Book Nook

In joyous and exuberant pictures, Felicia Bond lovingly evokes Margaret Wise Brown's simple, rhythmic text about the cycle of a day on a farm, where a family of animals peacefully plays and sleeps. '

This board book for babies or toddlers and their parents provides an introduction to books through a well-known nursery song and interactive text. There are bright pictures along with actions for the child and parent to act out together.

Here Are My Hands invites very young children to respond spontaneously and creatively as they learn the parts of the body. The rhyming text and bold illustrations do more than name the eyes, ears, nose, and toes. By featuring children of many different backgrounds, the book quietly celebrates the commonality of people around the world.

It's time for lunch, and one little mouse is famished! In fact, he's so hungry that once he starts eating, he can't stop. He sinks his teeth into a crisp, white turnip, gobbles up some orange carrots, devours an ear of yellow corn, and then tosses back some tender green peas. He's full, but this mouse keeps on munching until his bulging belly won't hold another bite.

“One little snowflake falls on my nose. It makes me shiver from my head to my toes." A little girl plays outside on a cold winter day, counting each snowflake as it falls softly to the ground. Bundled in her warmest snowsuit, she savors the snow, tasting each flake as it falls on her tongue, and makes snow angels. Simple rhyming text captures the joy of a winter afternoon while teaching basic counting skills. Exuberant pastel illustrations invite young readers to join the fun.

Here is an introduction for babies to the wonderful mishmash world of sounds. Listen to the cow's MOO, the frying eggs' SIZZLE, and the thunder's BOOM BOOM BOOM. There are plenty of noises for everyone!

This very striking book examines the life of a sugar maple tree from the point of view of a young child. Children will delight in labeling objects found on each double-page spread. As they grow up together, the child watches the tree through all the seasons. Ehlert uses watercolor collage, leaf-shaped die cuts, and pieces of actual seeds, fabric, wire, and roots in this rich introduction to the life of a tree.

No book has captured the magic and sense of possibility of the first snowfall better than The Snowy Day. Universal in its appeal, the story has become a favorite of millions, as it reveals a child's wonder for a new world and the hope of capturing and keeping that wonder forever.

Follow the ravenous caterpillar's path as he eats his way through an apple (and the pages of the book itself) on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, three plums on Wednesday, and so on until he is really fat and has a stomach ache. And no doubt you know what happens next!

The gentle rhyming and gorgeous tissue paper collage illustrations in this classic picture book make it a favorite on many children's bookshelves. On each page, we meet a new animal who nudges us onward to discover which creature will show up next: "Blue Horse, Blue Horse, What do you see? I see a green frog looking at me." This pattern is repeated over and over, until the child can chime in with the reader, easily predicting the next rhyme. One thing readers might not predict, however, is just what kinds of funny characters will make an appearance at the end!

A snappy introduction to the human skeleton, this picture book is based on the African American spiritual "Dem Bones." Each double-page spread illustrates one phrase from the song, which dances through the spread. In smaller letters, Barner discusses one of the 10 bones named in the song in a few lines of simple, informative text. The last spread features a reclining skeleton with 20 major bones labeled. Bold in form and vibrant in color combination, the collages of torn and cut papers create a series of lively illustrations.

You've got to feel sorry for your average tree. It's got a lot to worry about: squirrels, thunderstorms, and kids building forts. Oh, yes, and then there's that pesky business about changing colors for the fall...The main character in Fall Is Not Easy is a tree that has its share of troubles with its fall colors. No matter what pattern its leaves change into — a smiley face, a spotted cow, an "Eat at Joe's" sign — nothing seems to work out quite right. How will the tree solve its seasonal dilemma? Read it and find out!

Gregory, the very picky eater, wants orange juice and eggs for breakfast. His parents are terribly upset! Why can't Gregory eat striped ties and violins, like the rest of the goats? Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey have entered into the spirit of Mitchell Sharmat's upside-down, turned-around world with bold, wacky, expressive illustrations. The trio's exuberant collaboration provokes healthy laughter and even includes a colorful chart, which gives fresh meaning to the concept of "junk food."

