The Runaway Hug

“Mommy,” said Lucy. “Can I have a hug before I go to bed?” When Mommy jokes that she only has one hug left, Lucy decides she must keep Mommy’s last hug safe. As Lucy shares the hug with everyone in her large and loving family, she is always careful to get it back, until the canine member of the family refuses to play along!

A Perfect Place for Ted

Ted has lived among the dogs at the pet store for as long as he can remember. But there are so many dogs there, nobody ever chooses Ted. So he decides to go someplace else — someplace perfect. But Ted can’t fly through the air like the circus dogs, and he doesn’t have fancy pom-poms like the show dogs. Just as he loses hope, he sees a sign: Wanted: Perfect Pet. Little animal lovers will be tickled along with Ted at the unusual household that finally becomes his perfect place.

Red Panda’s Candy Apples

Red Panda is selling homemade candy apples. They are very sticky and quite delicious. So delicious, in fact, that Red Panda can’t help but feel a little reluctant to let them go. Like most preschoolers, he would rather eat treats than sell them. He munches one, then another, and sets aside a third for later. What will happen when there’s only one apple left to sell, but two friends waiting to buy?

Milo and Millie

Bath time is an adventure for Milo and Millie! As child and bear navigate their way through imagined cityscapes, spouting whales, and swirling whirlpools, they arrive at their destination just in time for bed and a cozy good night. Beautiful watercolor illustrations and a sweet, funny narrative are complemented by instructions for little listeners on how to make their own paper boat. Join Milo and his teddy bear, Millie, at bath time, where they’re about to have an exciting journey across the high seas.

The Frog Who Lost His Underpants

Hopping through the jungle, this way, that way. Frog is in a frenzy, scattering the ants. Teddy’s looking too now, this place, that place. Will they ever find those jolly underpants? Poor Frog. Someone stole his underpants! Good thing Teddy Bear, Little Chimp, and Big Gray Elephant are there to help — although they may find it hard to hide their smiles. A jungle frog in underpants? Now that is something to see.

Norman, Speak!

At the animal shelter, a young boy and his family choose a pet, Norman, the little stray dog who has been there the longest. Norman is brown and white, with a stump of a tail. He’s so glad to have a home that he does a “hula dance of happiness” whenever he sees his new owners. But the family soon discovers that Norman won’t respond to commands. He doesn’t even seem to know his own name. They conclude that lovable Norman just isn’t very smart until a chance encounter in the park makes them think otherwise.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume VII, Issue 2

This book has been included in WOW’s Language and Learning: Children’s and Young Adult Fiction Booklist. For our current list, visit our Booklist page under Resources in the green navigation bar.

Little Chicken Duck

Follows the adventures of a duck whose fear of water prevents her from learning to swim until she is assisted by a kindhearted frog and forest birds who reveal how they overcame their own fears.

Ella and the Balloons In the Sky

Ella comes down one morning to feed her pets and finds that they have disappeared. She discovers them floating away on balloons, high in the sky. Try as she might, she can’t get them to come back. But although they are out of reach, Ella soon learns they are not truly gone as long as they remain in her heart and her memories. Written in gentle rhyming verse with light-hearted illustrations, Ella and the Balloons in the Sky is a story that tackles the tough subject of love and loss in a new way–with whimsy, magic, and lightness.