Great Books:

Just above, you will find the menu of additional pages that are available. 

Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayres; illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott
Growing a garden was never so busy before! In a bouncy rhyme and pictures full of creatures and activity, a garden is planted, grows and becomes lunch.

Jack Plank Tells Tales by Natalie Babbitt
After spending years at sea, Jack comes to town to find a new career. Is there any job that is just right for an ex-pirate who is no good at plundering but loves to tell stories?

Never Take a Shark to the Dentist (and Other Things Not to Do) by Judi Barrett; illustrated by John Nickle
The things you shouldn’t do with various animal friends—and one you should!

Nic Bishop Frogs by Nic Bishop
In the incredible world of frogs, some species camouflage to escape danger, another eats with its eyes and one can even glide  through the air! Dazzling photographs and fun facts introduce these amazing amphibians in action.

A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker; illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
A small hungry mouse pesters Bear as he prepares breakfast. Exasperated, Bear shouts, “I told you to leave!” and “Unbelievable! Away with you! Vamoose!” but the mouse remains. Resigned, he extracts the mouse’s promise to leave after a cup of tea and some cheese. The unlikely friendship is sealed when Bear finds that he likes the attention!

Big Bad Bunny by Frannie Billingsley; illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Big Bad Bunny is chomping and crashing in the forest. And Baby Boo Boo has disappeared from her cozy bedroom. Maybe she’s in great danger…or maybe it’s just part of a funny surprise.

Diary of a Fly by Doreen Cronin; illustrated by Harry Bliss
The ups and downs of a young fly’s life are captured in funny pictures and in her own words, including flying lessons, school lunches and meeting the toughest babysitter ever: “She brought a frog.” Fun facts about flies are mixed in with the jokes and silliness.

Tadpole Rex by Kurt Cyrus
In the time of the dinosaurs, “Tadpole Rex” emerges from the goop. The creature grows into a frog, whose ancestors outlived all the dinosaurs “and somewhere inside, deep in their core, they all have an inner tyrannosaur.” Impressive scratchboard illustrations and clever rhymes bring this mighty prehistoric tale to life.

Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian
“The universe is every place, / Including all the e m p t y space.” Poems full of wordplay, rhyme and humor that’s just right for kids accompany eye-catching illustrations in this fascinating introduction to outer space.

Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little by Peggy Gifford; photography by Valorie Fisher
On the last day before fourth grade, Moxy Maxwell, usually an avid reader, finds multiple reasons to continue avoiding her assigned summer reading book.

Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett
A girl tells us about the animals she visited at the zoo with her stuffed monkey. Pay close attention to the pictures, and you just might be able to guess the next animal before she reveals it.

Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett
Colors, shapes and a simple story are cleverly presented through a seamless combination of witty watercolor illustrations and the four words of the title—plus one more at the very end.

Snoring Beauty by Bruce Hale; illustrated by Howard Fine
A fairy tale that’s as twisted as they come, and hilarious to boot. True to the spited fairy, Beebo’s curse, Princess Marge becomes a snoring dragon doomed to sleep until wakened by “a quince.” Yes, a quince, due to the curse-fix of a hard-of-hearing fairy. All ends well and the kingdom whoops it up “with a hey-nonny-nonny and a hot-cha-cha.”

Just Grace by Charise Mericle Harper
Grace’s humorous attempts to cheer up her neighbor Mrs. Luther leads to a misunderstanding about the woman’s disappearing cat!

The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County by Janice Harrington; illustrations by Shelley Jackson
Miss Hen is smart, fast and knows all the tricks. Is that enough to keep her safe from the girl who calls herself the Chicken-Chasing Queen? Dynamic illustrations bring this squawking, pecking, feather-flying battle of wits to a conclusion that works out fine for both girl and bird.

It’s Moving Day! by Pamela Hickma; illustrated by Geraldo Valerio
Over several seasons eight different animals make their home and raise their young in the same woodland burrow. When it’s time to move on, “It’s moving day!” and the next inhabitant moves in. Factual information on each animal is provided at the end of the story.

Oh, Theodore!: Guinea Pig Poems by Susan Katz; illustrated by Stacey Schuett
A boy gets a guinea pig for a pet. The boy and his guinea pig, Theodore (so named because he’s soft, fuzzy and brown like a teddy bear), cautiously adjust to each other, and their affection develops. Told in short, easy-to-read poems.

Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine; illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Henry Brown grew up a slave. After his wife and children are sold off to another master, and with nothing left to lose, Henry is boxed up by the local doctor, an abolitionist, and mailed! After a rough ride, Henry is unboxed—a free man.

