Sam & Dave dig a hole
Barnett, Mac
2014
J PIC BAR
Sam and Dave are on a mission. A mission to find something spectacular. So they dig a hole. And they keep digging. And they find… nothing. Yet the day turns out to be pretty spectacular after all.
The princess and the pony
Beaton, Kate
2015
Available at Other Libraries
Princess Pinecone knows exactly what she wants for her birthday this year: a horse! A big horse, a strong horse, a horse fit for a warrior princess! But when the day arrives, she doesn’t quite get the horse of her dreams. For anyone who’s ever been saddled with a truly terrible present, The Princess and the Pony is a laugh-out-loud story of overcoming first impressions and falling in love with one unforgettable roly-poly pony.
Rosie Revere, engineer
Beaty, Andrea
2013
J PIC BEA
Rosie may seem quiet during the day, but at night she’s a brilliant inventor of gizmos and gadgets who dreams of becoming a great engineer. When her great-great-aunt Rose (Rosie the Riveter) comes for a visit and mentions her one unfinished goal—to fly—Rosie sets to work building a contraption to make her aunt’s dream come true. But when her contraption doesn’t fly but rather hovers for a moment and then crashes, Rosie deems the invention a failure. On the contrary, Aunt Rose insists that Rosie’s contraption was a raging success: you can only truly fail, she explains, if you quit.
The voyage of turtle Rex
Cyrus, Kurt.
2011
J 567.9 C99
Sploosh! Fizz! Swish! The prehistoric ocean is a dangerous place for a baby sea turtle. But after she emerges from her egg, the treacherous waters are her goal. Swimming through the swirling waves and dodging larger sea creatures, she finds a resting place deep below. There she waits, until she grows into the majestic sea turtle that returns to the sand to lay her eggs and begin the cycle again. This journey of a small creature in the oceanic world of the dinosaurs is a perfect mix of scientific integrity and dramatic storytelling.
Ants in your pants, worms in your plants! : (Gilbert goes green)
De Groat, Diane
2011
J PIC DEG
Gilbert has trouble coming up with ideas. First he couldn’t think of a springtime poem, and now he needs an idea for an Earth Day project! Everyone else in Mrs. Byrd’s class is busy working on posters about recycling and saving water and electricity, but Gilbert wants to do something original. A distressing class picnic inspires him, and he comes up with an Earth Day project that even Mrs. Byrd thinks is the best idea yet.
Homer
De Groat, Diane
2012
J PIC DEG
Alex loves baseball. So does his dog, Homer. One starry night, after Alex goes to sleep, Homer and his canine friends get ready for their big baseball game. Find out who will be the champions of the dog baseball world when Homer and the Doggers take on the mighty Hounds. Can Homer hit a home run and save the day?
The adventures of the dish and the spoon
Grey, Mini
2006
J PIC GRE
In the midst of the Great Depression, Dish and Spoon become rich and famous vaudeville stars—until their taste for the high life puts them in debt to a gang of sharp and shady characters (depicted as evil knives). The cinematic presentation—with a touch of Bonnie and Clyde, a dash of “The Perils of Pauline”—proves that crime doesn’t pay and love conquers all.
The chicken-chasing queen of Lamar County
Harrington, Janice
2007
J PIC HAR
Meet one smart chicken chaser. She can catch any chicken on her grandmother’s farm except one – the elusive Miss Hen. This chicken is “fast as a mosquito buzzing and quick as a fleabite.” Our chicken chaser has her mind set on winning, until she discovers that sometimes it’s just as satisfying not to catch chickens as it is to catch them.
Julia’s house for lost creatures
Hatke, Ben
2014
J PIC HAT
When Julia and her walking house come to town, she likes everything about her new neighborhood except how quiet it is! So Julia puts a sign up: “Julia’s House for Lost Creatures.” Soon she’s hosting goblins, mermaids, fairies, and even a dragon. Quiet isn’t a problem anymore for Julia… but getting her housemates to behave themselves is!
Benny and Penny in Lost and found!
Hayes, Geoffrey,
2014
J PIC HAY
Benny’s in a foul mood! He can’t find his pirate hat, and he’s been sent outside to cool his temper. When he and Penny wander away from home and realize they’re lost, they must handle their emotions and put their heads together.
Mustache baby
Heos, Bridget
2013
J PIC HEO
When Baby Billy is born with a mustache, his family takes it in stride. They are reassured when he nobly saves the day in imaginary-play sessions as a cowboy or cop and his mustache looks good-guy great. But as time passes, their worst fears are confirmed when little Billy’s mustache starts to curl up at the ends in a suspiciously villainous fashion.
