Picture Books At The Library 211

I catalog hundreds of new picture books each year, and I read as many of them as I can. Unfortunately, I can’t review them all. But I can share them! Below are a few recent titles. (Summaries have been taken directly from the books whenever possible.) Check your local library or bookstore for availability.

46114265. sx318 — LILAH TOV GOOD NIGHT: Based on a Hebrew lullaby, a Jewish refugee family travels by night to find a safe home in a new land. *Rhyme*

51860231. sx318 sy475 — BIKE & TRIKE: When Lulu graduates to a bicycle with training wheels, rusty, old Trike feels lonely in the garage and worries about Lulu’s safety on her shiny, new bike.

44581496. sx318 — WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS: When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth and poison her people’s water, one young water protector takes a stand to defend Earth’s most sacred resource.

52537133. sx318 sy475 — HAVE YOU EVER ZEEN A ZIZ?: The mythological Ziz is a giant bird that likes to show off by flying, singing, blocking out the sun with its wings, and resting its head upon a cloud. *Rhyme*

53075711. sx318 sy475 — MY OCEAN IS BLUE: Join a curious young explorer on her seaside adventure as she relates everything the ocean can be with all of its shapes, sounds, smells, and sights.

51992137. sx318 sy475 — REMEMBERING ETHAN: Sarah misses her big brother Ethan and wants to talk about him, but her parents don’t even want to mention his name, and she can’t understand why.

52537108. sx318 sy475 — CAT AND DOG’S ALPHABET: When Dog discovers the 26 letters of the alphabet, it’s up to Cat to show him all the great things he can do with them.

50752740. sx318 sy475 — DIGGERSAURS EXPLORE: The diggersaurs search for buried treasure and discover a new friend. *Rhyme*

52033579. sx318 sy475 — BABY CLOWN: When Frieda and Boffo Clown have a baby, the entire circus is over the moon, but there’s just one problem, Baby Clown won’t stop crying.

50160124. sx318 sy475 — DOWN UNDER THE PIER: There’s lots of fun to be had up on the pier, but it’s down under the pier, at low tide, where the real magic can be found.

49993427. sx318 sy475 — THE HOMESICK CLUB: Monica and Hannah are classmates who have moved to the U.S. from far away and miss their homes so much that they form the Homesick Club.

48992717. sx318 — THIS BOOK IS UPSIDE DOWN: Penelope Giraffe and Gus Penguin are at home on two different sides of the same world, and when something looks upside down to Penelope, it looks right-side up to Gus.

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51201848. sx318 sy475 — OVER THE MOON: When two wolves find a baby floating down the river, they take her home, nourish her, teach her, love her, watch her grow, and let her go.

52128102. sx318 — LITTLE BEAR’S TREASURES: Little Bear loves his treasures, but the other animals think they’re only junk, until Little Bird comes along.

40597256. sx318 — TREES MAKE PERFECT PETS: The whole family is surprised when Abigail chooses a tree for a pet, and Names it Fido, keeps it in her room, and takes it for walks, until it grows too big and she must reluctantly plant it in the yard.

45894175. sx318 — I GO QUIET: A lonely little girl, overwhelmed by an overpowering and hostile world, disappears into the pages of a book and her imagination and discovers her voice.

50866546. sx318 — IN A GARDEN: Follow a busy garden through the seasons from seedlings sprouting in spring and birds, bees, and bunnies visiting to the chill of fall and the stillness of winter and then back to spring again. *Rhyme*

52238638. sx318 sy475 — I DON’T LIKE RAIN: One sunny day, a little rabbit and his pals are playing outside, until the rain comes pouring down and spoils their fun, or does it?

52011129. sx318 sy475 — GLAD, GLAD BEAR!: Bear is very glad about going to ballet class today, gets anxious before the music starts, then joyously begins to dance.

50092205. sx318 — BOATS WILL FLOAT: Observe a wide variety of boats that spend all day from early morning to dreamy night in the bay, on the ocean, or under the sea. *Rhyme*

46223438. sx318 — DRAGON MEETS BOY: Dragon and Boy have many adventures together, but when Boy grows up, Dragon is left alone to guard all of Boy’s treasures until he returns.

52537186. sx318 sy475 — TIARA’S HAT PARADE: When her momma has to close down her millinery shop, Tiara finds a way to show her how much her hats mean to the community.

48993256. sx318 — ELMORE AND PINKY: Elmore the porcupine longs for a best friend, and after Pinky the skunk scares off some frightening bears, Elmore realizes his best friend has been there all along.

