A little Haitian girl describes how her parents’ house fills up with babies as relatives drop off their children on their way to work.
Mama Rocks, Papa Sings
Early Years (ages 2-6)
The Nights of the World
This book tells us how a child sleeps and what happens by day through five regions of the world.
Oink, Oink Benny
Benny is going out. He is tired of hanging around inside. Benny’s little brother is going out, too. He’s also sick of hanging around inside. “Stay away from the mudhole,” says Benny’s mama. “Oink, oink,” says Benny. Then Benny and his little brother head straight for the mudhole.
The Tomten and the Fox
A tomten agrees to share his porridge with a hungry fox who in turn must not disturb the farm animals.
Waynetta and the Cornstalk: A Texas Fairy Tale
Times sure are tough on the ranch, and Waynetta and her ma can use all the luck they can get. But when Waynetta trades their last longhorn for a handful of so-called magic corn, Ma is none too pleased. “The only magic this corn’s got is the disappearin’ kind,” she says, and tosses it out the window. But come the next morning, there’s a giant cornstalk growing up to the sky, and Waynetta climbs it to find her own luck… Helen Ketteman’s Texas-style retelling of “Jack and the Beanstalk” is full of cowgirl sass. Diane Greenseid’s paintings bring rollicking new life to a familiar tale. The author lives in Florida; the illustrator lives in California.
The Bedtime Sh’ma
A little boy says the Sh’ma before he goes to bed. The prayer is provided in both Hebrew and English.
Saying Good-bye: A Special Farewell to Mama Nkwelle
This deeply personal story looks at the stately Nigerian funeral for the author’s grandmother, said to be “the greatest traditional dancer of her generation,” as told by Onyefulu’s young son. “When Mama Nkwelle died, everyone came to say good-bye. Uncle Asika said it was a special good-bye. It took more days than I can count on my fingers.
Clinton Gregory’s Secret
A week in the life of a boy with a very active imagination. Clinton Gregory has at least seven secrets, one for each night of the week. Monday, he wrestled a dragon named Gordon; Wednesday, he was invited to dinner with giants; and Sunday, he made paper hats for a ship full of pirates and then rocketed to the moon and back.
Elephants Never Forget!
When a terrible storm scatters a group of elephants, a little elephant finds himself all alone in the jungle. Where can he turn? The water buffalo look nice enough, but he couldn’t become a part of their herd. He decides to stay with them, but when they meet up with some elephants, he must make an important decision.
Roberta’s Vacation
While visiting her grandparents, Roberta the dog is bored so she sets off alone for the beach, only to encounter a dog that scares her into hiding.