Picture Books At The Library 72

PB at the library 2

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.)

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A young boy with an unusual name, which is the same as his father’s, wants to change his name to something that fits him better.

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Three sisters who take weekly trips to the zoo always buy food to feed the animals and never buy anything for themselves. Because of their kindness, a vendor gives them each a magical balloon.

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Charlie visits his grandparents for two weeks each summer, but always feels lonely, until he discovers an old bridge he can bong like a bell and receives a response from somewhere off in the distance.

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A young boy is frustrated because his gorilla won’t go to bed.

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A simple box can be a child’s most imaginative plaything.

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Senor Sasquatch wants to relax beside Mr. Blobule’s pool without getting wet, but he is constantly splashed by the other guests.

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Poetic text celebrates United States immigration and the country’s diverse immigrant heritage.

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A little boy named Sam takes a trip to the beach and meets a new friend, but leaves behind his stuffed bunny Jump when it’s time to go home.

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Joey loves things that fold. When he gets the chance to learn origami, he discovers that practice and patience lead to perfect paper cranes.

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As the seasons change, a mother explains how the love for her child knew to blossom in her heart naturally, like the wonder of the great outdoors.

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A father tells his young son the story behind each of his tattoos.

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A father acts like a boy and a boy like the father while visiting the zoo; and they both leave exhausted.

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A sword, a shield, and a helmet are found in the stove, but who put them there?

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Grandpa teaches energetic little Mei Mei to do tai chi while she teaches him to do yoga.

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It’s Alice’s birthday, but her friend Gertrude seems to have forgotten. Or has she?

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Ming is curious and playful and ready for adventure, but even she gets scared of new things sometimes.

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A boy has a problem. He tries to avoid it, but it gets bigger. When he finally musters up the courage to face it, it turns out to be something quite different than expected.

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Penguin is grumpy from his grumpy hat all the way down to his grumpy socks.

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Bertie the giraffe leads a very predictable life, until one day, he meets Blue, who shows him the world in a new way.

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It’s the first day of school at Frederick Douglass Elementary and everyone’s just a bit nervous, especially the school.

 

Picture Books At The Library 71

PB at the library 2

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.)

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Henry is having a horrible time camping. So Herman comes up with a plan to  help his best friend have the time of his life.

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An ugly dumpling is ignored and sad until an encouraging cockroach sees the dumpling’s inner beauty and helps him see it too.

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Nibbles the book-eating monster has nibbled his way out of his own book and now he’s causing mischief in other people’s stories.

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Penelope, an exuberant hippo, and Tiny, her cautious mouse friend, plan their act in the school talent show.

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A father shows his love for his three kids by spending time with them.

A little dinosaur has a good time making himself a cake, but after he eats it all, what’s he to do?

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All of the animals find cozy places to keep them safe and warm during a storm.

Grandfather’s garden has an overabundance of tomatoes. So the family sets out to share them with their community.

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When a boy is gulped down by a hungry snake, he finds a clever way to trick the snake and escape its belly.

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A young boy is disappointed when he gets his grandfather’s rusty, old toy firetruck instead of a shiny new one. But when he learns about all the fun his grandfather had with it, he begins to like it after all.

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Flo and Sam help their new friend Bob learn how to play hide and seek.

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A big brother walks his little sister home from school for the very first time.

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When Vincent loses the shopping list his mother gives him, he relies on his memory to pick up what she needs, with unusual consequences.

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Friends Bear and Hare play hide and seek, counting from one to ten each time.

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Secret Agent Man (a.k.a. S.A.M.) needs new shoes. But the mission will be dangerous. Shoe Store Man looks shifty.

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Officer Seth and Officer Thea help a little boy who’s lost find his parents at the local festival.

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Children can be quiet as a mouse, mischievous as a monkey, stubborn as a mule, and so much more.

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Rosie isn’t like her brothers and sisters. She doesn’t have feathers. She can’t fly. And she can’t caw. What is she, really?

Picture Books At The Library 70

PB at the library 2

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.)

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Homer the dog goes away to wolf camp to learn how to bring out his inner wolf.

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Simple text follows a young boy and the many animals he meets on his adventure through the jungle.

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Mouse enlists the help of his friends Mole and Rabbit to help him reach the shiny red “marble” he spots in a tree.

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Jack has been looking forward to playing his trumpet in the concert for weeks. But as the day draws nearer and nearer, his worry gets bigger and bigger.

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Betty the fairy can’t seem to do anything right. But there is one thing she is very fairy good at.

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A little duckling finds a book without pictures. Though he dislikes it at first, he soon discovers he can read the words and make up the pictures in his imagination.

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Creative collage fish, made from unusual materials, swim down the street when it rains.

A small fish makes the long journey down the river to the sea.

