Sparky!

Sparky
Written by Jenny Offill
Illustrated by Chris Appelhans
Schwartz and Wade Books, 2014. Unpaged picture book.

A little girl wants a pet, but Mom nixes the idea of a adopting a bird, bunny, or a trained seal.  After a lot of persistence, Mom gives in with some conditions: a pet is welcome, as long as it doesn't need to be walked or bathed or fed. What does that leave? The school librarian helps the little girl find an animal encyclopedia, and she discovers that sloths are low-maintenance. Bingo! When her new sloth Sparky arrives by Express Mail, their mellow adventure begins. Sparky! is a charming story with illustrations to match. Appelhans' watercolor and pencil illustrations are subdued but expressive at the same time, while Offill's story is endearing and funny. Could be an early Caldecott contender!

Display - Going to the Ball

  

The Twelve Dancing Princesses
By Mary Hoffman

To win a bride and a kingdom, a soldier endeavors to discover why the dancing shoes of the king's twelve daughters are worn to pieces every morning.

 

The Snow Queen

By Naomi Lewis

 The strength of a little girl's love enables her to overcome many obstacles and free a boy from the Snow Queen's spell.

 

Princess, Princess

By Penny Dale

A young princess and her friends sleep under the spell of a fairy she forgot to invite to her birthday party, until someone comes along to awaken them.

 

The Twelve Dancing Princesses

By Ruth Sanderson

Retells the tale of twelve princesses who dance secretly all night long and how their secret is eventually discovered.

Bella at Midnight

By Diane Stanley

Raised by peasants, Bella discovers that she is actually the daughter of a knight and finds herself caught up in a terrible plot that will change her life and the kingdom forever.

 

Ella Enchanted

By Gail Carson Levine

In this novel based on the story of Cinderella, Ella struggles against the childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her.

 

Sleeping Beauty

By Adele Geras

Enraged at not being invited to the princess's christening, a wicked fairy casts a spell that dooms the princess to sleep for one hundred years.

 

Cordially Uninvited

By Jennifer Rozines Roy

When eleven-year-old Claire is invited to serve as a junior bridesmaid at the wedding of her cousin, a commoner, to the Prince of England, she learns that another, social-climbing junior bridesmaid is trying to keep the wedding from happening and it is up to Claire to stop her from spoiling the big day.

 

Goose Girl

By Shannon Hale

On her way to marry a prince she's never met, Princess Anidori is betrayed by her guards and her lady-in-waiting and must become a goose girl to survive until she can reveal her true identity and reclaim the crown that is rightfully hers.

 

East

By Edith Pattou

A young woman journeys to a distant castle on the back of a great white bear who is the victim of a cruel enchantment.

 

Beauty

By Robin McKinley

Kind Beauty grows to love the Beast at whose castle she is compelled to stay and through her love releases him from the spell which had turned him from a handsome prince into an ugly beast.

 

The Grudge Keeper

The Grudge Keeper
by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler
Peachtree, 2014 picture book

No one in the town of Bonnyripple keeps a grudge.  Instead they write down their grievances and give them to the Grudge Keeper, and old man named Cornelius.  As time passes Cornelius' cottage becomes so full of grudges it can hardly hold them all.  Then one day, a great wind comes and blows everything in the little town around, including the grudges.  Poor Cornelius is buried in all the grudges, and as the townspeople dig him out, they find better ways to deal with their petty squabbles.

This is a fun and gentle parable about the perils of holding grudges.  The story is whimsical and Wheeler's charming watercolor and ink illustrations match the tone of the text. Great as a read aloud, this is a delightful packet of wit and wisdom.

Como Crece una Semilla
Helene Jordan, Illustrated by Loretta Krupinski
Aprende y Descubre la Ciencia y Rayo of HarperCollins Publishers, 30pg. Non Fiction (ages 4-7)

How does a seed grows? This is a perfect little book to explain this concept. There are plenty illustrations for children to see and grasp this concept. The colors are pleasant and the descriptions are just perfect for children ages four to seven. Enjoy!

