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Meet Frank, a small alien from Xob. Frank is small, square, and green just like all of those from Xob. Frank is astonished when he visits Earth and finds such differences in the small creatures. Readers will enjoy what Frank learns and takes back to Xob in staccato text and simple but expressive illustrations that appear to be watercolor on textured paper.

Sophisticated readers will enjoy this poetic exploration of light. Luminous illustrations show light’s variations in both the familiar and abstract as a child awakens to first light, and later views stars — after all, “light speaks.” Back matter includes brief information about light and related light topics.  

Becca loved spending time with her grandmother, watching her do everything from dancing in the garden to painting a canvas to attending a powwow. Becca wanted to be just like her grandma — and basketball-playing grandma wanted to be just like Becca! The warm relationship between grandmother and granddaughter is set in an indigenous context but is universally appealing.

What would your world look like if you were as small as a bean? Find out from the perspective of Jumper, a small spider that is both prey and hunter. Lush, realistic watercolor illustrations accompanied by engaging and informative text. Fascinating back matter and additional resources conclude this handsome volume.

A variety of big-eyed animals peek out from their abode and declare where they live. From nest to tree dwellers, from burrows to farms, each animal announces their home — concluding with young children cozily ensconced in their beds. This jaunty book is sure to engage and (sort of) inform about animal homes.

Mike, like everyone else, has their own flock of sheep to count if having trouble falling asleep. But one particularly tough night for sleeping, Four refused to follow sheep One, Two and Three.  Sly humor in a totally implausible story accompanied by comical cartoon illustrations on large pages create an unforgettable nighttime tale. Simultaneously available in Spanish: El rebaño.

When Auntie Fatma, a young narrator’s great aunt, visits from Egypt she brings with her sounds, tastes, and smells of Cairo. Though saddened when the visit is over, Fatma reminds the girl that those who drink from the Nile will always return. Colorful illustrations combine with alliteration and onomatopoeia to bring Cairo and its traditions alive.

Watch, wonder, and look around much like a cat does. Discover new things all around as you learn a bit about feline behavior. Humans, young and old, can learn from animal attributes, as was shown in Being a Dog: A Tail of Mindfulness. Playful collage illustrations and gentle narration conclude with additional cat information. 

Spanish and English are both used to tell the story of a girl and her family making apple treats, following their tree from flower to fruit. Told in a familiar cadence, the poem embeds Spanish words seamlessly to accompany jaunty illustrations. A glossary of Spanish words used and an easy recipe for applesauce are included.

There are big things and small things in the world. Some, like children, are in the middle. Young children are encouraged to think about their place in the world through lyrical language and elegantly simple illustrations in this exploration of the world.

Take a brief tour of Chinatown and its sites including a New Year’s dragon, presented in realistic illustrations accompanied by single words in both English and Chinese (both transliterated with pronunciation).

There are many ways to get to the library: bike, bus, even boat. Enjoy the parade of creatures, all colorful wood sculptures from an artist in Oaxaca, Mexico, on their way there. The vibrant critters appear twice from different angles on double page spreads with English on one side, Spanish on the other.

Experience each season with graceful haikus and soft illustrations with colors that reflect the changes. Lift the flap and see the small animals as they, too, experience summer, fall, winter, and spring. 

Cat fanciers of all ages will recognize the funny feline behavior in this vivacious rhyming jaunt. Broad shapes create kitties of various stripes and colors all with big round eyes add humor and verve until it’s bedtime (or not — if you’re a naughty kitten).

There are many reasons why animals form a line ranging from protection to efficient flying.  In an informative rhyming narrative accompanied by crisp illustrations with additional information at the end, readers discover why (and how) animals form lines.

Leo and his mother meet Yu and her mom for a summer day of play in the park, which ends with a picnic. In another picture book by the same author (this one illustrated in a similar style by Rosalind Beardshaw), Lola’s Nana-Bibi Comes to Visit (opens in a new window), Lola and her parents prepare for a visit from Lola’s grandmother. Together the family shares everyday pleasures from cooking to hair braiding. Leo and Lola remind us that there is joy in commonplace activities.

A kind crocodile roars to help animals from a small mouse to a huge rhino when they’re chased by a fierce enemy. They in turn help it when the croc is threatened the critters come together to help it. Humorous, textured illustrations on horizontal pages highlight the croc’s tale.

Young children frequently don’t have the words to describe strong feelings. Words and emotions come together in simple, bright, evocative illustrations on colorful pages just right to generate conversation — preferably before these feelings are experienced!

A bright frog face with big googly eyes invites young readers in to witness its transformation from egg to tadpole to full grown frog. Die-cuts are used throughout to enhance the simple drama of the frog’s growth. 

A duck loses track of other ducks when it leaves the pond. Readers follow duck’s search in simple line drawings and brief language on open, small pages. Duck? No duck … until the happy reunion!

Bruno Builder can bake bread, write a story, heal animals and more just by flipping the bottom portion of each split page. Dora Dentist and Vic Veterinarian can do the same things when the top half is changed. Child-like illustrations in a playful format encourage exploration of words and jobs all while chuckling.

A unique account of the amazing Thai cave rescue told in a heart-racing, you-are-there style that blends suspense, science, and cultural insight. On June 23, 2018, twelve young players of the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach enter a cave in northern Thailand seeking an afternoon’s adventure. But when they turn to leave, rising floodwaters block their path out. The boys are trapped! Before long, news of the missing team spreads, launching a seventeen-day rescue operation involving thousands of rescuers from around the globe.

As assistant to Mangkon’s most celebrated mapmaker, twelve-year-old Sai plays the part of a well-bred young lady with a glittering future. In reality, her father is a conman—and in a kingdom where the status of one’s ancestors dictates their social position, the truth could ruin her. Sai seizes the chance to join an expedition to chart the southern seas, but she isn’t the only one aboard with secrets. When Sai learns that the ship might be heading for the fabled Sunderlands—a land of dragons, dangers, and riches beyond imagining—she must weigh the cost of her dreams. Vivid, suspenseful, and thought-provoking, this tale of identity and integrity is as beautiful and intricate as the maps of old.

Princess Lina isn’t like other girls. She is a Windtamer who controls the wind and lives in a palace in the clouds. But she isn’t like other Windtamers, either, since her dad is a Groundling (a human) and her wind powers have a knack for turning icy cold. When Lina convinces her parents to let her go to her best friend Claudia’s human school, her powers really get out of whack, creating icicles in the classroom and snowdrifts in the gym. Written as Lina’s diary, this book touches on issues of feeling different, making friends and coming into your own and embracing what makes you special.