FROM THE PUBLISHER:

This inspiring story, with strikingly original art, is based on the author's mother's childhood and will show young readers that they, too, can make a difference.

FROM SARAH:

This book is laugh-out-loud funny and oh-so-much fun to read aloud. One of my highest springtime recommendations!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Mr. McGreeley had decided to plant a garden. But when bunnies start making nightly visits and eating up his harvest, he plots to keep those twitch-whiskers from stealing any more of his vegetables.

FROM SARAH:

Oh goodness, I do love a picture book written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! is another one not to miss!) This one is fun to read aloud again and again. The longer-than-usual text makes it best for slightly older kids.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

What would you do if you were invited to the princess’s tenth birthday party but didn’t have money for a gift? Well, clever Jack decides to bake the princess a cake.

Now he just has to get it to the castle in one piece. What could possibly go wrong?

**Description from Amazon: What's an opera singer to do when the appeal of performing in concert halls wears thin? Why, go West, of course! And sure as shootin', that's what Carlotta Carusa does. Out on the prairie, she finds all the adventure she's been craving: snarling wolves, disastrous droughts, and that no-good villain ...

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

To heal the hurt pride of Thomas Jefferson as Congress makes changes to his Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin tells his friend the story of a hatmaker and his sign.

FROM THE PUBLISHER: 

From the acclaimed author of The Great and Only Barnum—as well as The Lincolns, Our Eleanor, and Ben Franklin's Almanac—comes the thrilling story of America's most celebrated flyer, Amelia Earhart.

**Description from Amazon: These contemporary “fables” are instructive, hilarious, and now in paperback!The fourth graders at Aesop Elementary are, well, unusual. There’s Calvin Tallywong, who wants to go back to kindergarten. But when he actually gets the chance, he’s forced to do the squirrel dance and wear a yello...

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Meet Imogene Tripp, a plucky girl with a passion for history. As a baby, her first words were “Four score and seven years ago.” In preschool, she finger-painted a map of the Oregon Trail.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Candace Fleming deftly maneuvers between the plight of Russia’s poor masses and the extravagant lives of the Romanovs, from their opulent upbringings to the crumbling of their massive empire, and finally to their tragic murders. Using captivating photos and compelling first-person accounts throughout, The Family Romanov is history at its most absorbing.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A new take on The Little Red Hen -- Cajun stylePoor Monsieur Gator is getting old and is moving so slow he can't catch himself a taste of possum or otter, or even a whiff of skunk. Day after day those animals tease and taunt him until, finally, he decides to cook up some gumbo just like Maman used to.

FROM SARAH:

If I'm reading to a group of kids (especially at homeschool co-op), I will almost always choose this book. It's page-turning-tension and perfect read-aloud cadence makes it a kid favorite again and again. Highly recommended.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Young children will delight in repeating the refrain "OH, NO!" as one animal after another falls into a deep, deep hole in this lively read-aloud. This simple and irresistible picture book by hugely popular picture book creators—Candace Fleming and Caldecott medalist Eric Rohmann—feels like a classic-in-the-making. Fans of Rohmann's Caldecott Medal­-winning My Friend Rabbit, will be thrilled to see a new book created in the same expressive and comical style.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

"What good shall I do today?" How Ben Franklin answered that question -- through his work as a writer, printer, statesman, and inventor -- forever established him as one of America's greatest figures.

FROM SARAH:

Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann (a married pair!) won all kinds of awards for this nonfiction picture book, and I think you'll see why as soon as you crack the pages!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

The giant squid is one of the most elusive creatures in the world. As large as whales, they hide beyond reach deep within the sea, forcing scientists to piece together their story from those clues they leave behind.An injured whale's ring-shaped scars indicate an encounter with a giant squid.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

It’s Bulldozer’s big day—his birthday! But around the construction site, it seems like everyone is too busy to remember. But when the whistle blows at the end of the busy day, Bulldozer discovers a construction site surprise, especially for him!

FROM THE PUBLISHER

A very little bulldozer learns that taking care of kittens is a very big job in this darling follow-up to Bulldozer’s Big Day from award-winning author Candace Fleming and Caldecott Medalist Eric Rohmann.

FROM THE PUBLISHER: 

Candace Fleming is the author of Honeybee, which received an Orbis Pictus Honor and 7 starred reviews. She brings her knack for making science and nature appealing to the very young in The Tidepool Waits with detailed accounts of dozens of species of sea life, culminating in a perfect primer for students and nature lovers taking their first trip to the shore. Her text is accompanied by effervescent artwork by Amy Hevron and substantial backmatter.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

When Bronx Zoo-keeper Fred brought home a lion cub, Helen Martini instantly embraced it. The cub's mother lost the instinct to care for him. "Just do for him what you would do with a human baby," Fred suggested...and she did. Helen named him MacArthur, and fed him milk from a bottle and cooed him to sleep in a crib.

Soon enough, MacArthur was not the only cub bathed in the tub! The couple continues to raise lion and tiger cubs as their own, until they are old enough to return them to zoos. Helen becomes the first female zookeeper at the Bronx zoo, the keeper of the nursery.

FROM SARAH:

I LOVE this nonfiction picture book. Use it for science, a fabulous read aloud or nature study. Your kids are sure to pore over the luscious illustrations!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

When winter ice covers the Arctic Ocean, a narwhal pokes his head through a patch of open water, his tusk--a six-foot long tooth--pointed to the sky.

Join this mammal as he jousts with another narwhal, floats with his pod, and uses echolocation to find his prey. When warmer weather arrives, he will migrate towards summer ground. But he must be careful! Predators--orcas and polar bears--will be hungry and looking for a meal.... How will the narwhal escape? Will he be able to return to the winter bay?

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Getting this baby dressed is not going to be easy!

This is the diaper, often a mess,
that goes on the baby who hates to be dressed.
"No! No! Nooo!"

Take one toddler who can't stand getting dressed. Add a mother who is determined to dress baby. The result is a laugh-filled struggle as this mommy uses all her ingenuity and powers of persuasion to get baby into diaper, T-shirt, sweater, and many layers of winter clothing. But just when she thinks she's succeeded, baby peels everything off and happily struts, naked once again. Yes! Yes! Yes!

FROM SARAH:

I love a beautiful picture book that explores nature AND tells an incredible story at the same time. The lyrical text by Candace Flemming and lush illustrations by Eric Rohmann bring vivid detail to the life of a honeybee, and the ending pages are full of fascinating information that will intrigue your older readers.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A tiny honeybee emerges through the wax cap of her cell. Driven to protect and take care of her hive, she cleans the nursery and feeds the larvae and the queen. But is she strong enough to fly? Not yet!

Apis builds wax comb to store honey, and transfers pollen from other bees into the storage. She defends the hive from invaders. And finally, she begins her new life as an adventurer.

The confining walls of the hive fall away as Apis takes to the air, finally free, in a brilliant double-gatefold illustration where the clear blue sky is full of promise-- and the wings of dozens of honeybees, heading out in search of nectar to bring back to the hive.