50548057 — CANNONBALL: A Maori boy dreams of pulling off the perfect cannonball and making a big splash, but after listening to everyone’s advice, he still struggles, until he learns to listen to himself.

Picture Books At The Library 209

I’m pleased to resume Picture Books At The Library with this 209th list featuring an eclectic mix of books that have been published during the first half of 2020. How many have you read?

52537149. sx318 sy475 — DIABETES DOESN’T STOP MADDIE!: When Maddie returns to school after discovering she has diabetes, she’s not ready to tell her classmates because she doesn’t want to be different.

51182631. sx318 sy475 — I’M STICKING WITH YOU: Bear and Squirrel are best friends, and wherever Squirrel goes, Bear follows, until Squirrel decides he’s had enough and wants his space.

44575105. sx318 — BUNNY BUSINESS: The bunnysitter is sick and Mama must bring Bunny to work with her, which is exciting for Bunny, but when boredom and hunger strike, Bunny must find a way to take charge.

46223446 — ALREADY A BUTTERFLY: A too-busy butterfly, who spends her day hurrying and worrying, finds her own quiet place after learning about meditation and mindfulness from a flower bud.

49410386. sx318 sy475 — HOW TO SOLVE A PROBLEM: Ashima solves her problems, which are boulders with twists and turns, by seeing the possibilities and climbing to the top, but not without learning from scrapes and falls first.

45866065. sx318 — HOME BASE: A young girl and her mother support one another as one tries out for the baseball team and the other interviews for a bricklaying job, then celebrate their success together.

48713594. sx318 — USHA AND THE STOLEN SUN: Usha is determined to bring the sun back to her village by knocking down the wall that blocks it.

49784407. sx318 sy475 — KNOT CANNOT: Knot longs to be like Snake because Snake can do so many amazing things, but when a bird threatens to eat Snake, it’s Knot to the rescue.

43679869. sx318 — WHAT I LIKE MOST: A little girl observes, one by one, the things that bring her joy, but even after those things are gone, one favorite always remains, her mother.

44575178. sx318 — A LITTLE BIT BRAVE: Logan is a stay-at-home bunny who musters up the courage to set off on an adventure to find his friend Luna and, ultimately, saves her from a hungry wolf.

44280861. sx318 — THE BEAR’S GARDEN: An imaginative little girl sees an empty lot in the city and envisions a beautiful garden that brings her community together.

46208134. sx318 — MY MASTODON: Inspired by the 19th-century lives of artist and scientist Charles Willson Peale’s family, this is a tale of a girl and her favorite companion, a fossilized mastodon, which will soon travel from Philadelphia to London.

“Picture Books At The Library” Returning Soon!

I haven’t posted Picture Books At The Library since my library shut down due to the pandemic in mid-March. But now that I’m back to work in the library (I had been teleworking) and shipments have resumed from our vendors, I’ll finally be able to share new picture books again!

I may be back to work, but the library building is not yet open to the public. We’ve been offering curbside pickup for the past several weeks. And we’re still promoting digital services and resources, as well as online programs (the summer reading program is in full swing) and access to digital books, movies, music, and more. If you haven’t already, check your library’s website to see what kinds of offerings they have. Even during times like these, most libraries are working hard to serve their communities.

I hope that wherever you are in the world, that things are improving. And I hope you will soon be able to visit your library to check out a few glorious new picture books. There are many to choose from! My third hope is that if you cannot visit your library, that you can access many wonderful picture books digitally. It’s not quite the same as having that physical book in your hands, but it’s something, at least.

Stay well, everyone. Wear your mask. Wash your hands. And stay strong. We’re all in this together, and we’ll get out of it together, too! Until then, read some picture books to help you and your kids escape even for just a few moments. I can’t wait to share tons of fabulous new picture books with you. Even if you can’t get your hands on the books right away, keep a list, keep them in mind, and when your library reopens, they’ll be waiting there for you. See you soon At The Library!

Picture Books At The Library 208

43728123. sx318 — WHEN NUMBERS MET LETTERS: Toy numbers and letters meet and, in some cases, clash in a classroom during recess, but soon discover that they have some things in common. *Clever and fun!*

40749393. sx318 — OLD ROCK: Tall Pine, Spotted Beetle, and Hummingbird are certain that being a rock is boring until Old Rock shares what he has seen and done since he first flew out of a volcano.

