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Bella was always a beautiful pup but as she grew, her owners knew that the bright, energetic beagle needed more to do. With the help of the Rainbow Street Shelter, Bella finds friendship and just the right job for a happy conclusion for everyone — canine and human.

A host of deadly predators and their lethal methods are presented. Informative though playful descriptions with cartoon illustrations (that both enhance and mitigate the “gross” factor), the thin volume is sure to intrigue — and inspire further reading.

Expertly executed watercolors and free verse introduce a variety of cats and their distinctive personalities on double page spreads. From Peony, the tiny cat made large by fluffy fur to playful Simon to the lover cat Romeo, word and image capture each distinctive feline.

Bramble is a stubborn mare who becomes lonely when Maggie attends school. This makes Mr. Dingle’s garden even more appealing. The resolution of the dilemma is gently humorous as are the abundant, expressive illustrations throughout this early chapter book.

A tiger roars out of the boy’s alphabet soup for a lively, well-illustrated adventure until his sister agrees to read to him. One wonders, however, if the tiger disappears entirely. This is Imaginative, quirky and well-told story, lushly illustrated.

An unseen narrator asks a terrified rabbit to depict the not-so-big-bad wolf on a chalkboard. When it arrives, rabbit is no longer frightened but hugged by a child in a wolf suit. The rabbit’s reactions create humor as tension builds to a satisfying conclusion in simple illustrations.

Whether or not the primates introduced from 1 to 10 are familiar, readers are sure to appreciate meeting them in arresting portraits. A self-portrait of the illustrator other humans are accompanied by concluding text: “All primates. All one family. All my family … and yours!”

Ol’ Mama Squirrel scares off anyone or anything that tries to encroach on her tree home with a fierce “chook, chook, chook!” Onomatopoeic language and comic illustrations tell a recognizable tale about a small but heroic rodent.

While Mama Duck and her five ducklings left their pond for a trip to town, the ducklings fall into trouble. With help from the townspeople, the Duck family is reunited in this handsomely illustrated, touching story based on an actual event.

Look! Watch various animals in their own environment with a young dreamer. Here, expressive but realistic watercolor illustrations are truly worth a thousand words. They are accompanied by brief, repeating language just right for new readers.

If a whale is what you want to see — as does the boy in this expressive, delicately illustrated tale — then patience (plus an ocean) is needed. Images combine with poetic language to create a quiet, deeply satisfying book rich enough for multiple readings.

A mother humpback whale and her calf travel from the Caribbean Sea to the coast of New England and back over a year. Informative text is formatted to be read as a whole or in chunks and illustrated with luminous pastel illustrations. Additional information is included.

The animals of Sunny Acres farm try to befriend its newest arrival, but goat remains grumpy until he discovers a beautiful dandelion. They remain by goat as he grieves the flower’s loss and are revived when yellow dots appear on the hillside. Lush illustrations enhance the tale.

Chu, a young panda, could hold his havoc-causing sneeze while at the library and even while dining but not at the circus. Expressive illustrations and few words are needed to highlight the chaos, its humorous results, and Chu’s continued warm place in his family.

Benjamin Bear is full of ideas, not all of them good. Each of Benjamin’s bright ideas are presented on one page as a short comic strip and present a problem to solve or a puzzle to explore, sure to encourage discussion as well as chortles.

The four easy readers, modern classics, are effectively read by their author and sprinkled with music and sound effects.

Who’s hiding? Lift the flap to find out! Sturdy pages and flaps combine with simply shaped, brightly colored illustrations for a playful game even for the youngest child.

Fast and sluggish, over and under, in and out as well as other concepts are simply demonstrated by a cheerful, quick duck and a comical, slow snail in companion board books. Also see Quick Duck (opens in a new window) by the same author.

Carefully placed holes create eyes for different creatures, real and imaginary, in a series of questions and answers. Young readers are sure to respond aloud as they finger the die-cuts.

Meet marine animals in lush photographs and informative, straightforward text. Count familiar and lesser known sea animals from 1 to 10 and learn more from factual back matter.

Monkey Ono longs for a beach day and ultimately gets there with help from family pets and a bit of creativity. Colorful collages and bright text combine for an inspired beach day to remember!

Mary’s little lamb is well known, but Maria lives in Peru and has a fleecy llama. The well-known cadence in English and Spanish and fresh illustrations present the familiar in a lively new setting.

Mama Hen looks for just the right place to lay her egg, safe and away from other animals. Jaunty, comical illustrations animate the straightforward text and its cozy conclusion.

Whether in the den or a log, in the water or lodge, young animals are kept safe and sound by their parents. Soft illustrations and a gently rhyming text present a comforting tale.