Book Finder

What sound does an excavator or a forklift make? Each makes its own noise, presented here in bold, dramatic typefaces dynamically shown on sturdy horizontal pages. Children can be encouraged to repeat sounds made by the variety of equipment — likely to delight construction aficionados.

Discover why boats — even filled with people — can float, but a small pebble sinks in water. Easy experiments and lucid explanations are presented with cartoon-like illustrations to bring concepts like density and displacement into focus for readers of all ages.

Is the magic in the book or with the reader as they are asked to tap the brown tree? A green leaf appears and then when rubbed, pink blossoms emerge. A rhythmic text encourages participation to see seasonal changes in the sturdy tree from winter’s end to spring birds nesting.

There are faces all around. They can be seen in everyday things, like a chair. And they can be made from fruits and vegetables, tools and what is found in the garden. When imaginations are let loose, there are all kinds of faces to see and to make! Cheerful collages made from different materials are sure to inspire creativity and making faces.

Katherine Olivia Sessions grew up in Northern California’s woods where she did things that most other 19th century girls didn’t do: get dirty, study science and complete college. Kate grew up to become known as “Mother of [San Diego’s] Balboa Park.” Stylized illustrations and text present this unique woman and her scientific accomplishments.

How colorful parrots that have lived on the island of Puerto Rico for “millions of years” almost disappeared but can again be seen today makes an exciting saga. Enjoy the richly colored collage cutouts illustrate alone or read the informative text which details the history of parrots and their island home.

All animal babies are appealing. It’s hard to avoid an “awe” or two when dipping into this collection of factoids and photographs that present lots of babies of all types. The taste of information is sure to inspire readers to find out more about the furred, feathered and even cold-blooded babies.

Homan Walsh wanted to win the prize for flying his kite, Union, from one side the Niagara River to the other — the first step in building a bridge connecting Canada and the U.S. Stylized paintings and simple text tell a powerful story (based in fact) of persistence and hope.

Ruth Elder was a beauty queen but in 1927 she showed her pluck when she and a copilot took off for Paris. Though she didn’t make it that time, she continued to demonstrate that women were fine pilots and could fly solo. Ruth’s early life and aviation is fascinatingly revealed through evocative narration and illustration.

A partial image of an animal is accompanied by the question, “What am I?” With a turn of the page, a larger look at the animal is shown, accompanied by “Where am I?” Another turn reveals the habitat. Handsome, highly realistic watercolors in a predictable format introduce animals, ending with a portrait of a boy “on the beautiful Earth.”

How big were the dinosaurs really? Though a deadly hunter, the microraptor “would barely be able to look a modern-day chicken in the eye.” Energetic illustrations contrast dinosaurs to things familiar and contemporary. Add animated text for a memorable look at size and prehistoric creatures.

From swamps to coral reefs, animals use camouflage. Lush, realistic, double page illustrations ask readers to find a particular number of animals in each habitat. With the turn of the page, the habitat is described and all animals are identified.

Buzz and his pet fly, Fly Guy, visit a space museum for a brief introduction to stars, planets and related concepts. Photographs and funny illustrations combine with easy-to- read language for a quick, accessible, informative trip shared by old friends.

A vacationing family sees many different types of boats and ships as well as what they carry. Young readers will find lots to explore as they travel over the waters in this large, highly pictorial journey.

From his early childhood in Jamaica, Clive loved all types of music. When he was 13 years old, he moved to New York where his affinity for music blossomed. Ultimately Clive, now Cool Herc, achieved his dream of being surrounded by music as a DJ and started a new music form. Angular illustrations and informative back matter complete this portrait of music and a musician.

Word problems run in Robert’s family. When his grandma told him about anagrams, “different words (even phrases and sentences) that have exactly the same letters,” he just couldn’t get away from them! Playful illustrations and varied typeface add to the wordplay fun.

Everyone knows what a toilet is, but have you ever wondered what happens when a toilet is flushed? A brief introduction explains why toilets are needed (the digestive system), followed by lucid text and clear illustrations, with humorous touches, that detail what happens. This glimpse is sure to engage and heighten appreciation for the toilet.

The natural world is filled with frightening creatures that titillate, amaze and awe. Characteristics (size, “weapons” and skills) of 100 of them are presented in dramatic, full- color photographs and factoids. This installment of the series may inspire readers to find out more about the enthralling range of critters.

Mummies and mummification in North America are introduced in short, readable text accompanied by illustration and photographs. Adapted from her longer book, the easy reader format makes a fascinating topic accessible to newly independent readers.

Also see Discover More Reptiles(opens in a new window) from the same author. Questions, tidbits of information and full-color photographs all in an appealing format are perfect to dip and out of for information about the subjects in this series. Each title includes a table of contents, an index and even a glossary of words plus the potential to find out more online.

A group of movie-making monsters introduce the concepts needed to make a 3-dimensional film: width, height, depth. Related ideas and vocabulary follow (e.g., circumference, area, etc.) also presented with the same light touch. Flat, silly-but-colorful monsters lead the exploration to its conclusion.

A billion is a big number, bigger than a million. “It’s written like this: 1,000,000,000 — one followed by nine zeroes.” There aren’t even that many hairs on your head! Colorful illustrations and child-friendly comparisons bring these huge numbers into clearer focus in both words and numerals enhanced by bright, cheery illustrations.

Colorful toy teddy bears appear on open pages with an engaging, rhyming narrative. Children will be able to see the patterns and learn to “skip count” (e.g., counting by 2s) while being introduced to basic arithmetic (addition and its relationship to multiplication). One of a series of basic math books.

Math is all around when the Bird brothers, Woody, Willy, Wilmer, Wendell and Walter compete at games, eat hot dogs, and ride the Ferris wheel at a carnival. Comic illustrations combine with words and numerals to highlight the brothers’ alliterative tale while illuminating basic math concepts.