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A boy and a bear who both love exploring learn to share their adventures together.

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When Penguin hears Whale singing the blues, he tries to help. But how do you stop a blue whale from feeling blue?

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As one pig gets set to eat his perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich, nine other pigs decide to add a special ingredient of their own.

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All Joseph ever wanted was to ride a bike. When he helps a girl with wild curly hair fix her broken bike, he may finally get his chance to ride.

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Learn the who, what, where, why, and when of the invention of the doughnut.

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After Liam writes to his mailbox, asking for more mail, he gets his wish, but soon he realizes that sending mail is even more fun than receiving it.

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A young girl walks through the bustling city, while a pigeon flies above, both spotting hidden shapes at every turn.

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Ursula, a bear, and Ricardo, a human, are preparing for the water ballet, but a new regulation at the community pool-no bears-leaves Ursula cut from the competition.

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A boy and his dog love to play catch, but one day they encounter a different sort of ball, one they may not be able to catch.

Picture Books At The Library 69

PB at the library 2

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.)

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Young Raj is a natural at playing the piano, so his father sends him for lessons, but the more he practices, the less he enjoys playing.

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A little girl hears her father mowing the lawn one day, in the process destroying her favorite flowers–the dandelions.

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Mr. King likes pretty things. He also likes machines. So when he discovers a flower has been nibbled by a caterpillar, he builds himself a Caterpillar-Catcher.

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A young girl tries to entice her older sister to play with her by creating an unbelievable tree fort from her wild imagination.

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It is time to get dressed and Michael counts on his dog, Maggie, for help as he places yellow socks, a brown hat, blue pants, and other colorful articles of clothing where they belong.

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While exploring, Lola the cat comes across a stage with a ballet performance about to begin. Lola puts on a costume and joins right in.

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After an adventurous day, Theo finally has a memento of her own to add to Poppa’s travel trunk.

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Join a family of rabbits as they have all kinds of fun, from digging holes to building snow rabbits to thumping their feet.

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After stealing food from hikers and other forest animals, a hungry bear thinks the moon is following him, but when the moon disappears, the bear promises to be good if only it will come back.

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Mira lives in a gray and hopeless urban community until a muralist arrives and, along with his paints and brushes, brings color, joy, and togetherness to Mira and her neighbors.

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An asteroid that wants nothing more than for his personal outer space to be respected is hit by a passing satellite and sent on what turns out to be a great adventure.

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Syd loves Grandad and Grandad loves Syd, so when the two embark on a trip from which Grandad plans not to return, Syd learns that those who are dear to us will always remain near to us, no matter how far away they may be.

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It’s mealtime on the ark, and all the animals have been fed, but Noah can’t seem to find anything that the two hungry chameleons will eat.

Picture Books At The Library 68: Browsing Encouraged

PB at the library 2

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.)

Don’t have time to drop by the library or bookstore this week? No worries! ‘Picture Books At The Library’ is your one-stop browsing shop. Browse recent picture book titles here, then go and find them out there.

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Join this little Adelie penguin chick, as she leaves the nesting ground and sets out across the vast Antarctic ocean.

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Dump Truck Duck and his friends Dozer Duck and Digger Duck are breaking ground to build a new playground.

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The forest animals are planning a party and everyone is invited, even the Wicked Witch.

Follow two children as they trek through trees, climb over sand dunes, cross a river, bushwhack through blackberry bushes, hop on clouds, and even descend into a dark cave on their way to the playground.

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As she takes in the beauty of her canyon home, a tiny wren discovers what was waiting inside her all along–her own beautiful gift.

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On the farm, workers pick vegetables, collect eggs, and make cheese. At the market the next day, the workers set up their stands and prepare for shoppers to arrive.

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A young boy must figure out how to entertain his large elephant friend.

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Jim the cat describes his favorite places inside and outside his house.

On the way to grandmother’s house, a young child’s constant refrain of “Are we there yet?” turns a boring car trip into an imaginative adventure.

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Through puns and poetry, Chicken Lily overcomes her fears and reads a poem onstage at her school poetry jam.

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A girl named Ruby tries everything she can think of to help her dog Oscar get rid of his hiccups.

Picture Books At The Library 67

PB at the library 2

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.)

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On his first day of work, Maxi the little taxi zooms around town splashing in puddles and getting very dirty. Soon, no one wants to ride in him–until a little boy convinces Maxi to go to the car wash.

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Pig siblings Henry and Henrietta love their blanket. As much as they each love playing with the blanket, they don’t love sharing it. Will ripping it in two solve all their problems?

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Poco loves birthdays, and he loves inventing things. He invites his amigos over and fires up a new invention, the Cake-Baking Bunk Bed. But things don’t go quite as planned.

