Awards

In this gentle story, a little rabbit wakes up and discovers a fresh blanket of snow has closed kindergarten. Anxious to play outside, he hops out of bed; but Mommy says it must stop snowing first. It snows all day—keeping Mommy from the grocery store and canceling Daddy’s flight home. When bedtime arrives, he realizes that it has stopped snowing! It only takes a little begging for Mommy to comply. Mommy bundles him up to go outside. Soft illustrations capture little rabbit’s delight as he scampers across the snow with his playmate, Mommy, close behind.

Seven chickens live in a small hen house at Little Pond Farm. Each hen lays one egg a day in nesting boxes. There are only three boxes so the hens must take turns.  Tillie doesn’t wait for her turn! Follow Tillie on each day of the week as she explores the rest of the farm laying her eggs in unusual places.

What do you call a day when every answer is yes? Yes Day! With pizza for breakfast, food fights during lunch, and movies past bedtime, Yes Day is every child’s dream. Readers will giggle and delight as they follow a young boy through a day of questions and answers—which, not surprisingly, are always yes! Lively illustrations and concise, bold text make this an ideal selection for young children’s participation. Although Yes Day must come to an end, one question still remains: Is this book sure to please? The answer is yes!

“Aa for act,” “Bb for blow,” “Cc for catch.” This book truly captures the joys and wonder of childhood on pages dedicated to each letter of the alphabet. Each letter is depicted with an action word. The pages are beautifully illustrated using cut-paper collage. As readers walk through the pages of the alphabet, they can enjoy talking about the pictures and easily connect with the activities of the children featured on each page. Once you have opened this book, it is one you will want to “Vv for view” again and again.

Four kittens romp and play through the seasons: around ponds and beside frogs in spring, prancing on green grass in the summer, and tumbling in colorful leaves in the fall.  But only one kitten out of the four is looking forward to the winter snow they have never seen before. One kitten laments, “We’ll be cold and wet and snow will cover everything!” But, whenever the other three kittens imagine the negative aspects of snow, the fourth kitten exclaims, “I can’t wait!” Finally, the kittens’ first snow arrives, and, from the window inside, the three kittens watch the

In this funny story, three small toy figures—Chicken, Pig, and Cow—live in a popsicle stick barn. Everything is just perfect about their barn. It’s warm, cozy, and smells just right. There are just two things that are less than perfect in their world. The first is a real dog who lives outside.  The second is that the barn doesn’t have a door. Readers will enjoy their daring escape which leads to much fun, some fright, and a solution to their problems.

Dinosaur elevates everyday activities into triumphant battles.  Dinosaur vs A pile of leaves? Of course, Dinosaur wins!  A bowl of spaghetti, a big slide, and even a group of talking grownups are no match for Dinosaur’s awesome power. That is, until Bedtime enters the picture!  Young readers will enjoy this exuberant, easy to read (and shout!) story, matched with energetic illustrations of paper, paint, photo collage, and crayons.

Playful, descriptive, rhyming text is accompanied by large, colorful illustrations that bring alive the wonderful variety of fish that most of us never see. They’re almost too beautiful to be real—but real they are! The reader meets a striped fish (butterfly fish), a spiked fish (porcupine fish), and fish that leap and glide (flying fish). And there’s a stunning double-page spread featuring fish that flash their lights (lantern fish and hatchet fish).

“My brother’s short with stompy feet. I’m tall, not small. I like to eat.” This cheerful book tells the story of two brothers who enjoy each other’s company. The older brother tells the story of their friendship in rhyme as they share activities throughout the seasons of the year. Children will identify with activities such as bike-riding, telling jokes, and playing ball. All year long, they are friends and pals and brothers, too!

“No one saw the bird fall.” In the midst of a busy, bustling city, a young boy is the only one who notices an ailing pigeon. With mom’s help, he brings the pigeon home and carefully nurses it back to health, releasing it to fly once again in the spot where it was found. This magical, compassionate tale communicates the importance of empathy to children.  Quiet, yet detailed, illustrations lend a graphic novel quality to the book, and help readers focus in with camera-like detail on important events.

In a story that children will want to hear read over and over again, an engaging little cave boy named Edwin declares, “Me hungry!” Both of his parents are too busy to get him something to eat. Edwin takes matters into his own hands and sets out on a journey to hunt for his own food. He not only finds food, but makes a new friend. When Edwin’s father finally calls him for dinner, Edwin responds, “We busy!” With very little text, simple illustrations, and brightly colored backgrounds, this funny story is sure to be a hit with children who have experienced busy parents.

Old Bear is hibernating and dreams that he is young again. In his lushly colored dreams, Old Bear sleeps in a comfy purple crocus (spring), among clouds that rain blueberries (summer) and leaves on the finest autumn day.  Author/illustrator Kevin Henkes has created a gentle dreamscape of a story which teaches young readers about the seasons while encouraging them to apply imagination to the everyday outdoors.

Personalities come in many colors, and this book celebrates them! Children will learn about numbers, counting, and primary and secondary colors, as well as about bullying, healthy assertiveness, forgiveness, and cooperation.

Sergio, a lovable penguin from Argentina, likes to make a splash—in puddles, bathtubs, and buckets. However, when it comes to the very deep kind of water, he is not so sure.  When faced with a class trip to the ocean, Sergio arms himself with floaties, a snorkel, and a life preserver, and faces his fear by taking a plunge into the ocean.  Sergio’s story presents an opportunity to talk about fears, and Sergio himself may just inspire readers to face a fear of their own. 

Repetition, large cartoon-like characters, and the anticipation of the ending make this a winning story. Mouse, Cow, Pig, and Duck’s ball bounces into a doghouse. "Who will get it out?" Mouse sends in Cow, then Pig, then Duck, and none of them return. Mouse is afraid for his friends and bravely inquires at the door of the doghouse, “Can’t you come out Duck?” A mean-looking dog replies, “No! Because I am having Duck for dinner.” Outside of the doghouse, a stricken Mouse screams, “Duck for Dinner?!” Readers will love finding out the punchline!

This book will fascinate children and adults alike as it outlines the life cycle of a car. It begins with building a car and ends with recycling it to create a new one—with some surprises in between! The book contains simple text, but the double-page illustrations provide much to look at and discuss. As readers open this book and follow the journey of a little blue car and its owners, they may find that they can relate to many of the adventures along the way.