Book Finder

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)

Moose wants to be an astronaut but the film is entitled “This is a Moose.” Even Moose’s lacrosse-playing grandma and doctor giraffe buddy can’t convince the filmmaker to change his role. That is, until Moose is launched into outer space. Cartoons and sophisticated asides make this goofy, offbeat tale outrageously funny with a touch of filmmaking vocabulary included.

Geoffrey is tall and clumsy and downright awkward. He slips and slides, scaring the meerkats. At the watering hole, his splashing and sploshing only makes mud, not friends. But his height comes in handy to help a troop of monkeys. Lively language and textured illustrations present a humorous tale of self-acceptance and developing friendship.

Lily wanted a dog but instead gets a tiny, fluffy kitty. Could that small feline cause all of the trouble and mess in Lily’s house? Lily thinks so, telling the poor thing that it’s a “naughty kitty!” But readers realize from the first end pages what Lily doesn’t see. Hilarious action in comic illustration let readers stay ahead of Lily and her ultimately lionized kitty.

What’s a puppy to do when everyone is too busy, too lazy, too boring, or too mean to play? Find a new friend — a large green monster reading in the park — of course! Even the grumpiest monster is no match for the friendly little puppy’s persistent overtures and game-playing. Cartoon illustrations on open pages and short sentences present a jolly, unique friendship.

“Goodness! Gracious! Yikes!” exclaim a timid group of carpenter ants as they peer out of holes made by one brave insect, viewing a rainbow of color. What they discover instead of an ant-eating, ketchup-carrying, orange aardvark with pack of green geckos will delight young readers as they see the vivid colors through die cuts and bold shapes in this satisfying, humorous tale.

It all started with a little brown bird that tired of making and hearing the same old sounds: caw, coo, chirp, peep. Instead, it said “Froodle sproodle!” which came as an unwelcome shock to the crow, cardinal and dove. But the small brown bird’s continued wordplay inspired the others — even the crow. Simple, bold illustrations and varied type present a comical tale of individuality and lots of potential for wordplay.

There’s a troublemaker making trouble for a boy and his sister, but it isn’t a naughty child. Rather, it’s a furry masked bandit — a raccoon — that snitches stuffed toys and even a blanket until the culprit is discovered. Strong lines of the idyllic setting are just right to hide the real thief on many pages.

When Peter’s mom asks other birds to tell him to come home for dinner, the message takes on each bird’s special interest, from sports to firefighting. The variety of birds, all simply but effectively illustrated, sits on a telephone wire in this playful riff of a familiar game.

Stella loves her silver starliner — a mobile home — until she’s teased about living in a trailer. When other kids think her home is gorgeous, Stella comes to appreciate what they see and feels pride, actually like a “squillionaire!” Signature illustrations effectively convey Stella’s rollercoaster emotions and the ultimate comfort of friends, family and home.

Mandy loves to dance and so does her cat, Rupert, although he practices only when Mandy is asleep. Mandy discovers Rupert’s secret one night and the feline dance stops entirely — until Mandy comes up with an idea. Characteristic line and wash combine with the straightforward text for an engaging and imaginative tale.

Samuel Drew takes his dog-on-wheels toy with him to the London Zoo where unbeknownst to Samuel, four young possums follow the pull-dog. But before returning to the zoo via balloon, the possums join Samuel for a picnic. Delicate, detailed illustrations and a rhyming text create a story and a city worth examining.

Can a big pig and a small bug be friends? At first it seems impossible, but then the duo finds that they can happily share some activities. The silly story is comically illustrated and told in a straight narrative to augment the humor.

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).

A surprise box is delivered to the very grumpy Elephant. In it, he discovers a host of hats which he shares with his animal friends to improve their grumpiness, too. Flat forms on open pages make this a true celebration of friendship — and hats!

A series of 26 poems, all haiku, mark each of the four seasons starting with autumn while highlighting the letters of the alphabet. Each short poem is accompanied by Koo, the young panda, who is joined by two children and illustrated in handsome, spare watercolors.

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.

More than 40 years ago, Spier won a Caldecott Honor for his illustrations of this traditional folk song. In it, a fox cheerfully poaches the farmer’s geese. Now the artist has added color to original black/white illustrations, enlivening the tale for a new generation. Music and additional verses are included.

Meet animals like the cow in informative rhymes and cartoon illustrations. Turn half the page and make a “pow” — half pig, half cow. Funny critters emerge with each half page turn. See and read the poem about another farm animal when pages match.

Three little pigs named Sweet Pea, Nibbles and Clean Bean, try to be big, bigger, biggest as they “flopped and plopped…muddled and puddled…walloped and wallowed” until stopped by their mother. Comic illustration and lively language make a fun farm tale.

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.

When the bats awaken from winter hibernation, not only do their stomachs grumble, they are hungry for music! The latest in this series presents the varied music interests of very likable (and rather human) bats.

Familiar animals and their young are presented in a game-like board book that engages and informs. The text on the parent’s page and colors provide clues as young children turn smaller pages to identify the puppy, hatchling, kitten, hamster and fish. Forest animals are presented in a companion book, You Are My Baby: Woodland (opens in a new window) (Chronicle).

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.