The world is a really big place for little kids. When Olivia starts to feel overwhelmed by her big feelings, she sprouts vines. They are thorny and twisty and make it impossible for Olivia to do the things she loves to do, like ride her bike or play with her friends. Plus, no one wants to come near a giant ball of thorns. Luckily, Olivia has a very special teacher. Someone who sees past the prickly and the pokey to the upset little girl and helps Olivia learn to manage the vines.
Reveling in metaphor, with two books in one, this book encourages a magical leap of imagination and asks the reader to look at everyday objects from a different perspective. That moon is a silver pond when seen through the trees, and when they tend the cow, the moon is the milk at the bottom of the pail. The sun takes the form of the yolk of an egg, a spool of thread, the eye of a bird, an ice-cream cone and a dandelion.
A hug and a giggle? Who doesn’t love a good higgle!? This delightfully playful board book will have readers of all ages chuckling as they read fabricated words of affection. A tickle plus a snuggle makes for a tuggle while a snickle and a higgle gets you a sniggle.
Bob’s tricycle is broken, and he needs a wrench to fix it. He ventures out to buy one at the Megamart, where slick salesman, Mr. Mart, convinces Bob that it’s not a wrench he needs, but a fridge hat…singing pajamas…a screaming machine! Bob spends all his money on things that he really doesn’t need and before he knows it has no money and no wrench.
With very little text, this book lets the illustrations tell the charming story of a child carried away into a world much bigger than herself. A young girl and her family travel from the city to the country to celebrate her grandmother's birthday. Someone suggests that Arianne, as the only child at the party, might enjoy exploring the garden more than listening to the adults chat.
A stumpy tail, mismatched paws, a long, drooly snout and the biggest dog heart that ever beat. In a celebration of what makes a pet unique, a little girl imagines how an odd assortment of parts combined to make the perfect dog.
The world grows restful, but don’t sleep yet, wait until the grassy meadow is quiet and the forest creatures are hidden away. Until the farm animals are snug in the barn and the toys are tidied in their proper spots. Until the bath warms your toes and the blanket tucks you in tightly. Only when we finish our story and the stars are in the sky is it time to sleep.
Lou spends every Saturday with Grandad and Pops. They walk to the library hand in hand, like a chain of paper dolls. Grandad reads books about science and design, Pops listens to rock and roll, and Lou bounces from lap to lap. But everything changes one Saturday. Pops has a fall. That night there is terrible news: Pops will need to use a wheelchair, not just for now, but for always. Unable to cope with his new circumstances, he becomes withdrawn and shuts himself in his room. Hearing Grandad trying to cheer up Pops inspires Lou to make a plan. Using skills learned from Grandad, and with a little help from their neighbors, Lou comes up with a plan for Pops.
Luna's dad is having a birthday, and Luna has a lot of surprises planned to help him celebrate, including a pancake breakfast, a trip to the pet store, a treasure hunt, and a princess tea party. She keeps Dad busy all day with a string of fun surprises. But Luna gets a surprise herself when dad falls asleep during a late night movie. Kids who love to stay up late and sleepy parents will laugh out loud as they find out who gets the final surprise.
In this rhyming counting book, young readers will venture alongside a young boy as he climbs a tree. When he gets to the top, he's excited to take in the view. But an unexpected encounter with a buzzing beehive sends him back down more quickly than he went up!
Elements of magical realism turn a grandmother/grandson day of fishing into an extraordinary experience. When this duo casts out their lines, they catch some fish and a snapping turtle. But with a little time and patience, they catch all sorts of unexpected things in Magic Lake--rollerblades, fuzzy slippers, a fire-breathing dragon, and a ferry that takes them to faraway places. The young boy learns that life is an adventure filled with the magic of possibility.
In this charming tale of two princess sisters, Charlotte is a perfect princess and Olive is, well, just Olive. She tries to be more like her older sister, but despite Olive's best efforts, she always seems to fall short. Will Olive ever shine like Charlotte? Readers will root for loveable Olive on her journey toward self-acceptance.
Maggie loves living on a farm, but she isn't happy when the cows move into her cozy house. They cook in her kitchen, play dress-up in her closet, take bubble baths in her tub, and have no interest in leaving! Can Maggie find a way to get the cows to go? In this humorous rhyming picture book, Maggie shows readers that anything is possible with a little out-of-the-box thinking.
