Meet the “stair and step” girls, Ella, Henny, Charlotte, Sarah, and Gertie who live with their parents on the Lower East Side of New York at the turn of the nineteenth century. Though the girls lived long ago, their fears as well as their triumphs are a celebration of everyday doings and remain as fresh today as when the girls were first introduced more than 50 years ago.
All-of-a-Kind Family
From ten to one, little sleepyheads in colorful night clothes count down to sleep; that is, all but one bug who is not sleepy at all. And so begins the countdown again. Actual insects upon which the comical illustrations are drawn are shown and labeled on the end pages.
Ten Little Sleepyheads
Pictures of Miss Spider’s family are presented in an album format on sturdy pages. The Sunny Patch characters continue to engage young children as they learn about family relations.
Miss Spider’s Family Album
Bumbling bees are oblivious to the confusion and downright unhappiness they create as they cheerfully cavort and fly around people and animals. The bees’ antics are captured in lighthearted illustrations. A CD of bee tunes with lyrics is included.
Happy Bees
Bitty, the smallest mouse in the family is sure that her mother won’t miss her when she follows the big kids to school. Of course Bitty’s mom misses her but Bitty is taken into school and becomes the teacher’s helper until her worried mom comes to pick her up. The author/illustrator has newly added a minimal text to this once wordless but still winning tale of the younger sibling left behind.
School
Children and their parents are encouraged to get ready for preschool in stories, poem and games that deal with a range of skills and topics: basic shapes, friends, the alphabet, body parts, and more. Activities and information are vivified with cartoon-like illustrations that create movement and show the action. A note for parents completes this attractive package.
Ready, Set, Preschool: Stories, Poems and Picture Games
On a beautiful autumn morning, Xiao Ming, his mom and his friends visit a farm. As they explore the season and the location, Xiao Ming introduces his friends to several Chinese characters. Textured cut paper collage extend the story and the learning.
In the Leaves
Hunter learns that even though he and Stripe are best friends, he can still be true to his feelings. The gentle text and humorous illustrations demonstrate the difficulty presented by peer pressure. Hunter and Stripe become rivals but resolve it in Hunter & Stripe and the Soccer Showdown. (opens in a new window)
Hunter’s Best Friend at School
With support from a wise teacher, Gilbert discovers that everyone can do different things well, including making new friends, on the day he begins first grade and his little sister starts preschool.
Brand-New Pencils, Brand-New Books
When not picked as pet helper, second grader, Sam, decides to take the class hamster on their field trip. Unfortunately, George Washington gets mixed up with other hamsters at the science museum but Sam proves that he is knowledgeable and saves the day (or at least the hamster). Children will recognize Sam’s behavior and his emotions in this easy to read school story.
The Best Seat in Second Grade
At One Hoppin’ Place, the countdown to bedtime is about to begin when a family of hamsters — a mother and father with nine kids and a baby all wearing numbered striped jerseys — arrives at the front door.
10 Minutes Till Bedtime
Richard knows he’s not in for an ordinary day when a tiny, wisecracking alien freedom fighter climbs out of his cereal bowl. The alien enlists Richard’s help to foil a deadly enemy who is cleverly disguised as the new kid in homeroom.
Aliens For Breakfast
Have you ever wondered how the Moon was placed in the sky? According to this Ashanti tale, Nyame, the god of all things, put it there when Anansi could not decide which of his sons deserved it. Brilliant illustrations accompany this classic retelling of a traditional tale.
Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti
Evocative text and soothing pictures illuminate interior and exterior nighttime scenes in this beautiful book, which shows readers what the moon might share with them — if it could talk.
And If the Moon Could Talk
The witch has grown the biggest pumpkin ever, and now she wants to make herself a pumpkin pie for Halloween. But the pumpkin is so big she can’t get it off the vine.
Big Pumpkin
Sal and her mother set off in search of blueberries for the winter at the same time as a mother bear and her cub. A quiet comedy of errors ensues when the young ones wonder off and absentmindedly trail the wrong mothers.
Blueberries for Sal
Max and Ruby prepare for Grandma’s birthday as they bake a cake and look for the perfect present in these companion books. The distinct personality of each bunny sibling comes through loud and clear in these humorous stories that introduce important concepts.
Bunny Cakes
A traveling peddler takes a nap under a tree and wakes up to find his hats on the heads of monkeys on the branches overhead. How he retrieves his hats is real monkey business in this colorful, repetitious classic.
Caps for Sale
Farmer Brown has his hands full when the cows on his farm get a typewriter. Duck, however, negotiates successfully for all parties in this very funny farm story of very clever animals. Be prepared to talk about typewriters or take a trip to a museum to see one!
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type
Having Clifford around makes every day special for Emily Elizabeth. Not every girl can invite the kids at school to ride home on the back of her big red dog. In this look at the life of Clifford’s best friend, young readers are likely to imagine what life would be like if their family pet was larger than life.
Clifford’s Best Friend: A Story About Emily Elizabeth
Clifford loves holidays, especially Halloween. What will Clifford be for Halloween?
Clifford’s Halloween
From simple love to love mysterious, love oh so hot to love rather coolish, Sandra Boynton and her ubiquitous hippos, turkeys, and cats consider the moods (and “many ways”) of love. In impressive rhyming verse, Boynton holds forth on myriad kinds of love, accompanying each rhyme with illustrations of various romancing critters.
Consider Love: Its Moods and Many Ways
All families have their own way of doing things; sometimes some people consider these unique. But the Robinsons have a very unusual home and a very particular way about them. Humor abounds in the contrast between the text and illustrations for a memorable day. Be sure to see the film adaptation that came out in 2007.
A Day with Wilbur Robinson
While on a family excursion to Africa, the Lazardos find a dinosaur and bring him home to their small town. Dinosaur Bob becomes part of their family and the town’s best baseball player.