Como crece una semilla? Este pequeño libro explica este concepto en detalle y ademas lo hace con muchas ilustraciones. Los niños entenderán este concepto sin ningún problema. Los colores son perfectos para ilustrar las flores y las semillas. Este libro es recomendado para niños de cuatro a siete años. ¡Goce!

Display - Olivia

Olivia Forms a Band

By Ian Falconer

Olivia decides that a marching band must accompany the fireworks display so she forms one from pots, pans, her brother's toys, and her father's suspenders.

Olivia

By Ian Falconer

Whether at home getting ready for the day, enjoying the beach, or at bedtime, Olivia is a feisty pig who has too much energy for her own good.

 

Olivia Saves the Circus

By Ian Falconer

At school, Olivia tells about her summer vacation and how, when she went to the circus and all the performers were out sick, she saved the day, becoming Olivia the Tattooed Lady, Olivia the Lion Tamer, The Amazing Flying Olivia, and more.

 

Olivia the Princess

By Natalie Shaw

A royal family comes to town, and when Olivia and Princess Stephanie realize they look exactly alike, they decide to switch places, making Olivia a princess for a day.

 

Olivia Goes Camping

By Alex Harvey 

Olivia is super excited to have her best friend come along on her family camping trip. However Francine is not a huge fan of the Great Outdoors and is less than excited about the mud, the bugs, and the idea of sleeping in a tent. It's up to Olivia to help Francine get in touch with her inner nature lover.

 

Olivia and the Easter Egg Hunt
By Cordelia Evans

It's time for the town Easter egg hunt! But instead of searching for the eggs, Olivia and her family have to complete silly stunts to collect them. Can Team Olivia be the first to finish and win a special Easter surprise?

 

Olivia and the Fairy Princesses

By Ian Falconer

Olivia embarks upon a quest for identity and individuality as sets about creating a whole array of fantastically dressed princesses.

 

Olivia Takes Ballet

DVD

Whether Olivia is learning to dance like a prima ballerina, running her school carnival, or camping in the great outdoors, no challenge is too great for this tireless heroine!

 

Olivia Cooks Up a Surprise

By Emily Sollinger

Olivia decides to throw her mother a surprise birthday party, and with a little help from her father, her grandmother, and her brother she fixes a menu of red foods and gets everything ready.

 

Olivia Goes to Venice

By Ian Falconer

On a family vacation in Venice, Olivia indulges in gelato, rides in a gondola, and finds the perfect souvenir.

 

Olivia Plants a Garden

By Emily Sollinger

When Olivia's teacher gives Olivia a "surprise" plant seed envelope, she takes care of the seed in her garden, excited to discover what kind of plant she will grow.

 

Olivia

DVD

The star of Ian Falconer's beautifully illustrated books, children know and love Olivia, an adventurous, 'can-do' 6-and-3/4-year-old pig. Olivia has an active imagination, a keen sense of humor, and a spunky, confident personality. In these programs Olivia's world, her family and friends are brought to vibrant life. Olivia encourages creativity, explores the endless possibilities for any great idea, and is always wondering "What if?"

Display - Let's Go Fly a Kite

 

Dragon Kite

By Nancy Luenn

A crafty thief constructs a magnificent kite which he hopes will enable him to reach the golden dolphins that adorn the roof of a nearby castle.

 

Love is in the Air

By Jonathan Fenske

Abandoned after a birthday party, Balloon is beginning to droop when Kite comes by and invites him to join her for an adventure, spinning and playing among the clouds.

 

Asian Kites

By Wayne Hosking

Asian Kites introduces kids to the fascinating art of kite making. Through the fun and approachable projects in this book, children will learn all the steps for creating beautiful, unique and creative kites with easy-to-find materials.  

My Pig Amarillo

By Satomi Ichikawa

Pablito, a Guatemalan boy whose pet pig Amarillo has disappeared, uses a kite to send him a message that he still loves him.

 

The Funny Ride

By Margaret Hillert

When his kite lifts him above the ground, a child takes a "funny ride" as he views what is on the ground and in the air.