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Getting George to sleep is a nightmare. But getting a monster to sleep? That’s an adventure.

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A young boy tries to win a goldfish at the carnival and ends up with a far bigger prize.

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From playtime to naptime, a dog and his girl do everything together as they spend the day exploring their neighborhood with the girl’s mother and father.

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A young bear accompanies his father on a long walk to the river to cool down on a hot day.

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A book invites its readers to explore fluffy, furry, or squishy objects and creatures, both real and imaginary, that are found within its pages.

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A cranky hippo and an overzealous bird become unlikely friends.

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Corky tries to live each day to the fullest. As the end of her days draws near, Old Bear urges her to use the key he gave her at her birth to open the door to wonder.

The bunny family is searching for the perfect burrow to call home.

Picture Books At The Library 66

PB at the library 2

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.)

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Owl takes drastic measures to have a good night’s sleep.

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Everyone on Grimloch Lane enjoys the trees and shrubs clipped into animal masterpieces after dark by the Night Gardener, but William, a lonely boy, spots the artist, follows him, and helps with his special work.

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A boy goes on a long car ride to visit his grandmother and discovers time moves faster or slower depending on how bored he is.

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While waiting with family members for high tide to come in, a youngster who is very knowledgeable about the seashore and what lives there helps to build a raft.

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It’s time to get dressed and go to the park, but Alfie is still in his pajamas. Putting on clothes seems like the least appealing thing to do for this energetic and curious little alligator, especially when there are so many amusing distractions.

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Quackers is a duck. Everyone he knows is a duck. And then he meets…Mittens. Maybe Quackers isn’t a duck after all.

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When the old zookeeper moved the monkeys to a cage beside the picnic area, she didn’t know the trouble it would cause.

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In this wordless picture book, a cat named Spot ventures out an open window and through a city on a journey, while his owner tries to find him.

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When a young boy decides to get a pet, he discovers it’s not as simple as ABC. Every animal he brings home makes his poor sister sneeze.

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A child plays outside in the snow until the cold wind forces him back inside for hot chocolate with Mommy.

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A little boy carries a parachute around with him everywhere he goes, just like a security blanket. Will he ever have the courage to leave it behind?

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Join Mary and Max as they visit their Aunt Helen’s farm and discover where many things we eat, drink, and wear come from.

Picture Books At The Library 65

PB at the library 2

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.)

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Press only a finger to the page to embark on a journey of color, motion, shape, and imagination.

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Count along as the pages meet and part and the pictures come to life with movement and sound.

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Jonah loves Shabbat. But this week, as he and his family get ready to celebrate, Jonah begins to hiccup.

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As her mom reads a bedtime story, Lucy drifts off. But later she awakens in a dark, still room, and everything looks mysterious.

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When a powerful storm begins to rage one summer evening, a young boy holds little hope for the next day’s promised trip to the beach.

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In this story, told in the form of a television broadcast, the bears and their cub catch two escaping prisoners who are hiding at the carnival.

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When the lights flicker out one evening, Maya is afraid. Papa used to light candles to soothe her. Now that he’s gone, Maya feels helpless against the dark.

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Two young explorers set out to prove that the Great Spotted Whale is real.

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Clarence was just an ordinary truck until one fateful day when an unplanned trip through a strange truck wash changed him.

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Hoot the owl is excited to teach his younger sister all of his wisdom, but much to his annoyance, Peep is more interested in capturing the magic of the world around her than in listening to his advice.

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Early one spring, a little duck arrives at her pond and finds it still frozen, but not for long.

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When a bear breaks a little girl’s kite, she thinks he is a horrible bear, until she makes a mistake of her own and learns the power of saying “I’m sorry.”

Picture Books At The Library 64

PB at the library 2

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.)

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As Elliot moves from one foster home to another, his visits with his real parents leave him anxious and conflicted about where he wants to be.

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A young brother and sister spend an afternoon imagining great adventures together.

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Making friends is hard, especially in a new country. But even though everyone is different, it’s the differences that make friendship so magical.

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Tina is a very curious cow who believes the sky is the limit and anything is possible. But her sisters think her ideas are very silly.

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What may appear to be an abandoned garden is actually home to an eclectic array of playful insects.

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When a boy plays hide and seek with an elephant, he soon discovers just how good the elephant is at playing the game.

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Follow young river otters through the seasons as they chase one another, slide down mudbanks, and learn to swim.

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It’s hard to get your parents to go to bed. But follow this young girl’s instructions and your parents will be sound asleep in no time.

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Georgie the cat loves to throw parties but this time, not one of his friends can come.

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Captain Jack and his fellow sailors are off on a swashbuckling voyage, complete with enemy pirates, a disastrous shipwreck, and the perfect treasure to end the day.