Mustache Baby meets his match
Heos, Bridget
2015
J PIC HEO
When Baby Javier comes for a playdate, Baby Billy, a.k.a. Mustache Baby, feels the need to show him a thing or two, seeing how Javier’s new to town—and also sports an impressive beard. What ensues is a hilarious test of wills and facial hair, as each baby sets out to prove his manliness. It seems Mustache Baby may have truly met his match… but one-upmanship isn’t the point of a playdate, is it?
Aqualicious
Kann, Victoria
2015
J PIC KAN
Pinkalicious and her family go on a trip to the beach for a day of sun, fun, and sand castles! The day gets even more exciting when Pinkalicious finds a mini-mermaid named Aqua while she’s collecting shells. Aqua wants to find her way home, and Pinkalicious and Peter decide to help—after they show her all of the pinkamazing things to do at the seashore!
My lucky day
Kasza, Keiko
2003
J PIC KAS
When a delicious-looking piglet knocks on Mr. Fox’s door, the fox can hardly believe his good luck. It’s not every day that dinner just shows up on your doorstep. It must be his lucky day! But as the piglet is quick to point out, shouldn’t the fox give him a bath first? And wouldn’t it be best to fatten him up a little, and give him a massage so he’ll make for a nice tender roast? Preparing this feast is a lot of work, but the fox is sure it will be worth it. After all, it’s his lucky day. Or is it?
Big Mean Mike
Knudsen, Michelle
2012
J PIC KNU
Big Mean Mike is the toughest dog in the neighborhood. Then one day a bunny shows up in his car. Before anyone can see, Mike puts the bunny on the pavement and drives away. When the bunny shows up again with a friend, Mike tells them to get lost. Big, mean dogs do not hang out with bunnies. But gosh, those bunnies are so sweet
Oscar and the very hungry dragon
Krause, Ute
2010
J PIC KRA
It’s time to feed the dragon But this year the village is out of princesses. So the villagers send Oscar, a not-so-plump little boy who would rather cook dinner than be dinner. Putting his culinary skills to the test, Oscar shows the dragon that filet mignon and banana splits are much more delicious than princesses and children.
Ling & Ting : not exactly the same!
Lin, Grace.
2010
J EASY LIN
Ling and Ting are twins. They have the same brown eyes. They have the same pink cheeks. They have the same happy smiles. Ling and Ting are two adorable identical twins, and they stick together, whether they are making dumplings, getting their hair cut, or practicing magic tricks. But looks are deceiving—people can be very different, even if they look exactly the same.
Otis and the puppy
Long, Loren
2013
J PIC LON
Otis and his farm friends love to play hide-and-seek. Otis especially loves to be ‘It,’ finding his friends as they hide. Yet when the newest addition to the farm—a bounding puppy who can’t sit still and has a habit of licking faces—tries to hide, he finds his attention wandering and is soon lost in the forest. Night falls and Otis, knowing his new friend is afraid of the dark, sets out to find him. There’s just one problem: Otis is also afraid of the dark. His friend is alone and in need, though, so Otis takes a deep breath, counts to ten, and sets off on a different game of hide-and-seek.
The book with no pictures
Novak, B. J.
2014
J PIC NOV
You might think a book with no pictures seems boring and serious. Except… here’s how books work. Everything written on the page has to be said by the person reading it aloud. Even if the words say… BLORK. Or BLUURF. Even if the words are a preposterous song about eating ants for breakfast, or just a list of astonishingly goofy sounds like BLAGGITY BLAGGITY and GLIBBITY GLOBBITY. Cleverly irreverent and irresistibly silly, The Book with No Pictures is one that kids will beg to hear again and again. (And parents will be happy to oblige.)
Wonder horse
McCully, Emily
2010
J PIC MCC
In the late 1800s, former slave and veterinarian Bill “Doc” Key realized that his new foal, Jim, was no ordinary horse. Believing in the power of kindness and patience, Doc taught Jim to spell, recognize the primary colors, and even make change from a cash register! Performing in shows across the country, Jim stunned audiences with his incredible skills. But when some people called Jim a fake, Doc set out to prove them wrong and to show the world that, thanks to the power of kindness and patience, Jim was truly a wonder horse.
A house in the woods
Moore, Inga
2011
J PIC MOO
One little pig has made a little den for herself in the woods, and another little pig has a small hut next door. One morning they return from a walk to find that their big friend Bear has moved into the den and an even larger Moose into the hut. CRASH! With both homes collapsed, they’re all in a pickle—but what if they find a way to build a house in the woods that all four of them can share?
Josephine : the dazzling life of Josephine Baker
Powell, Patricia Hruby, 1951-
2014
J B BAKER
In exuberant verse and stirring pictures, Patricia Hruby Powell and Christian Robinson create an extraordinary portrait for young people of the passionate performer and civil rights advocate Josephine Baker, the woman who worked her way from the slums of St. Louis to the grandest stages in the world. Meticulously researched by both author and artist, Josephine’s powerful story of struggle and triumph is an inspiration and a spectacle, just like the legend herself.
