Book Finder

Ancona’s thoughtful color photographs capture the spirit, movement, and the form of basic finger spelling used by the deaf (and by hearing children) as a group of kids go on an adventure to the zoo.

In this simple escapade, two young mice — Mouse and Minka — play in colorful fall leaves. Because the adventurers are small, focus remains on the earth-toned leaves for a simple, but satisfying time.

As autumn approaches, a young fox finds the changes he notices in his world disconcerting — until he sees his favorite tree, appearing even more beautiful as it sparkles with icicles. Readers can almost feel the ice on the final illustration in this comforting story.

Meet penguins that live in icy places and in the heat as they cuddle and huddle, swim and waddle, honk, and more. Lively language and bold, bouncy illustrations bring these appealing creatures to life for young readers, while slightly older kids and adults can get even more penguin tidbits from the Penguin Puzzler and Penguin Parade at the book’s end.

Meet Katy—a feisty ballerina-in-the-making who loves to twirl like a leaf, stretch like a flower, and float like a swan. She’s all dance, all the time—until she faces the fear of dancing in front of everyone in her new ballet class at Mr. Tutu’s School of Dance! Suddenly the once-bold Katy is overcome with a bad case of stage fright! What’s a duck to do?

Ever noticed sea birds at the beach? There’s a quiet place on a Maine beach especially for least terns, an endangered bird whose survival is preserved by this retreat. Eye-catching, full-color photographs and informative text juxtapose children and tern beach behavior.

Humans like the beach in the sunlight but bats prefer it in when it’s “moony.” Children will enjoy the wordplay and the bat activities in this rollicking, rhyming romp as they recognize familiar beach goings-on, reflected in the appealing illustrations.

As the sun rose, an egg was ready to hatch but whose chick was it? “Whose egg is this?” quacks, chirps and honks each different bird. But the swan knows who the little gray cygnet belongs to; it’s her much loved hatchling! Children will empathize with the simply told, realistically illustrated tale.

While a family with a baby enjoys a picnic, forest animal babies and their families engage in comparable activities. Lighthearted illustrations show parallel human and animal family scenes with a rhythmic text for added fun.

This reworked version of the traditional tale of the hardworking, unaided Little Red Hen continues until her own baby chick befriends the offspring of the lazy cat, rat, and pig and together they play. By the end of the day each baby learns a new lesson in forgiveness and sharing. Dramatic black/white woodcuts with splashes of red and green enhance this meaningful saga, giving it a contemporary feel.

Ellie was promised a puppy of her own before she turned 9 years old. But that was before her great aunt had to give up her dog, who Ellie’s parents take in. Though Ellie is reluctant to accept Preston as her dog — he’s not the puppy she’d wanted — he turns out to be a good friend and her dog after all in this warm novel about friendship and acceptance.

A baby jay, a small striped kitten, and a little girl with a bike come together in an unexpected way with wonderful results, as each grows and gains confidence. Dialogue in conversation balloons creates a comically paced series of events that reach a satisfying conclusion.

Kittens prance, leap, and spill over and through the pages of this rhyming celebration of baby cats: “Here and there and everywhere, Kittens! Kittens! Kittens!” The lively rhyming look at feline activity makes a fine companion to Puppies! Puppies! Puppies!

A little boy prepares his puppy for bed in his basket, recalling the everyday adventures they shared. Of course, the sleepy puppy winds up cuddled in bed with the boy. Rhyming text follow the familiar lullaby, “Hush Little Baby.”

A fox is born on a spring day, and the passing days turn to passive seasons until the young fox becomes confident and independent. Evocative language and textured, richly colored illustrations are used in this triumphant story.

Baby animals are shown here in transport! Rich language and expressive illustrations give an engaging and informative look at how animals move. Some animals stand up right away while others need time to grow — just like young humans.

Close-up photographs introduce animal babies who live in rain forests, from a jaguar cub to a young sloth, with lots in between. With a turn of the sturdy page, baby and mama appear together.

Count the animals on their way to the zoo! From one elephant to ten birds, colorful creatures are presented in Carle’s signature style as they board the train.

The capable canine kindergarten teacher leads her class (also animals) on a field trip around the community to meet its helpers. The rhyming text and crisp illustrations make this a delightful book for young children. Readers can also search for hidden shapes found during this well chaperoned tour.

This wordless book tells the story of a boy and his dog trying to catch a frog. As they head home empty-handed, they are surprised to find that the frog followed them home!

Un conejito cumple un año y celebra con un pastel/torta, una vela y su familia. El libro contiene ilustraciones brillantes que se enfocan en lo básico sobre un cumpleaños para un niño de un año, dejando espacio para una foto y otras notas para recordar la fecha. (La editorial también tiene libros comparables para niños de 2, 3 y 4 años.) Saltitos the rabbit celebrates his first birthday with a cake, a birthday wish, and singing.

A lovable Rottweiler named Carl has everthing under control while Mom steps out on an errand. Or does he?

The biblical rainy-day tale comes to life through delicate, detail-packed illustrations in this wordless picture book.

Three short stories present three adventures shared by Rafi and Rosi, young tree frogs who live in Puerto Rico. Rosi knows that her older brother is magic; not only can he find things in the sand, he can also make the sea shine! But it is Rosi’s magic that finds Rafi’s lost pet hermit crab. Cheery, colorful illustrations enhance the humor of this engaging duo.