A small inch worm “green as an emerald” avoids being eating by a hungry robin using his wit — and his ability to measure things. He measures other birds as well — until he escapes them all by measuring a nightingale’s song. Textured collage illustrations complement the straightforward text in this modern classic.
Inch by Inch
Pigeon is back, this time introducing young children to modes of transportation, from bus to bike. His slightly adult quips are sure to engage adults and children alike as are the bold lined, cartoon illustrations.
The Pigeon Loves Things That Go!
Named “Ugly” by the other ducks but loved by his mother, the big, gawky, and awkward bird has a tough go of it until he finds his real identity as a swan. This novelization of Hans Christian Andersen’s now classic tale of “the Ugly Duckling” is richly told with details of Tasmania and other parts of Australia.
Ugly
BaMusa takes a break from selling his hats — only to have them stolen by mischievous monkeys. Told in rhythmic language sprinkled with words from Mali, BaMusa’s work to retrieve his hats is illustrated with strong line and bold form.
Hatseller and the Monkeys
Andy helps an escaped circus lion by removing a thorn from his paw. This simple act of kindness — and bravery — done by a boy on his way to school is rewarded by friendship and loyalty. Limited color and strong line combine with lively language in this very American version of an old fable attributed to Aesop.
Andy and the Lion
Ferdinand is not an ordinary bull. Instead of kicking and fighting and butting heads like the other young bulls, he prefers to sit and smell the flowers. When Ferdinand unwittingly sits on a bee while men are searching for the fiercest bull for the bullfights in Madrid, his dramatic reaction gets him chosen! Black and white illustrations and understated text create humor and a message of nonviolence.
The Story of Ferdinand
From huffing and puffing to “chinny-chin-chin” hair, this retelling of the familiar folktale keeps all the standard lines while textual asides and cartoon illustrations create a fresh and comic angle.
The Three Little Pigs
Peter’s disobedience almost gets him cooked while his siblings, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail enjoy a tasty supper in this timeless and satisfying tale. Potter’s carefully detailed and highly realistic illustrations amplify the fantasy and dramatize Peter’s possible consequences.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
While on a family vacation in California, the Gridleys stay in an old hotel where a mouse named Ralph finds a toy motorcycle and meets Keith, the youngest Gridley. Thus begins a friendship and a memorable adventure of a mouse on a motorcycle. Ralph’s adventures continue in Ralph S. Mouse (1982).
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Milne’s classic books, Winnie-the-Pooh and House at Pooh Corner are brought together in one volume. Short, episodic chapters and playful language punctuated with Ernest Shepard’s line drawings make this an ideal read-aloud that can be read over time.
The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh
A turkey hatches from a found egg, creating great anticipation by an old woman and her cat. They look forward to a yummy Thanksgiving dinner of roast turkey! The happy ending is as humorous as it is tasty; the friends all gratefully share their vegetarian meal together.
Sometimes It’s Turkeys, Sometimes It’s Feathers
The Little Red Hen’s grandson, a fine rooster, finds her cookbook and decides to cook up a special treat with the help of some unusual farm animals including a pot-bellied pig and an iguana. Lively language and funny illustrations show how everyone enjoys the fruits of their labor. Their strawberry shortcake recipe is included, so readers can try it, too!
Cook-a-Doodle-Doo
A rich, sonorous voice with a hint of an English accent makes Kipling’s tales of the jungle come to life all over again in this retelling of Just So Stories.
Just So Stories
Baby birds and baby lizards don’t eat what our baby eats! Those babies eat worms, fish, beetles and other yucky things. But those babies would say “Yuck!” to the warm milk that our baby enjoys. Light lines on large, warm-toned pages convey humor and just a bit of information to be shared again and again.
Yuck!
A rhyming refrain is repeated – “here and there and everywhere! Puppies! Puppies! Puppies!” – as the adorable dogs grow from tiny to naughty to grown-up (with lots in between). The over-sized format supports the delectable depictions of delightful dogs.
Puppies! Puppies! Puppies!
Even the bedtime rituals don’t subdue the dramatic baby llama and the nighttime fears that descend when Mama Llama leaves his room. Young readers (and their parents) will see their own behavior in the rhyming text and expressive and winning illustrations.
Llama Llama Red Pajama
Animals can seem unusual to the uninitiated. Why do lions have manes? (No, it’s not to show off or because they eat barbers.) Why do walruses have moustaches? These “whys” and more are addressed by silly answers as well as brief facts in this attractive book of large, comic illustrations and varied typefaces.
Why?
A fuzzy green ball is accidentally dropped by a large lumpy dog into a hole inhabited by prairie dogs. All of this causes great excitement. The prairie dogs not only make fashion statements, but discover that fancy fuzz can cause trouble. Spirited illustrations in a large format are as vivacious and funny as the text.
The Great Fuzz Frenzy
Readers will wiggle and giggle through the rhyming text and collages that combine paintings and photographs in this playful romp. A dog is the focus as he wiggles through a wobbly world until all settle down under a cozy moon for a good night’s sleep.
Wiggle
When is “pink for crow…”? When it has “just hatched from its egg.” Vibrant, uncluttered paintings accompany the straightforward text to explore different ways of looking at things and prove that blueberries can be white!
White Is for Blueberry
Big dogs, little dogs, and all kinds of dogs are on the go throughout the pages of this surprising and funny classic easy reader. Illustrations use strong lines with muted colors to show playful mutts of all sizes in outrageous activities that keep beginning readers reading.
Go, Dog, Go!
Crisp color photographs of the panther chameleon that is native to Madagascar are combined with informative but engaging text in this book. It is an unforgettable journey across the chameleon’s habitat, where readers come to appreciate the creatures and their environment.
Chameleon, Chameleon
This is the first of the series of entertaining and engaging books about Mercy Watson, a charming pig adopted by a human couple. Here Mercy inadvertently saves the day, or at least her humans, amid a humorous series of events.
Mercy Watson to the Rescue
These short poems are an eclectic menagerie of animals illustrated with sophisticated, semi-abstract, and animated paintings. Filled with snappy word play, this book is sure to delight readers who will meet both the familiar and the exotic in this engaging zoo.