"Awards can give you a tremendous amount of encouragement to keep getting better, no matter how young or old you are." ~ Alan Alda, American actor
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New and Recently Released!
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My New Zealand Colours Book by Te Papa PressLearn colours, from red to rainbow! A New Zealand board book, featuring highly recognisable popular images of objects and artworks from the Te Papa collection
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My New Zealand 123 Book by Te Papa PressLearn numbers from one to one million! A New Zealand board book, featuring highly recognisable popular images of objects and artworks from the Te Papa collection.
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Cats got talent by Ron BarrettAbandoned kitties Dora, Geneva and Hal reflect on their pampered pasts and get into mischief while launching singing careers from the back alleys of a big city. By the best-selling illustrator of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.
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Vanilla ice cream by Bob GrahamStowing away in the back of a truck that is carrying some interesting-looking food, a curious young sparrow takes an unusual voyage south through the lush rice paddies of India, across the rough sea and into a sunny new city, where he transforms the life of a little girl at a café.
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Flora and the penguin by Molly Schaar IdleHaving mastered ballet in Flora and the Flamingo, Flora takes to the ice and forms an unexpected friendship with a penguin as they twirl, leap, spin and glide on skates and flippers, mirroring each other's graceful dance. Also available as an eBook.
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| Tiptop Cat by C. Roger MaderMost housecats like to climb, but this handsome black-and-white kitty has an enviable roost: waaaay up on the highest roof in his Paris neighborhood, overlooking the Eiffel Tower. However, after a confrontation with a pigeon results in a death-defying fall, the cat retreats indoors, fearfully hiding in safe closets and corners. How will the dispirited cat regain his sense of adventure? Find out in this understated yet visually arresting picture book. For another outdoor feline escapade with equally expressive art, check out Anita Lobel's Nini Lost and Found. |
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I am a witch's cat by Harriet MuncasterIn this whimsical picture book, a little girl believes her mother is a good witch and she is a special witch's cat; together, they make a perfect twosome, whether mixing potions, growing magical plants, or dreaming of wild broomstick rides under a full moon!
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| Hunters of the Great Forest by Dennis NolanNo words are needed to create drama in this winsome tale, which begins with a brave band of explorers waving goodbye to their village as they set out on a journey. Gradually, fun details in the warmly tinted illustrations (as well as encounters with a bird, a toad, and a dragonfly) reveal that these travelers are tiny -- barely the size of an ant! But size doesn't stop them from pursuing their surprisingly sweet "prey." Similar to David Wiesner's Mr. Wuffles!, this surreal adventure in miniature is sure to provoke close attention and repeat readings. |
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| A Letter for Leo by Sergio RuzzierLeo the weasel is a mail carrier, but he's never received a letter. Depicted in soft watercolors, Leo's cosy community is clearly friendly - he often chats or plays games with the other animals - yet none of them write to Leo. One day, Leo opens his mailbox to find not a letter, but a lost baby bird named Cheep. Cheep and Leo soon form a close friendship, and though the return of Cheep's bird family is bittersweet, it results in a pitch-perfect conclusion that's sure to make you smile. Gently wistful and simply told, A Letter for Leo is just right for beginning readers, or for sharing one-on-one. |
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| Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman; illustrated by Rick AllenJust as they did for nocturnal creatures in Dark Emperor, author Joyce Sidman and illustrator Rick Allen illuminate the habits of tundra animals in Winter Bees. They describe animals such as snakes ("twist and fold to weave a heavy cloak of cold,") bees ("deep in the winter hive, we burn like a golden sun,") and more, offering an image, a poem, and scientific facts about each. The poems are spare yet vivid and carefully crafted, as are the beautifully block-printed illustrations. This wintry read will be "savoured by young artists and scientists" (Kirkus Reviews), who may also enjoy Kate Messner's Over and Under the Snow. |
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Never Take a Shark to the Dentist (and Other Things Not to Do)
by Judi Barrett; illustrated by John Nickle
Like Abbot and Costello, the text and illustrations of this seriously absurd book of advice are a perfect comedy duo. Plainspoken text sets up the joke on one page -- "Never go shopping for shoes with a centipede," for instance -- and the scrupulously detailed picture on the opposite page brings home the laugh. Kids who loved the similar humour of Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing (also by Judi Barrett) will be highly amused, even if they already know that they should "never take goats to the library."
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Award-Winning Picture Books
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| Let it Shine: Three Favorite Spirituals by Ashley BryanVibrant construction-paper collages -- an "explosion of shapes and bright colors" (Booklist) on every page -- illustrate three beloved Spirituals in this Coretta Scott King Award-winning book. Interpreting "This Little Light of Mine," "Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In," and "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" in his kaleidoscopic art, author and illustrator Ashley Bryan also includes the musical notation for these songs. His closing author's note gives more information about Spirituals and offers a fitting benediction: "May the spirit move you to make them your own." |
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| Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears by Emily GravettCleverly disguised as a self-help workbook, this Kate Greenaway Medal-winner aims to help an exceptionally anxious rodent overcome her fears by facing them. Little Mouse wields a human-sized pencil to draw pictures of some of the many things she is afraid of (including spiders, shadows, being alone, and sharp knives - look at what happened to the Three Blind Mice, after all) and provides the scientific name for each of her fears. Creative collage spreads, a map, newspaper clippings, and nibbled pages add to the fun of this interactive picture book. |
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| Maudie and Bear by Jan Ormerod; illustrated by Freya BlackwoodMaudie and Bear are best friends, though these five short stories make it clear that spirited, self-centered Maudie is in charge. While adults will recognize Maudie's behavior as realistically childlike, kids will be reassured by Bear's steady friendship, and everyone will smile at the gentle humour ("exercise is good for you," declares Maudie as she sits on the handlebars of Bear's bike). Named as 2011's Early Childhood Book of the Year by the Children's Book Council of Australia, Maudie and the Bear is an irresistible charmer that will appeal to readers who like odd-couple stories. |
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| The Watermelon Seed by Greg PizzoliWhile chowing dowon on delicious, juicy watermelon (his favorite food), the crocodile hero of this comic tale accidentally swallows a seed. Panicking about what might happen next, he addresses the reader: "It’s growing in my guts! Soon vines will come out of my ears!" Cartoony illustrations, rendered in a crisp palette of watermelon pink-and-green, underscore the croc's over-the-top anxiety, as well as the obvious, but still hilarious, solution. Winner of the Geisel Award (given to books for beginning readers), this goofy, high-energy book will please fans of Mo Willems and Bob Shea. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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