Early Years (ages 2-6)

Lullaby and Good Night: Songs for Sweet Dreams

It’s bedtime, that special time when parents tuck their little ones in for the night and lull them to sleep with their favorite lullabies. In this gorgeous book, author-illustrator Julie Downing has selected her favorite lullabies and illustrated each one with expressive watercolor paintings. Parents will delight in the familiar, soothing rhythms of beloved songs like “Rock-a-bye Baby,” “Kumbaya,” and “Lullaby and Good Night,” while little ones are enchanted by fresh and dreamy lullabies, such as “El Coquí” and “Wynken, Blynken and Nod.” Each lavish illustration celebrates the precious moments shared between a parent and child, from sighting the first evening star together to sharing a last good-night kiss. Music is included for each lullaby so that parents can sing their young ones to sleep.

The Absent-Minded Toad

A rhyming tale about a toad who travels to the outdoor market, only to discover upon his return home that he has neglected to pick up the items on his grocery list. He does manage, however, to have a spectacularly wonderful time perusing the venue and mingling with fellow customers.

Peek!: A Thai Hide-and-Seek

A father and daughter play hide-and-seek in the midst of the animals near their house in Thailand.

Papa calls on all the creatures of the jungle to help find his baby in this game of hide-and-seek.”Jut-Ay, Baby, peek-a-boo,Want to play? Where are you?” Baby knows that Jut-Ay means morning has come, and it’s time to play. But where is Baby hiding? Eechy-eechy-egg! crows the red-tailed rooster. Is Baby near? Hru-hruu! Hru-hruu! whines the puppy dog. Is Baby crouching there? Jiak-jiak! Jiak-jiak! screeches a monkey in the banyan tree. Is Baby swinging there? Hornbill and snake, elephant and tiger — who can finally lead Papa to Baby’s hiding place?

Hue Boy

Everybody talks about little Hue Boy’s size. He gets teased by his friends at school, his mother worries day and night, and his grandma sews up clothes for him to grow into. Buy he does not change at all, even though just about everyone in the village offers advice. Yet in time Hue Boy grows to understand what it really means to stand tall, no matter what his height.

Roadwork!

here are many big machines and busy people involved in building a road, and this picture book, with its rambunctious rhymes and noisy fun, follows them every step of the way, from clearing a pathway to rolling the tar to sweeping up at the end.

Everywhere the Cow Says “Moo!”

In English, the duck says, Quack, quack! But in French, the duck says, Kwang, kwang! This book introduces the sounds of a dog, a frog, a duck, and a rooster as pronounced in English, Spanish, French, and Japanese.

Monsoon

In the bustle of street and marketplace, everyone is watching, waiting for those magical clouds to bring their gift of rain to the land. A child describes waiting for the monsoon rains to arrive and the worry that they will not come.

One for All – All for One

When clumsy Max Mouse isn’t tripping over himself, he’s falling flat on his whiskers. But as he venturs out on his own for the first time, he takes his mother’s advice to follow his dreams. So Max makes the best of what he’s got, just like the friends in need that he meets along the way. They create a shelter from the storm and agree to stick together.

 

Ellen’s Apple Tree

Ellen and her friend Ollie love the apple tree in Ellen’s yard. They play in the tree all year round. In the summer, it’s a perfect secret place and Ellen and Ollie can be apple tree spies. And in the fall, the apples taste delicious. But one winter night, a storm blows the tree down. Oh, how Ellen misses her wonderful apple tree! Ellen’s mama tells her that they can’t get a new tree until spring. It’s a long wait for Ellen and Ollie . . . Winsome watercolor illustrations accompany this sweet story about the natural cycle of a beloved apple tree.