 

The Kite Fighters

By Linda Sue Park

In Korea in 1473, eleven-year-old Young-sup overcomes his rivalry with his older brother Kee-sup, who as the first-born son receives special treatment from their father, and combines his kite-flying skill with Kee-sup's kite-making skill in an attempt to win the New Year kite-fighting competition.

 

The Best Winds

By Laura Williams

Young Junho does not like to listen to the boring childhood stories that his grandfather tells. But as the two build a kite together, Jinho sees the old man in a new light.

 

We Like Kites

By Stan Berenstain

While kite flying one beautiful summer day, Sister Bear and Brother Bear encounter kites of many different shapes and sizes.

 

Shibumi and the Kite Maker

By Mercer Mayer

After seeing the disparity between the conditions of her father's palace and the city beyond its walls, the Emperor's daughter has the royal kitemaker build a huge kite to take her away from it all.

 

The Kite Rider

By Geraldine McCaughrean

In thirteenth-century China, after trying to save his widowed mother from a horrendous second marriage, twelve-year-old Haoyou has life-changing adventures when he takes to the sky as a circus kite rider and ends up meeting the great Mongol ruler Kublai Khan.

 

Curious George and the Kite
By Monica Perez

Curious George loves a good windy day. There are many things he can practice flying ... like a kite! Now if only he doesn't get too carried away!

 

Benjamin Franklin Electrified the World with New Ideas

By Mike Venezia

 Author and artist Mike Venezia provides hilarious, cartoon-style illustrations to complement his easy-to-read text and full-color reproductions of the scientists' sketches and notebooks.

 Benjamin Franklin and His First Kite
By Stephen Krensky

Two popular series, Ready-to-Read and Childhood of Famous Americans, combine to present the story of young Ben Franklin who loves doing experiments and cannot wait to test out his latest idea involving a kite!

 

The Story of Kites

By Ying Chang Compestine

Long ago in China, three brothers become tired of chasing birds from their family's rice fields and experiment with ways to make the job easier.

Display - Villages, Cities, and Towns

The Teacher's Funeral: A Comedy in 3 Parts

By Richard Peck

In rural Indiana in 1904, fifteen-year-old Russell's dream of quitting school and joining a wheat threshing crew is disrupted when his older sister takes over the teaching at his one-room schoolhouse after mean, old Myrt Arbuckle "hauls off and dies."

 

Firehorse
By Diane Wilson

Spirited fifteen-year-old horse lover Rachel Selby determines to become a veterinarian, despite the opposition of her rigid father, her proper mother, and the norms of Boston in 1872, while that city faces a serial arsonist and an epidemic spreading through its firehorse population.

 

Katerina's Wish

By Jeannie Mobley

Thirteen-year-old Trina's family left Bohemia for a Colorado coal town to earn money to buy a farm, but by 1901 she doubts that either hard work or hoping will be enough, even after a strange fish seems to grant her sisters' wishes.

 

Bliss

By Kathryn Littlewood

Twelve-year-old Rose Bliss wants to work magic in her family's bakery as her parents do, but when they are called away and Rose and her siblings are left in charge, the magic goes awry and a beautiful stranger tries to talk Rose into giving her the Bliss Cookery Booke.

 

 The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs

By Betty G. Birney

Eben McAllister searches his small town to see if he can find anything comparable to the real Seven Wonders of the World.

 

 At the Sign of the Sugared Plum

By Mary Hooper

In June 1665, excited at the prospect of coming to London to work at her sister Sarah's candy shop, teenaged Hannah is unconcerned about rumors of Plague until, as the hot summer advances and increasing numbers of people succumb to the disease, she and Sarah find themselves trapped in the city with no means of escape.

 

Petals in the Ashes
By Mary Hooper

Hannah and Sarah escape London, leaving behind plague and death as well as their sweets shop, and when it is safe, Hannah and her younger sister Anne return, only to face the city's Great Fire of 1666.

 

One Crazy Summer
By Rita Williams-Garcia

In the summer of 1968, after travelling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.

 

The Great Brain
By John Dennis Fitzgerald

The exploits of the Great Brain of Adenville, Utah are described by his younger brother, frequently the victim of the Great Brain's schemes for gaining prestige or money.

