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When Rosa’s grandmother becomes sick, Rosa comes up with an idea that not only makes Grandma feel better, it helps add coins to the family’s near empty money jar. Translucent watercolors illustrate this timeless, affectionate tale of family, community and the power of music.

Monkey’s friends prepare a surprise party and then share the birthday fun! A familiar song is extended by singer/songwriter Raffi and presented here with engaging, child-like illustrations sure to get readers singing and clapping along with monkey and friends.

A cool cat named Oobie-Do moves to San Francisco, plays his saxophone and works as a short order cook, until his jazzy talents are recognized by nightclub owner Minnie, who books him for a gig. The bold, stylized illustrations are a cool complement to the rhythmic language of this off beat(nik!) tale.

This attractively animated collection of lively songs and rhyming games is a great opportunity to have fun with language! Written in both English and Spanish, this playful book expands your word game repertoire.

One hundred ants try to organize themselves in groups as they hungrily head to a picnic: two lines of 50; four of 25? Their efforts take so long they miss the meal, but readers will enjoy the humor! Boldly lined illustrations complement lighthearted text.

Can 50 lizards get to the stage in time for the show to start? A frantic snake looks for the performers and gradually, the lizards leap into sight in groups of five (5) then ten (10) until all 50 are on stage. The colorful, rhyming romp is sure to encourage counting as the story builds.

A small inch worm “green as an emerald” avoids being eating by a hungry robin using his wit — and his ability to measure things. He measures other birds as well — until he escapes them all by measuring a nightingale’s song. Textured collage illustrations complement the straightforward text in this modern classic.

When their mother bakes a dozen cookies, Sam and Victoria plan to have six each. Then the doorbell rings — again and again! Just when it seems that there aren’t enough cookies, grandma saves the day!

As a barren landscape begins to fill with people, trees, buildings, and more, readers can count the changes beginning with zero. The increasingly detailed, handsome watercolors encourage readers to counting and sort during the evolution of the countryside, much like the United States census.

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.

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.

Named “Ugly” by the other ducks but loved by his mother, the big, gawky, and awkward bird has a tough go of it until he finds his real identity as a swan. This novelization of Hans Christian Andersen’s now classic tale of “the Ugly Duckling” is richly told with details of Tasmania and other parts of Australia.

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.

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.

From huffing and puffing to “chinny-chin-chin” hair, this retelling of the familiar folktale keeps all the standard lines while textual asides and cartoon illustrations create a fresh and comic angle.

Peter’s disobedience almost gets him cooked while his siblings, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail enjoy a tasty supper in this timeless and satisfying tale. Potter’s carefully detailed and highly realistic illustrations amplify the fantasy and dramatize Peter’s possible consequences.

While on a family vacation in California, the Gridleys stay in an old hotel where a mouse named Ralph finds a toy motorcycle and meets Keith, the youngest Gridley. Thus begins a friendship and a memorable adventure of a mouse on a motorcycle. Ralph’s adventures continue in Ralph S. Mouse (1982).

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the classic story of Harold, who turns an ordinary walk into an extraordinary adventure! With his purple crayon and vivid imagination, he draws his way into and out of trouble. Simple line drawings — including lines from Harold’s crayon — complement the simple text, for a story that celebrates creativity and problem solving using a tool with which every child is familiar!