New Picture Books

The Handiest Things in the World - Andrew Clements
Celebrates in verse, accompanied by photographs, the many things hands can do.





Light in the Darkness: A Story About How Slaves Learned in Secret - Lesa Cline-Ransome
Risking a whipping if they are discovered, Rosa and her mama sneak away from
their slave quarters during the night to a hidden location in a field where they learn to read and write in a pit school.

Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas - Lynne Cox
World-renowned swimmer and author Lynne Cox and Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator Brian Floca team up to bring us this inspiring story of an elephant seal who knew exactly where she belonged. Here is the incredible story of Elizabeth, a real-life elephant seal who made her home in the Avon River in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. When Elizabeth decides to stretch out across a two-lane road, the citizens worry she might get hurt or cause traffic accidents, so a group of volunteers tows her out to sea. But Elizabeth swims all the way back to Christchurch. The volunteers catch her again and again -- each time towing her farther, even hundreds of miles away -- but, still, Elizabeth finds her way back home. Includes back matter with information about elephant seals.

Weeds Find a Way - Cindy Jenson-Elliott
Describes some of the ways that weeds live and grow in the most hostile environments, such as a tangle of tree roots or a crack in the cellar of an old house, where other plants cannot thrive.

My Country Tis of Thee: How One Song Reveals the History of Civil Rights - Claire Rudolf Murphy
Explains how the song "My country, 'tis of thee" can be understood to go along with the expansion of civil rights in the United States.

My First Book of Chinese Words: An ABC Rhyming Book - Faye-Lynn Wu
Introduces Chinese language to preschool children in a gentle, playful way. The ABC structure provides a familiar framework that encourages fun and easy learning.