 

Highway Robbery
By Kate Thompson

On a cold day in eighteenth-century England, a poor young boy agrees to watch a stranger's fine horse for a golden guinea but soon finds himself in a difficult situation when the king's guard appears and wants to use him as bait in their pursuit of a notorious highwayman.

 

Cabinet of Wonders

By Marie Rutkoski

Twelve-year-old Petra, accompanied by her magical tin spider, goes to Prague hoping to retrieve the enchanted eyes the Prince of Bohemia took from her father, and is aided in her quest by a Roma boy and his sister.

 

The London Eye Mystery

By Siobhan Dowd

 When Ted and Kat's cousin Salim disappears from the London Eye ferris wheel, the two siblings must work together--Ted with his brain that is "wired differently" and impatient Kat--to try to solve the mystery of what happened to Salim.

 

The Diamond of Drury Lane: A Cat Royal Adventure
By Julia Golding

Catherine "Cat" Royal, an orphan who lives at the Drury Lane Theater in 1790s London, tries to find the "diamond" supposedly hidden in the theater, which unmasks a treasonous political cartoonist and involves her in the street gangs of Covent Garden and the world of nobility.

 

The City of Ember
By Jeanne DuPrau

In the year 241, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger to run to new places in her decaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions.

 

Laundry Day

By Maurie Manning

 In turn-of-the-twentieth-century New York City, a shoeshine boy tries to find the owner of a piece of red cloth, venturing up and down fire escapes, back and forth across clotheslines, and into the company of the diverse people who live in the tenement buildings.

 

Machines Go to Work in the City

By William Low

In this interactive book, toddlers learn about city machines--from a bucket truck to a tower crane to an airplane

 

 Water in the Park: A Book About Water and the Times of the Day

By Emily Jenkins

Relates how the water in a park is used in different ways by the human and animal inhabitants of a neighborhood.

 

Blackout

By John Rocco

 When a busy family's activities come to a halt because of a blackout, they find they enjoy spending time together and not being too busy for once.

Poem-Mobiles

Poem-Mobiles: Crazy Car Poems
Written by J. Patrick Lewis and Douglas Florian
Illustrated by Jeremy Holmes

What if your hot dog lunch could transform into a car that would take you magical places? In Poem-Mobiles, such things do happen- thanks to the silly rhymes of J. Patrick Lewis and Douglas Florian, and the incredible illustrations of Jeremy Holmes. Anything can be turned into a car, including a bunch of balloons or a shoe. The poems are fun and encourage imagination. There are even little lessons tucked in; in the poem about a caterpillar cab, there are drawings of the stages of caterpillar to butterfly. From cover to cover this is a visual and literary treat.

Happy National Poetry Month!

I Didn't Do My Homework Because...

I Didn't Do My Homework Because...
Written by Davide Cali
Illustrated by Benjamin Chaud
Chronicle Books, 2014. Unpaged easy reader.

A teacher asks her young pupil, "So, why didn't you do your homework?" The child rattles off dozens of excuses for not doing it. They range from "An airplane full of monkeys landed in our yard," to "A tornado swept up all of my books!" In every detailed illustration, the student looks as though he is desperately trying to do his work.In the end, he wonders why the teacher doesn't believe him. The answer is surprising and funny. This is a must-read for all first graders!

How to Cheer Up Dad

How to Cheer Up Dad
By Fred Kohler
Dial Books for Young Readers, 2014. Unpaged picture book.

Little Jumbo is wreaking havoc around the house, which makes Dad pretty unhappy. Who would be happy with an elephant son who refuses to eat his breakfast, take a bath, or wear clothes? Then Little Jumbo suggests Dad takes a time-out to improve his mood. (This doesn't go over well with Dad.) He thinks of some loving ways to cheer him up, like giving him a hug and sharing his ice cream. I love this picture book, and I think it would make a wonderful birthday or Father's Day gift for weary dads. The artwork is full of life and personality, and will get a laugh out of parents and children. One especially priceless scene features Jumbo standing on his chair, blowing raisins to the ceiling...then they land on Dad's head.