Book Finder

Dots abound in lots of colors all around, everywhere and every day. Some are heavy, others are light; some are even edible. This color-filled, playful, cheery look at everyday things in which dots are seen is sure to inspire creative examinations of the world around.

When the young narrator feels quiet and cuddly, she doesn’t mind being her mom’s Little Mouse. Other times, she is as strong as an ox or brave and scary like a lion. A child’s daily changing moods are reflected in the open illustrations and simple text.

Chloe is charming child in a red and white polka dot dress who sees kittens everywhere, even dreaming about them. When she awakens, her dream becomes reality and she gets her own kitten. Clean lines and simple language present a satisfying, recognizable story.

Colorful toy teddy bears appear on open pages with an engaging, rhyming narrative. Children will be able to see the patterns and learn to “skip count” (e.g., counting by 2s) while being introduced to basic arithmetic (addition and its relationship to multiplication). One of a series of basic math books.

Bright colors and simple patterns on sturdy pages present simple images of familiar farm animals, enhanced by textured paper. On the opposite side of each page is a pattern that incorporates the animal.

Meet different kinds of monkeys — all of which come in many colors — shown in crisply lined, full-color illustration and brief text. Additional information about each of the 12 monkeys introduced and a world map concludes this brief, enticing introduction.

In this lively concept book a little girl discovers a rainbow of colors in the world around her. Red is a dragon in the Chinese New Year parade, yellow are the taxis she sees on her street, green are jade bracelets and the crunchy kale growing in her garden. Many of the featured objects are Asian in origin, but all are universal in appeal. With rich, boisterous illustrations, a fun-to-read rhyming text and an informative glossary.

Jamie’s day goes from a “purple kind of mood/Cold-plum eating…” to a gray and yellow and finally back to plum. The use of colors to describe moods associated with familiar family goings-on is enhanced by stylized illustrations and lively, lyrical language.

The children are distressed that it’s raining while visiting their grandfather. But Grandpa has the children don rain gear to “find colors for garden stew.” Vegetables collected, the family makes and eats a delicious stew. Joy-filled illustrations accompany the rhythmic text.

Benign-looking, cheerful creatures love playing with color as they lend red, blue, and yellow to make new colors for gray monsters. Energetic lines and lively language swirl and dance across the pages of this spirited homage to color and creativity.

An old game is again fresh as each die-cut lets reader spy with their little eye a farm animal of a specific color that begins with a specific letter. A page turn reveals the entire animal and the sounds it makes.

Works by many artists uniquely depict people from many parts of the world. No words are needed to view varied portraits, in many styles from many places all of which are identified.

Dinosaurs of many colors zoom, splash, chug, and more in different kinds of vehicle in order to get to a special birthday celebration for the smallest dinosaur in this lively, fresh adventure.

Count colorful butterflies in natural settings in this small, sturdy, attractively illustrated concept book. Each of the colorful ten butterflies is identified by name on the back cover.

Stripes are found in nature in a variety of flora and fauna in many habitats. From exotic to domestic, revel in observing stripes in carefully crafted illustrations and lyrical text. Additional information and a playful call to match animal with stripe ends this handsome volume.

Jaunty rhymes (that just may be ‘sing-able’) are likely to lead to wordplay (literally) as one follows the animal cast play with berries of all kinds.

Complex engineered paper constructions create a series of worlds in which viewers are encouraged to locate various objects. In one, “Five black spots, four blossoms blue” and more are hidden in a lush garden that emerges from a red page. Each spread deserves many examinations.

A range of colorful birds share what they see in Bethlehem on the night of the Nativity, including the child and mother. Soft color and gentle line – characteristic of dePaola – and fluid text present a warm Christmas story.

A wee piggy escapes his boy at the fair for a very colorful adventure around the fair. The naughty pig “wallowed in white to go with the red…” but “It’s not polite to wallow in white…” The boy catches up just in time to see his pig win a blue ribbon. Funny, animated illustrations accompany the rhyming tale inspired by “I Know an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly.”

Lots of animals and insects sport spots, others have stripes. In rich colors on sturdy pages, a flap folds out to reveal one or the other. Rich, patterned language and appealing illustration are used in this and in Animal 1 2 3, a clever counting book also sure to surprise and engage.

Textured illustrations cleverly incorporate die-cuts exploring the many shades of green. Language is as inspired as the textured paintings, subtly suggesting an environmental note. The book concludes with “forever green” in which a man and a child admire a large, lush tree, presumably from a seedling planted earlier.

A guessing game is presented with die-cuts on sturdy board pages; the question is answered with a turn of the page. Bright but familiar colors and animals are used.

Two penguin-painters have very different styles when painting white walls, but both are happy as they paint a rainbow while comically introducing basic colors.

Simple instructions begin: “press [the yellow dot on a white page] here.” Dots whirl and swirl on each page for a creative and playful interaction between book and reader.