Book Finder

An old game is again fresh as each die-cut lets reader spy with their little eye a farm animal of a specific color that begins with a specific letter. A page turn reveals the entire animal and the sounds it makes.

Cats don their hard hats and go to the site where they use big trucks to build a playground. Simple illustrations and language are sure to appeal to construction and truck aficionados!

Count colorful butterflies in natural settings in this small, sturdy, attractively illustrated concept book. Each of the colorful ten butterflies is identified by name on the back cover.

A bee sounds like “BUZZ’ in English, but “SURR’ in Swedish and “ZZZ’ in Italian. Many animals sounds from different countries (with a national flag) are presented in lighthearted illustrations and large typeface.

998 of the 999 frogs (who were once 999 Tadpoles (opens in a new window)) awaken their big brother for an action-packed spring. Simple, childlike illustrations on open backgrounds leave plenty of room for imagination as the frog family and other animals celebrate the season.

They can be observed anywhere; in fact, “You don’t have to go anywhere fancy to watch birds!” The informative, informal and playful guide encourages close observation and identification as well as tips for recording and finding out more about these ubiquitous creatures.

Stunning, realistic illustrations of frogs and onomatopoeic language combine to present frogs and their songs from around the world. A brief warning about threats to frogs’ environments and additional information conclude this engaging book just right to read aloud.

Unique observances for everything from rats to limericks are celebrated in a variety of poems and poetic forms. When combined with comic illustrations, the lighthearted collection is sure to keep readers chuckling from cover to cover.

Textured borders contain each double-page illustration which places the familiar cumulative song on an African savannah. Rebuses are included in the body of the book and again in a key; music is also included to make this version ideal for sharing.

Stripes are found in nature in a variety of flora and fauna in many habitats. From exotic to domestic, revel in observing stripes in carefully crafted illustrations and lyrical text. Additional information and a playful call to match animal with stripe ends this handsome volume.

Rain spoils Max and Ruby (and friends) outdoor plans but their clever grandmother’s treasure hunt more than makes up for it. Clues in the form of traditional rhymes are numbered, hidden beneath small but sturdy flaps as well as in the spot art are sure to make this a modern classic.

Homographs make sense in context. A word wall of words that are spelled alike but are pronounced differently (depending on the context in which they are used) may be developed inspired by this funny animal-filled “zoo.”

There are many kinds of sounds. Use this book as a jumping off point for loud sounds, onomatopoeic sounds, or use The Quiet Book (Houghton) for the opposite of loud. These books might also inspire a word wall for emotions (e.g., how does this kind of quiet/loud make you feel?).

Are animals and their familiar animal sounds really trying to say another word in English? (For example, “When a hoses says NEIGH,/does she really mean HAY?”) Word walls could be made of rhyming words (or word families) or of animal sounds in English as well as what animals say in other languages.

When a young donkey named Sylvester comes across a magic pebble, he saves himself from a confrontation with a lion by wishing himself into a rock. Frantic parents search for Sylvester until they stop for a picnic on a large rock. Rich language and humorous cartoon illustrations make this a memorable classic.

One animal’s claim is followed by others who are successively bigger, smaller, etc., each using rich (and richer) descriptors.

Short poems (haiku) were written in response to but also evoke creatures shown in crisp close-up photographs of small animals and insects in their natural surroundings. This collection and others by Yolen/Stemple introduce information about nature, and could be used as part of the science curriculum.

Silly rhymes about silly activities make the words jump off the page, complemented by humorous illustrations.

Jaunty rhymes (that just may be ‘sing-able’) are likely to lead to wordplay (literally) as one follows the animal cast play with berries of all kinds.

Gerald, the giraffe, is told by the other jungle animals that he can’t dance. Of course, they’re proven wrong as Gerald does his thing in this rhyming tale. This book may also inspire alliterative use of language.

Full color photographs chronicle the search for missing mountain gorillas. It is the gorillas that find the young Miza and restore him to his family.

Tongue twisters abound in this lively and easy to read book by the famous doctor.

Chimps from one to ten counting sneak out to dance their rhyming way around and through this very funny counting book.

A homeless boy and his dad make their home in a busy airport.