51788442. sx318 sy475 — THE GIRL WHO SPOKE TO THE MOON: When Sofia dreams of visiting the Moon one night, she discovers people are hurting the Earth, and with the Moon as her guide, she learns how we can work together to make the Earth feel better. *Rhyme*

44281044. sx318 — WHERE LILY ISN’T: Lily is no longer in the house, or the park, or waiting by the door, but she remains in one little girl’s heart forever.

45730139. sx318 — SNAIL CROSSING: A determined snail spots cabbages on the other side of the road, and thus begins his epic journey. *Funny!*

42123852. sx318 — ONE HUG: A celebration of the many ways we embrace our loved ones. *Rhyme*

43495032. sx318 — FREEDOM BIRD: In the antebellum South, two siblings shelter a large, mysterious, wounded bird and eventually follow it west toward freedom.

44280867. sx318 — SUNNY: Sunny likes to look on the bright side of things, even when she was stranded at sea, until she found herself all alone and close to losing hope. *Love this one!*

46041193. sx318 — MAGNIFICENT HOMESPUN BROWN: An exuberant celebration of feeling at home in one’s own skin.

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Two of these lovely picture books were illustrated by the same artist. Can you tell which ones by just looking at the cover art?

42424217. sx318 — THE BEAR MUST GO ON: Rabbit, Bear, Squirrel, and Other Squirrel make big plans for a show, but they have forgotten one very important thing, and only shy Bear can help.

46046253 — HOSEA PLAYS ON: Rain or shine and with his saxophone case in hand, Hosea rides the bus to his favorite place–the Rochester Public Market–to play for everyone there.

45359228. sx318 — OVERGROUND RAILROAD: A girl named Ruth Ellen tells the story of her family’s train journey from North Carolina to New York City as part of the Great Migration.

47322775. sx318 — THE HEART OF A WHALE: Lonely Whale’s beautiful song calms a wriggly octopus, cheers a sad urchin, and much more, but it cannot cure his longing to meet another whale.

43015311. sx318 — I AM GOOSE!: Goose asks to play Duck, Duck, Goose with the other animals, but causes trouble by insisting that none of them can possibly be goose.

45046803. sx318 — NUMENIA AND THE HURRICANE: When Numenia and her sisters fly into a hurricane, fierce winds rip Numenia away from her family during their migration.

45169357. sx318 — BIG PAPA AND THE TIME MACHINE: In this dialogue between a child and his grandfather, crucial moments of African American history and stories of courage are shared.

44672344 — IN A JAR: When Llewellyn, a little rabbit who collects ordinary things in jars, meets a friend named Evelyn, he joins with her to capture the extraordinary.

52080062. sx318 sy475 — THE PERFECTLY PERFECT WISH: A young girl has so many choices, but only one wish.

44280895 — THE MUSIC OF LIFE: In Paris, Lenny has trouble starting to compose his symphony until he discovers that there is music all around him in everyday life.

Picture Books At The Library 206

These recent picture books couldn’t be more different in story or art style, and each one is worth checking out!

43015303. sx318 — YOU LOVES EWE!: Homonyms cause great confusion as an increasingly cranky yam tries to make introductions and provide explanations to his silly donkey friend. *Funny!*

37572178. sx318 — BEDTIME FOR SWEET CREATURES: As a young child protests bedtime by behaving like different animals, Mommy struggles to wrangle her sweet creature into bed.

42642025. sx318 — SOMETHING FOR YOU: When a field mouse discovers that his friend is sick in bed, he is determined to make her feel better, but things don’t go as planned. *Sweet!*

44526373. sx318 — FREEDOM SOUP: As Ti Gran teaches Belle how to make Freedom Soup, she tells her the history of her family and the history of Haiti.

45032279. sx318 — PENGUIN & MOOSE: Penguin is determined to learn how to fly, and his friend Moose is determined to help him, or support him when he fails.

44145735. sx318 — THE BEST KIND OF BEAR: Bear goes on a mission to find out what kind of bear he is, a grizzly bear, a sun bear, a polar bear, a spectacled bear, or something else entirely.

46454348. sx318 — TOOTH FAIRY IN TRAINING: A new tooth fairy learns the trade from her older sister, and discovers there’s more to it than just collecting teeth from sleeping children. *Rhyme*

45894182. sx318 — THE OLD TRUCK: A girl grows up on a farm, learns to build and fix things, and eventually restores the old family truck.

43908988. sx318 — CAVEBOY CRUSH: Neander, determined to win over Neanne, brings her gift after gift, but she remains unimpressed, until he comes up with the grandest gesture of all.

