Early Years (ages 2-6)

Shhh! I’m Reading!

Bella is reading the best book ever! She’s just gotten to the most amazing part when suddenly, Captain Bluebottom appears and invites her on an adventure. “I’m sorry, Captain,” Bella tells him, “but today, I’d rather just sit and read my book.” So Bella returns to her book and is just about to read the best part when Maurice Penguin shows up and invites her to perform on stage with all the penguins. But Bella just wants to read today! Will she ever have the chance to finish her book? A fantastically funny tale, celebrating imagination and the joy of reading.

King Leonard’s Teddy

King Leonard is so rich that he can buy whatever he wants. Anything old or broken is thrown onto the growing pile of trash outside his castle. But one day something breaks that can’t be easily replaced. And what’s worse, King Leonard can’t find anyone who knows how to fix it. Phoebe Swan’s striking illustrations grace this powerful story with a strong environmental message.

When I Found Grandma

When Maya’s grandma makes a surprise visit from thousands of miles away, Maya is delighted. But her excitement doesn’t last long. When Grandma picks her up from school, she wears fancy clothes and talks too loudly. Grandma’s morning prayer bells wake Maya up, and she cooks with ingredients Maya doesn’t usually eat. Plus, Maya thinks cupcakes taste better than Grandma’s homemade sweets.

First Laugh

A Navajo family welcomes a new baby into the family with love and ceremony, eagerly waiting for that first special laugh. Includes brief description of birth customs in different cultures.

Stardust

One little girl dreams of being a star. But whether it’s finding Mom’s lost wedding ring or winning the costume prize, her big sister always shines brighter. In her grandfather’s eyes, though, she is a star. As he dries her tears and they both gaze up at the night sky, he tells a story about how everything and everyone is made of stardust and we all shine in different ways. With illustrations from new talent Briony May Smith, this is a touching story about being true to yourself from award-winning author Jeanne Willis.

The Piano

What do you do when a piano shows up in your yard? Take a cat-nap? Use it as a coffee table? What’s a band to do when one of its instruments goes missing? And what does a yellow sock have to do with anything? Join Filippa and friends in a whacky adventure when they wake up to find a piano in the front yard.

A Little House In A Big Place

Every day, in a little house in a little town in the middle of a big place, a girl stands at her window and waves to the engineer of the train that passes on the nearby tracks. The engineer waves back and his wave and her wave together make a home in her heart. The little girl is curious about the engineer, about where he came from and where he goes. Which makes her wonder if she might go away, too, some day. This beautiful free verse picture book explores the magic of a connection made between strangers, while also pondering the idea of growing up, and what might lie beyond a child’s own small piece of the world.