Picture Books

Priscilla Gorilla - Barbara Bottner
Priscilla is obsessed with gorillas. But when her ape-like behavior gets her sent to the Thinking Corner, Priscilla wonders if she is really channeling her inner gorilla, or just being a troublemaker.

Shake a Leg, Egg! - Kurt Cyrus
It's springtime, and the pond is bursting with new life. There are beaver pups, heron hatchlings, and lots and lots of ducklings. Everyone is out and about, swimming, flapping, chirping, and quacking--except for one family of geese.

The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors - Drew Daywalt
You've played the game. Now read the legend of how it all began...Long ago, in an ancient and distant realm called the Kingdom of Backyard, there lived a warrior named ROCK. Meanwhile in the Empire of Mom's Home Office, a second great warrior sought the glory of battle. And his name was PAPER. At the same time, in the Kitchen Realm, in the tiny village of Junk Drawer, lived a third warrior. They called her SCISSORS. These three were the strongest, smartest, and fastest in all the land. Time and again they beat the most fearsome opponents they could find: an apricot, a computer printer--even frozen, breaded, dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets! But when the warriors finally meet each other, the most epic round of battles begins...and never ends. That is why, to this day, children around the world honor these worthy adversaries by playing ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS!

Olivia the Spy - Ian Falconer
Listening in on her mother's conversations hoping to discover the secret plan for her upcoming birthday, Olivia instead hears her mother talking about her poor behavior and becomes concerned she'll be sent to military school.

Go Sleep in Your Own Bed! - Candace Fleming
When Pig plops into his sty at bedtime, he finds Cow sleeping there and must send her off to her stall, setting off a chain reaction of animals being awakened to move to their own beds.

All Ears, All Eyes - Richard Jackson
As darkness falls in the forest, animals hoot, chirp, whirr, and bark, lulling drowsy children to sleep.

John Ronald's Dragons: The Story of J.R.R. Tolkien - Caroline McAlister
John Ronald loved dragons. He liked to imagine dragons when he was alone, and with his friends, and especially when life got hard or sad. After his mother died and he had to live with a cold-hearted aunt, he looked for dragons. He searched for them at his boarding school. And when he fought in a Great War, he felt as if terrible, destructive dragons were everywhere. But he never actually found one, until one day, when he was a grown man but still very much a boy at heart, when he decided to create one of his own. This picture book biography introduces the creator of Middle Earth and author of The Hobbit to a new generation of children who see magic in the world around them.

Over and Under the Pond - Kate Messner
Celebrates the forms of life that live above and under a pond, including turtles, red-winged blackbirds, blue herons, minnows, frogs, and catfish.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff - Jerry Pinkney
Three billy goats must outwit the big, ugly troll that lives under the bridge they have to cross on their way up the mountain.


A Perfect Day - Lane Smith
Today is a perfect day for Cat, Dog, Chickadee, and Squirrel. Cat is lounging among the daffodils. Dog is sitting in the wading pool, deep in the cool water. Chickadee is eating fresh seed from the birdfeeder. Squirrel is munching on his very own corncob. Today is a perfect day in Bert's backyard. Until Bear comes along, that is. Bear crushes the daffodils, drinks the pool water, and happily gobbles up the birdseed and corncob. Today was a perfect day for Cat, Dog, Chickadee, and Squirrel. Now, it's just a perfect day for Bear.

New Picture Books

Circles - David Adler
The characteristics of circles as well as how to find the radius, diameter, circumference, and area of a circle are explained and illustrated in this geometry picture book.

Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille - Jen Bryant
Louis Braille was just five years old when he lost his sight. He was a clever boy, determined to live like everyone else, and what he wanted more than anything was to be able to read. Even at the school for the blind in Paris, there were no books for him. And so he invented his own alphabet -- a whole new system for writing that could be read by touch. A system so ingenious that it is still used by the blind community today.
Schneider Family Book Award, 2017.

Egg - Kevin Henkes
Three little birds crack their way out of eggs and fly away, leaving one egg sitting all alone until the three chicks come back and discover a friendly baby alligator has finally hatched.

A Greyhound A Groundhog - Emily Jenkins
A tongue twister featuring a little round greyhound and a little round groundhog who work themselves into a frenzy as they whirl around and around one another.

Excellent Ed - Stacy McAnulty
Everyone in the Ellis family is excellent, except Ed the dog, who is determined to find something at which he, too, can excel.

Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History - Walter Dean Myers
Frederick Douglass was a self-educated slave in the South who grew up to become an icon. He was a leader of the abolitionist movement, a celebrated writer, an esteemed speaker, and a social reformer, proving that, as he said, "Once you learn to read, you will be forever free."

Little Penguins - Cynthia Rylant
During the first snowy day of winter, five little penguins bundle up and venture outside to play.

Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean Michel-Basquiat - Javaka Steptoe
Jean-Michel Basquiat and his unique, collage-style paintings rocked to fame in the 1980s as a cultural phenomenon unlike anything the art work had ever seen. But before that, he was a little boy who saw art everywhere: in poetry books and museums, in games and in the words that we speak, and in the pulsing energy of New York City. Now, award-winning illustrator Javaka Steptoe's vivid text and bold artwork echoing Basquiat's own introduce young readers to the powerful message and art doesn't always have to be neat or clean--and definitely not inside the lines--to be beautiful.
Caldecott Medal, 2017
Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, 2017

The Princess and the Warrior: A Tale of Two Volcanoes - Duncan Tonatiuh
Award-winning author Duncan Tonatiuh reimagines one of Mexico's cherished legends. Princess Izta had many wealthy suitors but dismissed them all. When a mere warrior, Popoca, promised to be true to her and stay always by her side, Izta fell in love. The emperor promised Popoca if he could defeat their enemy Jaguar Claw, then Popoca and Izta could wed. When Popoca was near to defeating Jaguar Claw, his opponent sent a messenger to Izta saying Popoca was dead. Izta fell into a deep sleep and, upon his return, even Popoca could not wake her. As promised Popoca stayed by her side.
Pura Belpre Author Award Honor, 2017
Pura Belpre Illustrator Award Honor, 2017

Teacup - Rebecca Young
A boy travels across the sea in a rowboat in search of a new home, making a journey that is long and difficult--but also filled with beauty and hope.

Nanette's Baguette - Mo Willems
It's Nanette's first trip to get the baguette! Is she set? You bet!

We Are Growing! - Mo Willems
Walt is not the tallest or the curliest or the pointiest or even the crunchiest. A confounded blade of grass searches for his 'est' in this hilarious story about growing up.

Theodore Seuss Geisel Award, 2017

New Picture Books

Wolf in the Snow - Matthew Cordell
When a wolf cub and little girl are lost in a snowstorm they must find their way home.

Old Dog Baby Baby - Julie Fogliano
A rhyming picture book about a lazy old dog and a playful baby.


Wonderful Winter - Bruce Goldstone

A photographic picture book providing a comprehensive overview of facts about winter.

A Poem for Peter: The Story of Ezra Jack Keats and the Creation of The Snowy Day

- Andrea Davis Pinkney

The story of The Snowy Day begins more than one hundred years ago, when Ezra Jack Keats was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. The family were struggling Polish immigrants, and despite Keats's obvious talent, his father worried that Ezra's dream of being an artist was an unrealistic one. But Ezra was determined. By high school he was winning prizes and scholarships. Later, jobs followed with the WPA (Works Progress Administration) and Marvel comics. But it was many years before Keats's greatest dream was realized and he had the opportunity to write and illustrate his own book. For more than two decades, Ezra had kept pinned to his wall a series of photographs of an adorable African American child. In Keats's hands, the boy morphed into Peter, a boy in a red snowsuit, out enjoying the pristine snow; the book became The Snowy Day, winner of the Caldecott Medal, the first mainstream book to feature an African American child. It was also the first of many books featuring Peter and the children of his -- and Keats's -- neighborhood.

The Bear Who Wasn't There - LeUyen Pham
A picture book inviting readers to join the search for a missing bear.


Me First! Prefixes Lead the Way - Robin Pulver
A group of prefixes have trouble patiently waiting for Mr. Wright to teach a lesson about them in this introduction to prefixes.

XO, Ox: A Love Story - Adam Rex
The hilarious tale of an ox who is in love with a gazelle, told in correspondence.

Best in Snow - April Pulley Sayre

A photographic non-fiction picture book about the wonder of snowfall and the winter water cycle.

Is That Wise, Pig? - Jan Thomas
Mouse and Cow are making soup, but Pig keeps trying to add strange ingredients.

New Picture Books

Preaching to the Chickens: The Story of Young John Lewis - Jabari Asim
John wants to be a preacher when he grows up a leader whose words stir hearts to change, minds to think, and bodies to take action. But why wait? When John is put in charge of the family farm's flock of chickens, he discovers that they make a wonderful congregation! So he preaches to his flock, and they listen, content under his watchful care, riveted by the rhythm of his voice. John grew up to be a member of the Freedom Riders, chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and demonstrator on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, and is now a Georgia congressman.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland - based on the song by Felix Bernard & Richard B. Smith
This picture book celebrates winter, using the lyrics of the song Winter Wonderland.

One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree - Daniel Bernstrom
Gobbled by a snake, a brown-skinned boy finds a find a way out of his predicament by encouraging the snake to eat an increasing number of animals.

Bad Kitty Does Not Like Snow - Nick Bruel
Kitty is back in this hilarious tale in which she discovers that she does not, in fact, like snow. Not at all. Not even a little.

Mervin the Sloth is About to Do the Best Thing in the World
- Colleen AF Venable
Mervin the Sloth is about to do the best thing in the world. Can you guess what it is? "Flying!" says the bird. "Gazelling!" says the gazelle. "Digging!" says the prairie dog. Hurry up, Mervin! But Mervin moves so slowly. Are you patient enough to wait? No? Turn the page!