The world is full of houses. Big houses and little houses. Houses that stay in one place and houses that move from place to place. Some houses are made of wood or stone; others are made from mud or straw. But all of them are made for families to live in.

The father seahorse is the one who carries the mother's eggs around in his pouch before they hatch. In Mister Seahorse, Eric Carle teaches preschoolers this lesson and introduces them to a few other fish who bear the traditionally maternal burden of caring for eggs: the stickleback, tilapia, Kurtus nurseryfish (known here as Mr. Kurtus), pipefish, and bullhead catfish.

We use our feet all the time! With her trademark simple words and delightful pictures, Aliki explains the many ways our feet are important to us. Our feet hold us up, help us balance, and most importantly, take us wherever we want to go.

How do you learn what the world is like? Through your five senses! Each sound and taste, each smell, sight, and touch helps you to discover something new. So find out more about your senses: what they are and what you can learn through them about the exciting world. The world awaits!

This educational and enjoyable book helps children understand how to plant bulbs, seeds, and seedlings, and nurture their growth. “The stylized representations of flower species are labeled throughout, allowing young children to get an idea of how each flower type contributes to the rainbow effect.”

Stella and her little brother, Sam, spend the day discovering the wonders of winter together. Playing in the snow, they explore the white-draped forest, pelt each other with snowballs, and wave their arms while lying down in the snow to make snow angels. Marie-Louise Gay's evocative watercolors bring alive the magic of a winter day, as Sam asks a million questions and Stella patiently answers them in a big sister kind of way.

This is a book about farm animals, and what happens during one year on a farm. In January, the cows stay in the barnyard, and the chickens don't lay many eggs. By March, you can tell spring is coming: the barn is filled with baby animals. Month by month, the animals at Maple Hill Farm sense the changing seasons and respond to the changes.

In a special morning interlude, a young boy awakens his father, and they go down to the beach to watch the sunrise. The young boy is deaf, but he and his father have many ways of communicating. Dealt with simply, as part of the reality of their relationship, the boy's deafness is unobtrusively woven into this story about a father and child sharing a moment in time. In tune with the sensitive tone of the text, Steele's atmospheric watercolor illustrations capture the rising light of dawn as well as the love between the boy and his father.

Jam-packed with fascinating facts, Good Enough to Eat is uniquely designed to satisfy kids' love of food, and their curiosity about how their bodies work. This book offers all of the basics found in an adult nutrition guide in a format designed specifically for kids. Lizzy Rockwell has filled Good Enough to Eat with funny speech bubbles, detailed illustrations, and an engaging cast of children who munch their way across the pages while explaining everything from why your body needs protein to the food pyramid and how to use it.

Certain sea slugs have developed a remarkable defensive adaptation — they can use the stinging cells of the sea anemones they eat to protect themselves. Whether adapting over millions of years or in the blink of an eye, How Do Animals Adapt? examines the ever-changing world of animals. Children will thrill at discovering: why animals need to adapt, animals that can "see" using sounds, how animals use camouflage and mimicry to protect themselves, and more!

A vacant lot, rat-infested and filled with garbage, looked like no place for a garden, especially to a neighborhood of strangers where no one seems to care. Until one day, a young girl clears a small space and digs into the hard-packed soil to plant her precious bean seeds. Suddenly, the soil holds the promise from Curtis, who believes he can win back Lateesha's heart with a harvest of tomatoes to Virgil's dad, who seems a fortune to be made from growing lettuce and to others in the neighborhood. Thirteen very different voices — old, young, Haitian, Hispanic, tough, haunted, and hopeful, tell one amazing story about a garden that transforms a neighborhood.

A heartwarming narrative related by a visually impaired child. In a matter-of-fact manner, second-grader Amanda explains how she deals with her sight loss in her daily life. The full-color photographs on each page show the girl and others using various tools and aids (Braille, magnifiers, guide dogs, etc.) to help them learn, work, maneuver safely, and communicate. Amanda describes how she and others enjoy social activities, learn new things, and work productively, helping readers realize that impairments do not make a person think or feel differently.