I’m Bad! by Kate McMullan; illustrated by Jim McMullan
This T. Rex is determined to tell you just how very bad he is, but he’s also very hungry. Determinedly, he stalks his prey but never catches it. Is he ever going to eat again?

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great by Gerald Morris; illustrations by Aaron Renier
These adventures of the greatest knight of the Round Table are full of brave deeds and lots of humor. Lancelot rescues maidens and defeats evil knights. He also wins a tournament by accident, tricks an enemy by singing terribly and takes plenty of afternoon naps in this in this version that’s just right for young readers.

A Kitten Tale by Eric Rohmann
Four kittens have never seen snow, and three of them are pretty worried. The fourth kitten, however, says, “I can't wait.” When snow finally comes, will any of them be brave enough to venture outside into the cold and mysterious whiteness?

Nothing but Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson by Sue Stauffacher; illustrated by Greg Couch
A picture book biography of the tomboy who, given the opportunity to play tennis, not only learned the game but also how to keep her cool and, in 1957, became the first African-American to win at Wimbledon.

I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
A giant squid proclaims himself the biggest thing in the ocean, but his bragging comes to a humorous climax when he meets a whale.

Mind Your Manners, B. B. Wolf by Judy Sierra; illustrated by J. Otto Seibold
B.B. Wolf receives a “mysterious envelope” in the mail. It is invitation from Miss Wonderly to the “Annual Storybook Tea”! Should he go? He doesn’t think he likes tea…but will there be cookies? B.B. studies up on etiquette and goes off to the library tea in his best jacket. Can he behave like a gentleman?

Duck Soup by Jackie Urbanovic
Duck has cooked all kinds of delicious soups—but all from recipes created by other chefs. Attempting to come up with his own soup creation, he decides something is missing and goes off to look for it. His poor friends come in and see a feather in the pot! Has he fallen in?

Dog and Bear: Two Friends, Three Stories by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
In three very short but distinct stories, Bear, a multicolored stuffed toy, and Dog, a rowdy dachshund, solve problems and enjoy their friendship.

Robot Dreams by Sara Varon
In this nearly wordless book, comic book-style illustrations tell the story of Dog and his best friend, Robot. When the two become separated, readers follow their separate—and very different—experiences, which are amusing, wistful and truly thought provoking.

Every Friday by Dan Yaccarino
With warmth and charm in both text and the 1950s retro illustrations, a little boy recounts how every Friday morning, whatever the weather, he and his father walk to the local diner for breakfast.

Classics:

Fortunately by Remy Charlip
Ned’s day is full of unfortunate events, from a fall from an airplane to a sea full of sharks. Fortunately, every disaster is followed by a turn of good luck in this timeless tale of humor, adventure and surprise.

Go, Dog, Go! by P.D. Eastman
Preschoolers to beginning readers will love the doggie antics in this humorously illustrated cartoon canine classic.

Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag
An old man goes in search for the one perfect cat for his wife but returns with millions of cats. The timeless black-and-white illustrations are accompanied by a rhythmic hand-lettered text.

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
On a moonlight walk with his purple crayon, Harold steps into the imaginative scenes he draws, but how will he find his way back home to bed?

Jack and the Beanstalk retold and illustrated by Steven Kellogg
This picture book introduction to the classic folktale has both humorous and slightly scary elements that will pull children into the drama. The villain is warty ogre with a pig-like snout and sharp teeth.

Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel
Laugh along with quirky Toad and thoughtful Frog as they discover what it means to be friends through these five easy-to-read stories and the accompanying expressive illustrations, full of imagination, humor, gentleness and consideration for one another.

Mortimer by Robert Munsch; illustrated by Michael Martchenko
Mortimer does not want to go to sleep. Whenever anyone commands, “Mortimer, BE QUIET!” he has a refrain in a story that begs for audience participation.

Little Red Riding Hood by Jerry Pinkney
The winter scenes and the traditional responses of the wicked wolf will send chills down the reader’s spine in this richly illustrated and oh-so-satisfying version of the traditional folktale.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Not content to pick blackberries, Peter ventures into Mr. McGregor’s garden and must think fast in order to safely return home. The small book, realistic illustrations and polished text make this the perfect, intimate read aloud.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
When Max is sent to bed without his supper, he is so mad that he decides to sail to the land of the wild things, where he becomes the wildest of all.

My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett; illustrated by Ruth Chrisman Gannett
Young Elmer Elevator journeys to Wild Island and tries to outsmart lions, crocodiles and the other fierce, and sometimes silly, creatures that live there. It’s dangerous, but they’re holding a baby dragon prisoner, and Elmer will do whatever he can to rescue him.