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A bear finds a piano in the woods, learns to play it, and travels to the big city to become rich and famous, but ultimately discovers that his old friends in the forest back home are still the best audience of all.

Picture Books At The Library 63

PB at the library 2

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.)

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While exploring the wilds of the kitchen, Buddy and Earl see wondrous sights, make delicious discoveries and even encounter a couple of unusual monsters.

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One summer in Brooklyn during the 1930s, a young hearing boy and his deaf parents take a trip to Coney Island, where they enjoy the rides, the food, and the sights.

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Dario, a boy from Brazil, makes friends with a young right whale while spending time on the beaches of Cape Cod.

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A boy tries to explain to his mother how the bear at their door got from his cave in the forest all the way to an eleventh-floor apartment.

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A hapless skunk, tied to a balloon, floats past buildings, construction equipment, a zoo full of animals, and more. Who will help him get down?

A girl and her dog conquer their fears of the noisy city while strengthening their bond with one another.

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Youngsters awaken in the morning with the belief that they are the greatest little ones in their world, whether  human child, eagle chick, or whale calf.

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When the new house needs fixing up, a brother and sister accompany their father on a trip to the hardware store to find the tools and materials needed to get the job done.

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An adopted child has difficulty adjusting to a new life with a new mom, but feels better once he realizes that, even though they look different, his new mom loves him just the way he is. 

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A monk in a monastery and a white cat share a quiet existence together (a retelling of the Irish poem Pangur Ban)

Picture Books At The Library 62

PB at the library 2

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.)

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Three children discover the wonder of words as the landscape around them transforms.

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When a boy’s abuela accuses him of being careless with his beloved Bongo, he devises a trap and catches the toy thief red-handed.

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Big or small, near or far, we all need someone to watch over us and keep us safe.

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When nature calls, all of the animals rush to the potty. It’s a potty party!

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When Froggy, Mom, and Pollywogilina set out for the library, Froggy brings a wheelbarrow to hold all the books he plans to borrow.

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On a summer evening, just as the stars blink on, a firefly steps into a flower. Lights flash all around her. How will she find just one flash among so many? 

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Greet each morning with joy and embark on daily adventures with intention and confidence.

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Malaika’s mother moved to Canada to find a good job, but she hasn’t sent the money she promised for Malaika’s carnival parade costume.

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In a place where color ran wild, there lived a girl who was wilder still. Her name was Swatch, and color was her passion.

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When the ducks fly south for the winter, Tufty gets left behind.

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Everyone in the family has a special animal friend. They all pile in together for a special car ride to meet two new members of their zoo-like family.

Picture Books At The Library 61

PB at the library 2

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.)

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Through 20 life lessons, Miss Moon imparts her wisdom on how to raise happy, healthy, well-mannered dogs and humans.

Using die-cut pages, the story explores the shapes and colors of an apple tree through the passing of the seasons.

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Little Monkey slips from the safety of the tall, green rain forest trees. Will she remember what Papa taught her about how to stay safe?

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Sally tries to tell her family that a hippo, a tiger, zebras, and koalas are in their yard, but no one believes her.

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While Bear enjoys a day at the beach, Chipmunk does not, but spending time with his good friend Bear makes it all worthwhile. 

Little Why wants horns like Wildebeest, long legs like Giraffe, and spotty fur like Cheetah. Will he learn that he’s special just the way he is?

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Tiger and Bear want to play a game of tag, but Lion just wants to finish the painting he’s been working on.

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When the whole family gathers together, adventures are sure to follow–rowing down the river, telling ghost stories around the campfire, and learning to fish.

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Blanche does not want to go to sleep. She wants to tumble and hop and horse around.

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Members of a large group of animals, including a penguin, two rabbits, and a koala, disappear at an alarming rate, but the hungry lion remains.

Picture Books At The Library 60

PB at the library 2

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.)

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Peep can’t wait for Egg to hatch. They will have so much fun together! But Egg isn’t quite ready yet.

Sophie and her mother make very special treats for their party, but Sophie worries there won’t be one left for her.

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This book encourages kids to pair shapes together to make new forms.

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It’s early morning in the jungle, and Little Gorilla is not happy. Someone has woken him up, but who?

Illustrations and rhyming text follow a small group of tadpoles as they undergo a change, from tiny, tailed swimmers to leaping frogs.

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Alan comes from a long line of very scary alligators. But what will happen when his big secret gets out?

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This variation of the nursery rhyme features a chaotic household of children and pets who live in a shoe, and who know how to repair, remake, reuse, and recycle.

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Look for Big Bunny all over town. He passes the museum, the toy store, the library and the construction site.

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Explore the wonderful world of cars zipping up and down, fast and slow. Cruise alongside cars of all kinds.