Top 10 Circulating Picture Books of 2019

Which picture books were checked out most often from the Community Library of DeWitt and Jamesville in 2019?

There was a tie for the top spot between two wonderful stand-alone titles! That’s right, a movie or TV tie-in did not take the top spot this year! Shocking, I know! But also pretty awesome!

The Library’s top circulating books were The Color Monster : A Story About Emotions and Sophie Johnson : Unicorn Expert. Both circulated 20 times. This may seem like a small number, but when you consider that each book may be checked out for up to 3 weeks (21 days), that 20 times means the top books were checked out over and over for the entire year!

Circulated 20 Times:

Of course, there are a couple of movie and TV tie-ins in the Top 10. Paw Patrol is on the list again this year with a book that made the list last year, and, in fact, Real Rescue Dogs circulated one time more this year than last.

And Llama Llama–from the Netflix series, not the book series–is on the list as well.

The rest of the Top 10 spotlights a terrific mix of picture books featuring ever-popular characters, such as penguins, trucks, and dinosaurs. Two surprising, but well deserving, titles made the list too: Tomie dePaola’s Quiet and Brian Lies’ The Rough Patch. Check out all of the covers below.

Circulated 19 Times:

Circulated 18 Times:

Circulated 17 Times:

What are the top circulating picture books at your local library?

Take a look at the top circulating picture books at the Community Library of DeWitt & Jamesville in prior years:

Top 21 of 2018

Top 17 of 2017

Top 19 of 2016

Top 15 of 2015

Picture Books At The Library 205

43522208. sx318 — BRUCE’S BIG STORM: Grumpy Bruce the bear does not like neighbors, but is forced to help when a big storm draws them all to his home. *Fun!*

43387393. sx318 — A STONE SAT STILL: A stone is considered from a variety of environmental and emotional perspectives as it sits where it is, an unchanging certainty in the world. *Lovely!*, *Rhyme*

42550052. sx318 — FIVE MINUTES: Throughout a child’s day, five minutes can go by quickly, such as when you’re on a roller coaster, or slowly, such as when you’re in the dentist’s chair. *Definitely relatable!*

43289978. sy475 — SMALL IN THE CITY: A little boy offers advice to his cat, which is lost in the city, from taking shortcuts through alleys to finding a friend in the park. *Sweet!*

43497892. sx318 — ALONG THE TAPAJOS: When the rainy season comes, Caua and Inae’s family must leave their village and relocate to higher ground, but after moving, the siblings realize they’ve left something important behind.

46064608. sx318 — WONDER MOLE’S SCENT COSTUME PARTY: When a wily weasel sneaks into Wonder Mole’s scent costume party with plans for a two-mole dinner, a policemole nearly foils his ruse. *Funny*!

42642077 — THE AWESOME, IMPOSSIBLE, UNSTOPPABLE GADGET: A budding young scientist at Camp C.R.E.A.T.E. must save the day when another creative camper’s invention goes out of control. *Rhyme*

44144940. sx318 — THE BOY WITH BIG, BIG FEELINGS: When a boy with big feelings–so big that they glow from his cheeks and spill out of his eyes–meets a girl who also has big feelings, he discovers that having big emotions is nothing to be ashamed of. *Rhyme*

44025488. sx318 — WHEN A KID LIKE ME FIGHTS CANCER: When a young boy is diagnosed with cancer, he learns he can fight it, but he doesn’t have to fight alone.

42479360. sx318 — AS WARM AS THE SUN: Toby, a French bulldog who dreams of being warm all the time, is not pleased when Pinkie arrives and takes all of his favorite warm spots.

Picture Books At The Library 204

43666735. sx318 — PIGEON MATH: Telling a story about pigeons should be simple, but what’s a narrator to do when the number of feathered friends keeps changing? *Funny*!

43416624. sx318 — AT THE MOUNTAIN’S BASE: As a Cherokee family waits for their loved one, a pilot, to return home, the strength in their song sustains them.

40311206. sx318 — PEOPLE SHARE WITH PEOPLE: Touts the importance of sharing everything from blankets to toys, but not sneezes, cups, or toothbrushes. *Fun Read Aloud!*, *Rhyme*

ELBOW GREASE VS. MOTOZILLA: To face off against the monster machine Motozilla, Elbow Grease and his brothers will have to learn to work as a team.

43908866. sx318 — OAK LEAF: An oak leaf travels on an autumn breeze, up and over the world, then down again, and comes to rest on the pages of an open book.

