Sergio and the Hurricane

by Alexandra Wallner "Sergio lived in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with his mama, papa, dog Peanut, and cat Misu in a cottage across the street from the ocean..." 

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

by Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith (Illustrator) "  If geese had graves, Mother Goose would be rolling in hers. The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales retells--and wreaks havoc on--the allegories we all thought we knew by heart. In these irreverent variations on well-known themes, the ugly duckling grows up to be an ugly duck, and the princess who kisses the frog wins only a mouthful of amphibian slime. The Stinky Cheese Man deconstructs not only the tradition of the fairy tale but also the entire notion of a book. Our naughty narrator, Jack, makes a mockery of the title page, the table of contents, and even the endpaper by shuffling, scoffing, and generally paying no mind to structure. Characters slide in and out of tales; Cinderella rebuffs Rumpelstiltskin, and the Giant at the top of the beanstalk snacks on the Little Red Hen.

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?

by Jane Yolen, Mark Teague (Illustrator) "How does a dinosaur say good night when Papa comes in to turn off the light? Does a dinosaur slam his tail and pout? Does he throw his teddy bear all about? Does a dinosaur stomp his feet on the floor and shout: 'I want to hear one book more!'? DOES A DINOSAUR ROAR?" Most certainly not. Dinosaurs give their mommies and daddies big hugs and kisses, tuck their tales in, and whisper "Good night!" 
 

Where the Wild Things Are

by Maurice Sendak (Illustrator) Where the Wild Things Are is one of those truly rare books that can be enjoyed equally by a child and a grown-up. If you disagree, then it's been too long since you've attended a wild rumpus. Max dons his wolf suit in pursuit of some mischief and gets sent to bed without supper. Fortuitously, a forest grows in his room, allowing his wild rampage to continue unimpaired. Sendak's color illustrations (perhaps his finest) are beautiful, and each turn of the page brings the discovery of a new wonder.

Bear Snores On

by Karma Wilson, Jane Chapman (Illustrator) On a cold windy night, an itty-bitty mouse "pitter-pat, tip-toe, creep-crawls" into a sleeping bear's cozy lair, looking for relief from the bitter winter weather. Soon he is joined by a veritable menagerie of woodland animals, and the party begins. Popping corn, brewing tea, tweeting, and chatting, the critters enjoy themselves thoroughly while the bear slumbers through it all. Until, that is, an errant pepper flake from the simmering stew wakes him up with a giant sneeze. As the bear goes from ferocious snarls and rumbles to pitiful whimpers, his uninvited guests realize what the problem is.

A Tree for All Seasons

by Robin Berbard, "Observing a maple tree over time, children get a clear picture of what trees do and how seasons change. In summer, the tree is shown sunbathing and brimming with animal life. With autumn comes the flowing sap that makes maple syrup for pancakes. As winter approaches, the tree’s leaves begin to fall, and it becomes nearly dormant. The beautiful photographs and simple text introduce young readers to the wonders of each season and encourage them to look closer at the natural world around them."

Rosie and Michael

Rosie likes Michael when he's dopey and not just when he's smart. Michael likes Rosie when she's grouchy and not just when she's nice. That's how friends are. When Michael's parakeet died, he called Rosie. When Rosie's dog ran away, she called Michael. That's what friends do. Michael once sprayed Kool Whip into Rosie's sneakers. Rosie once put a worm in Michael's sandwich. They're still friends. And Michael says he would never have his tonsils out without Rosie. And Rosie says she would never move to China without Michael. And the reason they wouldn't is -- because they're friends.
 

Stephanie's Ponytail

by Robert Munsch, Robert N. Munsch "One day Stephanie went to her mom and said, None of the kids in my class have a ponytail..." 

The Boy Who Looked Like Lincoln

Life isn't easy for Benjy.  He looks just like Abraham Lincoln - right down to the wart and beard.  He gets stovepipe hats for every birthday.  He has to play Lincoln in every school play - whether he's part of the story or not.  And the teasing never stops.  But then he spends a summer at Camp What-cha-ma-call-it - The Camp for Kids Who Look Like Things!  There amongst kids who look like frogs, toasters, and even the backside of a horse, Benjy learns some important lessons about himself - and the things that truly make a person special. 

September 12th: We Knew We Would Be All Right

by Masterson Elementary Students, Masterson Elementary Student (Illustrator), First Grade Students of H. Byron Masterson Elementary in Kennett Missouri

So You Want to Be President?

by Judith St. George, David Small (Illustrator) has created a book about the presidency that's serious fun. The basic theme is that anyone can be president: a fat man (William Howard Taft) or a tiny man (James Madison), a relative youngster (Teddy Roosevelt at 42) or oldster (Ronald Reagan at 69).

Fly Roast Beef Could Fly

Tonight Show host and bona fide household name Jay Leno tries his hand at writing children's books with this fun embellishment from his own childhood--a story of an effusive Italian father, a stingy Scottish mother, and a rotisseried roast beef gone airborne.

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

by Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith (Illustrator) There has obviously been some kind of mistake," writes Alexander T. Wolf from the pig penitentiary where he's doing time for his alleged crimes of 10 years ago. Here is the "real" story of the three little pigs whose houses are huffed and puffed to smithereens... from the wolf's perspective. This poor, much maligned wolf has gotten a bad rap. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, with a sneezy cold, innocently trying to borrow a cup of sugar to make his granny a cake. Is it his fault those ham dinners--rather, pigs--build such flimsy homes? Sheesh.

If You Give a Moose a Muffin

If you give a moose a muffin, he'll want some jam to go with it." So begins the most logical silliness to be found anywhere--at least since Laura Joffe Numeroff and illustrator Felicia Bond's If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Readers will follow a young boy and his voracious visitor through a series of antlered antics: jam reveries and puppet shows and big messes. It all makes perfect sense, really, once you stop to think about it. What moose wouldn't want to borrow a sweater when it's cold outside?

Squids Will Be Squids: Fresh Morals, Beastly Fables

by Jon Scieszka, Molly Leach, Lane Smith (Illustrator) Every once in a while a book crosses our desks that makes us sit quietly delighted--except for a few squeaks of unmitigated joy--and this oversized, energized, stylized, highly prized book of fables is one of them. Jon Scieszka has a simple philosophy of the fable: "If you can't say something nice about someone, change the guy's name to Donkey or Squid." After all, the alleged Aesop did it. Squids Will Be Squids offers lessons such as "Everyone knows frogs can't skateboard, but it's kind of sad that they believe everything they see on TV." Sure, it's goofy, but it's also saying to kids, "Don't believe everything you see on TV."
 

The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig

by Eugene Trivizas, Helen Oxenbury (Illustrator) "Once upon a time, there were three cuddly little wolves with soft fur and fluffy tails who lived with their mother..." 

Goldilocks Returns

by Lisa Campbell Ernst "As a child she was known as Goldilocks, and she was very naughty indeed..." 

Barnyard Banter

by Denise Fleming (Illustrator) "Cows in the pasture, moo, moo, moo..." 
 

The Amazing Bone

by William Steig (Illustrator) Pearl (a piglet) discovers a talking bone, which had fallen out of a witch's basket...This is a tight mesh of witty storytelling and art, bound to please any audience."

Donkey Trouble

A simple man and his grandson have nothing left but their donkey, so they must sell it. This is the story of their journey to the market.

The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish

by Neil Gaiman, Dave McKean (Illustrator) "One day my mom went out and left me at home with just my little sister and my dad..." 

Big Fat Hen (Board book)

by Keith Baker, Count to ten with the big fat hen

Credits

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