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A motley crew comes to the rescue of a dragon in pain, but it’s a clever little girl who saves the day and everyone else.

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When Ava and her giant cat run out of things to do, they invent their own games and have a rainy play day that is absolutely purr-fect.

Picture Books At The Library 59

PB at the library 2

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.)

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Lucy and her dog, Mr. Barker, find themselves lost in a fairy tale where they meet new friends and find surprises around every turn.

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As crickets sing in the breeze, hunting owls watch over the bay, and sea otters doze on the tide, two children on different continents go to bed.

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Every day after school, Hannah sees her classmate’s dog, Sugar. Hannah is afraid of dogs. But one day, Sugar goes missing and it’s Hannah who finds him.

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Mr. and Mrs. Barleycorn find something unusual growing on their land. And when Mr. Barleycorn decides to bring it inside, he brings the outside along with it.

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This story follows the everyday life of two dancers, one a professional ballerina, the other a very young student, both of whom love ballet.

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Two mouse friends have two distinctly different uses for leftovers: one builds, the other eats.

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Three noisy foxes are always banging and clanging and singing and stomping until one day they decide that it might be nice to move somewhere very quiet for a change. 

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Presents animals acting out the verbs made from their names, including hogs hogging, slugs slugging, and others.

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A young boy and girl, with very different ideas about what they want to play, face off during a playdate.

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Simple, playful haiku offer clues about the animal hiding on he next page.

Picture Books At The Library 58

PB at the library 2

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.)

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A mother and son use their imagination to have fun on a rainy day.

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After the zoo closes, monkey slips out of his cage to explore the zoo, introducing the reader to the other animals and the idea of opposites.

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The little bears pick up their instruments and play a noisy song. But will their lively music wake Big Brown Bear?

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Feeling yaaaawny, oh so snorey-snoozy? Time to cuddle up close and snuggle in deep.

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Told using just one word, a hungry dog tries everything he can think of to get a TREAT.

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When Maisy and her friends have a special day for races and competitions, it’s not about winning or losing–the fun is in playing the games.

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This is a rhyming story that encourages children to get outside and play.

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A bare bear dons purple hair and leaves a trail of destruction behind him as he goes about his day.

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Dylan is the very best and cleverest super-villain in the whole wide world, until he meets Addison Van Malice.

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When it comes to new babies, friends, or other special people in your life, it’s very important to let them know just how adorable they are.

Picture Books At The Library 57

PB at the library 2

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.)

No More Ratings

Okay, you’re going to think I’m nutsy, but I really gave this a lot of thought. I’ve decided to do away with my rating system. My rating system, as those of you who have been following my Picture Books At The Library posts know, has been changed a few times over the past year. Recently, I settled on a simple 🙂 = Good, 🙂 🙂 = Great, and 🙂 🙂 🙂 = Excellent. 

But it dawned on me the other day why I’ve not been satisfied with my rating system. What if it was my book in someone else’s list on someone else’s blog? And it didn’t get a smile, not even one! Well, I would be kind of sad. I don’t want to make any hardworking author or illustrator sad. I’m all about spreading the happy. And besides, I can find something to like in just about every picture book I read.

The reason I post these lists is so you can go out and find these books and formulate your own opinions about what you’ve read. Perhaps you’ll discover a few intriguing new titles.

So, no more ratings here on Frog on a Blog. But here’s what I will do; when I come across a picture book that is, in my humble opinion, over-the-top fantastic, I’ll point that out. And if I have time, I’ll even try to explain why I think the book is extra special.

Enough about that, here’s this week’s Picture Books At The Library.

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Teeny’s mama is stuck in a bucket. Her big, strong brothers rush to save the day, but soon they’re in trouble too. Now it’s up to Teeny to be the hero.

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Niko wants Sasha to come play with him in his spaceship, but his sister Posh has other ideas.

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In search of writing ideas, an author takes a walk with his dog around the neighborhood.

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One day, the children find a bird lying on its side with its eyes closed and no heartbeat.

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From the time she wakes at 8 a.m. until the curtain rises at 8 p.m., a prima ballerina’s day is busy, busy, busy with classes, rehearsals and fittings.

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A polar bear grieves over the loss of his companion, based on the real-life Gus and Ida of New York’s Central Park Zoo.

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Swooping and squawking, flapping and fluttering…birds of all shapes and sizes are celebrated in this tale of extraordinary plumage.

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Bo is lonely. So he sets out to find a new friend. And that new friend just happens to be an egg.

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A little boy digs, plays, and explores in his garden.

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Spring is here and new life is stirring. There is so much for Big Bear to teach her cub as they leave their den and step into the forest.

An update of the classic folk song Old MacDonald, featuring farm vehicles like excavator, dump truck, and bulldozer.