43679868. sx318 — MR. SCRUFF: A lonely old dog longs for a home, but no one seems to be a match until a boy comes along. *Sweet!*, *Rhyme*

42785750 — SULWE: Sulwe, who has skin the color of midnight, longs to be beautiful and bright like her mother and sister. *Powerful Message!, Gorgeous Illustrations!*

41803928. sx318 — SUPER SLOTH: Though it takes a while, Super Sloth eventually saves the day after a sneaky anteater steals all the animals’ mangoes.

43521318. sx318 — THE LOVE LETTER: After Hedgehog, Bunny, and Squirrel each find a love letter, they mistakenly think it was written for them.

46668048. sx318 — FLY FLIES: Fly tries to fly straight, glide on the wind, and fly in a flock, just as the birds tell her she should, but she soon discovers that those are not her ways to fly.

42642066. sx318 — EXPLORERS: When a boy loses something important while at the museum with his family, the kindness of strangers leads to new friendships. *Wordless*

Picture Books At The Library 203

42920022. sx318 — SING A SONG: Tells the story of five generations of families who gained hope and strength from an inspiring song.

43861612. sx318 — STORMY: With patience and kindness, a young woman gains the trust of a frightened little homeless dog. *Lovely!, Wordless* (This reminds me so much of my dog!)

43662689. sx318 — ONE RED SOCK: When a little purple hippo cannot find the mate for her red sock, she tries every sock in her drawer in order to be fashionable, or, at least, to match. *Cute!*, *Rhyme*

41219469. sx318 — THE GIFT OF RAMADAN: When Sophia attempts to fast for Ramadan, her hunger gets the better of her and she breaks her fast, but she finds another way to celebrate the special month.

43522554 — AND THEN THE SEED GREW: When a seed drops from the sky and takes root, the new plant wreaks havoc for all the garden’s inhabitants.

43261184. sx318 — NYA’S LONG WALK: When Nya’s little sister takes ill on the long journey to fetch water, Nya must find the strength to carry her and the water all the way home.

43522414. sx318 — READING BEAUTY: When a curse threatens to turn her kingdom into a place barren of books, the space princess sets out to break the curse and bring books back to her planet. *Rhyme*

43822775. sx318 — PUMA DREAMS: A young girl yearns to see an elusive puma in the wild, knowing that their numbers are dwindling and that what her gram calls a “long-dream” may never come true.

42876030. sx318 — THE KEY FROM SPAIN: Just as her ancestors were forced to leave Spain during the Inquisition, Flory flees Europe for a new life in the U.S., bringing with her a precious harmoniku and a passion for Ladino music.

43909187 — THE MANY COLORS OF HARPREET SINGH: When Harpreet’s mom finds a new job in a snowy town, and the family has to move, he finds himself choosing to wear white so he can be invisible, instead of one of his colorful turbans.

AT THE STROKE OF GOODNIGHT: A busy world settles in for a warm night’s sleep. *Interesting art!, Rhyming bedtime book*

Picture Books At The Library 202

This group of eclectic picture books has something for every taste!

43865504 — THE PHONE BOOTH IN MR. HIROTA’S GARDEN: When the tsunami destroys Makio’s village, his neighbor Mr. Hirota creates something that helps the villagers heal.

44443013. sx318 — JUST SO WILLOW: When a storm covers Willow’s backyard in a clean, smooth blanket of snow, she’s determined to keep it that way.

44025477. sx318 — THIS IS A SEA COW: When an imaginative child writes a school report about sea cows, the subject is not happy with her portrayal. *Funny!*

44025446. sx318 — GHASTLY GHOSTS: When Dave moves into his uncle’s old house, he hears lots of creaks and squeaks, but nothing scares him until he hears a spooky voice. *Rhyme*

43885048. sx318 — THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN WHO LIVED IN A BOOK: When several fairy tale folks and magical items go missing, including her children, it’s up to the Old Woman Who Lives in a Book to get them back. *Fractured Fairy Tale*

43568509. sx318 — HO’ONANI HULA WARRIOR: When Ho’onani, who feels like neither a girl or a boy, finds out there will be a school performance of a traditional hula chant for boys, she longs to be a part of it.

43063329 — IF I BUILT A SCHOOL: Imaginative Jack describes the kind of school he would build–one full of animals, tubes to transport students, books that come alive, and much more. *Fun!, Rhyme*

42771987. sx318 — THE ONE & ONLY WOLFGANG: Celebrates senior pet adoption and shows that families come in all shapes and sizes.

