Book Finder

Two people in bright, stylized garb sail to the islands known as the Galapagos. On successive days of the week, they see a variety of the animals that live there with the repeating refrain, “We’re sailing to Galapagos….I wonder who we’ll see.” End notes describe in greater detail the location and inhabitants of the Galapagos as well as a brief piece about Charles Darwin who sailed there.

What happens when pirates and their parrots go to school? Aargh! They learn to follow rules (like cleaning up their messes and enjoying story time) just like the regular kids in class. Wacky, exaggerated illustrations combine with the rhyming tale for a funny romp and different take on a typical school day.

Newly independent readers will figure out the riddles (culled from other books in the “I Spy” series) and enjoy locating the objects. Words and photographs on one side of each double page spread provide clues for decoding as well as what to look for in the more intricate photographic scene on the opposing page.

In this rhyming adventure, Mr. Magee and his dog Dee learn to ski. They didn’t expect to run into a very curious moose, however, which turns their outing a real cliffhanger!

In Seussian rhyme and lively illustrations, Jack imagines and describes the car he will build — much better than the clunky family car!

The charming child and hound first introduced in Apple Pie ABC are back. This time the girl chases her mischievous black-eared dog to reclaim her shoe through the gate to a hen house counting all the while in the cadence of a familiar nursery rhyme. Illustrations are open and appealing, adding story to the counting book.

A wee piggy escapes his boy at the fair for a very colorful adventure around the fair. The naughty pig “wallowed in white to go with the red…” but “It’s not polite to wallow in white…” The boy catches up just in time to see his pig win a blue ribbon. Funny, animated illustrations accompany the rhyming tale inspired by “I Know an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly.”

Like the well-known Little Red Hen, all of the animals Monkey asks for help to get pie-making ingredients home are too busy. The cleverly told tale uses pairs of homonyms & homophones. These are differentiated by bold print and clarified in textured illustrations for a satisfying story that can be enjoyed on several levels.

Scooter, a pudgy golden hound, explores the outside — all by himself — after Lucy (his friend and owner) leaves for school. His adventure is exciting and exhausting until Scooter and Lucy are reunited at her school. Cartoon illustrations and humorous dog-speak present a rollicking tale.

Each type of train makes a slightly different sound from the “clang, ting” and “bing” of a freight train to the “zooosh” of the diesel. The long format is reminiscent of a track to support the colorful trains rushing by as well as their onomatopoeic sounds in varied typeface.

Little Llama zips and zooms, swishes and slides on the playground with his friends seen in uncluttered illustrations and limited text. In Llama Llama Hoppity-Hop, Llama hops, jumps, thumps right into Llama Mama’s embrace.

Dinosaurs ready for the dance contest in this silly, lively, lighthearted look at popular programs. Rhymes and wordplay present dressed up dinosaurs doing everything from tap to the twist until the unnamed dino-emcee comes for his dinner — the contestants!

Larry, like the boy who cried wolf, is known for his prevarication. He winds up a hero, however, when he tells the truth about space aliens. Illustrations in comic book format and jazzy rhyming text and coded alien-speak are sure to tickle funny bones.

In this rhyming celebration of doubles, twin animals live on farms, in jungles; they race and play and make noise — sometimes to the comical chagrin of others around them seen in expressive, droll illustrations. Readers may recognize the rhythmic pattern of “Over in the Meadow” with a fresh twist.

Decked out in rain boots, hat, and umbrella, a child joins her friends to play in the rain. The sound of the rain, mud, and finally sunshine is evoked by alliterative language and wordplay. The joy of getting dirty outdoors concludes with the girl and her dog in the midst of a messy but exuberant bubble bath.

Cars of every shape and color zoom through and across the pages of this lively, rhythmic, and colorful look at these vehicles and their drivers.

Around the world, people and other living things interact with and are affected by the full moon in fascinating ways. Come along on a whirlwind, poetic tour of Canada, Israel, Morocco, India, China, Australia, and more countries to discover an amazing collection of full moon celebrations, beliefs, customs, and facts.

The rascally child introduced in Chicken Butt returns. Here, he gets his poor mom to say all kinds of rhyming words as he plays with homophones (think: but, butt; bare, bear). Cartoon illustrations add to the humor of the mother-son conversation.

The rhyming conversation between a boy and his dad begins when a naughty chicken follows them home. As the father reads his newspaper, the boy asks, “You know what?” “What?” A turn of the page reveals the rhyming response. Rollicking good kid humor abounds in both the dialogue and the comic illustrations.

Summer camp adventures — from arts and crafts to games to hiking — are presented in rhymes that can be sung to familiar tunes. Slightly irreverent humor in text and illustrations are sure to make this a memorable experience for campers and non-campers alike.

An adult accompanied by a mouse encourages a group of children to shout out what they know: numbers 1 to 10, letters, colors, animals, and things that move — and once again with the small mouse. Lively, full color illustrations add verve to the participatory text.

Count down with a child who starts with 10 dogs but winds up with only one lovable canine companion. This nursery rhyme is based on a popular Spanish counting ditty which is repetitive and rhythmic, and meant to be sung or recited. Music is included in this cheerily illustrated book.

Textured, colorful quilts illuminate a collection of poems all focused on the notion of peace. Some speak to children’s experiences, while others are more sophisticated and abstract. World peacemakers are briefly introduced in illustration for one poem and in back-matter.

A short poem made from the word “Lemonade,” is difficult to read with letters dropped from the first word. Turn the page, however, and the poem is easily readable: “made/one/ad/added/one/lemon/load/and/one/mom”. Squeezing a poem out of one word is fun, playful, and downright clever.