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Anna and Crocodile set off on a dangerous adventure to find gold.

 

Picture Books At The Library 56

PB at the library 2

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.) Rating System: 🙂 Good, 🙂 🙂 Great, 🙂 🙂 🙂 Excellent. Don’t let my ratings keep you from reading a title just because I didn’t give it a smile. You may absolutely love it!

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Gnome cannot wait to help his friends harvest the school garden! But his eagerness and excitement get him into trouble.

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🙂 When little dinos fuss and fight, they find a way to make things right.

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🙂 Little Green is a proud and strong pickup truck who loves helping with chores, but when Farmer Gray buys a big new blue truck, Little Green is left to rust in a pasture.

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🙂 Babies observe and make friends with friendly little animals.

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🙂 A pint-sized pirate trades a button for some teacups, but that’s just the start. Soon he’s swapping   rope for oars, oars for flags, flags for anchors and more.

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Told she cannot have a puppy because it would just be another mouth to feed, Lula Mae decides to turn one of the chickens into a very special dog.

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🙂 Leaving her best friend is difficult for a young hedgehog whose family is moving, but everyone assures her that things will be alright.

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🙂 When Old Turtle dies and is taken back by the sea, his friends remember that he was a wonderful teacher and friend who made his world a better place.

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A granddaughter recounts the reasons why her grandmother is hard to love–and why she loves her anyway.

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🙂 🙂 The crayons are all set to put on their production of Frankencrayon, when disaster strikes, a scribble is found on the set.

Picture Books At The Library 55

PB at the library 2

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.) Rating System: 🙂 Good, 🙂 🙂 Great, 🙂 🙂 🙂 Excellent. Don’t let my ratings keep you from reading a title just because I didn’t give it a smile. You may absolutely love it!

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A vegetable garden appears to be a quiet, peaceful place. But appearances can be deceiving.

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Kids celebrate happiness as they have fun doing everything from riding a hot air balloon into outer space to dancing on clouds, laughing with emojis and rocking out as a band.

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One rainy day, Sam spots a perfect spring puddle. With his very first jump, he is off on an adventure of the imagination.

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🙂 At the top of the world, a polar bear hunts, swims, courts, raises cubs, and worries as they go off on their own.

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An African wild dog, a warthog, a lion and an elephant argue about the animal each sees through the hole in the wall–which turns out to be a mirror.

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🙂 Nellie Belle, a puppy, has fun from morning to night.

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🙂 How does anything start? With nothing? Perhaps. Close your eyes. Imagine everything is gone, even you, then start again.

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🙂 A buzzy fly and a frisky kitten make a messy muddle on the farm.

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🙂 Little Jumbo works tirelessly to be a superhero in his neighborhood, although not everyone appreciates his crime-fighting techniques.

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🙂 A little boy’s animal friends help him discover the poetry to be found in nature.

Picture Books At The Library 54

PB at the library 2

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.) Rating System: 🙂 Good, 🙂 🙂 Great, 🙂 🙂 🙂 Excellent. Don’t let my ratings keep you from reading a title just because I didn’t give it a smile. You may absolutely love it!

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🙂 When Ben’s best friend moves away, he decides he will move, too–under the table, where he lives as Caveman Ben.

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🙂 When Meg’s jar of happiness goes missing, she must find other ways to be happy.

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🙂 The seasons change and a little tree learns the joy of sharing. First published in Italy in 2004.

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All the tools show what they can do. But what can Drew the Screw do?

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🙂 Mr. McGinty and his dog Sophie love observing Monarch caterpillars and butterflies on their morning walk, so when they discover that the milkweed they need to survive has been mowed down, Mr. McGinty comes to the rescue.

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Andrew has joined so many clubs and signed up for so many lessons, he doesn’t have time for his best friend Edie anymore.

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When Beatrix brings home her neighbor’s pet guinea pig so that she can practice painting it, well..it dies! Now what?

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🙂 Little Card is going to school to become a birthday card. But there’s been a mix-up. Maybe he’s meant to be a different sort of card.

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🙂 🙂 A young bear spotter ventures into bear country. What will he do when he actually spots a real live bear or two?!

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🙂 Sworn enemies Space Dog, Astrocat, and Mousetronaut team up to save the Spooniverse.

 

Picture Books At The Library 53

PB at the library 2

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.) Rating System: 🙂 Good, 🙂 🙂 Great, 🙂 🙂 🙂 Excellent. Don’t let my ratings keep you from reading a title just because I didn’t give it a smile. You may absolutely love it!

🙂 🙂 Bear can’t wait to spend a pleasant day alone. But Duck wants to hang out. Will Bear ever get to relax by himself?

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A young panda uses his feet as a way to explore his imagination.

