It's National Picture Book Month: Staff Favorites

Posted by Staff

November is National Picture Book Month and we're celebrating by sharing a few of our favorite books. Some of these were books that we grew up reading and some are recent finds, but they are all wonderful!

 

The Jolly Postman, or Other People's Letters by Janet and Allan Ahlberg (Jake). It was easily my favorite book growing up. Not only was the artwork fantastic but I also loved the inclusion of fairy tale themes. And the little bits of mail included were also a really neat addition.






 





Sarah’s Unicorn by Bruce and Katherine Coville (Amanda). It was the first book I remember buying with my own money. I purchased a retired library copy at a book sale for a Nickel. It has the happiest of happy endings for the good guys and the bad guy.

 

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen (Megan J). Kids and adults will find something to laugh about as they read this story of one bear's search for his beloved hat. Probably my favorite picture book of all time, this simple story is a perfect for reading aloud, especially if you give each animal a different voice.

 

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton (Cassandra). The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton is such a sweet little story about change, the passage of time, and coming home. It also has beautifully drawn illustrations that I just love to admire while reading this story to my daughters.

Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes (Joyce). The gentle Caldecott Medal winning illustrations lure children in. The story is an appropriate bedtime story for all kitten loving preschoolers.

 

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt (Emily)








 




 

Roar of a Snore by Marsha Diane Arnold (Emily)

 

Vegetables in Underwear by Jared Chapman (Emily)







 







Once Upon an Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers (Emily)

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (Lorriane)

 



 





The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin (Tirzah) When I first read this for a literature class, it immediately became one of my favorites, because of the lovely illustrations and the message of inner beauty, goodness, and love.

 





 




 
Bad Seed by Jory John (Gerry). Although this book came out a few months ago, it already has made my personal Favorite-Picture-Books-of-All-Time list! It's laugh out loud funny and the illustrations are great!

 

 
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon (Devin). My favorite as a kid! It is a beautifully illustrated book that teaches that while we’re all different, we’re very much the same.







 





The Best Nest by P. D. Eastman (Jill). I have always loved this book. I love the story, the illustrations and the message. Home is where your family and heart are, and often we go searching for things that are right in front of us the entire time. "I love my house. I love my nest. In all the world my nest is best!”






 




Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton (Katherine). I loved this story growing up. It's about a tractor that is able to save the day by digging out a city that gets hit by a huge snowstorm. I love the detailed pictures and actually being able to see the the paths that Katy cleared.

Our Favorite Picture Books of 2015

Posted by Youth Staff

So many wonderful picture books are published each year that's it's very had to pick favorites. These are all book that stood out to us and made us remember them. Pick one up today, and enjoy!

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena (Anne L.) Great illustrations and a touching reminder told by a grandmother to her grandson to focus on having gratitude.

Oskar and the Eight Blessing by Richard and Tanya Simon (Anne L.) A heartwarming story of a young boy sent by his family during the Holocaust to live in the United States and the kindness he receives along the way from strangers. The ending of the story is absolutely beautiful!

That is Not a Good Idea by Mo Willems (Melissa P.) A very funny story that makes you cringe at each page and yell, "no, no!!" while laughing at the same time. Super fun; surprise ending too. Reading this book IS a very good idea!

The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton (Mason S.) Vikings in sweaters!

Pool by Jihyeon Lee (Katherine R.) This wordless book takes you on an adventure that starts in a public swimming pool. The illustration are beautiful and completely draw you into the story.

Eye Catching Picture Books - March 2015

Posted by Youth Staff


While shelving books and checking them in and out, we see a lot of children's books. These picture book caught our attention and made us sit down and take a second look. We think if you check them out you'll be glad you did!


Do Princesses Really Kiss Frogs? by Carmela LaVigna Coyle

The Blessing Cup by Patricia Polacco


















There are Cats in this Book by Viviane Schwarz

I'm My Own Dog by David Ezra Stein

Journey by Aaron Becker

Our Top 10 Children's Books

Posted by: Staff

After seeing a list of 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime on Omnivoracious, an Amazon blog, we decided to compile our own list of the best children's books.  Here is our list of the top 10 children's books.

#10 The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
Adventure abounds in this story about a lovable mouse that discovers he can ride a toy motorcycle.



#9 Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Imaginative story of a boy who misbehaves, is called a "wild thing" by his mother, and gets sent to bed without supper. While in his room a forest grows and he sails to where the wild things are.




#8 The Giver by Lois Lowry
A dystopian novel about a young boy who discovers there is a lot about the world and his community that he doesn't know.



#7 Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
The story of a young girl story of a young girl named Alice who falls into the magical world of Wonderland. 







#6 Corduroy by Don Freeman
Corduroy is a stuffed bear being sold in a Department Store. One night he goes on an adventure to search for his lost button.




#5 The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Lovable story about the lifecycle of a butterfly. Children will love the "holes" in the pages.






#4 Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
The tale of how a little girl named Fern, with the help of a friendly spider, saved her pig Wilbur from the usual fate of nice fat little pigs.




#3 Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
In this bedtime story, a little bunny says goodnight to everything he sees.





#2 Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
This masterful collection of poems and drawings is both funny and profound.


#1 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
A fantasy novel about a young boy who discovers he can perform magic and then travels to a special school of witchcraft and wizardry.

Staff Picks: Children's Picture Books

Posted by Youth Department Staff

We see a lot of fun picture books in the Youth Department. Here are some that have recently caught our attention.

I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry.
Perfect for preschoolers! This book has simple text, bold and delightful collage art, and a lovable squid whose spirit just cannot be crushed.




The Doghouse by Jan Thomas.

A very humorous tale of fear and friendship. Will surely tickle your funny bone.

Tyrannosaurus Wrecks by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen.
What happens when a rambunctious dinosaur goes to school?  This book definitely appeals to kids.

Smog the City Dog by Adria Meserve.

This is a contemporary retelling of Aesop's fable "The Dog and his Shadow". Teaches children about sharing and cooperation.

I don't like Gloria by Kaye Umansky.
Delightful story about a puppy who has to learn to cope with a new housemate - a cat!

Memoirs of a Hamster by Devin Scillian.

A hamster has it all and is satisfied until he is told about what is outside his cage. However, when he gets out, he discovers things are not how he thought they'd be.

Not Norman - A Goldfish Story by Kelly Bennett.
Can a goldfish be a perfect pet?  One little boy finds out.