![Do Not Open](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0140547479.jpg?itok=vaVfKHJD)
Miss Moody loves storms. They wash up many surprises, which she always uses in her sturdy little seaside house where she lives with Captain Kidd, her cat. One day, Miss Moody and Captain Kidd find a bottle washed up on the beach. When they ignore the warning not to open it, they release a mean, evil, genie-like creature. Undaunted, Miss Moody and her cat outsmart and defeat the monster. Dramatic illustrations are both comforting and appropriately spooky in this satisfying story in folktale tradition.
Do Not Open
![Oliver Button Is a Sissy](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0156681404.jpg?itok=NFe407sv)
His classmates taunt Oliver because he prefers to dance and draw and do other things that other boys don’t much like. But Oliver’s practice and passion for dance gain the respect and admiration of the kids after his performance. This tough topic is handled with sensitivity and humor in both text and illustration.
Oliver Button Is a Sissy
![Owl Babies](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0763617105.jpg?itok=B8V4_idk)
When they find their mother gone from the nest, three owlets worry that their mother won’t return, but of course she does. Stunning illustrations combine with repeating text for a reassuring story.
Owl Babies
![Pink and Say](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0399226710.jpg?itok=TK3Spj0d)
Both Pink, the son of black slaves, and Say, a poor, white boy, fought in the Union army during the Civil War. Only Say survives the Andersonville Prison to tell of their remarkable friendship and how Pink saved Say and taught him how to read. This poignant story, complemented by Patricia Polacco’s signature illustrations, is based on a story from the author’s family.
Pink and Say
![Mr. Putter and Tabby Catch the Cold](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/015202414X.jpg?itok=XEz6VcS0)
Easy-to-read books for beginning readers often amount to dreary drivel: not in this case. In a paean to chicken soup, hot tea and one feline-tolerant dog, friendship turns out to be the best medicine of all.
Mr. Putter and Tabby Catch the Cold
![Roar! A Noisy Counting Book](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/006028384X.jpg?itok=he0_TMyB)
A little lion cub cannot understand why no one, from 1 red monkey to 8 brown gazelles, wants to play with him. His roar is not frightening to the 9 yellow lion cubs he meets, however, and the ROAR of 10 playful lions sends all the animals stampeding away! The rhythmic text with the repeated “roar” encourages participation as children follow the energetic, gently humorous illustrations and explore animal habitats as well as numbers and colors.
Roar! A Noisy Counting Book
![Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0688140424.jpg?itok=_lMh88Oq)
How could anybody ever stand up to a larger-than-life husband like Davy Crockett? Once readers meet Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind, they’ll understand and long remember this extraordinary companion to the other legendary Crockett. Kellogg’s exaggerated illustrations are a riotously funny complement to this tall tale.
Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett
![Season Song](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0694015679.jpg?itok=3dQ5aA7R)
Something special about each season is shared in rhyming text and bright, bold yet simple illustrations on sturdy pages. The lines that open this short book end it in reverse: “Sing of seasons as we grow,/Mud, sand, leaves, snow.”
Season Song
![Slowly, Slowly, Slowly, Said the Sloth](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0399239545.jpg?itok=D4_snIUS)
Slowly, slowly, slowly… that’s how the sloth lives. He hangs upside-down from the branch of a tree, night and day, in the sun and in the rain, while the other animals of the rain forest rush past him. “Why are you so slow? Why are you so quiet? Why are you so lazy?” the others ask the sloth. And, after a long, long, long time, the sloth finally tells them!
Slowly, Slowly, Slowly, Said the Sloth
![Something Beautiful](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0440412102.jpg?itok=ea0c4dqC)
A young girl learns to find beauty in her sometimes gritty urban neighborhood, showing how the way one sees makes a difference that affects others. Luminous watercolors detail the child, her neighborhood, and suggest what she sees around her.
Something Beautiful
![Song and Dance Man](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0394893301.jpg?itok=EvCAKTmx)
Grandpa regales his visiting grandchildren when he revisits his days as a song and dance man — complete with banjo and jokes. Illustrations sparkle, showing Grandpa once again young and the delight his revisited youth creates.
Song and Dance Man
![I Stink!](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0060298480.jpg?itok=b2QV76AS)
Exuberant illustrations and varied typefaces show a trash truck’s pride in the important work he does. He eats an alphabet of really dreadful and smelly trash which makes the point that without this city service, “you’re on Mount Trash-o-rama, baby.” Now, that’s gross!
I Stink!
![Stories Huey Tells](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0679885595.jpg?itok=iuQft_HM)
These five short and funny stories show the mischief that Huey gets into in daily adventures with his annoying older brother Julian. The stories are filled with fun and warmth.
