Book Finder

Pigeon is back, this time introducing young children to modes of transportation, from bus to bike. His slightly adult quips are sure to engage adults and children alike as are the bold lined, cartoon illustrations.

Pigeon is back on the bus and wants readers to know that he is not always happy. His range of emotions is conveyed in clean line and minimum text in this board book with lots of parent appeal.

Christine recalls growing up with her brothers (known as M.L. and A.D.) in a family in which laughter and love were celebrated. She describes a pivotal moment in their childhood when her brothers are told by the white boys who live across the street that they can no longer play together because the King’s are “Negroes.” The story provides insight into the child M.L. King was, and the man he would become. Realistic watercolors evoke the era and events of this well-told memoir.

This poetic tribute to Langston Hughes introduces the poet and the time in which he lived and worked. An author’s note provides information about Hughes’ life and will likely generate interest in Hughes’ poetry. Stylized illustrations complement this unique story.

Reenie and her mother often fish along a river nicknamed Jim Crow, where they often see Peter and his father fishing, too. Since Reenie is black and Peter is white, they never speak — until Reenie reaches out to bridge a divide even wider than the river. A hopeful ending concludes this expressively illustrated recollection of the author’s childhood.

Where do you find needles? All over the world, of course! Readers will recognize many things in these stories from Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and other Central Asian countries where stories, riddles, and more are told at mealtimes to feed the soul as well as the body. As with many folktales, readers recognize what they share with people in another part of the world while celebrating what makes them unique.

Striking illustrations highlight the drama of this Chinese version of Red Riding Hood. Instead of one girl, three sisters confront and ultimately confound the fearsome, hungry wolf who pretends to be the girls’ grandmother.

Read about Jack and the famous beanstalk, how Jack stopped folk from dying, and more — all with a distinctive Appalachian flair. This collection is meant to be shared aloud, sure to delight listeners (and readers) of all ages.

BaMusa takes a break from selling his hats — only to have them stolen by mischievous monkeys. Told in rhythmic language sprinkled with words from Mali, BaMusa’s work to retrieve his hats is illustrated with strong line and bold form.

The tale of herdsman Ki-pat is set on a dry African plain and is told in the familiar cadence of “The House that Jack Built”. Animals are introduced, tension builds and the resolution pours forth as the rhyme builds. Stylized illustrations create place and mood in this engaging verse.

Ashpet is “hired out” and makes her employers jealous because of her loveliness. But she gets help from old granny to attend the church social and finds a way to get the attention of the doctor’s son — a fine young man. This distinctive Appalachian version of Cinderella creates its unique setting in jaunty language and comic illustrations of a plucky, bright heroine.

Andy helps an escaped circus lion by removing a thorn from his paw. This simple act of kindness — and bravery — done by a boy on his way to school is rewarded by friendship and loyalty. Limited color and strong line combine with lively language in this very American version of an old fable attributed to Aesop.

Ferdinand is not an ordinary bull. Instead of kicking and fighting and butting heads like the other young bulls, he prefers to sit and smell the flowers. When Ferdinand unwittingly sits on a bee while men are searching for the fiercest bull for the bullfights in Madrid, his dramatic reaction gets him chosen! Black and white illustrations and understated text create humor and a message of nonviolence.