![Year of the Dog](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/031606002X.jpg?itok=m4ZykRfH)
Year of the Dog
![""](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/2023-08/ling-and-ting-not-exactly-the-same.jpeg?itok=Zzrmii-Q)
Even though Ling and Ting are identical twins, they are not the same. How they differ becomes clear in short chapters in this winning book just right for new readers. The charismatic Asian-American sisters are depicted in word and illustration with humor and affection.
Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same
![Hey, Little Ant](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/1883672546.jpg?itok=GmZ6x5tw)
Would you squish an ant? What would happen if you could find out what its life was like? That’s what a boy learns as he talks to the small creature just when he’s poised to put his sneakered foot down on it. Written by a father/daughter team, the lighthearted illustrations highlight the different perspectives but leave the ending open. Music for the song is included.
Hey, Little Ant
![Little Mama Forgets](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0374346135.jpg?itok=YBJ3r9A1)
Every morning, Lucy tiptoes into her grandmother’s room to wake her with a gentle tickle. Little Mamá always remembers to tickle Lucy right back! But Lucy knows there are things her abuelita sometimes forgets — like the way to the park or how to tie her shoes. Still, there’s much that Little Mamá remembers and shares: how to skip and dance, stories from Mexico, and plenty of hugs and kisses.
Little Mama Forgets
![Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten?](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/006176275X.jpg?itok=nv-_lipl)
A girl with ponytails takes her buffalo to school, and as one might guess, the buffalo doesn’t respond quite the same as everyone else. But the buffalo learns about individuality and respect just like the children starting kindergarten will. Cartoon illustrations enhance the silliness of the sincere message.
Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten?
![First Grade Jitters](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0060776323.jpg?itok=ETqz6Xo4)
The narrator is cranky with the first grade jitters, according to his parents. Aidan stays that way until his friends return from vacation. As they share friendship and information, Aidan’s concerns melt away and he looks forward to first grade. Now in an illustrated edition, children will empathize with Aidan and his friends.
First Grade Jitters
![Snook Alone](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0763626678.jpg?itok=p5Swq4ks)
Snook, a small rat terrier, happily lives and works with his monk friend on their isolated island sanctuary until separated by a storm. Poetic language combines with evocative illustrations to convey the range of authentic emotions, happily concluding with dog and man reunited.
Snook Alone
![Necks Out for Adventure: The True Story of Edwin Wiggleskin](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0763623555.jpg?itok=2yunbHgv)
Edwin is a translucent ‘wiggleskin’ — a clam — who sheds his shell for the sake of adventure. Not only does he have a fabulous adventure but saves his clam clan from clam diggers. This quirky tale is fast-paced, funny, and illustrated in Ering’s high-energy style.
Necks Out for Adventure: The True Story of Edwin Wiggleskin
![Finn Throws a Fit](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0763623563.jpg?itok=AUFiLIsl)
Young Finn doesn’t like anything on this particular day. When offered something he normally likes, Finn throws an earth-shaking tantrum. Readers will likely see themselves in egg-shaped Finn’s behavior as his parents try to weather the storm revealed in energetic language and ebullient, sketchy illustrations.
Finn Throws a Fit
![Gruffen (The Dragons of Wayward Crescent)](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0545168155.jpg?itok=8a70L4Mt)
When Lucy suspects there’s a monster in her bedroom, her mum knows exactly what to do; make a guard dragon, Gruffen, to look after her. See also: Gauge (opens in a new window), another book in The Dragons of Wayward Crescent series.
Gruffen (The Dragons of Wayward Crescent)
![The Patterson Puppies and the Midnight Monster Party](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0763632430.jpg?itok=9rW3CXfW)
Zack, Andy, and Penelope slept all night but not Petra. No matter what her siblings suggested, Petra was afraid of monsters. When they meet a three-eyed monster with four arms, Petra discovers that the monster is as fearful as she is. Together they enjoy a monstrous good time until the pups’ parents carry them off to bed. Naive illustrations extend the familiar theme and its cozy resolution.
The Patterson Puppies and the Midnight Monster Party
![Fleabag](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0805089756.jpg?itok=4bUH9kyt)
A dog with no name and no home meets a boy with a ball but no dog. Boy and dog play in the park every day until one day the little dog — a small fleabag — helps the boy and finds a home. Loose lines and bright colors convey city activities and the affectionate relationship between child and hound and ultimately, a warm family.