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🙂 A rhyming picture book about how trucks and other vehicles say good night.

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🙂 🙂 The cat can’t meow, the dog can’t woof, and the mouse can’t squeak! When they find their voices, there are catastrophic consequences.

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🙂 Animals and children alike watch as the world transforms from the dark and dead of winter to a full and blooming spring.

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🙂 🙂 It seems there’s been a mix up. The zoo got the restaurant’s food and the restaurant got the zoo animals.

🙂 Beau is dirty. Theo is dirty. It  must be bath time! The only thing better than bath time is bath time with a friend.

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🙂 🙂 Rhyming text introduces young readers to 20 common, but lovely, North American birds

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A hefty feline puts up with all kinds of indignities from the children in her loving but rambunctious family.

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This story explores all kinds of kisses: hello kisses, goodbye kisses, noisy kisses, wet kisses, and more.

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🙂 🙂 Bro and Dude have very different ideas about how to spend a day at the beach.

 

Picture Books At The Library 52

PB at the library 2

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.) Rating System: 🙂 Good, 🙂 🙂 Great, 🙂 🙂 🙂 Excellent. Don’t let my ratings keep you from reading a title just because I didn’t give it a smile. You may absolutely love it!

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🙂 Snappsy the alligator is trying to go about his very ordinary day when a pesky narrator steps in to spice up the story with slanderous claims.

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On Sundays in New Orleans’ Congo Square, slaves were able to gather, sing, dance, and play music together. Here, at least for half a day, they could feel free from their oppression.

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🙂 This story follows a day in the life of a rabbit family, from sleeping to grazing to hiding from danger.

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🙂 In this twist on the classic song “The Wheels on the Bus”, the wheels on the tuk tuk go round and round all over the city in India.

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🙂 Cat loves to nap. If only he could find a good resting place to hide from playful Kitten.

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🙂 Bored with doing the same thing all the time, Number Three quits and sets out to see what else he might do, then, after trying many other possibilities, finally finds the perfect job.

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🙂 When the glass kingdom begins cracking, the king and queen fail in their quest to get help from the fairy Bloom…so they send Genevieve, an ordinary girl..to save the day.

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🙂 🙂 This is a book with peek-through holes that let a child view the changes in a tree throughout the four seasons.

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A little mouse is asleep until a ball suddenly bounces into his home, setting off an epic chase–from A to Z.

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Tiger and Badger are the very best of friends. Of course, sometimes even very best friends can get into disagreements.

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🙂 Everyone in the ocean can  make music, except for Wendell the narwhal.

Picture Books At The Library 51

PB at the library 2

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.) Rating System: 🙂 Good, 🙂 🙂 Great, 🙂 🙂 🙂 Excellent. Don’t let my ratings keep you from reading a title just because I didn’t give it a smile. You may absolutely love it!

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🙂 🙂 A hungry hawk is outsmarted by the rabbit he hopes to have as a meal.

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🙂 For one young boy, visiting the library for the very first time is an adventure.

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Jack is searching for the perfect tree–one that he can chop, hack, and stack. But when it becomes too hard to find, Jack stumbles across three unlikely friends who want to show him their perfect trees.

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🙂 This nearly wordless tale offers a window into an imaginary yet hauntingly familiar world under our feet, where moles suddenly recognize the precarious balance between progress and preservation.

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🙂 Nancy and JoJo are having a sleepover, and it’s JoJo’s first one ever. JoJo’s a little nervous about sleeping away from home, but her big sister, Nancy, is determined to put her mind at ease.

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This book introduces the five senses to  young readers through charming vignettes portraying a wide range of activities.

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🙂 Quirky egg-shaped creatures known as the Hueys explore the concept of opposites.

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🙂 Sophie and Goose are best friends, but Sophie worries that Goose gets lonely while she’s at school. What if Sophie found Goose another friend to play with?

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🙂 Whether spending time with Papa, singing songs with Grandma, playing games with Lucy, or racing with Charlie, toddler Henry wears his family out until bedtime.

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Blast off to bedtime with this adventure-filled story about a little boy and his big imagination.

 

Picture Books At The Library 50

Hoppy Book BirthdayWow! I cannot believe this is my 50th Picture Books At The Library post, not counting the special occasion posts. I love sharing the new picture book titles that my library purchases. I hope you all find these lists useful. If you do, please Like the post or leave a comment and I’ll keep them coming. 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

 

PB at the library 2

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.) Rating System: 🙂 Good, 🙂 🙂 Great, 🙂 🙂 🙂 Excellent. Don’t let my ratings keep you from reading a title just because I didn’t give it a smile. You may absolutely love it!

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🙂 🙂 How will best friends Girl and Gorilla get to the park? There are all sorts of things they can do to get there, but only one way is best.