Little Oink
Rosenthal, Amy
2009
J PIC ROS
Little Oink is a neat little fellow. Clean, clean, clean, that’s all he wants to do. But Mama and Papa won’t have it! They say in order to be a proper pig, he has to learn to make a proper mess. “Don’t come out until your room is a pigsty,” says Papa Pig. “I won’t have any child of mine going out looking so neat and clean. It’s just not acceptable,” says Mama Pig. Readers who hate to clean up will love this humorous twist on a universal dilemma.
Robo-Sauce
Rubin, Adam
2015
Available at other Libraries
FACT: Robots are awesome. They have lasers for eyes, rockets for feet, and supercomputers for brains! Plus, robots never have to eat steamed beans or take baths, or go to bed. If only there were some sort of magical “Robo-Sauce” that turned squishy little humans into giant awesome robots… Well, now there is.
The adventures of Beekle : the unimaginary friend
Santat, Dan
2014
J PIC SAN
This magical story begins on an island far away where an imaginary friend is born. He patiently waits his turn to be chosen by a real child, but when he is overlooked time and again, he sets off on an incredible journey to the bustling city, where he finally meets his perfect match and, at long last, is given his special name: Beekle.
Skippyjon Jones Cirque de Olé
Schachner, Judith Byron.
2012
J PIC SCH
In his newest adventure, the irresistible Skippyjon Jones swings out of his closet and into the spectacular Cirque de Ole, where his pals, the Chimichango gang, perform feats of derring-do. There are many acts to see, but only Skippito the Strong can perform the trickiest stunt of all. Come one, come all—with Skippyjon Jones as the circus star, the Greatest Show on Earth just got even better!
Pirates don’t take baths
Segal, John
2011
J PIC SEG
Why should this little pig take a bath? After all, astronauts don’t take baths. Cowboys don’t take baths. And EVERYONE knows that pirates don’t take baths. So why in the world should he? Besides, there’s nothing his mother can do about it. Or is there?
The amazing adventures of Bumblebee Boy
Soman, David.
2011
J PIC SOM
When Sam is Bumblebee Boy, he likes to fly alone, using his imagination to battle dragons, pirates, and tigers. Sam’s little brother, Owen, would like to play with him, but Owen doesn’t have a cape or a mask, and Bumblebee Boy doesn’t need his help. But when more aliens than Bumblebee Boy can handle land on the moon, will he be able to defeat them by himself?
A sick day for Amos McGee
Stead, Philip
2010
J PIC STE
Friends come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. In Amos McGee’s case, all sorts of species, too! Every day he spends a little bit of time with each of his friends at the zoo, running races with the tortoise, keeping the shy penguin company, and even reading bedtime stories to the owl. But when Amos is too sick to make it to the zoo, his animal friends decide it’s time they returned the favor.
Hoot owl, master of disguise
Taylor, Sean
2015
Available at Other Libraries
Hoot Owl is no ordinary owl. He is a master of disguise! In the blackness of night, he’s preparing to swoop on his prey before it can realize his dastardly tricks. Look there—a tasty rabbit for him to eat! Hoot Owl readies his costume, disguising himself as… a carrot! Then he waits. The rabbit runs off. Never mind! Surely his next juicy target will cower against such a clever and dangerous creature as he!
Interstellar Cinderella
Underwood, Deborah
2015
Available at other Libraries
Once upon a planetoid, amid her tools and sprockets, a girl named Cinderella dreamed of fixing fancy rockets. With a little help from her fairy godrobot, Cinderella is going to the ball. But when the prince’s ship has mechanical trouble, someone will have to zoom to the rescue!
City Dog, Country Frog
Willems, Mo
2010
In spring, when City Dog runs free in the country for the first time, he spots Country Frog sitting on a rock, waiting for a friend. “You’ll do,” Frog says, and together they play Country Frog games. In summer, they meet again and play City Dog games. Through the seasons, whenever City Dog visits the country he runs straight for Country Frog’s rock. In winter, things change for City Dog and Country Frog. Come spring, friendship blooms again, a little different this time.
Here comes the garbage barge!
Winter, Jonah
2010
J PIC WIN
This New York Times Best Illustrated Book is a mostly true and completely stinky story that is sure to make you say, “Pee-yew!” Teaching environmental awareness has become a national priority, and this hilarious book (subtly) drives home the message that we can’t produce unlimited trash without consequences. Before everyone recycled, there was a town that had 3,168 tons of garbage and nowhere to put it. What did they do? Enter the Garbage Barge!