Book Finder

A jolly group of young children visit baby animals at a farm, chasing, following, feeding them — and more. Each activity includes a sound or a word sure to encourage repetition. Soft lines and gentle colors capture the diverse group of toddlers on each sturdy page!

What better way for three cubs to spend an afternoon than baking with Grandma. Together they bake and wrap chocolate cake before walking home through the snowy woods, all told in warm illustrations and cozy rhyming text. A recipe for Grandma Rosie’s chocolate cake is included.

Some fly, others only walk but regardless of where they live or what they eat, the parrots presented are fascinating. They are pictured in handsome, realistic illustrations and a brief text. Further information about each parrot appears at the end, along with a glossary and additional resources, making this a book that can be enjoyed by many.

Everything one needs to know about triangles and angles is presented in a brief but informative and upbeat manner, all colorfully illustrated. A few triangle experiments are clearly delineated and illustrated and sure to engage and may lead to other activities.

Raised shapes correspond with die-cuts on sturdy board to present objects and numbers from 1 to 10. Bright colors and broad shapes use limited language to proffer foundational math concepts while providing different ways to perceive them. The same approach is used in Shapes(opens in a new window), another offering in this attractive series.

When ten mice start their day, they engage in routine activities — always equaling 10. Lively verbiage and numerical equations combine with animated illustrations to present the rodents’ antics (e.g., “10 mice wake.9 mice tidy. 1 mouse somersaults. 9+1=10”).

Join a mother and child as they count from one to ten and back again on New York’s subway. Their iconic journey, told through bold, bright colored forms and simple text, starts with “1 MetroCard, Momma and me” and continues until they arrive at “1 station, central and grand.”

Transformations begin with one (1) acorn that becomes one oak tree with a turn of the sturdy page. They continue on to 100 puzzle pieces that, when put together, become one big puzzle. Boldly colors and die cuts create an effective and intriguing introduction to counting from 1 to 100.

Moose and his friend Zebra (from Z is for Moose(opens in a new window)), are back, this time changing shapes, recognizing geometric shapes all around, and generally causing chaos within the pages of the book. Spirited illustrations create a witty tone for this engaging and surprisingly informative book.

Playful situations from familiar situations and activities make math come alive. Questions for “wee ones”, “little” and “big kids” as well as bonuses make this humorously illustrated bedtime book fun at any time of the day. It’s a follow-up to Bedtime Math: A Fun Excuse to Stay Up Late(opens in a new window).

Stanley is a very talented hamster who runs a garage. There he fixes his customers’ cars, taking care of everything from overheating to flat tires. After a busy day, Stanley returns home happily. Attractively simple shapes and bold colors in black outlines on uncluttered pages not only chronicle Stanley’s work but begin with illustrations of tools used. The same format is used in a companion book, Stanley the Builder(opens in a new window).

The horizontal format of this sturdy board book is just right for images of all manner of flying machine — from a seaplane to a space shuttle. Each deft image is accompanied by a similar refrain, “The helicopter goes,…” followed by onomatopoeic sounds dramatically presented in bold typeface.

Maisy, the engaging white mouse, gets around by bicycle, trolley, and even dreams of flying in a rocket ship. Bright, child-like illustrations and a tab to pull on each page encourage active participation in this very basic but very appealing introduction to modes of travel.

Each vehicle on the construction site snuggles down at the end of the day. Sound has been added to this edition of the picture book version(opens in a new window) with the same title. Icons on each page ask young readers to match the button which makes the sound — from the final sounds of digging and dumping to yawns and snores.

Drones — “remotely operated vehicles” — have changed the military and now may even change the way packages are delivered. Full color photographs and illustrations and brief text introduce a large number of different drones and their uses.

From morning to nighttime, there’s a lot going on in town, on a farm and at the port, each populated by animals that are stand-ins for people. Readers will discover many things on each large, colorful double page spread as the day passes in each locale. A clock and brief text on each page provides clues as to what to hunt for in this book reminiscent of Richard Scarry.

A spunky look at zoos from all over the world beginning 4400 years ago in the Sumerian city of Ur and ending at the present day San Diego Zoo. The many places worldwide and zoos’ purposes are presented in informative text and lighthearted cartoon illustrations.

“Noi lived with his dad and six cats by the sea.” But he was lonely until he rescues a baby whale that reconnects Noi with his busy fisherman father. Gentle language is enhanced by mellow, warmly hued illustrations of their seaside home.

What happens to Pop’s cell phone when he and Sam fall asleep at the zoo? It passes from one animal to the next! Cartoon illustrations and straightforward text are just right to create and easy, amusing, fanciful adventure.

Effervescent language and lively illustrations ask readers what kind of dog, cat, fist, bird, bug, frog, or dinosaur they’d be — but since they are not, they can “arrooo! like a dog, hiss! like a cat,” or even “chomp, stomp, roar! like a dinosaur” in this playful, imaginative book.

Beginning readers will appreciate the easy language and color photographs that describe necessary preparations and what zookeepers then feed animals. Children are shown at a petting zoo and eating a snack themselves in the book’s final images.

Bird basics — from characteristics to colors — are briefly introduced in an attractive, accessible package. In addition to a table of contents, glossary and index, this series provides additional material on birding (bird-watching) via an online, downloadable book.

Each dramatic photograph of an animal (such as a pink flamingo) on a white background is accompanied by one word: its color. In Creature Numbers(opens in a new window), Animals from 1 to 10 bounce, swim, and pose on the equally open pages of a companion book for a fine, fun introduction to basic concepts.