Book Finder

Three goat brothers attempt to get to a grassy hillside by crossing a bridge under which lives a fierce troll. The traditional tale has been given an innovative new look and also a fresh, surprising, and very satisfying ending. 

Poetic language provides an introduction to squirrels, their habitats, and behaviors. Collage illustration enhances the information and the energetic tone. Additional information finishes this attractive and informative book.

A young toddler and his very large dog share a mischievous nighttime adventure. Few words (primarily woof and out!) extend the humorous illustrations to its satisfying and cozy conclusion.

The race is on and Mama Lion and young Tigey are off! The Italian countryside provides the backdrop for this charming tale of friendship and monkey hijinks. Translucent watercolors illustrate the race with spiffy cars driven by toys come to life are worth reexamining.

In this wordless fantasy, a girl loses her stuffed fox but finds it in a fantastic forest. This imaginative tale is told in sequential panels (rather like a graphic novel) in which no words are needed.  

Humor abounds in the both the text and comic (but surprisingly informative) illustrations to introduce readers to a host of little known animals. Fact and fun combine in this engaging look at some amazing critters.

Though well-meaning, the good deeds just don’t turn out quite right when Clifford the big red dog tries to help Mary Elizabeth and her neighbor Tim around town. This vintage edition uses limited color illustration in a humorous modern classic.

After Nicky’s uncle gave her a dog. Barkus became a trusted member of the family, a classroom dog, and he even adopted a small kitten named Baby. Barkus and Nicky’s adventures are told in short chapters and colorful illustrations.

Examine each double page spread in this oversized book. See the realistically pictured animals and where they live. Make up or find a story about them.  If you’re curious, you can look in the back for the names of the real animals. Handsome scenes from different natural environments make this a book to examine again and again.

“Giant Whale or Giant Hoax?” headlines read in the opening of this mostly wordless book. The adventure continues as two young people prepare to find and record the massive mammal through wordless, realistic, highly detailed monochromatic illustrations. Their breathtaking escapade continues until the final spread depicting another newspaper, announcing that the boys have solved the mystery of the spotted whale.

Callie is interested in science and wants to be a veterinarian so she practices when the local vet is away. But it was tougher in the early 20^th century when girls couldn’t do everything that they do today. Callie, however, helps a prize sheep give birth and more in the latest, lively and engaging installment about Callie and her family. From the Calournia Tate, Girl Vet series.

A year in the life of Vixen, a red fox, reveals how these canine omnivores live, hunt, and reproduce. A muted palette allows Vixen to stand out as she moves throughout her territory. Additional information and resources conclude this attractive, evocative, and informative book.

It’s nighttime on the farm and everyone is ready to snuggle in. But when Pig plops into his sty, he hears a MOOO!  It seems no one wants to sleep in their own place. One by one, however, each displaces the interloper until sleep can really happen. Comic illustrations accompany the vivacious tale to its satisfying, sleepy conclusion.

When a girl and her brother return to the park to retrieve the forgotten jump rope, they discover a group of foxes jumping rope. They watch from afar until soon, foxes and children are jumping rope together. Wishes do come true in this mellow fantasy of talking animals with illustrations bathed in soft color.

Endpages show swimming tadpoles; turn the page and the progression from tadpole to frog appears within brief frog facts. There are over 5,000 kinds of frogs that live all over the world. Turn the page and some of them are introduced in lively but short text and dramatic, colorful illustrations. Alliterative, onomatopoeic frog sounds are effectively incorporated into page designs of this informative and engaging book

Chengu, a young panda, can do a lot by himself. He can climb, push, swing and more.  But even the most independent panda can use a little help sometimes. Mixed media illustrations highlight the expressive Chengu amid grass and on bamboo. Children — and adults — will see themselves in Chengu’s simple adventures.

A conversational tone and flaps to lift on each double page look at different biomes are sure to inspire further examination. Freshwater, desert, rainforest and other ecological communities of plants and animals are handsomely illustrated and presented on sturdy pages.

A poem about the well-known Great White begins this handsomely illustrated collection of poems each about a different sea-dwelling shark. Readers will meet the Wobbegong, a nurse shark, the goblin shark, and more. Different poetic forms combine with splendid illustrations that evoke the depths of the creatures’ habitats.

After the mother skunk is killed, Bixby “Bat” Alexander Tam’s veterinarian mother brings home its kit to be kept only until its old enough to be released. Who would have thought Bat would want to keep the baby skunk, named Thor? Is it really okay for a skunk to become a pet? Bat is a unique character and the story offers a deeply heartfelt glimpse into the life of a boy on the autism spectrum, presented realistically in this touching (and surprisingly informative) novel.

Barker and Purdy are best friends but very different. Not only is Barker a dog and Purdy a cat, but their personalities are quite dissimilar: one is hardworking, the other rather lazy. But differences are made to be appreciated as Barker and Purdy come to appreciate in this illustrated, episodic and charming book first published in Finland.

Animals care for and carry their young much like people do — from kangaroos carrying babies in pouches in the Australian outback to penguin babies perched on their parents’ feet in the frozen Antarctic. This is brought to life in Stockdale’s signature style of lyrical text and richly hued illustrations.  

Bright, stylized illustrations are accompanied by brief descriptions that suggest the animals look like they’re wearing human attire. In this short, creative, humorous book the wooly sheep that “wears a fluffy jacket”, a rhino with “a warm coat”, a goldfish in “a tie-dye skirt”; and the “boy wears … nothing?”

With a warm invitation, “Sun says, Wake up-/come out and explore…” all are invited to observe the new life all around. Stunning nature photographs of animals, amphibians, and insects and a brief text which encourages participation and thought continue the exploration. A bit of additional information to help answer possible questions concludes this handsome book.

Simple rhymes and colorful, flat illustrations introduce familiar farm animals and their sounds. In addition, young readers are encouraged to count from 1 to 5. Die-cuts for each animal’s eyes add texture and interest before the last animal and number roundup.