Book Finder

A jaunty rhyme describes the pleasure of bananas starting with the smile-like shape to the and ways to eat them. Bright illustrations with an occasional die-cut enhance the feel of this bright yellow fruit.

Who ate the little bug? Boldly shaped animals are eliminated with each page turn as die-cut circles decrease in size until the final spread with the ladybug on a young nose; presented in a sturdy format with its question and answers.

A child and their parents enjoy bundling up and playing in freshly fallen snow. Childlike illustrations in bold form accompany the simple text.

This handsome collection with boldly colored illustrations complement familiar (plus some not-so-familiar) rhymes and poems, sure to delight listeners and readers alike. A QR code takes readers to an audio of the book.

Peggy, an energetic toddler, and her patient grandfather go for a walk in the woods enjoying where Peggy watches a small snail, jumps in a mud puddle, and slides down a hill with Granddad patiently watching. When it’s time to return home, Granddad’s strong legs carry the tired child. 

Meet various vehicles (e.g., a fire truck, a train, and even a helicopter) each with their own personality as they do what each does. The simple illustrations each include something to touch, such as the rough rubbery wheel of a tractor.

Here are little squirrel, raccoon, hedgehog, and mouse … but where are you? Lift the flap to reveal a small mirror until the final spread. The animals ask where the Little Baby is. Unfold the sturdy page to discover a larger mirror and a greeting from all of the animals.

It looks like rain so Little Chick asks different animals for a dry place to wait until it stops. Young fingers can feel the wool of the goat, the chick’s soft feathers, and so on until it finds a place in the cozy barn with a horse. 

Readers will help baby critters find home as a disc is moved around on the pages of this sturdy board book. Along each short journey, they can identify other familiar items. For young travelers, the same format is used in Make Tracks In the Sky by Johnny Dyrander to introduce five vehicles that fly, one all the way to space!

A lost duckling is helped by a dog who in turn needs help. Each familiar animal is assisted by another until the duckling helps the horse find fresh water and begins the story again! Cozy illustrations and repeated text make this just right for young listeners.

A classic picture book about a chimpanzee in a very bad mood — perfect for young children learning how to deal with confusing feelings. Jim the chimpanzee is in a terrible mood for no good reason. His friends can’t understand it — how can he be in a bad mood when it’s SUCH a beautiful day? They have lots of suggestions for how to make him feel better. But Jim can’t take all the advice…and has a BIT of a meltdown. Could it be that he just needs a day to feel grumpy? The story brings hilarity and levity to this very important lesson on emotional literacy, demonstrating to kids that they are allowed to feel their feelings.

A sweet lesson as one little boy learns an effective recipe for turning a best enemy into a best friend. It was the perfect summer. That is, until Jeremy Ross moved into the house down the street and became neighborhood enemy number one. Luckily, Dad had a surefire way to get rid of enemies: Enemy Pie. But part of the secret recipe is spending an entire day playing with the enemy! In this funny and endearing children’s book, filled with charming illustrations, kids learn about dealing with conflict as well as the difficulties, and ultimate rewards, of making new friends.

This is the story of a persistent problem and the child who isn’t so sure what to make of it. The longer the problem is avoided, the bigger it seems to get. But when the child finally musters up the courage to face it, the problem turns out to be something quite different than it appeared. This relatable story will resonate with children who become frustrated or daunted when facing a problem, encouraging them to step back and view it with a new perspective. It’s a story to inspire you to look closely at that problem and to find out why it’s here. Because you might discover something amazing about your problem… and yourself.

All Jeremy wants is a pair of those shoes, the ones everyone at school seems to be wearing. Though Jeremy’s grandma says they don’t have room for “want,” just “need,” when his old shoes fall apart at school, he is more determined than ever to have those shoes, even a thrift-shop pair that are much too small. But sore feet aren’t much fun, and Jeremy soon sees that the things he has — warm boots, a loving grandma, and the chance to help a friend — are worth more than the things he wants.

When something sad happens, Taylor doesn’t know where to turn. All the animals are sure they have the answer. The chicken wants to talk it out, but Taylor doesn’t feel like chatting. The bear thinks Taylor should get angry, but that’s not quite right either. One by one, the animals try to tell Taylor how to act, and one by one they fail to offer comfort. Then the rabbit arrives. All the rabbit does is listen … which is just what Taylor needs. With its spare, poignant text and sweet illustration, The Rabbit Listened is about how to comfort and heal the people in your life, by taking the time to carefully, lovingly, gently listen.

