Book Finder

Tacky and his friends are training for the Winter Games and when the competition finally arrives, the other animals are worried that Tacky’s lack of training will ruin their chance at a medal. Along with the humor, the author brings in many facets of the Olympics: training before the games, the march of the athletes into the stadium for the opening ceremonies that include the lighting of a torch.

What kind of cat would go sliding off on skis, and who’d believe it anyway? When the family accidentally leaves Henry, their sassy Siamese, behind at the ski lodge, he takes matters into his own paws in this lively adventure.

Privyet! Welcome to Russia! Come along on this ABC exploration of the people, geography, animals, plants, history, and culture of Russia. Read about diamond studded eggs, the deepest lake in the world, and other fascinating facts.

An overview of what’s involved in putting on and participating in the Olympics. Learn about the opening ceremonies, the many Olympic events in the Summer and Winter games, the medal presentations, and the Olympic village.

Stravinsky, a composer, and a dancer named Nijnsky each worked alone until they met. Their collaboration initially surprised Parisians but has become a classic. Meet the composer and choreographer who created “The Rite of Spring” in evocative, swirling text and image.

What can you see in shadows? A girl imagines she sees a crocodile and more — until the light returns with a click. Limited colors energetically depict her imagination. Her musings are reminiscent of shadow puppetry (and just may inspire creation of them, too).

What does any letter of the alphabet represent? Can you find the “embrace” in the letter E? Graphic artist Thurbly shows the action or the object created from each upper case letter from A to Z. The result is sure to inspire young artists to create while building vocabulary.

What causes the remote, or just one sock to disappear? Dr. Zooper provides the answers in his guide to the Mischevians. Young artists can add to the list of these silly critters as they laugh and share this pseudo-serious take on why things disappear.

Dots abound in lots of colors all around, everywhere and every day. Some are heavy, others are light; some are even edible. This color-filled, playful, cheery look at everyday things in which dots are seen is sure to inspire creative examinations of the world around.

Poor Gerald just doesn’t understand Piggie when he pretends to be a frog. But Piggie persists until his friend catches on in this humorous homage to dramatic, imaginative play all presented with Willems’ signature humor.

Even though Emily’s teacher is distressed that Emily daydreams during science, both recognize that Emily’s wandering mind just might lead to creativity and new ways of thinking. A lighthearted take on a serious topic reminds readers that imagination can lead to many positive things.

A group of young men from Liverpool changed the world of music and they enjoyed a good laugh — often on themselves. The Fab Four and their humor are presented in appealing stylized illustrations and a lighthearted narrative well suited to the material presented.

A small ladybug loves to hide — and she does it well in each familiar scene. “Yoo-hoo, Ladybug? Where are you?” She’s hiding behind the teddy bear, tucked in a box, and other places in this brightly illustrated, rhyming hide-and-seek book for younger children.

A big brown bear in red sneakers tiptoes fast to invite his friends to “…come with me/I know something you should see.” Each animal clops, thuds or swishes to see Joe’s surprise: two sleeping cubs with their mother. Told with lively language and humorous illustrations.

Exasperated Mama and Daddy put Sophie in time-out when she dumps her dinner and tosses the clean laundry. But when Granny puts herself in time-out during their book-sharing, Sophie straightens up. Text and illustration capture a young child’s tenacious behavior and her adults’ reactions, sure to be recognized by all.

A quiet, country life is evoked as a mother sings a lullaby to her daughter before placing the toddler in a cozy outdoor cradle. There, mother plays the guitar, singing to the sleeping child. Visual allusions to nursery rhymes (and even Elvis Presley) extend the lullaby and its rural setting.

On black pages, a die-cut reveals from 1 to 10 lights. With a turn of the page, a vehicle is revealed in full color, highly stylized illustrations. A clue encourages guessing before the big reveal. The final one light is the night light in a child’s room.

Twenty familiar and some lesser-known rhymes are just right for sharing. Actions are shown in small pictograms that accompany each line. One fingerplay appears on each double page with gentle, idealized illustration for a collection perfect for sharing.

Feel the lamb’s wool, then lift the umbrella to find lambs. There are lambs of all types and in many moods doing lots of things. Staccato, rhyming, catchy text is accompanied by expressive images of lively lambs that encourage active engagement with each page.

When the young narrator feels quiet and cuddly, she doesn’t mind being her mom’s Little Mouse. Other times, she is as strong as an ox or brave and scary like a lion. A child’s daily changing moods are reflected in the open illustrations and simple text.

Chloe is charming child in a red and white polka dot dress who sees kittens everywhere, even dreaming about them. When she awakens, her dream becomes reality and she gets her own kitten. Clean lines and simple language present a satisfying, recognizable story.

Skinny Doug is Bonnie and Ben’s favorite babysitter. When he shares a familiar bedtime rhyme, their chant encourages him to share even more ditties until everyone is finally tucked in. Traditional verses appear in the rhythmic, imaginatively illustrated rhyming text.