Stories Huey Tells
![Strega Nona](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0671666061.jpg?itok=z65f6oRD)
Big Anthony is large in size and curiosity but short on self-control. When Strega Nona, “grandma witch” of the village, leaves him in charge of her magic pasta pot, he can’t resist trying his hand at a spell. The small town almost drowns in pasta until Strega Nona returns just in time to reverse the spell and save the day. Through his lively illustrations and vivacious retelling, dePaola brings a traditional tale to new generations.
Strega Nona
![Summer with Elisa](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0688170951.jpg?itok=0IMYsoad)
The summer Elisa finished first grade, not only did her 11-year old brother Russell go to a sleepaway camp but the entire family went on a vacation to the country. Sibling rivalry results in a competition with humorous results and a bit of insight.
Summer with Elisa
![""](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/2023-12/tell-me-a-story-mama.jpeg?itok=u2IVnr4c)
As a child gets ready for bed, she implores, “Tell me a story, Mama,” then proceeds to tell it herself. Mama adds only to punctuate the girl’s story with maternal wisdom. This warm story, told in two voices, reflects how children make family stories their own.
Tell Me a Story, Mama
![Ten Terrible Dinosaurs](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0525459057.jpg?itok=w4_HArKj)
Ten not-so-terrible dinosaurs count down to bedtime until one particularly rowdy reptile revives them all again. A rhyming text and engaging, colorful dinosaurs playfully introduce counting as well as provide a lighthearted tale.
Ten Terrible Dinosaurs
![The Adventures of Sparrowboy](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0689835345.jpg?itok=uDr7iZLk)
Mild-mannered paperboy Henry collides with a sparrow and turns into Sparrowboy just like his hero, Falconman – a superhero who not only delivers the paper but also helps out the neighborhood. When Henry returns from his comic-strip fantasy, things seem just a bit better than before.
The Adventures of Sparrowboy
![The Art Lesson](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0698115724.jpg?itok=7WAw7kO7)
Though Tommy’s family values and respects his artwork, the budding artist’s school doesn’t always seem to appreciate it. That is until a special teacher encourages Tommy to follow his own interests. The tone of dePaola’s signature art is reserved here but ideally suited to this autobiographical picture book. Those who follow their own passions and persevere (or want to) will find this book affirming.
The Art Lesson
![The First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/068814554X.jpg?itok=CYk5wTxe)
Starting with one Pilgrim boy resting in a tree and two Wampanoag children gathering nuts, the rhyming count continues until the Indians and Pilgrims gather to share the feast. Children will enjoy finding the turkey lurking on each page as it savors the banquet from a safe distance. The joy of the harvest and celebration of friendship reverberates in playful verse and merry illustrations.
The First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story
![The Legend of the Bluebonnet](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0698113594.jpg?itok=ieNm3k-S)
Bluebonnets are the state flower of Texas. How they came to be is an Indian legend from the Comanche tradition. An orphan, She-Who-Is-Alone, is raised by the tribe in a time of drought and famine. Her sacrifice brings the people back into harmony with nature and saves the tribe. Stylized illustrations (though obviously still dePaola’s work) provide atmosphere for this inspiring, touching, and respectful tale.
The Legend of the Bluebonnet
![The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0064431835_0.jpg?itok=0XKdpE5c)
On her way home one windy autumn night, a fearless old lady notices a pair of shoes following her (clomp clomp!). Then she sees and hears the pants, shirt, and the rest of the outfit, but she’s not afraid — that is until she sees a large pumpkin head! And run she does to the safety of her own home. This engaging story, based in traditional literature, is illustrated with crisp, humorous illustrations and encourages listener participation.
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything
![The Lost Ball/La pelota perdida](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0060297638.jpg?itok=Usx5ajOg)
Two boys and their dogs look for the balls they have each lost in the park. Not only do they find them, they each find a friend. The text, in Spanish and English, appears in different colors along with crisply lined illustrations, allowing readers to follow Richard and Ricardo on their hunt. When the boys find their balls and discover their shared interests, they (and the colors) come together on a single page. Reiser’s Margaret and Margarita, Margarita y Margaret explores a similar theme as girls and their mothers meet and discover friendship, despite speaking different languages.
The Lost Ball/La pelota perdida
![The Moon Ring](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0811834875.jpg?itok=f6zotc03)
Grandma and Maxine share a secret that started in the light of the blue moon – the second full moon in a month. Maxine finds a moon ring that transports her magically to any place she wants to go. Energetic illustrations depict Maxine’s fantastic journeys, punctuated by the silver-colored moon ring.