As the moon grows fuller each night, Su-Jin’s halmoni (grandmother) prepares for the biggest Korean holiday of the year—a time for family, gratitude, and remembrance. Eager to share the celebration, Su-Jin invites her friends Maddy and Keisha to help Halmoni get ready. Together, they prepare traditional foods, wrap gifts in colorful cloth, play festive games, and learn how to honor ancestors. Along the way, the girls discover how to wish each other a happy Chuseok in Korean and explore the connections between Korean and American Thanksgiving traditions.

A guessing game in a book that celebrates the curiosity and delight of a jaunt through a garden, meadow, and alongside a brook. A child steps outside and strolls along, taking in the sights and sounds of nature. Rhythmic, rhyming text tracks his journey through a garden, meadow, and next to a brook, introducing a new color and animal found in that ecosystem with every turn of the page, transforming an ordinary walk into a feast for the senses.

Today it’s not uncommon to find students in a fourth-grade classroom reading books suitable for third-, second-, or even first-graders. Teachers suggest books to students at their deemed “instructional levels,” but how these instructional levels are determined is suspect. With a comprehensive, critical analysis of instructional-level pedagogy, Shanahan exposes its shaky foundations and shows how faulty research findings have become so entrenched. He gathers an extensive body of research studies that overwhelmingly contradict the instructional-level theory and offers an evidence-based consideration of how educators must instead use grade-level reading to bring about maximum learning gains. This seminal book concludes with practical advice for implementing grade-level reading instruction, including detailed descriptions of the types of instruction and scaffolding needed to increase students’ reading achievement, from teaching decoding and challenging texts to scaffolding reading to maintaining motivation. Shanahan asserts that a better approach can ensure that all students have an opportunity to leave high school with reading abilities commensurate with their personal, social, civic, and economic goals.

Leading literacy expert Timothy Shanahan curates a lively tour of the history of reading instruction in the U.S., arguing that the most popular reading instruction method is failing students and suppressing their literacy achievement. He breaks down the reasons why teachers and researchers alike have favored this accepted wisdom, known as instructional-level theory, in U.S. schools over the past five decades — and presents a compelling case for a new way forward that will bolster students’ reading skills.The book offers practical advice for implementing grade-level reading instruction, including detailed descriptions of the types of instruction and scaffolding needed to increase students’ reading achievement, from teaching decoding and challenging texts to scaffolding reading to maintaining motivation. Shanahan asserts that a better approach can ensure that all students have an opportunity to leave high school with reading abilities commensurate with their personal, social, civic, and economic goals.

Kena is a fierce, determined and caring kindergartner. She is hard of hearing and wears hearing aids. When kids at school make fun of her hearing aids, she gets a super idea. Super Kena will gather her differently-abled classmates to create a team of “super heroes”. Together, they will use their super powers to make a difference in the world. They will spread understanding and acceptance, one classroom at a time.

Cupig absolutely loves Valentine’s Day. Every year she enjoys spreading love and cheer to every creature, far and near. But when a storm blows through and sends her arrows off course, Cupig accidentally puts arrows in hearts that don’t need to be mended. Peanut Butter has stopped loving Jelly! Salt and Pepper have broken up! Needle and Thread are falling apart at the seams! Will Cupig ever fix her mistakes and get these classic pairs back together again?

Pippa’s teacher tells her students to make a love list — a list of all the things that take up room in their hearts. Pippa makes her list, but when she finds someone else’s and sees that her own name has been written down, along with all of her favorite things, she discovers she has a secret admirer! Maybe the best friend she’s always hoped for is right in her classroom, if only she can crack the case. Good thing there’s nothing Pippa loves more than a good detective story. Will she solve the mystery of the love list and find a new friend?

A playful, rhyming book on how to send loving, kind thoughts to yourself and others to make the world a better place. Worried or sad, grateful or glad, you can send good wishes to yourself, others, and the whole world with your thoughts! Just repeat these simple phrases: “May you be protected and safe. May you feel happy and pleased. May your body be healthy, and may you live with ease.” Starting with the individual child and extending outward to the whole universe, the rhyming couplets and beautiful art carry the reader through the thoughtful process of extending love and kindness to yourself and all those around you. 

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a collection of funny and festive poems from the author of the hugely popular Kindergarten, Here I Come! From making Valentine’s Day cards for everyone to eating oodles of heart-shaped candy, these sweet poems — plus a page of stickers — are the perfect way to spread the love!