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.
A child tries to understand the life of a man he has seen sleeping under a bridge. The boy’s mother patiently answers his questions and explains how people’s life paths can be so different. The child observes the things he has in common with the man and wonders where his own path will lead. This unique book will speak to children and adults alike.
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.
Drawing on the myth of the Chinese zodiac, The Animals of Chinese New Year follows twelve animals as they speed across a river, competing to represent the imminent new year in a race held by the Jade Emperor, the most powerful Chinese god. Each animal competes in its own unique way. The ox works hard, the tiger is brave, the dog smiles kindly, but who will win?
From dusk to dawn a forest creeps into a town where the grown-ups are too distracted to notice, but the children do. They see greenery take root in the lifeless cracks of dull sidewalks. They see an eagle build her nest atop a forgotten fountain and saplings start to sprout in dark corners. A gray-drab city defined by concrete and steel, vibrations and notifications, transforms into a living garden where apartment buildings overflow with window boxes full of flowers, birds sing songs through day and night and children laugh and tend to their gardens. Watch as nature reclaims this town.
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.
Ally isn't able to live with her mother. Instead she lives far, far away, on the other side of the country, with her gram and great-aunt. But one summer Ally goes to stay with her aunt and uncle in the "big city by the ocean" and gets to spend time with her mom. While exploring the shore, watching whales from the boat dipping into the salty water, Ally finds out something important: her mother loves to swim as much as she does.
Meet Little Duck in this new book in the All Natural series. It’s a beautiful day for a swim, so Little Duck heads to the water with her mama and siblings to play games and explore before they settle in for a nap.
Meet Little Fox in this new book in the All Natural series. When the sun starts to set, it’s time for Little Fox to wake up and be with his mama. But she doesn’t want to play. Can Little Fox find someone to play with before it’s time to go back to bed?
Jay the bear, Nora the rabbit and Clementine the bird invite readers to have fun seeking treasure, spotting differences and matching pairs. With unique prompts and questions on each page, young readers can engage in their own way with activities, such as inventing names for their favorite monsters, choosing what to pack in a suitcase or imagining combinations of magic potions. Part picture book, part multi-use activity book, the delightful and interactive artwork in Play With Jay! will spark inquiry, discussion and creativity in readers.
Tonight I am a bird. A seagull. A young child is tucked away in bed safe at home and imagines they are a seagull flying high above the ocean and watching over their father, the captain of a cargo ship, while he is away at sea. Tonight, they will journey across the sea to a faraway port. Through storms and calm, clear skies and fog, the bird will watch over the man until his work is complete and he can return safely home. With stunning illustrations that capture the immensity of freighters and the vastness of the ocean from a bird's-eye view, Cargo is a wonderful reminder of the connection between parent and child even when separated by great distances.
Through gentle rhymes and colorful photographs of adorable children, Pride Colors is a celebration of the deep unconditional love of a parent or caregiver for a young child. The profound message of this delightful board book is you are free to be whoever you choose to be; you'll always be loved. Celebrated author Robin Stevenson ends her purposeful prose by explaining the meaning behind each color in the Pride flag: red = life, orange = healing, yellow = sunlight, green = nature, blue = peace and harmony, and violet = spirit.
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.
A lively, loving serenade full of animals and rhyme that celebrates the joy of playing together. Humans become chickens and roosters, frogs and dogs, snails, whales and many more animals under the sun as children explore their creativity and uniqueness and caregivers play alongside. With messages of inclusiveness and unconditional acceptance, the rollicking, rhyming couplets depicting a day filled with dress-up and make-believe are a humorous and satisfying reminder to children of just how much their caregivers love them, no matter what.
Vibrant language and rhythm celebrate the start of a new day in this uplifting poem about a city waking up. On a beautiful, sunny morning, a family runs errands along a city street. They visit a bakery, flower shop and fruit market. Exuberant in sounds and sights—a baker sugaring tarts, flowers greeting passers-by and pigeons cooing—the story ends as a new day of sparkling possibility begins. Written in pantoum form and illustrated with delightful three-dimensional diorama images that play with light and shadow.
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.
Angus loves sparkly things, so much so that he can hear them. To Angus, shiny objects not only look beautiful; they also crackle, buzz and go whiz-bang-POP! His unique ability is lost, however, when Angus wears his grandma's beaded necklace to school, and his classmates tease him for his atypical choice. Saddened by their laughter, Angus stops hearing the sparkle. A gentle story of acceptance, generosity and friendship, Angus All Aglow reminds us that it only takes one kind gesture to restore your sparkle, and returning the kindness can make you glow from the inside out.
In this poetic picture book, young readers are invited to explore the sounds of nighttime and find comfort in them instead of fear. As a young child falls asleep, the night comes alive. Animals hide and leaves blow, seeds are spread and crops are watered, and the world wakes anew in the morning. Focusing on the necessity of nighttime, this beautiful book showcases the night, along with its sometimes scary sounds, through new eyes. Stunning illustrations from an award-winning illustrator complement each spread as the poetry balances the magic and mystery of nighttime with the comforting stillness of being tucked safely indoors.
What if Goldilocks was held accountable for her actions? In this graphic retelling of the fairy tale "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," author/illustrator Bee Waeland reimagines the story of a self-involved little girl who commits a crime and is arrested for breaking and entering. Having tracked deer poo into the Bear family’s house, broken a number of things, eaten all their porridge and fallen asleep in Baby Bear's bed, the family comes home and calls the authorities. Told without words, readers of all ages will delight in this hilarious and vibrant twist on the classic.
This heartwarming ghost story will make readers laugh out loud and sympathize with a ghost who is too cute to be scary. Wee Boo is a ghost who wants nothing more than to earn her haunting license like all the other accredited ghosts. The problem? She’s far too cute to scare anyone! She’s given one last chance, with extraordinarily low standards: Boo doesn’t need to make anyone scream or gasp or shudder, she just needs one “whoa” to earn her place as a certified ghost. But she's running out of chances and her final haunting is not going well—that is until she meets a baby. When Boo makes the baby laugh, she realizes something: although she’s terrible as a scary ghost, she might just make an outstanding imaginary friend. And a baby laughing in a crib at an invisible friend might just be enough to spook someone after all—the baby's parents.
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.
Grumble Yawn follows the onomatopoeic antics of a young girl and her cat as they resist the bedtime routine. This book is composed entirely of sounds and humor in a silly story that calls out to be read aloud with emphasis and humorous inflection. Howl moan squawk stomp—readers may recognize their own cacophonous bedtimes as the main character thwarts going quietly to sleep.
