Early Years (ages 2-6)

The Underhills

With their parents off on an urgent molar pickup, April and Esme are ready for a cozy overnight at Grandma and Grandpa’s teapot house by the airport fence. There will be fairy cakes to mix, pancakes and syrup for breakfast, a chocolate on each of their pillows. But then a call comes in about a small girl in a red coat, arriving from Ghana with a baby tooth somewhere in her pocket. Could this be a job for April and Esme, tooth fairy sisters? As always with Bob Graham, the beauty is in the details: Grandpa working out with a giant teabag-turned-punching-bag; fellow winged creatures hovering above the airport terminal (cupids to help people meet and angels to comfort the sad arrivals). Merging humor, poignancy, and a bit of heart-fluttering suspense, Bob Graham turns a familiar moment of childhood independence into a thing of magic.

Not A Bean

With Spanish vocabulary and a clever counting concept, this poetic story shares the life cycle of a Mexican jumping bean. This curious jumping insect is actually a seedpod from a shrub called yerba de la flecha, into which a caterpillar burrows, living inside the pod until it builds a cocoon and breaks out as a moth. Perfect for preschoolers and prereaders, this creative picture book explores the Mexican jumping bean’s daily life and eventual transformation and escape from the pod.

The Piano Recital

It’s the day of Momo’s first piano recital. As she nervously waits for her turn to play, she tells herself, “I’ll be okay, I’ll be okay” Then she hears a voice nearby, also saying, “I’ll be okay … I’ll be okay …” It’s a mouseling! And the little mouse is nervous about her first performance, too. The mouseling invites Momo through a small door backstage, where Momo is amazed to find a miniature theater filled with an audience of finely dressed mice there to watch singers, dancers and circus performers! When it’s the mouseling’s turn, Momo agrees to accompany her on piano. The mouse audience is so appreciative! But then, as she rises to take her bow, Momo is surprised to discover – it isn’t a mouse audience at all!

And Then The Seed Grew

In an ordinary garden full of flowers and plants, little Jack and Mr. Gnome live above the ground, while Yvonne the mole, the Field Mouse family, Paulie the earthworm and Colette the ant live below the ground. Everybody is happy in the garden. Until one day, a new seed arrives, which soon sprouts into a plant. As the plant begins to grow (and grow, and grow), its stalk and leaves get in the way of those aboveground, and its roots disrupt the homes and passageways of those underground. Before long, the plant has gotten so large, it has become a huge problem for the garden’s residents. So, the friends decided they must chop it down. Unless … wait! What’s that growing on the plant?

Across The Bay

Carlitos lives in a happy home with his mother, his abuela, and Coco the cat. Life in his hometown is cozy as can be, but the call of the capital city pulls Carlitos across the bay in search of his father. Jolly piragueros, mischievous cats, and costumed musicians color this tale of love, family, and the true meaning of home.

Iced Out

Wilfred Walrus and Neville Narwhal are the only kids in Miss Blubber’s class who are not seals. Life is tough being the odd ones out – lunchtimes and football matches and school photos all present challenges to the two outliers. And they don’t even like each other very much!

Rooster’s Revenge

A seafaring adventure! A storm! Giant turtles! Glowing slugs! A tale of excitement and surprise, Rooster’s Revenge follows The Chicken Thief, and Fox and Hen Together. Together with Bear and Rabbit, the disappointed Rooster makes his way home over the sea when a terrific storm hits. After running aground in the storm, the trio finds themselves in a strange cave. Rooster notices a mysterious glowing ball. What kind of a ball is it? Will it lead them to safety or to more trouble? And will the friends ever find their way home? This illustrated offering from Béatrice Rodriguez is a surprising guide to mending a broken heart. Rooster’s Revenge is the third title in the Fox and Hen series and the fourth in a Stories Without Words series.

The Chicken Thief

When a fox steals a chicken, her friends are determined to rescue her. Rooster, Bear and Rabbit negotiate forests, climb mountains and cross the sea to get her back. But it becomes perfectly clear that chicken and fox love each other, as chicken explains most eloquently-in a book entirely without words.

The Lazy Friend

The sloth lives in the jungle with some excellent friends who care about him very much. When the sloth’s tree is cut down and he is taken away on a truck, his friends must do everything they can to get him home safely. He leads them on an enormous adventure, even if he is asleep the whole time.