Book Finder

The traditional tale has been retold and newly presented to create a theater within the covers of a book. Scenes unfold and become 3-dimensional with text hidden under “curtains” — flaps that unfold.

Though larger animals try to call the sun up on the long, snow-filled winter night, only the song of a small chickadee awakens the day. Told with a storyteller’s voice, this gentle tale is luminously illustrated with limited colors to evoke the depth of a wintery forest and the brilliance of a new day.

Imogene’s town has abandoned the building which she makes into a museum. Can feisty Imogene save the museum from destruction in the name of progress? She finds a letter (George Washington slept there!), protests, and puts herself in a stockade until the building is saved. This book is fast, funny, and rich with an appreciation for history.

In a companion to A Chair for My Mother, young Rosa awaits the birth of her baby cousin in the now slightly frayed chair so lovingly purchased long ago. When the baby is born, Rosa introduces him to the much-loved chair and its history in this sincere and warmly told and illustrated family story.

Everyone knows that book characters come alive only when the book is opened. In this clever picture book, characters awaken when readers open it; sleep when the book is closed. Illustrations allow readers to literally look down into the book characters’ lives and enjoy the entire notion of storytelling.

Winnie Finn wants to win a prize at the county fair but she is a worm farmer. Instead of winning one herself, Winnie helps others win with her prize wigglers. Simply told and comically illustrated, this engaging tale is enlightening, informative, and just plain fun.

The famous cat in a red and white striped hat is used to introduce basic information about space as well as space trivia. As in others in the series, the limited vocabulary in a predictable format provides easily accessed and understood information about a popular topic.

Are dust bunnies real? In this silly book they are, and Ed, Ned, Ted, and Bob speak in rhyme all the time! Large illustrations and conversation bubbles show which dust bunny is speaking — that is, until the cleaning tools come out. The broad humor makes for an appealing, easy-to-read tale.

The narrator can do many things well but she just cannot skip. The rhyming, repetitive text allows readers to see what else they are likely good at doing but will help them figure out steps for skipping, too. Spare illustrations add appeal to the pleasing text.

Panda cubs living in China’s Wolong Nature Preserve provide a unique opportunity to observe the animals from birth to the time they join “panda kindergarten.” There, these appealing animals learn skills for survival in the wild. Colorful photography combines with a readable text for an engaging, informative look at these endangered animals.

A boy’s grandfather is always grumpy, fussy, and yelling. But when grandfather and grandson go fishing together, they wind up having a laugh and finding a way to communicate. Stylized illustrations are used effectively in this story of learning to appreciate relatives who may have forgotten what it’s like to be young.

Max Spaniel is a dog on a mission: to track down the dinosaur in his backyard. Find it he does, but it is as imaginative (and nonthreatening) as the dinosaur hunter himself. Limited vocabulary combines with very funny illustrations for a comic and satisfying story.

Inspired by his book for adults, the photographer uses striking full color photographs to introduce animals, tidbits of animal information, as well as the alphabet. From A to Z, readers are encouraged to guess and learn in this intriguing and sophisticated book.

Baseball great, Jackie Robinson, never joined his children at the lake near their Connecticut home until the winter he made sure its ice was safe for skating. His daughter recognizes that courage is shown in many ways — from testing ice to breaking the baseball color barrier. Rich illustrations extend this well-told family story.

Poets have always looked to the sky for inspiration. A range of contemporary and older poets and their exploration of the stars, sky, moon — and more — are presented, illustrated with lush, evocative paintings.

Paulie Pastrami is just a kid, and a kid who even has trouble getting his socks to match. But Paulie has big plans. In order to achieve his plan of world peace, Paulie begins with small kindnesses which are sure to grow. Bold, comic illustrations complement this recognizable, winning, and empowering story.

The encyclopedic presentation in an oversized format support about 200 photographs from NASA as well as other illustrations to chronicle the history of space flight. Rockets and the moon landing are also included. A DVD with historical footage from the moon landing completes this attractive package, sure to be enjoyed by a range of readers.

The lesser known animals in this book have something in common: they are all marsupials with particular habitats, habits, and traits. The amazing animals are presented in crisp, full color illustrations and a highly readable narration from this award-winning photographer and science writer.

Ever wonder what pencils and pens do when you fall asleep? Well, Tony’s tools try to help him out by writing his story for school. Humorous illustrations animate writing instruments in this retro-looking fantasy.

Schools and students create many lists. This collection is filled with poetry made up of lists, generally suggesting the pattern of a school year. A range of contemporary poets offer accessible and appealing work in a delicately illustrated, long list-like format.

Born into a poor Roma family, Django Reinhardt’s musical talent takes him to perform on European stages for appreciative audiences. Here, the basics of his life are presented in vibrant, expressive paintings and a poetic text. An author’s note encourages finding out more about this little known musician.

Sandy Koufax’s early career with the Brooklyn Dodgers was not terribly memorable. But by 1961, the team had moved to Los Angeles and Koufax had perfected his pitch. His amazing story his told through the voice of an unnamed teammate and illustrated with stylized, stunning illustrations.

A young, injured, Atlantic bottlenose dolphin was rescued and taken to the Clearwater (FL) Marine Aquarium. There the dolphin was treated, named Winter, and was given a prosthetic tail to allow her to swim properly. Full color photographs, an informal text, and additional sources for more information complete this inspiring tale.

Nubs was the leader of a pack of wild dogs in Iraq but became part of a human pack when he met Marine Major Brian Dennis. The story of this amazing friendship is all the more remarkable as it happened in a war zone. It is documented in photographs and a lucid text that comes to a very satisfying conclusion.