Book Finder

John Henry’s talent was evident at an early age when he helped his daddy, but was cemented in American folklore when he took on the steam drill. His place among American tall tale heroes is chronicled in richly detailed watercolors and language.

All the grown-ups from the zookeeper to the President are sleeping and “you know who should be sleeping, just like the sun?” Mama’s “sweet little one,” of course. Night-toned illustrations with lots of detail and short rhyming text create a bedtime story that holds up to multiple readings.

Travel with a community helper from an earlier time as Mr. Plimpton delivers milk and other dairy products along with a good deal of good will and care to the homes along his route. Richly-colored, highly-detailed illustrations highlight the changes as daylight grows and Mr. Plimpton completes his work.

In spite of looming war, librarian Alia Muhammed Baker was able to save the books from the library of Basra by moving them to safety. Simple forms and deep colors in a naïve style evoke the war without being explicit. The bravery and action of one person celebrates both everyday heroism and books as a unifying force.

Archaeologists on a dig work very much like detectives at a crime scene. Every chipped rock, charred seed, or fossilized bone could be a clue to how people lived in the past. In this information-packed Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science book, Kate Duke explains what scientists are looking for, how they find it, and what their finds reveal.

3…2…1…lift off! Take a journey into space exploration. With fun facts like what astronauts eat and how they sleep, kids will learn about today’s space adventures and how people from all over the world work to continue space exploration.

Have you ever dreamed of being an astronaut? Wondered what it might be like to see the sun set sixteen times in one day? Open this book and be transported on an information-packed voyage aboard the space shuttle.

Join the crew and find out how rockets, probes, telescopes, and space shuttles work! Illustrations and text introduces young readers to the amazing variety of spaceships past, present, and ready to blast off into the future.

The most celebrated black cowboy was Bill Pickett, a fearless rodeo star with a knack for taming bulls that brought the crowds to their feet. The closing note in this book provides an overview of the history of rodeos and black cowboys.

Using the alphabet as a pattern, paintings and brief poems explore rural life in Mexico presented first in Spanish and followed by English. From A to Z, brilliant illustrations and fluid poems evoke the plants, and more and the emotional impact on the lives of farm workers.

A boy and his dog, each with his own thoughts, begin to deliver newspapers before the sun rises. Deeply hued, evocative illustrations document their journey through the quiet morning. As the sun comes up, boy and dog return to bed, satisfied that the job was well done.

After a busy day at his family’s Chinese take-out restaurant in Brooklyn, the young narrator enjoys his favorite dinner: pizza! Lewin’s highly realistic watercolor illustrations show the bustle, the food, and the way the boy works with his family.

What does a child do or see others do with their hands? Paint, garden, make different things — and reach out to others. The young narrator’s words ring true in this uniquely designed and well-paced glimpse into hands.

When others ran from trouble, eight foot tall Mose Humphreys ran toward it as an extraordinary New York City firefighter. This larger-than-life story is actually a tall tale, an urban legend based on a real firefighter who lived in the 1840s. Text and illustration combine to create a fast-paced celebration of heroism and the man who earned the gratitude of an entire city.

On most nights, Alex stays in bed while Papa goes off to work. But on this special night, Alex puts on a small red hard hat as his father puts on his big yellow one, and together they go out to the construction site where Papa works and bedtime is put off until morning. Richly hued paintings evoke the nighttime setting of this loving story.

Bold color and broad shapes show the details of Sam’s car and how he takes care of it before he drives to his job and goes off, driving a bus!

Life on a cattle farm is both a grind and a thrill. Share both with the Eby family on their working ranch in New Mexico as they share the commotion of spring cattle roundup where everyone — including the kids — works diligently.

When his grandfather arrives from Mexico, Francisco helps him find work as a gardener even though he is really a carpenter. When they mistakenly pull all the plants but leave the weeds, Abuelo, upset at Francisco’s lie, refuses to accept payment until the job is done correctly.

Do you think things would be better if you were in charge? Duck thinks he can do a better job than Farmer Brown, but once in power he soon tires of the duties and responsibilities of leadership. So he decides maybe he’s better off writing his autobiography – which he does on a typewriter that clever readers will recognize from another book by this talented team.

Fox thinks of himself as extremely clever – will anyone be able to outfox him? Ink, pencil, and watercolor illustrations accompany the text of these sprightly, humorous, and appealing tales.

Readers learn of Mexican migrant workers’ difficult lives in this photo-documentary. Despite backbreaking labor in poor conditions, the workers take pride in what they do and struggle to help their families get ahead.

Fiestas often involve puppets, masks, and piñatas. Meet Tío Rico, the elderly piñata maker in a Mexican town, whose artful creations are shown from start to finish in this handsomely photographed book. The text is presented in both Spanish and English.

Travel with Canadian naturalist Brian Keating on a journey around the world to meet some of the animal inhabitants of the different continents. From kookaburras and kangaroos in Australia to the Arctic’s wolf population, this book’s informal, diary-like approach creates an exciting armchair expedition with photographs, facts, and more.

Amelia Bedelia takes her orders quite literally. She wonders why she’s asked to dust the furniture when it really should be “undusted,” or why it’s important to find the proper clothes to “dress the chicken.” Readers will chuckle as they figure out the correct way for the bumbling maid to carry out her work.