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Bob and Joan’s white puppy, Sam, is bored, so she decides to join the kids when they board the school bus. The children try to hide Sam, but she wants to play. Sam reluctantly returns home with Joan and Bob, but only after deciding that puppies need school, too!

Alice McGill retells the tales she heard growing up in North Carolina with the verve and informality of a storyteller. Some are familiar, others are less well known, but all involve Bruh (Brer) Rabbit and his companions from the lore of the southern United States.

The fun begins when Tricky Fox makes a bet with his brother that he can trick a silly human into giving him a pig. “I’ll eat my hat if you can,” says his brother, and Tricky Fox sets off to win the bet. The endearingly antique pictures add to the merriment, especially when the conniving fox winks at readers, drawing them into his joke.

Take a tour through four national aquariums and learn how they are set up, the educational displays they offer, and what sort of things a visitor will see.

Vivid colors depict the Haitian setting for a tale in which a goat uses the banza, a banjo, given to him by a tiger, for protection in an unforeseen way. The traditional tale is retold in a way ideal for sharing aloud, and is complemented by expressive illustrations.

When a cat’s elderly mistress dies, he finds himself an outcast, soon forgotten. He begins a lonely journey, traveling across a lush country. When the tired cat comes to a stone cottage by the edge of the sea, he finds a new home with children who love him. Rich paintings combine with a lyrical text in this evocative saga.

When Chester Cricket accidentally finds himself in a New York subway, he is befriended by a worldly mouse and cat. Before returning to his Connecticut home, Chester becomes Mario Bellini’s special pet and helps save Bellini’s Times Square newsstand with his very special talent.

Gracie Rose is an obedient dog who likes her home just as it is: comfy and quiet. When Gracie barks to tell intruding house painters to leave, she is put outside and so begins the Great Gracie Chase, which eventually involves the entire town! The illustrations use flat colors and rounded forms to convey the circular chase that’s led by an appealing dog who finds her way back home.

The animals of Mud Flat decide to let the games begin in their unique version of Olympic competition. From the “Deepest Hole Contest” to the “River-Cross Freestyle,” readers will chuckle with the furry Olympians.

A cactus just isn’t much company, but it’s all Elizabeth has for a pet since her parents won’t budge on the issue; no dog, no cat, and a horse is just unthinkable. But then Elizabeth meets Doug, a bug found on the rug. Has she finally found the perfect pet?

Ole Scamp learns to like himself better once he’s changed by a peculiar witch. This wacky story uses comic illustrations to convey a positive message in a lighthearted, Seussian way.

Can the youngest chick solve the problem and help the family get to their tasty meal of potato bugs and beans? Of course, for only she can run tippy-toe around the fierce — but leashed — dog! Young children will appreciate the youngest chick’s success in this brightly illustrated tale.

Mr. and Mrs. Moose invite all their animal friends for Thanksgiving dinner. The only one missing is Turkey. They set out to find him, not realizing that Turkey is quaking with fear because he thinks his hosts want him on their table, not at it.

Folktales collected in the 1930s have been adapted, retold, and freshly illustrated for contemporary readers. Find out why dogs hate cats, why waves wear whitecaps, and more. This clever collection is ideal for sharing aloud.

Oh, how Peter wished he could whistle to call his dog, Willie. Try as he might, he just couldn’t seem to make the sound come out — until one day he could! The simple description of a child’s yearning is told in natural language and charming collage illustrations.

Rabbit cannot go into her own house for fear of the ferocious-sounding animal inside. Told as a play with masked actors, this cumulative tale gradually unfolds to a surprising and very satisfying conclusion.

Molly, the bookmobile librarian, finds a new batch of readers and writers when she accidentally drives into the zoo. “In a flash, every beast in the zoo was stampeding/To learn all about this new something called reading.” Lively and appealing illustrations show the fun Molly and the animals have as they build the Zoobrary. Also available in Spanish.

The real and truly amazing size of animals from the sea and land are shown in a way that children can understand and appreciate. Textured collage illustrations are used to show the actual size of a gorilla’s hand, a giant squid’s eye and much more. Additional information on each animal is included in an afterward to allow reading on several levels.

Travel with Canadian naturalist Brian Keating on a journey around the world to meet some of the animal inhabitants of the different continents. From kookaburras and kangaroos in Australia to the Arctic’s wolf population, this book’s informal, diary-like approach creates an exciting armchair expedition with photographs, facts, and more.

Rich language and lots of farm detail are used in the saga of Babe, a unique and truly heroic pig, who works successfully as a sheep dog.

When Ruby sends out invitations to a party, Max sends out his own which are delivered to Grandma. Children are encouraged to participate by lifting the flaps in this sturdy, colorful book. They’ll try to figure out the meaning of Max’s messages and may even be inspired to write their own letters in this latest Max and Ruby jaunt.

Chester and Wilson are like peas in a pod. Not only do they do everything together; they do most things in the same way. Then, a new mouse moves in to the neighborhood and things will never be the same! Lilly (Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, 1996) is irrepressible and energetic, as Chester and Wilson soon happily find out.

Ike LaRue, famous correspondent (introduced in Dear Mrs. LaRue) known by readers as a four-legged letter writer with a flair for exaggeration now turns to solving the mysterious disappearance of neighborhood cats.

The ducks and goose start the animals’ frenzied flight when they see a mostly hidden animal and exclaim, “A coyote’s on the loose!” Colorful, comic illustrations culminate in a house in a rain storm where the “coyote” turns out to be a small white rabbit.