Farmyard Beat, Lindsay Craig (Random)
Looking for a mood changer? Bright collages, dramatic animal noises, wild refrains and farmyard romping is perfect to escape a hard day.
I Must Have Bobo, Eileen Rosenthal, (Atheneum)
Toddlers will relate to the full range of strong emotions in text and illustration as a small boy feels the loss and panic, then the relief and comfort of refinding his stuffed monkey, Bobo.
Moo, Matthew Van Fleet (Simon and Schuster)
Push, pull, hear and feel the textures of farm animals. Experience the rhymes and rhythms and best of all the fun of animal identification and sound-making the photographs inspire.
Leap Back Home to Me, Lauren Thompson (McElderry)
Humor and reassurance in equal measures come with a bouncy rhythmic of a patient mother frog who always welcomes her adventuring child home.
Mitchell’s License, Hallie Durand (Candlewick)
Mitchell’s father has the perfect answer to bedtime difficulties—he gives the three year old a license, he becomes the car and they drive to bed. This silliness may serve as a vehicle to make bedtime more fun at your house.
Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site, Sherri Duskkey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld, (Chronicle)
Rhyming, trucks and a goodnight theme, what could be better for wakeful vehicle- lovers.
Tell Me the Day Backwards, Albert Lamb (Candlewick)
A lyrical and reassuring exchange occurs between Mama and Cub as they remember the day’s events in reverse. She prompts gently and he remembers enthusiastically. Together they introduce a lovely new bedtime ritual.
Little White Rabbit, Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow)
A small curious white rabbit imagines what it might be if he were green, or tall, or still. When he spies a dangerous cat he hurries home to his mother’s warm hug. The palette , a mix of pastels and vivid colors, balance the imagination and safety of his journey into independence.
The Story of Ferdinand the Bull: 75th Anniversary Edition, Munro Leaf (Viking)
The gentle story of a peaceful bull who prefers flowers to fighting comes in a special slip-cased edition.
Amanda and Her Alligator! Mo Willems (Balzer and Bray, ages 4-7)
Willems triumphs again! His readable first chapter book is long on laughter, fun and friendship. Meet Amanda, a girl with a few tricks up her sleeve, and Alligator, her stuffed toy, who’s also full of surprises.
Michael Hague’s Treasured Classics (Chronicle Books, ages 4-7)
Fourteen first fairy tales (the ones every child should know) simply told and lushly illustrated.
Tales for Very Picky Eaters, Josh Schneider (Clarion, ages 4-8)
Five short chapters show the vey pick eating of James and the extreme humor, imagination and storytelling, his father uses to get his son gobbling.
Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake, Michael B. Kaplan (Dial)
Betty Bunny falls in love with chocolate cake and “wants to marry it”. Her obsession colors her life at home and school with silly situations and funny dialogues.
The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred, Samantha R. Vamos (Charlesbridge)
The maiden makes rice pudding adding one ingredient in a cumulative structure like the House-that Jack-Built. But the author mixes Spanish and English adding a dash of fun to the strong cadences.
Me ... Jane, Patrick McDonnell (Little Brown, ages 3-6)
A simple story and cartoon-like illustrations show Little Jane who, accompanied by her stuffed chimpanzee, observes nature closely and dreams of working in Africa. A surprising last page reveals a photograph of young Jane Goodall living her dream.
Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom, Shane Evans (Roaring Brook, ages 6-8)
Most pages have no more than four words per page spread, but they carry an intensity as do the dark dramatic illustrations showing one family’s emotional journey from slavery to the burst into and “Freedom”.
Dot, Patricia Intriago (FSG, all ages)
The simplest and most complex concept book has contrasting dots with graphic representations that are surprising on several different levels.
Just one Bite: 11 Animals and Their Bites at Life Size!, Lola Schaefer (Chronicle, ages 4-7)
This oversized book with strong graphics allows expansive views and intriguing perspectives of gobblers as large as that of a sperm whale and meals as small as a worm’s speck.
Swirl By Swirl: Spirals in Nature, Joyce Sidman (Houghton, ages 3-6)
Poetic descriptions placed in wonderful swirls of art build a picture of the power of the spiral, “a snuggling shape”. This book journey tours nature from small curled fern heads to swelling ocean waves.
Nothing Like a Puffin, Sue Soltis, (Candlewick, ages 4-7)
“There is nothing like a puffin” begins the author. Her strong opening is followed with a string of lively and unusual comparisons that set young children wondering and making connections.
Stars, Mary Lyn Ray (Beach Lane Books)
A quiet tone and second-person voice invites children to wonder about all kinds of stars, real and imagined. From those that come so the dark “doesn’t feel so dark” to one you can keep in your pocket so you feel shiny.
Who Has These Feet, Laura Hulbert (Holt)
Who has these feet? Asks every page and bright illustrations of eight different species’ feet fill the page to demonstrate. Wonder a bit then turn and learn as the simple text explains how each pair of feet makes adaptation possible.
Binky Under Pressure, Ashley Spires (Kids Can Press, ages 6 and up)
Binky’s third graphic novel won’t disappoint fans of the Space Cat as he fights to defend his food, space and reputation against the striped alien cat who’s invaded his home.
11 Experiments That Failed, Jenny Offill & Nancy Carpenter (Schwartz and Wade ages 6-9)
Enter the wild world of a curious heroine who has quirky questions, humorous hypotheses, and riotous results. Adventure with her to the back of her closet where she grows fungus in her brothers sneakers and the bathroom where she hides after discovering you can’t wash dishes in the washing machine.
