Dotty
The rascally child introduced in Chicken Butt returns. Here, he gets his poor mom to say all kinds of rhyming words as he plays with homophones (think: but, butt; bare, bear). Cartoon illustrations add to the humor of the mother-son conversation.
Chicken Butt’s Back
The rhyming conversation between a boy and his dad begins when a naughty chicken follows them home. As the father reads his newspaper, the boy asks, “You know what?” “What?” A turn of the page reveals the rhyming response. Rollicking good kid humor abounds in both the dialogue and the comic illustrations.
Chicken Butt
Chicken Bedtime Is Really Early
Yoko disobeys her mother by taking her special Japanese doll to school and is heartsick when it is broken. Her mother reassures Yoko that she loves her in spite of her mistake and takes Miki to a doll hospital for repair. Textured, evocative illustrations effectively convey feelings and Yoko’s Japanese heritage.
Yoko’s Show and Tell
Billy is only eight-years old but regales Mrs. Krupp and his classmates when he shares myriad, imaginative, sometimes offbeat, career interests. Rhyming language is animated, humorous, and exaggerated, and perfectly complemented by comical illustrations.
When I Grow Up
Can a giraffe actually drive a bus? It’s possible in a book in which a group of noisy animals are on their way to go swimming. This colorful, lively spin on a familiar song is sure to delight the youngest — and perhaps start a conversation about who really drives a bus.
The Wheels on the Bus
A child and his mother go to a farmers’ market to get fresh produce and goods. On alternating pages, the person responsible for growing each kind of food is introduced, bringing to light many unknown jobs as well as food sources. The bold linear illustrations are created by handsome paper cut-outs.
To Market, To Market
Two friends are very different. Evelyn is adventurous and has an eye for fashion but is also the worst at cookie making and spelling. “I’m not!” replies the narrator after each observation providing reassurance that everyone has different talents and skills but still share friendship.
I’m Not
A girl is sent to live with her taciturn uncle (a baker) until her father gets a new job. How Lydia Grace brightens the drab city and her uncle’s bakery is told through a series of letters home and subtle, expressive line and wash illustrations.
The Gardener
The children in Ms. Iverson’s classroom pretend being firefighters, make boxes into fire trucks, and more — before the real firefighters arrive to reinforce fire safety rules. Crisp text and illustrations encourage creative play while introducing important information and key jobs.
The Firefighters
A truck-loving child imagines that his toy construction vehicles are real and he’s driving them and will soon teach his little brother how. Large, richly colored illustrations convey the boy’s enthusiasm for diggers as well as what these machines do in real life.
Digger Man
The Park Our Town Built
Izzy and her sister were mountain girls, so one summer the family decided to go see something new — the ocean. The girls are wowed by the sea, the beach, and its treasures — both real and imaginary — as they explore above and beneath the water. Readers will revisit highly detailed, labeled illustration including the well-placed, well devised fold-outs.
Wow! Ocean!
The narrator and her aunt work to save money to buy a shiny green car to take them to the sea. Though it takes time, Tia Isa and her niece reach their goal and buy the car that brings them to the beach. Cheerful illustrations and an upbeat narration with a sprinkling of Spanish words create recognizable characters in a realistic setting.
Tia Isa Wants a Car
The rabbit family’s activity-filled day at the beach begins with packing the car and ends with the young bunnies holding on to the fun with a nighttime game of “Go Fish” while their parents sleep. Readers will recognize the goings-on in the gentle illustrations and rhyming text.
Sunny Bunnies
Richly colored, highly textured illustrations and evocative language follow an ochre sea star (aka starfish) as she lives and hunts for food in the Pacific Ocean. The sea star’s daily routine both informs and inspires. The book also includes references to learn more about these fascinating creatures.
Star of the Sea: A Day in the Life of a Starfish
Full-color illustrations and clear language present a range of fish in different ecosystems in and near the U.S., as well as the impact of people’s activities on the fish. Endpapers include maps where the fish you’ve met in the book can be found.
A Place for Fish
Author/illustrator and self-taught naturalist Jim Arnosky introduces mysteries that surround unknown animals: “cryptozoology.” Dramatic illustrations combine with an informative, engaging text to present a range of land and water creatures, starting with ocean giants, sharks, and squids.
Monster Hunt: Exploring Mysterious Creatures
When his parents trade Jonathan’s much-loved teddy bear for a toaster, he sets out on a Big Blue Boat to find Frederick the bear. Jonathan is joined by animals he befriends along the way and finally a little girl who holds a bear instead of a toaster. The imaginative, child-like, and handsomely illustrated tale comes full circle in a most satisfying way.
Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat
Full color photographs capture beautiful babies at the beach engaged in warm, sunny, beach activities. The limited, lighthearted text serves as captions for each picture.
Beach Babies
Cut-outs on sturdy pages present a range of objects seen at the beach. Made for the youngest child to recognize, each clearly presented object — ranging from pail and shovel to sun and starfish — is punctuated with glittery paper for a particularly sunny appearance.
At the Beach
A bicyclist rides begins his outing near the sea and rides through cities, towns, and the country with the water always in view. Restrained but effective language complements the highly stylized illustrations in limited colors accentuated by the glossy yellow road the bicyclist rides on.
Along a Long Road
Dramatic photographs, attention-grabbing facts, and clear maps introduce a world of animals and their habitats. A glossary, where to go for more information, and an index make this an ideal book for both browsing and research.