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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Grandfather's Journey
by Allen SayA picture book masterpiece from Caldecott medal winner Allen Say. Lyrical, breathtaking, splendid--words used to describe Allen Say's Grandfather's Journey when it was first published. At once deeply personal yet expressing universally held emotions, this tale of one man's love for two countries and his constant desire to be in both places captures readers' attention and hearts. Images and descriptions available.
Gregory, The Terrible Eater
by Mitchell SharmatA very picky eater, Gregory the goat refuses the usual goat diet staples of shoes and tin cans in favor of fruits, vegetables, eggs, and orange juice. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.
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.
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.
Henry and the Kite Dragon
by Bruce Edward HallEveryone knows that kids from Chinatown don't go to the park when the kids from Little Italy are there. They're rough, they're big, and they don't like Chinese kids. That's okay--Henry doesn't like them, either. But what Henry does like is kites. He loves them. Even more, he loves to help his friend Grandfather Chin make them and send them soaring over Chinatown and the park. But when Tony Guglione and his friends from Little Italy keep throwing rocks and destroying their beautiful creations, Henry and his friends decide enough is enough! In this touching story based on true 1920s events, two rival groups of children representing two different cultures come face-to-face, and when they do, they find they share much more than just the same sky. A beautifully told and brilliantly illustrated celebration of diversity and acceptance.
The House in the Night
by Susan Marie SwansonA spare, patterned text and glowing pictures explore the origins of light that make a house a home in this bedtime book for young children. Naming nighttime things that are both comforting and intriguing to preschoolers—a key, a bed, the moon—this timeless book illuminates a reassuring order to the universe.
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.
I Can Do It!
by Sarah Albee and Larry Di FioreMastering new skills is a part of growing up and every stage of development is marked by such learning. But sometimes a child will have a hard time with a new challenge. So here are Elmo, Big Bird, and their Sesame Street friends (including Grover, Zoe, Bert, Ernie, Rosita, and Telly) to show kids that it's terrific to learn how to do something new, and also, that if you get stuck, you can always ask for help from a parent, a teacher, a sibling, or a friend. And even asking for a hand can be a little bit hard at first! This Step 1 Step into Reading emphasizes core Sesame Street values of cooperation, friendship, and trying new things. The short rhyming text will please children who are just beginning to read on their own.From the Trade Paperback edition.
If the Dinosaurs Came Back
by Bernard MostWhat would happen if the dinosaurs returned? Would they trample towns, smash automobiles, mash up people like asparagus? "No!" declares a little boy, who dreams of having a dinosaur of his own. Dinosaurs could help build skyscrapers and catch lost kites. They could push away rain clouds and plow farmers' fields. And giraffes would have someone to look up to. . . .
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
by Laura Joffe NumeroffIf a hungry traveler shows up at your house, you might want to give him a cookie. If you give him a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk. And there, the story begins. There are many, funny consequences of giving this mouse a cookie; read and play along!
I Lost My Bear
by Jules FeifferIt's not under the bed, or on the chair, or beneath the couch, or behind the curtains.It's GONE!
What do you do when your favorite toy disappears, and you can't find it where you left it? What if your family is NO help at all? A determined little detective heads up the search, and discovers more than she ever expected! No one will help look for Bearsy. Mom's too busy. Dad's reading, and Sister's grumpy. But when Jules Feiffer's spunky heroine strikes out on her own to find her favorite stuffed toy, she discovers much more than anyone ever expected! With a simple text and bold, expressive pictures, here is a playful salute to a girl who won't give up.
00-01 Young Reader's Choice Award Program Masterlist
In the Rain with Baby Duck
by Amy HestIt's a rainy, rainy day, and that makes Baby mad. Baby's parents worry-whoever heard of a duck who doesn't like the rain? But when Grandpa uncovers a sparkling red umbrella in the attic, and matching boots too, Baby finds out just how much fun playing in the rain can be. With gentle affection and lots of pluck, Amy Hest and Jill Barton create a story that will have every puddle-jumper wishing for rain.
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat
by Simms TabackThe story takes place in a small village in Poland probably in the middle or late 19th century, and the people are dressed in costumes of the period. This elegant picture book tells the story of Joseph's overcoat, and what he does wih it when it wears out. Along the way, children meet some Yiddish words and glimpse a bit of Jewish culture. This picture book includes picture descriptions, and this file should make an excellent embossed braille copy.