Belle, the Last Mule at Gee’s Bend: A Civil Rights Story, Calvin Alexander Ramsey and Bettye Stroud (Candlewick, 2011, ages 7-10)
Why is Belle, an ancient grazing mule, the hero of Gee’s Bend? Ramsey’s story reveals how “the Benders” fought for Civil Rights, like mules-- “strong and steady, and stubborn.” And as a symbol, Belle was chosen to pull King’s casket through Atlanta.
Can We Save the Tiger? Martin Jenkins (Candlewick)
An oversized book with stunning illustrations by Vicky White has a powerful text that invites readers to consider the complexities of the plight of endangered animals.
Jason Chin, Coral Reefs (Roaring Brook, ages 5-8)
For a second time the author writes a non-fiction text with fantastical illustrations. This time girl is so swept up in reading and research that she’s surprised when she’s swept away by a coral reef that’s grown around her.
A Nation’s Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis, Matt De La Pena (Dial, ages 8-11)
Rhythmic cadences and striking art capture an era, the life of fighter Joe Louis, and a moment in time when his 1938 victory against German Max Shelling became a symbol to people all over America.
Energy Island: How One Community Harnessed the Wind and Changed Their World, Allan Drummond (FSG, ages 7 and up)
The captivating young voice of the young student describes the amazing transition of his Danish island to energy independence. The breezy voice and wind-swept illustrations add to a mood that fosters conversations about energy.
Irena Sendler and the Children of the Warsaw Ghetto, Susan Goldman Rubin (Holiday House, ages 9- adult)
In 1940, Irena, horrified by the treatment of the Jews in her home of Warsaw, Poland, determined to do whatever she could to save them. The many stories of her imaginative and courageous rescues make for fascinating reading and discussions.
Levi Strauss Gets a Bright Idea: A Fairly Fabricated Story of a Pair of Pants, Tony Johnston, (Harcourt,ages 5-9)
This biography engages from the shouted beginning , “Gold”, to the language that’s as rich in voice and details as the California Gold Rush!
Queen of the Falls, Chris Van Allsburg (Houghton, ages 9-adult)
The author-illustrator has his typical unusual approach in focusing on Annie Edson Taylor, who, 1at 62 goes over Niagara Falls in a barrel to fund her retirement. Her determination pays off in survival success, but alas, not in money.
The House Baba Built: An Artist’s Childhood in China, Ed Young (Little Brown, ages 9 and up)
A mix of medias, colors, feelings, textures and views of Ed Young’s early life centers on the home his father built in 1931 Shanghai. This memoir embraces a child’s view of war, family, storytelling, and more.
Knick-Knack Paddywack! Paul O. Zelinsky (Dutton, ages 3-5)
This favorite singeable song reaches out to young singers with new verses, lots of moving parts and a silly story of funny old men who appear when you turn wheels and pull tabs.
Chanukah Lights, Michael J. Rosen and Robert Sabuda (Candlewick, ages 3 and up)
The author’s simple poetic tone and the paper engineer’s elegant illustrations transport children around the world and through time while celebrating the enduring spirit of the holiday.
Feel the Force! Tom Adams and Thomas Flintham (Candlewick, ages 8 and up)
Tiny sound bites of information about force add to a giant amount of knowledge. The authors give friction, pressure, sound and light reality with playful child-centric examples and experiment suggestions besides!
The Splendid Spotted Snake, Betty Ann Schwartz & Alexander Wilensky (Workman, ages 3-5)
A little yellow snake grows larger and larger. On each page the ribboned snake adds more length and colors. A surprising, fun way to understand color and size concepts.
Art in a Box, Sarah Richardson (Tate, 21.95, ages 6 and up)
An artist- teacher boxes up twenty postcards of work by artists like Picasso and Calder and offers questions to guide children’s examining and exploring the pieces in depth.
The Wizard of Oz: A Scanimation Book, Rufus Butler Seder (Workman,$14.95. ages 5 to adult)
Each page gives a scene synopsis, poignant quote, and best of all moving pictures that dramatize the most powerful moments of the film.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Pop-up book, Roald Dahl (Puffin, ages 6-9)
The magic of the tale springs to life with a 3-D factory and flaps and tabs that give you a sense of being inside the story.
Lost and Found, Shaun Tan and John Marsden (Scholastic, ages 11-adult)
Three acclaimed stories published in Australia wow sophisticated American audiences with metaphors as intricate and absorbing as the stories themselves.
Charles Dickens: England’s Most Captivating Storyteller, Catherine Wells-Cole, (Candlewick, ages 10 and up)
Flipping pages, letters to open, mini-books reveal much about the man, the writer and his era. The text is as involving as the gimmicks.
Lost and Found, Shaun Tan and John Marsden (Scholastic, ages 11-adult)
Three acclaimed stories published in Australia wow sophisticated American audiences. Enter strange worlds where metaphors are as intricate and absorbing as the stories themselves. The title story became a short that won Tan an Academy Award this year.
The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures, Caroline Preston, (Ecco, ages 14 to adult)
A penchant for collecting memorabilia, a blank scrapbook and an inherited Corona portable are all the tools Frankie Pratt needs to capture her 1920’s coming of age. This book is as much fun for viewing the era as for learning Frankie’s story.