fluffy sheep trotting away in the grass. Until suddenly . . . THUD. And then another. "Not again!" says the first sheep, now on Amos's floor. "I was having my wool clipped," grumbles the second. None too happy at being interrupted, the woolly pair fire a battery of questions at Amos, most importantly: "Where's the fence?" So Amos sets out to build one to their specifications, then is asked to test it out, of course. . . . In this laugh-out-loud read-aloud, a couple of crafty sheep put a child through his paces -- and show that a tuckered-out kid at bedtime is a win-win all around.

    And though in later years he sailed to faraway places, he always returned to the island he loved.Island Boy is certain to be a favorite for family sharing, as well as a must for school and public libraries. Teachers will love it; buy extra copies.--School Library JournalAs encompassing as the portrait of a life depicted in the award-winning Miss Rumphius, Cooney's latest work is an ode to simple acts of daily living.--Publishers Weekly