Early Years (ages 2-6)

I Feel a Foot!

Between two trees, high above grass and ground, Turtle, Bat, Octopus, Bird and Buck are sleeping in a hammock. Suddenly, Turtle opens his eyes. ‘Hey,’ he whispers. ‘Do you hear what I hear?’ Each animal’s imagination runs wild with what wild creature may be making the sound they all hear. Is it a giant turtle? Or a bird with a giant beak? Perhaps it is Bat-Tur-Octo-Bird-Buck. Luckily for the small animals, it isn’t any of these creatures. It is just their old friend Elephant who was out wandering around. The animals invite him to join them in the hammock and soon the wild imaginings about the night noises begin all over again.

Angry Dragon

When a little boy hears “no” from his mother one time too many, he feels his anger rising. It burns and builds, finally turning him into a giant dragon that destroys everything in its path. Nothing is safe: not toys or stuffed animals—not even Mom and Dad. But fortunately, a dragon’s fire doesn’t last forever.

Penguin Pete and Little Tim

Penguin Pete is a proud father, and he can’t wait to show his son Tim the wonders of their chilly world. When Little Tim gets lost during a snowstorm, he’s not worried much–he knows his father will always save the day.

Lola Loves Stories

Lola loves to hear Daddy read a new library book each night, an activity that spurs her imagination and results in inventive play the next day.

I Kick The Ball / Pateo El Balon

Young Tonito thinks and dreams of soccer all the time, even as he does homework, eats dinner, and spends time with his family.

Eight Days

In Edwidge’s story, Junior is trapped under his pancaked house for 8 whole days. After he is saved, people ask him repeatedly: “What did you do all this time? Were you scared? Did you cry?” “I played,” he answers. And so, with each page, we see how he played in his mind every day he was trapped–how he played marbles with his friends, won the best solo part in the choir, biked through St. Marc with his little sister, and ate the sweetest mango. Hope, love, and warmth dance across each page, reminding us that sometimes it is the simplest beauties that help us find our strength. Niki, the real boy whom this story is loosely based on, was pulled from the rubble after being trapped for 8 days. He was rescued by New York Task Force 1, a search-and-rescue team made up of New York City police- and firemen. They had to cut through three slabs of concrete and countless other pieces of debris before his mother could crawl in to coax Niki and his sister out. When he finally made it out of the wreckage, Niki did so with a beaming smile and wide-open arms–the image of hope.

Nilo, Como Mi Papa

Bertie, a young hippopotamus, wants to drink coffee, read the newspaper, use a credit card, and more, just like Daddy, who appeases the eager hippo with age-appropriate options such as making a newspaper hat. At story’s end, the tables turn when Daddy wants to play like Bertie.

La Noche Buena

Nina is visiting her grandmother in Miami for Christmas. Usually she spends it in snowy New England with her mother and her family, but this year is different. She isn’t certain what to make of a hot and humid holiday, until she learns the traditions of her father’s side of the family from her Cuban grandmother. She helps prepare for the evening and takes part in all their traditions—the intricate cooking for the feast, the dancing, the music, and the gathering of relatives and neighbors. It all comes together for a Noche Buena that Nina will never forget.   Antonio Sacre and Angela Dominguez have created a wonderful story that everyone who celebrates Christmas will enjoy. The book includes a glossary of Spanish words.