43352266. sx318 — VERY LULU: While helping to train Lulu as a police dog, Lulu’s handler quickly discovers that Lulu’s not suited to that type of work, but she may be perfect for something else.

43578575. sx318 — LOOKING FOR YESTERDAY: A boy puts all his scientific knowledge to work to try to turn back time, until his grandfather shows him that each new day brings a chance for more good times and happy memories.

40582489. sx318 — COME NEXT SEASON: Celebrates the changing seasons as children swim in summer, collect pecans in autumn, play in snow in winter, and visit a farm in spring. *Lovely art!*

43822466. sx318 — FLY: Mama bird wants Baby bird to learn to fly so he can migrate with the rest of the flock, but Baby bird has other ideas. *Cute!*, *Wordless*

Picture Books At The Library 201

43822704. sx318 — SWEEP: Ed’s in a bad mood and, before long, his bad mood grows and grows and sweeps through the whole town.

42046146. sx318 — ARRIVEDERCI, CROCODILE: A crocodile follows Napoleon from Paris to Venice in search of watery canals and Italian food, and discovers that he fits right in with the people there.

43497894 — JUNIPER KAI: SUPER SPY: When Juniper’s parents start making secret plans, she sets out on a mission to find out exactly what they’re up to.

43679803. sx318 — OUR FAVORITE DAY: Thursdays are Papa’s favorite days because that’s when his granddaughter comes to visit. And they are her favorite days because Papa always makes them special.

43293245. sx318 — BETTY BUILDS IT: Lonely Betty builds herself a friend, but when her friend goes haywire, her little brother comes to the rescue.

46851200. sx318 — TWO FOR ME, ONE FOR YOU: When Bear brings home three tasty mushrooms for Weasel to cook up, they argue over who gets two and who only gets one.

43263123. sx318 — MY SHAPE IS SAM: Sam was a square who longed for softer corners and rounder edges, and to roll like circles do.

43571416. sx318 — SONG OF THE RIVER: A young boy named Cam decides to follow a trickle of water down the mountain and out into the sea.

43679820. sx318 — BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON: As a little frog sings to himself in the swamp one night, he realizes his song isn’t complete, so he invites other animals to join in. *Rhyme*

43218173. sx318 — SENORITA MARIPOSA: Every autumn, millions of monarch butterflies fly south, all the way from Canada to Mexico. *Rhyme*, *Bilingual*

Interesting variety in this group of picture books!

Picture Books At The Library 200 (+ a Giveaway!)

Hey, Everybody! I can’t believe this is my 200th Picture Books At The Library post! Time flies when you’re reading picture books. 🙂

To celebrate this milestone, I’m giving away two books to one lucky winner: A copy of my book The Peddler’s Bed and winner’s choice of one of the books I’ve featured in today’s post. All you need to do is leave a comment on this post (and reside in the U.S.) and I’ll choose a winner at random on September 30. Be sure to follow this blog so that I’ll have access to your email address and can contact you if you win.

42972052 — RUBY FINDS A WORRY: Ruby has a worry, and it’s all she can think about, but when she meets a boy with a worry of his own, they both find a way to make their worries disappear.

43574748. sx318 — LIONEL AND THE LION’S SHARE: Lionel doesn’t like to share, but after he eats all of the cake at Chloe’s birthday party, he learns a valuable lesson about what it means to be a friend.

43069834. sx318 — DUCK!: When Duck runs around the farm shouting “Duck!” to all the other animals, they grow increasingly frustrated as they try to explain to Duck just which animal is which. *Funny*!

43064089. sx318 — MY GRANDMA AND ME: Whether it is down the hall to visit their friends or to the mosque during Ramadan or on a flight of fancy on a rocket ship, Mina and her grandmother are never far apart.

40796143. sx318 — HATS ARE NOT FOR CATS!: A patronizing, plaid-hat-wearing dog informs a cat that hats are only for dogs, but the cat, joined by others, dons a wide assortment of hats, proving, at last, that hats are for everyone. *Rhyme*

41754247. sx318 — SQUEAK!: A woodland mouse wakes up with a squeak, and his noise sets off a chain reaction of animals waking each other up.

42927035. sx318 — MY TINY PET: After moving to a tiny house, a young girl is forbidden to get a pet until she introduces her parents to microscopic tardigrades, also called water bears.

Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win two books: The Peddler’s Bed, written by me, and a book of your choice from the titles listed in today’s post! I’ll choose a winner at random on September 30. Be sure to follow this blog so that I’ll have access to your email address and can contact you if you win. Good luck! (U.S. residents only)