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Lily wanted a dog but instead gets a tiny, fluffy kitty. Could that small feline cause all of the trouble and mess in Lily’s house? Lily thinks so, telling the poor thing that it’s a “naughty kitty!” But readers realize from the first end pages what Lily doesn’t see. Hilarious action in comic illustration let readers stay ahead of Lily and her ultimately lionized kitty.

Exciting things happen when Nanny X comes to care for 8- year-old Jake, his 10-year-old sister Alison, their not-quite 2-year-old baby sister, and dog Yeti. The slapstick action of bad-guy-plots foiled by Nanny X and her many spy gadgets (she’s really a member of the Nanny Action Patrol) — with a bit of help from the children — is told by Jake and Alison in alternating chapters.

What’s a puppy to do when everyone is too busy, too lazy, too boring, or too mean to play? Find a new friend — a large green monster reading in the park — of course! Even the grumpiest monster is no match for the friendly little puppy’s persistent overtures and game-playing. Cartoon illustrations on open pages and short sentences present a jolly, unique friendship.

“Goodness! Gracious! Yikes!” exclaim a timid group of carpenter ants as they peer out of holes made by one brave insect, viewing a rainbow of color. What they discover instead of an ant-eating, ketchup-carrying, orange aardvark with pack of green geckos will delight young readers as they see the vivid colors through die cuts and bold shapes in this satisfying, humorous tale.

It all started with a little brown bird that tired of making and hearing the same old sounds: caw, coo, chirp, peep. Instead, it said “Froodle sproodle!” which came as an unwelcome shock to the crow, cardinal and dove. But the small brown bird’s continued wordplay inspired the others — even the crow. Simple, bold illustrations and varied type present a comical tale of individuality and lots of potential for wordplay.

Benjamin Franklin was always curious and thinking outside of the box, even as a boy. Youthful swimming (during a time when swimming was considered unhealthy) led Ben to invent paddles to be more fish-like. One episode from the life of a “smart, stubborn, sensible son of a soap-maker” is presented in humorous, detailed illustrations and lively language.

A blue alien arrives on a farm, “Blip, stop! Zot, wazzzzdot?” he wonders. Young readers will readily recognize the silhouette of a pig but will exclaim with the alien when the page turns. Lively illustrations and clipped language leaps and jumps across the pages as the exploration continues.

In the cadence of Clement Moore’s holiday poem, a Latino family celebrates Christmas Eve. They make tamales with masa, play games (including a piñata) and more until the children are in bed and everyone is wished Feliz Navidad! A glossary of Spanish words concludes this cheerfully illustrated fiesta.

There’s a troublemaker making trouble for a boy and his sister, but it isn’t a naughty child. Rather, it’s a furry masked bandit — a raccoon — that snitches stuffed toys and even a blanket until the culprit is discovered. Strong lines of the idyllic setting are just right to hide the real thief on many pages.

When Peter’s mom asks other birds to tell him to come home for dinner, the message takes on each bird’s special interest, from sports to firefighting. The variety of birds, all simply but effectively illustrated, sits on a telephone wire in this playful riff of a familiar game.

Blip, a round red creature on open pages, has one goal: to get to the bar with numbers on it — but he needs the readers’ help. Count down from five to one as the book is shaken and tilted to get to the surprise at the end — a new (very purple) friend.

Stella loves her silver starliner — a mobile home — until she’s teased about living in a trailer. When other kids think her home is gorgeous, Stella comes to appreciate what they see and feels pride, actually like a “squillionaire!” Signature illustrations effectively convey Stella’s rollercoaster emotions and the ultimate comfort of friends, family and home.

Mandy loves to dance and so does her cat, Rupert, although he practices only when Mandy is asleep. Mandy discovers Rupert’s secret one night and the feline dance stops entirely — until Mandy comes up with an idea. Characteristic line and wash combine with the straightforward text for an engaging and imaginative tale.

“Outside, snow falls silently on the house. Inside a boy has nothing to do.” That is, until he bundles up and creates an entire world in the snow. The soft lines and changing colors beautifully illustrate the magic of imagination in a wintry world.

Samuel Drew takes his dog-on-wheels toy with him to the London Zoo where unbeknownst to Samuel, four young possums follow the pull-dog. But before returning to the zoo via balloon, the possums join Samuel for a picnic. Delicate, detailed illustrations and a rhyming text create a story and a city worth examining.

Can a big pig and a small bug be friends? At first it seems impossible, but then the duo finds that they can happily share some activities. The silly story is comically illustrated and told in a straight narrative to augment the humor.

Even though the green-spotted snake wanders into the wrong pit — an orchestra pit — he takes the time to explore, noting that the tuba is roomy and the trombone is quite long. Rib-tickling illustrations reveal a different tale until the small snake returns to the right pit.

A young artist brings color to a colorless city with her imaginative drawings of nonthreatening creatures. Though scolded by adults who wash color away, other kids have been inspired to continue. Humor abounds in the detailed line drawings as the girl and critters inspire others.

Are you ready to shake and mix to make new colors? “Tap the gray spot…to see what happens.” With a turn of the page many colors appear for readers to mix. Simple blobs of color and simple instructions on uncluttered pages creatively present color mixing.

Ivan lived like a human until he began to grow into a silverback gorilla. He was just an infant when captured by poachers in his native country in Africa and was in captivity for over half his life. Using spare text and evocative illustrations, Ivan’s story comes into focus for younger readers. Those interested in Ivan’s story will learn more from the back matter and may be interested in reading Applegate’s Newbery Medal winning The One and Only Ivan (opens in a new window) (Harper).

Just like his counterpart the garbage truck from I Stink (opens in a new window) (Harper), this very confident and informative fire truck enjoys showing off all of his parts. Firefighter and truck aficionados will appreciate the overview of working trucks and firefighting.

On a sunny day, a child and her mother go for a walk in the park. The rhythm the girl hears in her head is all around, bringing an entire community together. Infectious language repeats (SNAP SNAP; STOMP STOMP), accompanied by full-color double- page spreads that will surely be read — and voiced — many times.

A surprise box is delivered to the very grumpy Elephant. In it, he discovers a host of hats which he shares with his animal friends to improve their grumpiness, too. Flat forms on open pages make this a true celebration of friendship — and hats!

A series of 26 poems, all haiku, mark each of the four seasons starting with autumn while highlighting the letters of the alphabet. Each short poem is accompanied by Koo, the young panda, who is joined by two children and illustrated in handsome, spare watercolors.