Book Finder

A grandmother and her grandson enjoy flying a kite on a windy spring day near their seaside home. Lush, textured illustrations show the landscape and animal inhabitants and the way wind plays with hats. Staccato rhymes chronicle the joy-filled day that ends with a shower.

Many things happen when the wind blows. Dune grass bends, waves spray, and “Copper whirls ‘round/Between two magnets/High aboveground” to generate electricity that is used to power our nation. Lyrical text and realistic illustrations provide a creative introduction to wind power.

Forest animals “live as neighbors” and survive by building. The homes and their inhabitants are presented in stunning, earth-toned pop-ups accompanied by a brief but informative and engaging text.

A word on one side is illustrated on the opposing page of each spread. Lift the sturdy flap, and the egg becomes a chick, the acorn becomes an oak tree, etc. Even a very familiar caterpillar becomes a handsome butterfly in this thoughtfully presented glimpse of spring things.

Hoppy, a small gray rabbit, uses his five senses to find out if spring has arrived yet. When it does, he calls his rabbit friends to share it with him. A recap of the five senses and what they do (and how Hoppy used them) finishes this lively look at a new and colorful season.

As Maurice’s mother begins to hibernate, the bear cub impatiently goes out to find spring. Other animals — and readers — will recognize Maurice’s mistaken token of spring and enjoy the lush collage illustrations of the season when it finally arrives.

A bright, science-minded boy goes to the beach equipped to collect and examine flotsam — anything floating that has been washed ashore. Bottles, lost toys, small objects of every description are among his usual finds. But there’s no way he could have prepared for one particular discovery: a barnacle-encrusted underwater camera, with its own secrets to share … and to keep. (2007 Caldecott Medal Winner)

The perilous, adrenaline-fueled, life-saving work of an international volcano crisis team and the sleeping giants they study, from Colombia to the Philippines, from Chile to Indonesia.

Max and his soil scientist parents live in a marsh where Max discovers mud’s special properties. He gains super powers to put things right — including a way to effectively deal with a bully.

Young people see a need and work to better their world in this upbeat chronicle of youthful activists.

“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.

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).

As two children take a walk, they observe and listen to the call of familiar birds — a mourning dove, starling, woodpecker and others. But they hear nothing from the nesting bird; that is until its eggs hatch. A gently rhyming text and textured illustrations present recognizable birds, concluding with “A Word from the Bird” to answer questions about the once-silent robin.

Children are like trees. They grow tall and strong, free yet rooted. “All trees have roots/All trees belong.” Swirling, color-filled illustrations complement and enhance the poetic language in both English and Spanish of this reassuring, lyrical book.

How many types of green exist? There’s “anaconda green, electric-eel green, green-iguana-in-the-sun green” and more as presented in the fresh language and imaginative illustrations that show a seemingly simple color in a rich new way.

A duckling is afraid to swim but with the continued encouragement of his parents and siblings makes the plunge. Surprisingly expressive photographs and the duckling’s rhyming narrative convey emotions ranging from trepidation to the joy of success.

How animals survive — even thrive — in winter is presented in a variety of poetic forms, each accompanied by factual information. Textured prints dramatically bring the frozen setting and its inhabitants to life as they await spring.

Evocative watercolors and short, lyrical poems take readers on a trip, “Around our round world” where “water rolls/water rises/under gold sun, under white moon.” A brief note from the author and the illustrator provides insight into their inspirations.

Jack and Annie share what they’ve learned about survival throughout their time travel adventures. They provide tips when lost in the wilderness, how to make it through a natural disaster and more. Practical advice even for unlikely events (such as surviving on spiders) adds another entertaining though factual “what-if” element.

The Beaver Brothers in all their silliness are back for another madcap adventure. This time, Ace and Bub decide to hit the ski slopes on their winter vacation. As with others in the series, nothing goes quite as planned. Fans of the zany comic book beavers will again find lots of chuckles here.

Meet a variety of animals face-to-face and then learn about some of their most unique features. For example, why do the harpy eagle’s feathers stick out? Questions are posed and then answered by the animals themselves, shown full-face in striking, realistic collages. Additional information about animals, their size and distribution is included.

On a sunny summer day long ago, a boy planted an acorn. From that grew an oak tree that survived for more than two centuries until it was felled by lightning. Simple but lush illustrations depict the evolution of the world surrounding the oak and how it remained useful in the “furniture, firewood and mulch.” And soon, another oak begins to grow.

Lola wants a garden like the girl in her library book (“Mary, Mary, quite contrary,/how does your garden grow?”). Together with her mom, they get ready and plant and patiently await the flowers. Childlike illustrations capture Lola’s joy in the experience.

Soon after 13-year old Zane travels from New Hampshire to visit his great-grandmother, Miss Trissy, in New Orleans, disaster strikes. He and Bandy, his dog, confront the storm and the natural and human disastrous aftermath when they are separated from Miss Trissy and make their way back to Zane’s family. This thought-provoking novel is taut and fast-paced.