Book picks similar to
M Is for Music by Kathleen Krull


music
picture-books
non-fiction
alphabet

Won-Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku


Lee Wardlaw - 2011
    Bed. Bowl. Blankie. Just like home! Or so I've been told.  Visiting hours! Yawn. I pretend not to care. Yet -- I sneak a peek.  So begins this beguiling tale of a wary shelter cat and the boy who takes him home.Sometimes funny, sometimes touching, this adoption story, told entirely in haiku, is unforgettable.

On Market Street


Arnold Lobel - 1981
    Inspired by seventeenth-century French trade engravings, Anita Lobel's brilliant paintings of the shopkeepers on Market Street—each composed of his or her wares—will provide blissful hours for all who join the Lobels on an unforgettable shopping spree. "In a delightful and unusual book, a boy trots down Market Street buying presents for a friend, each one starting with a letter of the alphabet. Every letter is illustrated by a figure ingeniously composed of, for instance, apples or wigs or quilts. The notion is original, and the sum total enjoyable and unique."—The Horn BookA Caldecott Honor Book, a New York Times Best Illustrated book, an ALA Notable Book, and a Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Book for IllustrationSupports the Common Core State Standards

Perfect Square


Michael Hall - 2011
    Perfect Square is the perfect choice for teaching kids to think outside the box! This imaginative picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling. Young readers will learn days of the week and colors of the rainbow, as well as emotional resilience.In brilliant, innovative collage artwork, Michael Hall illustrates how a happy square transforms itself after facing one challenge after another. Cut into pieces and poked full of holes? Time to become a burbling fountain! Torn into scraps? Grow into a garden! Day after day, the square reinvents itself, from simple and perfect to complex and perfect . . . and always happy. “A near perfect concept book . . . a book to revisit often, and with delight.”—The Horn Book“Pages are lusciously intense as we watch versatility trump geometry”—The Chicago Tribune

The Z Was Zapped


Chris Van Allsburg - 1987
    A dramatic black-and-white presentation of the alphabet in which the two-time Caldecott Medalist depicts a mysterious transformation of each letter.

Alphabeasties and Other Amazing Types


Sharon Werner - 2009
    It's a dazzling package of language arts, design smarts, humor, and fascinating nonfiction content. It's alpha-mazing!

The Book with No Pictures


B.J. Novak - 2014
    Words that might make you say silly sounds... In ridiculous voices...Hey, what kind of book is this, anyway?At once disarmingly simple and ingeniously imaginative, The Book With No Pictures inspires laughter every time it is opened, creating a warm and joyous experience to share--and introducing young children to the powerful idea that the written word can be an unending source of mischief and delight.

Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs


Alan Katz - 2001
     "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and "I've Been Working on the Railroad"? Well, forget 'em! Songwriter and comedy writer extraordinaire Alan Katz has turned those and other old favorites on their ears and created new nonsense songs kids will love. With zany, spirited pictures by illustrator and cartoonist David Catrow, this kooky collection guarantees laughs and plenty of silly dillyness for kids everywhere!

Even Superheroes Have Bad Days


Shelly Becker - 2016
    . . . . . they COULD super-tantrum, they COULD but they DON'T, because REAL Superheroes just WOULDN'T—they WON'T! All kids have trouble getting a grip on their emotions, sometimes—even young superheroes! But what do they do when they’re having a bad day? Colorful action-packed illustrations and a dynamite rhyming text reveal the many ways superheroes (and ordinary children, too) can resist the super-temptation to cause a scene when they’re sad, mad, frustrated, lonely, or afraid. From burning off steam on a bike or a hike, to helping others, this energetic picture book has plenty of fun ideas to help kids cope when they’re feeling overwhelmed.

If You Want to See a Whale


Julie Fogliano - 2013
    . .If you want to see a whale, you have to keep your eyes on the sea, and wait . . .and wait . . . and wait . . .In this quiet and beautiful picture book by Julie Fogliano and Erin E. Stead, the team that created the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor book And Then It's Spring, a boy learns exactly what it takes to catch a glimpse of an elusive whale.

The Dot


Peter H. Reynolds - 2003
    Reynolds entices even the stubbornly uncreative among us to make a mark -- and follow where it takes us.Her teacher smiled. "Just make a mark and see where it takes you."Art class is over, but Vashti is sitting glued to her chair in front of a blank piece of paper. The words of her teacher are a gentle invitation to express herself. But Vashti can't draw - she's no artist. To prove her point, Vashti jabs at a blank sheet of paper to make an unremarkable and angry mark. "There!" she says.That one little dot marks the beginning of Vashti's journey of surprise and self-discovery. That special moment is the core of Peter H. Reynolds's delicate fable about the creative spirit in all of us.

Puff, the Magic Dragon


Peter Yarrow - 2007
    Yet singer/songwriter Peter Yarrow and co-composer Lenny Lipton have never allowed a picture book adaptation of this magical tale…until now. With Yarrow’s and Lipton’s blessing, Puff, Jackie Paper, and the land of Honalee finally live on the page. The exquisite package includes a cloth case with a tipped-in illustration and an embossed jacket with foil touches, as well as an exclusive CD featuring not only Puff, but several other songs performed by Yarrow, his daughter Bethany, and cellist Rufus Cappadocia. This is a publishing event sure to attract broad attention and please Puff’s many fans.In richly-hued paintings of the deepest sea blues and greens, Puff and his friend Jackie Paper frolic in the land of Honalee—traveling in a fantastic boat with billowed sails, climbing red castle stairs onto a balcony to meet with noble kings and princes, and watching pirate ships lower their flags for the roaring dragon. Artist Eric Puybaret has brought an entire magical world into being with enthralling landscapes, color, and characters. And everyone will love the way the art cleverly turns the song’s end, which at first seemed so sad, into a surprising and joyful moment.Best of all—this is only the first of many more collaborations with Peter Yarrow to come!

A Child's Good Night Book


Margaret Wise Brown - 1943
    . . sleepy bunnies, sleepy birds, and sleepy children, too, are getting under their covers. "Jean Charlot's illustrations are first-rate." —NYT. Barbara Bader called this 1943 book, now restored to its original size and format, "the first of the true bedtime books." 1944 Caldecott Honor Book

A is for Activist


Innosanto Nagara - 2012
    A is for Activist is an ABC board book for the next generation of progressives: Families that want their kids to grow up in a space that is unapologetic about activism, environmental justice, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, and so on.

Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature


Joyce Sidman - 2011
    A Caldecott medalist and a Newbery Honor-winning poet celebrate the beauty and value of spirals.What makes the tiny snail shell so beautiful? Why does that shape occur in nature over and over againbut also celebrate the beauty and usefulness of this fascinating shape.

Charlie the Ranch Dog


Ree Drummond - 2011
    He's a ranch dog. Breakfast is his life, especially when bacon is involved. Charlie has dangly ears, floppy skin, and big fat paws. And he loves living in the country. That's because he works like a dog...fixing fences, gardening, and helping his family out on the range. A ranch dog’s work is never done!This endearing picture book for dog lovers everywhere shows readers that even though you may love bacon and naps most of all, working on the ranch is all about hard work and determination. A New York Times bestseller!