Special Collections
Picture Books and Easy Readers
Description: Browse this list of popular favorites for bedtime stories, picture books and early readers. Some books will have pictures, and some will have picture descriptions. You can find more books by many of these authors in the Bookshare collection. #kids
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Ruby Lu, Brave and True
by Lenore Look and Anne WilsdorfMost days the best thing about being Ruby is everything. Like when she's the star of her own backyard magic show. Or when she gives a talk at the school safety assembly on the benefits of reflective tape. Or when she rides the No. 3 bus all the way to Chinatown to visit GungGung and PohPoh. And then there are the days when it's very hard to be Ruby. Like when her mom suggests Chinese school on Saturdays. Or when her little brother, Oscar, spills all of Ruby's best magician secrets. Or when her parents don't think she's old enough to drive! Come along with Ruby Lu in her chapter-book debut -- which even includes a flip book of a magic trick -- and share the good and the not-so-good days with an (almost) eight-year-old Asian-American kid.
How I Became a Pirate
by Melinda Long and David ShannonWhen Braid Beard's pirate crew invites Jeremy Jacob to join their voyage, he jumps right on board. Buried treasure, sea chanteys, pirate talk--who wouldn't go along? Soon Jeremy Jacob knows all about being a pirate. He throws his food across the table and his manners to the wind. He hollers like thunder and laughs off bedtime. It's the heave-ho, blow-the-man-down, very best time of his life. Until he finds out what pirates don't do--no reading bedtime stories, no tucking kids in. . . . Maybe being a pirate isn't so great after all.
Frog and Toad Are Friends
by Arnold LobelFrom writing letters to going swimming, telling stories to finding lost buttons, Frog and Toad are always there for each other--just as best friends should be. Images and image descriptions available.
The Quiet Book
by Renata Liwska and Deborah UnderwoodAll quiet is not created equal. In this irresistibly charming picture book, many different quiet moments are captured, from the anticipation-heavy "Top of the roller coaster quiet" to the shocked-into-silence "First look at your new hairstyle quiet." The impossibly sweet bears, rabbits, fish, birds, and iguanas are all rendered in soft pencils and colored digitally, and, as in all of the best picture books, the illustrations propel the story far beyond the words. A sure-to-be-a-classic bedtime favorite. Awards: 2011 ALA Notable Children's Book, 2010-2011, New York Times bestseller, 2011 CCBC Choices, 2011 NCTE Notable Children's Trade Book, 2010 New York Times Notable Book, 2010 Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, 2010 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse
by Leo LionniA Caldecott Honor Book. Alexander, the mouse, makes friends with Willy, a toy mouse, and wants to be just like him until he discovers that Willy is to be thrown away.
Tacky the Penguin
by Helen Lester and Lynn MunsingerTacky is an odd bird who marches to the beat of his own drummer. He's something of an eccentric, which wouldn't be a problem if all the other penguins weren't such . . . conformists.
Helen Lester and Lynn Munsinger have teamed up to tell Tacky's story, about the day when some hunters come to the penguins' Nice Icy Land, and how Tacky's individuality saves the day!
Measuring Penny
by Loreen LeedyLisa learns about the mathematics of measuring by measuring her dog Penny with all sorts of units, including pounds, inches, dog biscuits, and cotton swabs.
The Story of Ferdinand
by Munro Leaf and Robert LawsonFerdinand is the world's most peaceful--and--beloved little bull. While all of the other bulls snort, leap, and butt their heads, Ferdinand is content to just sit and smell the flowers under his favorite cork tree. Leaf's simple storytelling paired with Lawson's pen-and-ink drawings make "The Story of Ferdinand" a true classic.
Moose Tales
by Nancy Van Laan and Amy RuschMoose has good friends in the woodland: Beaver, Squirrel, Rabbit, and Mouse. Together they count snowflakes, help one another out of fixes, and make practically perfect creatures out of snow. Set in the secure world of the woods, these tender, funny stories for beginning readers celebrate the simple joys of having friends both trusty and true. And the delicately silly illustrations capture the foibles and idiosyncrasies of each woodland creature, from Moose's skinny legs to Rabbit's long, floppy ears.
Zelda and Ivy
by Laura Mcgee KvasnoskyStories of two inventive sisters at play, and at odds, ZELDA AND IVY is packed with sugar and sass -- a first-rate original! Zelda and Ivy are fox sisters with a flair for the dramatic. Their exploits unfold with plenty of sugar and sass in this spirited trio of stories.
Babe
by Dick King-SmithFarmer Hoggett and his wife discover that their new piglet Babe is no ordinary pig (made into a movie called Babe).
What Alvin Wanted
by Holly KellerAlvin wanted something but neither Sam nor Libby knew what it was. And Alvin couldnt tell them. Mama had gone out, leaving him in their care, and Sam and Libby simply couldnt make him happy. They offered games, stories, crayons and cookies. They even called Grandma. But Alvin couldnt tell anyone what was wrong. Then Mama returned, and knew at once what Alvin wanted. Because it was something she had forgotten to give him when she left!
A Letter to Amy
by Ezra Jack KeatsGenerations of children have read, re-read, and loved Ezra Jack Keats's award-winning, classic stories about Peter and his neighborhood friends. In this story, read about Peter's adventures sending a letter to his friend Amy.
