Find out what the animals in the zoo do once it’s closed for the night in this lively, rhyming alphabet book. Jaunty illustrations add humor and meaning to words presented in two languages.
Marimba!: Animales From A to Z
Six silent turtles sit still as stones while life at the pond swirls all around them — until the turtles are startled and they “suddenly speed away!” Vibrant language combines with textured illustrations that scamper and flutter across richly colored pages. In the endnote, the author shares where and what she observes from her tree house.
Scoot
It was spring in the barnyard and the wee little chick … was not only brand new but the smallest of all his brothers and sisters. That didn’t stop him from doing his best — and being just right for his Mama Hen. Soft illustrations complement the gentle text.
Wee Little Chick
Short verse and dynamic woodcut illustration combine to reveal characteristics of farm animals, from rooster to rabbit with lots in between. Allusions are intriguing and playful (“The Bees/Tell their story,/sweet and old./It begins in clover;/it ends in gold.”) and may inspire other activities.
On the Farm
As each page unfolds, readers see frog eggs gradually change into frogs. By the time the grown frogs go off, readers realize that the pages have unfolded to create a frog-filled blue pond with lily pads. This unusual book playfully introduces the growth of frogs.
Little Green Frogs
Each member of the Bunny family has a job to do as they prepare for their trip. The challenges of packing and walking are forgotten when they arrive at the family reunion and the fun starts! Children and adults will see themselves in this colorfully illustrated rhyming tale.
The Bunnies’ Trip
From start to finish, the day is filled with birdsongs. Realistic, richly textured collages of familiar birds combine with lyrical language as the reader counts down their specific sounds. A bit of information about each bird concludes this multifaceted book.
Birdsongs
As two children and their fathers explore a stream and its natural riches, a straightforward text explains how trout are made of trees — just like the bears and people who catch and eat the trout. Warmly hued, textured collages illuminate a down-to-earth, understandable story of a stream habitat.
Trout Are Made of Trees
The story of a prehistoric frog begins when it was just a tiny tadpole in a puddle. Deep within the growing amphibian is the strength of a T-Rex which may explain why “hoppers and croakers are here to stay.” Rhythmic, alliterative language and bold, large illustrations create a riveting story. An author’s note provides factual information.
Tadpole Rex
Unlike the arrogant, large dump truck, Little Blue Truck always has time to greet the animals in and around the farm. So when both get stuck in the mud, the animals respond to Little Blue Truck’s plea for help. Cooperation abounds in this rhyming story — ideal for reading aloud.
Little Blue Truck
What is “…a quiet crib, …a bobbing boat, …breakfast, lunch and dinner”? An egg, of course. Many types of eggs from insects, reptiles, and even mammals, in various environments are introduced in crisp text and clear illustration in this handsome, informative book.
Eggs
A small chick finds his true voice with the help of Bow-Wow, a small, expressive terrier. Strong lines in simple illustrations convey humor and movement — for both child and adult — in this short tale.
Bow-Wow Hears Things
To gain wisdom, Zomo, the small black rabbit, successfully accomplishes a series of impossible tasks assigned by the Sky God in this traditional Nigerian tale. Richly colored, stylized illustrations accompany the simple text — ideal for sharing aloud.
Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa
Coyote howls at the moon because of a small, smart, and very tricky rabbit. This lively retelling of an Oaxacan (Mexico) tale has familiar elements like rabbit becoming stuck on a farmer made of sticky beeswax. The energetic tale is complemented by illustrations reminiscent of folk art.
The Tale of Rabbit and Coyote
Why does Mister Bear think that the pumpkins he’s sitting on will hatch? Because Miz Goose convinces him so! And she’s only one of the funny tricksters whose tales are told in this engaging collection, sure to tickle listeners or readers.
Sister Tricksters: Rollicking Tales of Clever Females
A collection of trickster stories — from the Brer Rabbit found in the American South to East Africa’s Anansi — are presented from a master storyteller. Watercolor illustrations add humor and verve to each of these outrageous and often funny characters.
A Ring of Tricksters: Animal Tales from America, the West Indies, and Africa
Sungura, a resourceful hare, and grouchy Leopard decide to build their homes in the same spot. How Sungura outwits Leopard to get him out is told in lively language with boldly lined illustrations that suggest the place in which the animals live and work.
Sungura and Leopard: A Swahili Trickster Tale
Brer Rabbit is the quintessential American trickster. Early versions, first collected by Joel Chandler Harris, are retold here without dialect — ideal for reading aloud — and illustrated by lively watercolors to make a timeless trickster accessible to contemporary children.
Jump! The Adventures of Brer Rabbit
Bruh Rabbit outwits farmer Bruh Wolf again — even after the shrewd hare is stuck fast to the pretty baby girl made of tar. Told in the cadence of the Gullah with full-color illustrations, this version is sure to delight readers and listeners of all ages.
Bruh Rabbit and the Tar Baby Girl
Anansi is a known charlatan, so he gets little sympathy when Turtle eats all of the fish that Anansi has learned to catch. But the reader knows that the trickster has not really learned a lesson! Sly humor abounds in both text and image in this lively retelling.
Anansi Goes Fishing
Eleven year old Marty must decide whether or not to return an abused beagle to its rightful owner, an unkind man. His dilemma includes hiding the dog, Shiloh, telling his parents the truth, and more in this riveting, award-winning novel which is ideal to read aloud with slightly sophisticated listeners. It was adapted into a live action film in 2000.
Shiloh
The girl who tended horses loved them so much that she joined them, literally! The carefully crafted, handsomely rendered illustrations echo the Native tradition studied by the reteller/illustrator.
The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
Visit the town of Cranbury, nestled between Boston and New York, where the very talented Pye family lives. The Pyes have recently acquired an intellectual dog named Ginger Pye — that is until someone steals this captivating hound!
Ginger Pye
Travel with Bossy Rooster to his uncle’s wedding. Of course the road is not entirely smooth in this cumulative, handsomely illustrated tale from Cuba — and that’s when the fun begins!