This wordless picture book in graphic novel format tells the story of Saya, her dad and her well-loved stuffed bunny, Kunoichi, to go to the park. On their way, Saya stealthily stops a fight by flinging her floppy four-legged ninja-bunny between two snarling cats. Later on, on the bus, Saya throws Kunoichi under the wheels of a child’s stroller, halting its dangerous roll toward the stairs. Dad doesn't notice as Saya uses Kunoichi to save the day time and time again on their outing and on the bus home, proving small actions can have a great impact.
father brings home a stuffed rabbit with red and blue polka dots on its ears, Jeremy is thrilled. Jeremy and Pershey go everywhere together. Find out what happens when Pershey is lost when the family goes to the beach on vacation. A happy ending adds interest to this special tale about a boy and his rabbit, and encourages a lifelong love for reading.
Our bodies! Our amazing, astounding, and all-around awesome bodies! Bodies come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and can do extraordinary things. Our bodies are uniquely our own yet they connect us to the world around us in so many ways. Through playful rhymes and colorful engaging artwork, all the things that make our bodies special--from the texture of our hair to the color of our eyes--are celebrated. This sweet and inclusive book encourages young readers to acknowledge and accept differences, and offers the perfect opportunity to open up conversations about body acceptance. Every body is different and all bodies are good. Back matter includes tips and conversation starters for parents and educators to use with children.
From the boiler to the coupling, build a little train along with an engineer and her workers. This rhyming story will have readers chugging along with the team as the train takes shape. Just don't forget the caboose! Woot woot!
When it's time to write in class, one child feels like she has absolutely nothing to say. But suddenly--ker-plink--one drop, one tiny thought, hits her. And before long she's caught in a shower of funny phrases, a whirlwind of adjectives and verbs, a downpour of huge ideas. Boom, CRASH! A regular brainstorm of creativity for her to soak up and play in! With writing prompts and a glossary in the back matter, this is a story to inspire imagination and ingenuity in all readers.
From a mischief of mice and a shiver of sharks to a caravan of camels and a rhumba of rattlesnakes, animals from around the globe gather a group and sashay, swim, slither, or sail through this party of animal plurals. The only question is "What to call this animal arcade? This critter convention? This zigzag zoo? This purring and preening parade?"
Little c has an adventure with items beginning with her letter's sound, such as a cat, a canary, and a clown in a castle. Additional features to aid comprehension include rebus icons for word recognition, a word list for review, activities for further learning, a note to parents and educators, and an introduction to the author and illustrator.
When the tsunami destroyed Makio's village, Makio lost his father . . . and his voice. The entire village is silenced by grief, and the young child's anger at the ocean grows. Then one day his neighbor, Mr. Hirota, begins a mysterious project—building a phone booth in his garden. At first Makio is puzzled; the phone isn't connected to anything. It just sits there, unable to ring. But as more and more villagers are drawn to the phone booth, its purpose becomes clear to Makio: the disconnected phone is connecting people to their lost loved ones. Makio calls to the sea to return what it has taken from him and ultimately finds his voice and solace in a phone that carries words on the wind. The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota's Garden is inspired by the true story of the wind phone in Otsuchi, Japan, which was created by artist Itaru Sasaki. He built the phone booth so he could speak to his cousin who had passed, saying, "My thoughts couldn't be relayed over a regular phone line, I wanted them to be carried on the wind." The Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in 2011 destroyed the town of Otsuchi, claiming 10 percent of the population. Residents of Otsuchi and pilgrims from other affected communities have been traveling to the wind phone since the tsunami.
With soft illustrations and soothing text, this is a quiet story about learning to find calm in the busy world around you. When the party's over and the baby finally falls asleep, when the dog is all barked out and the screens are dark, the Silence pads in on soft, furry feet. A warm, comforting presence, the Silence curls up in a sun-beam like a cuddly cat and helps you read, think and be still. The Silence is friends with the Dark. Together they soothe the jagged edges left when the Noise has rolled on and gently launch the boats of your dreams into the night. When the day becomes overwhelming or other feelings become too big, the Silence slips in.
As a trio of tired tots settles into bed for the night, the sheep who should be helping them count down to slumber kick up their hooves instead in an energetic dance performance. Starting with one little lamb and counting up to 10, these "sleep" sheep tap, waltz, tango, and even boogie as they get their nighttime groove on. But finally, after their energy is danced out, nap sheep lull everyone to sleep.
Pug is snug on his rug. But what happens when along comes BUG?! With a claim to the rug?! The two engage in a hysterical, rhyming battle of wits and strength until Slug asks the necessary questions and helps them find common ground. Rhyming is an important developmental reading skill. It teaches phonics (decodable text) and helps young readers infer content. This is a fun story to build those skills--and is an epic read aloud!
Lila loves watching the swallows fly. See how beautiful a bird’seye view can be.