Eating the Alphabet

This colorful cut-out book, winner of a Caldecott Honor, is a magical manipulation of shapes that turns a lion into a goat, an ox into a monkey, and a tiger into a mouse. These are just a few of the transformations that are made using only nine shapes and 16 shades of color.

A frisky cat stalks brightly colored birds, but always misses them — and ends up with just feathers for lunch. Learn about birds, their distinctive calls, and their lifestyles through this attractive book and engaging story.

Cutouts preview each dazzlingly colored fish as they swim through the pages of this appealing counting book.

Vividly colored vegetables make a delicious soup in this handsome and informative book. Additional details are provided in small labels about the seeds that are planted and the vegetables that emerge.

What does a child do or see others do with their hands? Paint, garden, make different things — and reach out to others. The young narrator’s words ring true in this uniquely designed and well-paced glimpse into hands.

Observing changing leaves and tree life cycles are appropriate in fall. Also try Snowballs (opens in a new window), Waiting for Wings (opens in a new window), Growing Vegetable Soup (opens in a new window), and Planting A Rainbow (opens in a new window) by Lois Ehlert for other seasonal science-related activities.

It’s market day, and everyone’s going to the town square. But this is no ordinary market — it’s a veritable feast of folk art from around the world, assembled with Lois Ehlert’s impeccable eye for color and design.

Look at the moon and what do you see? Could it be Fox? Fox convinced Mole to accompany him to the moon by suggesting that huge worms were there. Mole comes back down to Earth, but Fox may still be up there. This myth from Peru is told in both English and Spanish and is illustrated with shining collages inspired by Peruvian artwork and artifacts.

Bold color and geometric shapes create portraits of creatures from caterpillars to monkeys to accompany short ditties. The result is a lively look at a range of animals. Some short verse is reminiscent of Ogden Nash (“RAT/Leave/a rat/where/it’s at.”)

If you plant bulbs and seeds and nurture their growth, you can grow a rainbow! Bright collage illustrations of flowers introduce young children to nature’s cycle and the colors of the rainbow.

A child plants a tree and watches it grow and change through the seasons. Highly textured illustrations incorporate seeds and other scraps of nature with brilliantly hued paper. Ehlert tells a story while providing a guide to nature in this appealing book.

An entire snow family — including pets — has been created by textured collage illustrations in this playful celebration of winter. Seasonal facts finish up this engaging glimpse of snow — and may inspire young artists to collect and fashion their own snow images.

Every spring, butterflies emerge and dazzle the world with their vibrant beauty. But where do butterflies come from? How are they born? What do they eat — and how? With a simple, rhyming text and glorious color-drenched collage, Lois Ehlert provides clear answers to these and other questions as she follows the life cycle of four common butterflies. Complete with flower facts and identification tips, as well as a guide to planting a butterfly garden, this butterfly book is like no other.