Fleabag
![Goal!](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0763645710.jpg?itok=pqzlVthk)
This heart-tugging picture book from a debut author tells a lyrical soccer story in the voice of a young boy in a South African shantytown. In full-page oil paintings, unusual angles intensify the sense of the scuffling, exciting action, the tense confrontation, and the reality of shantytown life.
Goal!
![Mandy](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0061207071.jpg?itok=jhqQEOdP)
For as long as she can remember, 10-year old Mandy has lived at the St. Martin’s orphanage with no particular problems though never completely contented. Both trouble and happiness enter Mandy’s life when she discovers a small cottage that becomes her secret. Rich language creates a strong sense of place and mystery in this satisfying novel.
Mandy
![The Yellow Tutu](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0375851682.jpg?itok=k-wP4QVJ)
Her classmates laugh when Margo becomes the sun with her new yellow birthday tutu worn as a headdress. That is, until her friend, Pearl, comes to the rescue, recognizing the playful potential and dons her pink tutu similarly. Fanciful, engaging illustrations capture the child’s world, enhancing this recognizable story.
The Yellow Tutu
![The Very Fairy Princess](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0316040509.jpg?itok=UIqVdH1S)
Geraldine is a princess, a fairy princess with a crown and lots of sparkle. Her life as a fairy princess is filled with ballet (where she sparkles a lot), school, and with friends. Muted illustrations and an innocent narration combine to present a loving family whose child is indeed a very fairy princess.
The Very Fairy Princess
![Tiger and Turtle](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/1596434163.jpg?itok=W9AO6wvo)
Turtle and Tiger became friends only after they argued and fought over who saw one Spring flower first. When they both wind up in a field of flowers, they realize how silly they have been and together they return to their pond. This original tale is told in a storyteller’s cadence complemented by rich, textured illustrations.
Tiger and Turtle
![Roly Poly Pangolin](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0670011606.jpg?itok=MFTY3sGD)
The small, scaly pangolin may be an unusual animal, but children are likely to empathize with the way he is fearful of new and different things. He rolls into a ball — and finds another pangolin ball peeking at him. An author’s note provides a bit of information about real pangolins and where to find out more about them.
Roly Poly Pangolin
![Little Rabbit and the Meanest Mother on Earth](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0152062017.jpg?itok=nsRKL1lF)
When Mother Rabbit tells Little Rabbit he could only go to the circus once his playroom has been cleaned, he sneaks out to join the circus telling the ringmaster that he’s got the Meanest Mother on Earth. Children and adults will recognize the satisfying conclusion — and perhaps see themselves in this story.
Little Rabbit and the Meanest Mother on Earth
![What About Bear?](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/1590785282.jpg?itok=ALkpGSma)
When Goose and Bear are joined by Fox, Bear feels left out. It is up to Goose to mediate and find a way for old and new friends to play together — which they happily do! With straightforward language and charming illustrations, Goose and Bear are back for another everyday adventure familiar to many children.
What About Bear?
![Andy Shane Hero at Last](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0763636002.jpg?itok=UJXe-weE)
Andy Shane has only two goals. One was to have the best decorated bike in the Home Sweet Home parade and the other is to be a hero. Both seem unlikely — but when the unexpected happens, ordinary boys become heroes. Andy and his friends are likeable and the action believable in this easier to read novel.
Andy Shane Hero at Last
![One Green Apple](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0618434771.jpg?itok=UnOxboG2)
In this heartwarming story, Farah is trying to get used to a new country and language. She knows what’s happening around her, but without the words to say what she’s thinking in English, she feels alienated from her classmates. A trip to the apple orchard helps her begin to bridge those gaps, however, and she realizes that “Laughs sound the same as at home.” As she practices her first “outside-myself word,” she knows that she will be able to say more in time. Beautiful watercolor illustrations bring Farah, her classmates, and the apple orchard to life.
One Green Apple
![The Missing Piece Meets the Big O](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0060256575.jpg?itok=ZFtdA8b2)
The creature with the missing piece (in the book of the same title) is back. Here it searches for a friend and meets the Big O, learning what it means to have a buddy that suits you well. Simple black line drawings and unadorned language make this a powerful tale that works on many levels.
The Missing Piece Meets the Big O
![The Missing Piece](/sites/default/files/styles/book_cover_mobile_1x/public/book/0060256710.jpg?itok=fXU1GhNj)
Its gentle journey begins with melancholy: “It was missing a piece and it was not happy” but concludes with greater self-awareness. The main character is depicted as a Pac-Man-like creature who strives to find what it thinks it’s missing. Simple text and line drawings ideally complement each other in this many-leveled tale.