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After falling from the cradle, baby sets off on an adventure around the farm in this familiar lullaby reimagined.

🙂 A sweeter-than-pie ‘bedtime recipe’ helps walk baby through his bedtime routine.

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🙂 A small child helps his reluctant, toddler-like dragon get dressed.

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In bunny dreams, anything can happen. A bunny might know the ABC’s, or count by 1 2 3’s.

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🙂 This is a humorous picture book about a group of bunnies fighting over a big juicy carrot.

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🙂 🙂 Dennis is an ordinary boy who expresses himself in extraordinary ways.

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🙂 🙂 When Bizzy, an admittedly strange bird, meets Dill, a self-professed ordinary duck, it is the start of a most unusual friendship.

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🙂 Bear is supposed to sleep through the winter, but he doesn’t want to miss out on any of the fun.

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Best friends Etho and Birt love going up Sudden Hill and sitting in simple cardboard boxes imagining they are kings, soldiers, astronauts, or pirates until Shu asks to join them, and their two-by two rhythm is disturbed.

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🙂 🙂 🙂 Ella and Penguin want to see her new stickers glow in the dark, but neither of them wants to go into a dark place.

Picture Books At The Library 49

PB at the library 2

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. Rating System: If I enjoyed just the story, or just the art, I’ve given the book a 🙂 . If I liked both, the book gets two 🙂 🙂 . If I absolutely loved the book, I’ve given it three 🙂 🙂 🙂 . Don’t let my ratings keep you from reading a title just because I didn’t give it a smile. You may absolutely love it.

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🙂 🙂 A girl and her father go for a walk, experiencing all the sights, sounds, smells, and feels of the woods.

Lenny, the class reporter, follows Elsie for a school project and learns about her life with her two moms.

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🙂 When a worm meets a special worm and they fall in love, you know what happens next. They get married!

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🙂 🙂 Two cockatoos meet two more cockatoos in tutus and two tutued toucans. And then two more! Can they all can-can? They can! 

🙂 Find the cow who jumped over the moon. Find Little Bo Peep’s lost sheep. Find the Owl and the Pussycat. Find all your favorite nursery rhyme characters hiding in this book.

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🙂 Two friends, a bear and a bunny, decide they’d like to have a pet, but a pinecone and a caterpillar just won’t do.

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🙂 The orphan boy Bruce Wayne conquers his fear of the dark, making it possible for him to grow up and become the crime-fighting hero Batman.

 

Reader’s Theater At The Library

Reader's Theater

Image by Scott Mosher

The DeWitt Community Library offers a Digital Reader’s Theater program for kids. It’s run by Paralibrarian Scott Mosher who does everything from choosing the script, working with the kids, recording the performance, and editing the recording.

If you were to google “reader’s theater”, you would get tons of results. It’s popping up all over. Teacher’s are using it as a tool in their classrooms to help their students develop fluency in reading and reading comprehension and to get them excited about reading. There are tons of free scripts available online as well. 

Reader’s Theater is not the same thing as putting on a play. There’s no stage. There are no costumes or props. There’s no memorization involved. It’s all about reading. A script is divided up into parts and each student is assigned one or more parts to read/perform. As the kids become more comfortable reading together, they also learn to use inflection, varying their tone, accent, emphasis, etc.

Not all Reader’s Theater programs are digital, like the one at my library. Scott has added the extra element of recording the kids as they read. And the kids love speaking into the microphone. After he edits and polishes up the performance, and even adds a few sound effects, he posts the recording to the library’s SoundCloud page

I was pleasantly surprised when Scott asked me about adapting my picture book The Peddler’s Bed into a Reader’s Theater script. I loved the idea! I typed up a first draft and then we worked together to mold it into a finished, kid-friendly script.  

He and the kids recorded the story on December 19, along with The Polar Express. I happened to be working at the library that day and stopped in to chat with the kids a bit. It was neat to see the set-up of the room. Scott and Emily (one of the children’s librarians) were at a table with the four young participants, each of whom had a microphone sitting on the table in front of them and a copy of the script. Scott had his recording equipment in front of him. It was a simple, but effective set-up. 

Scott completed the editing earlier this week, after asking me what style of background music I might like added. A couple of days later, it was done, and I couldn’t wait to  hear it. Now that I have, I want to share it with you. The kids did a fantastic job! Thanks kids! And a huge thanks to Scott for his expert recording and editing skills, and for including The Peddler’s Bed in one of his awesome Digital Reader’s Theater programs at the DeWitt Community Library!

LISTEN HERE

You will also find links to the Reader’s Theater script and the SoundCloud recording of The Peddler’s Bed on my Teacher’s Resources page along with other fun stuff.