Junie B.'s First Ever Ebook Collection!
by Barbara Park and Denise BrunkusDear Person Who Is Reading This,Hurray! Hurray! Now you can laugh out loud with the first four books in my First Ever Ebook Collection! (The "E" stands for "Excellent," I believe.) Look inside for Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus, Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business, Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth, and Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying. These books will make you laugh out loud, I think. Love, your friend, Junie B. Jones Junie B. Jones has kept kids laughing--and reading--for 20 years. Hurray for Barbara Park and the Junie B. Jones® books! New York Times Bestsellers "Junie B. is a darling of the young-reader set." --USA Today "Park convinces beginning readers that Junie B.--and reading--are lots of fun." --Publishers Weekly "Junie's swarms of young fans will continue to delight in her unique take on the world. . . . A hilarious, first-rate read-aloud." --Kirkus Reviews "Although Junie B. is a kindergartner, she's sure to make middle graders laugh out loud." --School Library Journal
Just A Mess
by Mercer MayerLittle Critter can't find his baseball mitt. Could it be in the treehouse? Not there! Oh! no! Where is it? Other books by Mercer Mayer are available from Bookshare.
Let's Count It Out, Jesse Bear
by Nancy White CarlstromFrom the book: JESSE BEAR IS OFF on a rollicking trip to an amusement park, and he's counting on you to join him! Everyone's favorite bear is at it again, showing off new shoes, bumping in bumper cars, and--oops!-even getting a few bumps and scratches of his own. Nancy White Carlstrom's fanciful counting poems and Bruce Degen's bright, cheery illustrations make Let's Count It Out, Jesse Bear, the sixth in the Jesse Bear series, a guaranteed hit for read-aloud sessions. This rhyming, rambling jaunt will have readers counting, and chuckling, in no time! Other books about Jesse Bear are available from Bookshare.
Let's Do Nothing!
by Tony FucileMeet Frankie and Sal, two boys who've done it all. They've played every board game. They've read every comic book. They've painted a zillion pictures. What's left to do? Just when it seems they will collapse from boredom, Sal gets a brilliant idea. What about doing nothing? But is it possible--can two boys do ten whole seconds of nothing? Hold your breath and get ready for this laugh-out-loud romp created by feature film animator and debut picture-book artist Tony Fucile.
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.
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse
by Kevin HenkesLilly loves everything about school, especially her cool teacher, Mr. Slinger. But when Lilly brings her purple plastic purse and its treasures to school and can't wait until sharing time, Mr. Slinger confiscates her prized possessions. Lilly's fury leads to revenge and then to remorse and she sets out to make amends.
Lilly, the star of Chester's Way and Julius, the Baby of the World, is back. And this time she has her name in the title - something she's wanted all along. If you thought Lilly was funny before, you are in for a treat. So hurry up and start reading. Lilly can't wait for you to find out more about her.
Little Bear
by Else Holmelund MinarikIn one story, "Birthday Soup," Little Bear cannot find his mother and presumes she has forgotten his birthday. With the prospect of guests arriving and no cake in sight, he sets out to make birthday soup (all his friends like soup). Just as the gathering is sitting down for soup, Mother Bear shows up with a big, beautiful birthday cake.
"I never did forget your birthday, and I never will," she says to her son as he hugs her leg. In "Little Bear Goes to the Moon," Little Bear declares that he will fly to the moon in his new space helmet. Mother Bear tells him to be back by lunch, and he is.
[This text is listed as an example that meets Common Core Standards in English language arts for K-1 at http://www.corestandards.org.]
Little House in the Big Woods
by Laura Ingalls WilderWolves and panthers and bears roam the deep Wisconsin woods in the late 1870's. In those same woods, Laura lives with Pa and Ma, and her sisters, Mary and Baby Carrie, in a snug little house built of logs. Pa hunts and traps. Ma makes her own cheese and butter. All night long, the wind howls lonesomely, but Pa plays the fiddle and sings, keeping the family safe and cozy.This is the first book of the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. It takes place in Wisconsin in the late 1870's. It is followed by Little House on the Prairie. [This text is listed as an example that meets Common Core Standards in English language arts for K-1 at http://www.corestandards.org.]
Little Toot
by Hardie GramatkyIn this Weekly Reader Children's Book Club selection, a tiny tug rescues a big ship.
Love You Forever
by Robert MunschStory of a mother who loves her son and always says "I will love you forever."