My Lucky Day
by Keiko KaszaAn award-winning story time favorite with a hilarious twist at the end.
When a delicious-looking piglet knocks on Mr. Fox's door, the fox can hardly believe his good luck. It's not every day that dinner just shows up on your doorstep. It must be his lucky day!
But as the piglet is quick to point out, shouldn't the fox give him a bath first? And wouldn't it be best to fatten him up a little, and give him a massage so he'll make for a nice tender roast?
Preparing this feast is a lot of work, but the fox is sure it will be worth it. After all, it's his lucky day. Or is it?
In a funny trickster tale of her own, Kasza keeps readers guessing until the surprise ending when they'll realize it was piglet's lucky day all along.
Monsters Eat Whiny Children
by Bruce Eric KaplanAges 4-8. Henry and Eve are two perfectly delightful children who happen to be going through a terrible phase where they whine all day and night. Their kindly father warns them that monsters eat whiny children. Of course, they don't pay attention, until one day a monster shows up at their door. But that is just the beginning.
The Hello, Goodbye Window
by Norton JusterFrom the book: The kitchen window at Nana and Poppy's house is, for one little girl, a magic gateway. Everything important happens near it, through it, or beyond it. Told in her voice, her story is both a voyage of discovery and a celebration of the commonplace wonders that define childhood. It is also a love song devoted to that special relationship between grandparents and grandchild. The illustrations in this book look like pictures colored by a child. Pictures are described. This book received the Newberry Award.
Worst of Friends
by Suzanne Tripp JurmainTHOMAS JEFFERSON WAS TALL AND QUIET WHILE JOHN ADAMS WAS SHORT AND TALKATIVE. It didn't matter. Together they helped shape America. But as the years went on, Tom and John couldn't agree as to how the new United States should be run. Soon they became political rivals, and before long Tom did not talk to John and John did not talk to Tom. Suzanne Tripp Jurmain and Larry Day tell the true and humorous story of a great American feud and how these two larger-than-life men, once again, found friendship.
Harold and the Purple Crayon
by Crockett JohnsonFrom beloved children’s book creator Crockett Johnson comes the timeless classic Harold and the Purple Crayon!
One evening Harold decides to go for a walk in the moonlight. Armed only with an oversize purple crayon, young Harold draws himself a landscape full of wonder and excitement.
Harold and his trusty crayon travel through woods and across seas and past dragons before returning to bed, safe and sound. Full of funny twists and surprises, this charming story shows just how far your imagination can take you.
Toys Go Out
by Emily JenkinsLumphy is a stuffed buffalo. StingRay is a stuffed stingray. And Plastic. . . well, Plastic isn't quite surewhatshe is. They all belong to the Little Girl who lives on the high bed with the fluffy pillows. A very nice person to belong to. But outside of the Little Girl's room things can be confusing. Like when Lumphy gets sticky with peanut butter on a picnic, why is he called "dirty"? Or when StingRay jumps into the bathtub, what will happen to her fur? And where in the house can they find the Little Girl a birthday present that she will love the most? Together is best for these three best friends. Together they look things up in the dictionary, explore the basement, and argue about the meaning of life. And together they face dogs, school, television commercials, the vastness of the sea and the terrifying bigness of the washing machine. With all the appeal of a classic, here are six linked stories form Emily Jenkins, and illustrated by Caldecott winning Paul O. Zelinsky that showcase the unforgettable adventures--and misadventures-- of three extraordinary friends.
Swamp Angel
by Anne Isaacs and Paul O. ZelinskySwamp Angel can lasso a tornado, and drink an entire lake dry. She single-handedly defeats the fearsome bear known as Thundering Tarnation, wrestling him from the top of the Great Smoky Mountains to the bottom of a deep lake.
Caldecott Medal-winning artist Paul O. Zelinsky's stunning folk-art paintings are the perfect match for the irony, exaggeration, and sheer good humor of this original tall tale set on the American frontier.
A Caldecott Honor Book
An ALA Notable Book
A Time magazine Best Book of the Year
A New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year
Winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
The Doorbell Rang
by Pat HutchinsEach time the doorbell rings, there are more people who have come to share Ma's wonderful cookies.
Russell and Elisa
by Johanna HurwitzThree-year-old Elisa's new rag doll goes along on the adventures she and her seven-year-old brother Russell have with friends and family in their apartment building and outside.
Pinky and Rex
by James Howe and Melissa SweetPinky and Rex are the best of friends, but a trip to the museum with Pinky's dad and his sister, Amanda, puts their friendship to the test. When Pinky, whose favorite color is pink, and Rex, who loves anything to do with dinosaurs, set their sights on the very same stuffed animal at the museum gift shop, it takes a little wisdom and some help from an unexpected source before the matter is neatly sorted out. "Pinky and Rex" is the first in a series of short chapter books about this inseparable pair by acclaimed author James Howe. Accompanied by Melissa Sweet's exuberant illustrations, "Pinky and Rex" captures perfectly the challenges -- and the rewards -- that true friendship brings.
The Seals on the Bus
by Lenny HortA fun repetitive type book for young children. The story is a take off on the song "The Wheels on the Bus" and features animals on the bus. Includes picture descriptions.
Amazing Grace
by Mary HoffmanAlthough classmates say that she can't play Peter Pan in the school play, because she's black and a girl, Grace discovers that she can do anything she sets her mind to do.