Click, Clack, Surprise! - Doreen Cronin
Little Duck celebrates his first birthday with the other animals on the farm by copying their examples, from shearing off all his feathers to taking a mudbath, before enjoying Farmer Brown's yummy frosted maple cake.

Are You Sure, Mother Bear? - Amy Hest
On the first night of winter, Little Miss Bear will not go to sleep. She simply refuses. "Winter is for sleeping," Mother Bear tells her. "But why, Mother?" Little Miss asks. "Because that's what bears do. All bears sleep, all winter long." All winter long is much too long for Little Miss Bear. She is going to miss her stars and her moon, and she is going to miss rolling on hills. Most of all, she is going to miss Mother Bear. But Mother finds a special way to assure her that they will all be there waiting for her--the stars, the moon, the hills, and especially Mother Bear--when she wakes in the spring. From author Amy Hest and artist Lauren Tobia comes a warm and emotionally resonant story that is sure to comfort little bears everywhere.

Steamboat School - Deborah Hopkinson
In 1847 St. Louis, Missouri, when a new law against educating African Americans forces Reverend John to close his school, he finds an ingenious solution to the new state law by moving his school to a steamboat in the Mississippi River. Includes author's note on Reverend John Berry Meachum, a minister, entrepreneur, and educator who fought tirelessly for the rights of African Americans.

In Plain Sight - Richard Jackson
An ailing grandfather and his helpful granddaughter play a unique game of seek and find.


Night Animals - Gianna Marino
Possum is hiding from the sounds in the night, and his fear sets off a chain reaction in the other night animals.


A Voyage in the Clouds: The (Mostly) True Story of the First International Flight by Balloon in 1785
- Matthew Olshan
Dr. John Jeffries and his pilot, Jean-Pierre Blanchard, each want to be the first man to fly from one country to another, across the English Channel. There's only one problem: they can't stand each other! Inspired by the true story of the first international flight.

First Snow - Bomi Park
A tiny girl awakens in the night and quickly dons her boots, coat, scarf, and hat before quietly slipping outside to form a snowball. She rolls the snowball out of town, into the countryside, and past woodland creatures before reaching her destination--an open area where dozens of children are creating snowmen.

Henry & Leo - Pamela Zagarenski
Leo isn't just a stuffed toy, he is Henry's best friend and brother. But when the two are accidentally separated, no one in Henry's family believes Leo is real enough to find his way home.

Picture books

The Airport Book - Lisa Brown
An exploratory journey through the airport.

Plants Can't Sit Still - Rebecca E. Hirsch
Describes some ways in which plants can move, from sunflowers turning towards sunlight and vines creeping up a fence to tulips folding in at night and maple seeds whirling like helicopters in the wind.

Stowaway in a Sleigh - C. Roger Made

Late one night, Slipper the cat awakens to find a furry-booted man in her home and, like any curious cat would, climbs into his big red sack.

Mr. Putter & Tabby Hit the Slope - Cynthia Rylant
Mr. Putter and his fine cat, Tabby, and Mrs. Teaberry and her good dog, Zeke, head for the sledding slope for the wildest ride ever. Maybe winter is not so slow after all!


Who What Where? - Olivier Tallec
Simple text asks the readers a series of questions about the characters on each page, and the child must decipher the visual clues to find the answer.

New Picture Books

There's a Bear on My Chair - Ross Collins
Poor Mouse! A bear has settled in his favourite chair and that chair just isn't big enough for two. Mouse tries all kinds of tactics to move the pesky Bear but nothing works and poor Mouse gives up. Once Mouse has gone, Bear gets up and walks home. But what's that? Is that a Mouse in Bear's house?!

A Hat for Mrs. Goldman: A Story About Knitting and Love - Michelle Edwards
When Sophia was a baby, Mrs. Goldman knit a tiny baby hat to keep her warm. Last year, she taught Sophia how to knit. Now Sophia wants to knit a special hat for Mrs. Goldman. And she wants to do it all by herself!

Owl Sees Owl - Laura Godwin & Rob Dunlavey
A baby owl leaves the nest one night, explores the world around him, sees his own reflection, and then returns to the safety of home.

A Child of Books - Oliver Jeffers
A young reader introduces a boy to the many imaginative worlds that books bring to life.

Hare and Tortoise - Alison Murray
Hare is the fastest on the farm. Tortoise is as slow as they go. So when they decide to have a race, Hare is certain to win ... isn't he? Alison Murray offers an enchanting retelling of a much-loved Aesop's fable with a mischievous twist full of fun and stylish charm.

Ideas Are All Around - Philip C. Stead
In search of writing ideas, an author takes a walk with his dog around the neighborhood.

Samson in the Snow - Philip C. Stead
When friendly giant mammoth Samson falls asleep and wakes up in the middle of a blizzard, he finds and shelters a little red bird and a flower-loving mouse, beginning new friendships for all.