Willie Meadow lives with his mother, father, and brother in Blue Hill, Virginia. It's peaceful there, a perfect place for growing up. For the Meadow family, each season of the year holds something special, like puppies born to their beloved dog one summer, a fishing trip on a crisp October day, or the thrill of a rare winter blizzard.

Talk about a change of plans! Ms. Frizzle and her class are on the Magic School Bus headed for a museum. They have been studying how the body turns food into energy, and now they are going to see an exhibit on the human body. Things seem fine until they stop for lunch. A strange mishap causes the bus to shrink and then be swallowed! Ms. Frizzle's class is suddenly inside a real human body!

A lyrical account of nature after dark — perfect for children who want to know what goes on while they're asleep! After children have been tucked into their beds on a warm summer evening, nighttime springs to life. With language that weaves its tale like the moonflower vine winding its way upward toward the sky, The Moonflower brings an often unseen world to light for the budding young naturalist. Sidebars containing interesting facts about these nocturnal creatures' habits complement the story of a mysterious, moonflower-inspired evening. Jean Loewer's soft illustrations and careful attention to detail bring an authenticity to moonflowers, hawkmoths, and owls that can barely be contained on the page. In addition, a glossary and instruction on how to grow your own moonflower vine make this an excellent reference tool for children interested in what goes on after dark.

Gibbons uses simple words and clear, colorful pictures to explain the seasons, the solstices, and the equinoxes. Besides discussing the earth's tilt and orbit, she also comments on what people and animals do in each season of the year. Brightly colored pictures illustrate the text.

Born into slavery, George Washington Carver became one of the most prestigious scientists of his time. This biography follows Dr. Carver's life from childhood to his days as a teacher and discoverer.

The Uncover series combines the best elements of a book with model elements to help readers truly "uncover" the mysteries of what makes things work. A fascinating three-dimensional presentation allows in-depth, hands-on exploration of the subject at hand. This unique "model" is easily built, deconstructed and re-built layer-by-layer, system-by-system just by turning a page, until an understanding of the topic is achieved. The complexities of the human body can be daunting, particularly for children. This book-model combination takes some of the mystery out of how the body works. It covers all the major systems and processes. Children get to look at each system on a different page, then by closing the book, combine them into a whole.

Children will learn that lizards can completely break off their tail as a defense and that it will grow back. And, they'll find out that crickets' ears are on their knees. These are just a few of the fascinating facts of nature dangled out front to draw readers into this beautifully illustrated book.

When Old Grandfather Winter disappears into his ice palace high in the mountains, Young Robin chirps her wake-up song to the Root Children deep underground. “Wake up,” she sings, “It’s time for the masquerade!” Right away, the Root Children set to work sewing their flowering costumes and painting bugs with rainbows until they sparkle like jewels. Then they frolic out into the world in a joyous chorus of frolic and song all through summer, until the frosty autumn winds blow away the leaves and flowers. The Root Children return to their underground bed with gentle Mother Earth until spring returns again.

Ka-choo! Brrr. Yawnnnn. Have you ever wondered what makes you sneeze when you're in a dusty room? Or shiver when you get out of the bathtub? Or yawn when you're tired? All of these actions are reflexes. Your body makes them happen even though you don't tell it to. Budding young scientists will be amazed as Melvin Berger and Paul Meisel reveal the mysteries behind the reflexes that happen in our bodies every day and offer fun-filled experiments to try on family and friends. This is a "Let's Read and Find Out Science, Stage 2" book.

Cole's lively text, with examples drawn from daily life, presents some quite complicated scientific information about how the five senses work. Smith's line-and-watercolor cartoons add to the fun even as they help explain the physiology. There are simple diagrams of the eye, ear, nose, and tongue, and explanations about how nerves "like wires" carry messages to the brain. Experiments encourage kids to "try this" and discover, for example, how the sense of taste gets a lot of help from the sense of smell. Words like molecules are no longer intimidating when they describe how the smell of pizza enters your nostrils.