Book Finder

After a fire destroys their home and possessions, Rosa, her mother, and her grandmother save their money to buy a big comfortable chair. Suffused with warmth and tenderness, A Chair for My Mother celebrates family love and determination. A Caldecott Honor book. Spanish version also available.

Charlie’s sheep keep nibbling on his cloak, and now it’s all tattered and torn. So, he shears his sheep, cards and spins the wool, weaves and dyes the cloth, and sews a beautiful new red cloak to keep him warm when winter comes.

The classic story of friendship and how a spider named Charlotte saves Wilbur, a small pig, from certain death with words in a web is now more than 50 years old. Nonetheless, it remains as fresh as the day it was first written.

Three generations bake a pie, make a crown of flowers, pass on a handmade quilt, and share a lullaby. Each time “it was the same, but different,” highlighting the connections between generations. Vividly colored, child-like illustrations effectively complement the rhythmic text. See also the bilingual version, Tortillas and Lullabies/Tortillas y cancioncitas(opens in a new window).

Curious George, move over. The accident-prone primate twins who made their debut last year return, “squibbling and squabbling” their way into a windblown escapade.

After her mother lays the egg, Clara becomes a plain caterpillar and then, predictably, a plain butterfly. Her homely color, however, camouflages Clara and allows her to become a hero by saving her once-haughty friend from a hungry crow. Butterfly fact and utter imagination combine in this winning tale of courage and contentedness.

Have you ever wondered what a small red puppy might do on Halloween? Read this story about young Clifford to find out.

Cllifford’s first day at school is filled with fingerpainting, cookie-baking, and other messy misadventures that make Clifford more loveable than ever!

Follow Clifford the Small Red Puppy as he experiences Valentine’s Day for the first time.

Emily Elizabeth and Clifford try to color Easter eggs, but only succeed in coloring Clifford when he falls into the egg dye after crushing most of the fragile eggs. Clifford redeems himself, though, when he helps Emily Elizabeth and her friends find the hard-to-reach Easter eggs.

Emily Elizabeth sets out with her small red puppy, Clifford, to make her mother the perfect Mother’s Day present. Clifford tries to help but only winds up making a gluey, sticky mess. The two friends learn that for little girls and puppies alike, Mother’s Day is not about presents – it’s about showing your mother how much you love her!

Emily Elizabeth has a big red dog – the biggest, reddest dog on her street, and his name is Clifford. How big is he? He’s so big that when he runs after cars, he catches them in his mouth, and his doghouse is bigger than Emily Elizabeth’s house. Needless to say, he makes an excellent watchdog.

It’s Valentine’s Day and Clifford receives valentines from all his friends. Then, when it snows, Clifford decides to give everyone a very special valentine in return!

Teddy discovers he has protective instincts when he sees his younger brother, Bobby, being bullied. How Teddy overcomes the bully without fists, acquires a pet cockroach named Hercules, and starts a new friendship creates a gently humorous story. Teddy and Bobby were introduced in Later, Gator (Hyperion, 1997).

From “one tall scarecrow standing on a hill” the countdown of creepy Halloweenish creatures continues until ten tiny mice scare them all with a loud “BOO!” The countdown begins again from ten until “one tall scarecrow stood all alone.” The rhyming count is illustrated by carefully composed, highly expressive black & white scratchboard illustrations.

Daddies do so many things, but on a summer evening one of the most special things is to catch a firefly. A gentle rhythmic text combines with soft illustrations, with flaps to lift, in this tender, appealing book.

In this rendition of the classic fairy tale, the Cinderella role is played by — you guessed it — a dinosaur! Her Fairydactyl comes to the rescue and dresses our heroine, a big fuchsia dinosaur, in a prom gown. And while you’re reading about how Dinorella dazzles the Duke at the Dinosaur Dance, children will be learning about the sound /d/ makes.

When a boy’s toy dinosaurs come to life, a whole new world is created in his bathtub. No words are needed as the adventure grows and then recedes when his mother brings him back to the real world. Black lines on crisp white pages effectively convey the child’s fantasy and his reality. Dinosaur names appear on the endpaper to the book.

Does Jesse travel back in time or is an imaginative jaunt when he boards a train with a Tyrannosaurus engineer? No matter; the imaginative journey of train- and dinosaur-obsessed Jesse is sure to delight.

What will the inhabitants of Mousopolis do when invaded by Dogzilla, the larger-than-life (but harmless looking) pooch? Can they reclaim their town before it’s chewed to bits? Collages using photographs and paintings illustrate this zany parody of old horror films. Those who enjoy Dogzilla may also appreciate Kat Kong. The titles tell it all!

The Lee family, first introduced in Star Fisher (HarperCollins, 1997), is Chinese. Living in Clarksburg, West Virginia, in 1927, they stand out in the community. Joan Lee and her siblings want to fit in and celebrate a non-Chinese holiday, Christmas. The children’s parents agree, but only if the children behave according to the parents high standards. Understanding and friendship gradually emerge in this touching novel based on the experiences of the author’s mother.

Newbery Award winner Virginia Hamilton describes how Lindy and her family suffer through a long drought. Then a mysterious boy comes and teaches them the secrets of finding water hidden in the earth.

Fables are short tales of animals with an explicit (though gentle) moral. Lobel has written original fables which are sure to delight young readers. Each tale is accompanied by a large illustration to create humor, character, place, and pleasure.