Special Collections
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Winners
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Not a Box
by Antoinette PortisDon't miss this wholly original celebration of the power of imagination, winner of a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award
A box is just a box...unless it's not a box. From mountain to rocket ship, a small rabbit shows that a box will go as far as the imagination allows.
Inspired by a memory of sitting in a box on her driveway with her sister, Antoinette Portis captures the thrill when pretend feels so real that it actually becomes real—when the imagination takes over inside a cardboard box, and through play, a child is transported to a world where anything is possible.
The simple text makes the book appropriate for toddlers, but the message and retro feel of the book also lead to it being an original and compelling gift to mark an occasion such as a graduation.
A Seed Grows
by Antoinette PortisThe transformative life cycle of a sunflower plays out in this bold read-aloud by Sibert honoree Antoinette Portis.
To understand how a seed becomes a sunflower, you have to peek beneath the soil and wait patiently as winding roots grow, a stalk inches out of the earth, and new seeds emerge among blooming petals.
"A seed falls, And settles into the ground, And the Sun shines, And the rain comes down, And the seed grows…" Leading up to a striking fold-out spread of a full-grown sunflower, the lively, bold illustrations in A Seed Grows offer a close-up view of each step of the growth cycle. Additional material in the back of the book explains the science of plant life cycles, and goes into more detail on the ways in which flowers and seeds depend on other creatures.
Advisory: Bookshare has learned that this book offers only partial accessibility. We have kept it in the collection because it is useful for some of our members. Benetech is actively working on projects to improve accessibility issues such as these.
Fish and Wave
by Sergio RuzzierLet’s read comics! I Can Read Comics is an early reader line that familiarizes children with the world of graphic novel storytelling and encourages visual literacy in emerging readers.
When a tiny wave grows bigger and bigger, what’s a fish to do? Fish and Wave by Sergio Ruzzier is a playful exploration of what it really means to go with the flow.
Fish and Wave is a Level One I Can Read Comic, a simple story for shared reading.
Advisory: Bookshare has learned that this book offers only partial accessibility. We have kept it in the collection because it is useful for some of our members. Benetech is actively working on projects to improve accessibility issues such as these.
Henry And Mudge And The Great Grandpas
by Cynthia Rylant and Suçie StevensonHenry (and of course Mudge) loves to visit Great Grandpa Bill. He lives in a house with a lot of other grandpas who like to play with a little boy and his dog. But when Henry discovers a swimming pond near the grandpas' house, he finds out how much fun the grandpas really can be.
Winner of the Theodore Seuss Geisel Medal
Vulture View
by April Pulley SayreTurkey vultures soar on the balmy air, looking for their next stinky feast. These birds don't hunt-they like their food to be already dead, and their eating habits serve a very important ecological role. Vultures are part of nature's clean-up crew. In her signature poetic, energetic style, acclaimed nature writer April Pulley Sayre introduces young readers to the world of the turkey vulture. The gorgeous illustrations by Caldecott Honor-winning artist Steve Jenkins capture these birds in all their surprising majesty.
Winner of the Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor
Tales For Very Picky Eaters
by Josh Schneider2012 Winner of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award! James is a very picky eater. His dad has to get creative--very creative--in order to get James to eat foods he thinks he doesn't like. He presents James with a series of outlandish scenarios packed with fanciful and gross kid-friendly details--like pre-chewed gum as an alternative to broccoli and lumpy oatmeal that grows so big it eats the dog--in an effort to get James to eat. But it is eventually James himself who discovers that some foods are not so bad, after all, if you're willing to give them a try. This irreverently hilarious early reader, it explores a universal point of contention between parent and child in a playful, satisfying way.
Winner of the Theodore Seuss Geisel Medal
First the Egg
by Laura Vaccaro SeegerWhich came first, the chicken or the egg? The caterpillar or the butterfly? These and other origin questions are answered in a short collection of verses
Winner of the Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor
Cowgirl Kate And Cocoa
by Erica SilvermanCowgirl. Kate and her cowhorse, Cocoa, who is always hungry, count cows, share a story, and help each other fall asleep. [This text is listed as an example that meets Common Core Standards in English language arts in grades 2-3 at http://www.corestandards.org.]
Winner of the Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor
Little Mouse Gets Ready
by Jeff SmithThere is a lot to do before Little Mouse is ready to go visit the barn. Will he master all the intricacies of getting dressed, from snaps and buttons to Velcro and tail holes? Eisner Award-winning cartoonist Jeff Smith (BONE) and his determined Little Mouse reveal all the smallest pleasures of this daily task.
Winner of the Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor
Ball
by Mary SullivanA dog with a ball is one of the most relentlessly hopeful creatures on Earth. After his best little-girl pal leaves for school, this dog hits up yoga mom, baby, and even the angry cat for a quick throw. No luck. Forced to go solo, the dog begins a hilarious one-sided game of fetch until naptime's wild, ball-centric dream sequence. The pictures speak a thousand words in this comic book-style ode to canine monomania. Ball? Ball.
Winner of the Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor
Fox at Night
by Corey R. TaborGeisel Award winner and ALA Notable Book of the Year! In his next I Can Read adventure, Fox—the hilarious trickster character featured in Geisel Award-winning Fox the Tiger—overcomes his fear of monsters when he meets real nocturnal animals.
Fox is up late in the night. There are shadows and noises everywhere. Fox is sure the night is full of monsters! Then he meets the real creatures of the night and realizes they are not so scary after all.
Carefully crafted using basic language, word repetition, sight words, and whimsical illustrations, Fox at Night is ideal for sharing with your emergent reader. The active, engaging My First I Can Read stories have appealing plots and lovable characters, encouraging children to continue their reading journey.
Advisory: Bookshare has learned that this book offers only partial accessibility. We have kept it in the collection because it is useful for some of our members. Benetech is actively working on projects to improve accessibility issues such as these.
Fox the Tiger
by Corey R. TaborFun-loving, mischievous Fox wishes he were a tiger. Tigers are big and fast and sneaky. So he decides to become one! Soon Turtle and Rabbit are joining in the fun. But will Fox want to be a tiger forever?
In Fox the Tiger, this winning trickster character and his animal friends learn that the best thing to be is yourself. Fox the Tiger is a My First I Can Read book, which means it’s perfect for shared reading with a child.
The Bear in My Family
by Maya TatsukawaAn overbearing older sibling can really be a bear, but the child in this understated, gently humorous story finds out that they can have their advantages, too.
"I live with a bear," the story's young narrator declares. The bear is loud, messy, uncouth, and very strong (too strong!). For some reason, his parents treat the bear like family, despite his protests. Why can't they see? Then he runs into some bullies on the playground. When the bear ROOAARS with all her might and scares them away, he realizes that there are advantages to having a bear in the family. In a delightful twist, the narrator's older sister (the bear) appears, telling him that she is NOT a bear. But if she is, HE is too—because two bears are even better than one!
Advisory: Bookshare has learned that this book offers only partial accessibility. We have kept it in the collection because it is useful for some of our members. Benetech is actively working on projects to improve accessibility issues such as these.
Are You Ready to Play Outside? (An Elephant and Piggie Book)
by Mo WillemsMeet Elephant Gerald and Piggie. Gerald is careful. Piggie is not. Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can. Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to. Gerald and Piggie are best friends. In Are You Ready to Play Outside? Piggie can't wait to go play in the sunshine. But will a rainy day ruin all the fun?
Winner of the Theodore Seuss Geisel Medal
A Big Guy Took My Ball!
by Mo WillemsMeet Elephant Gerald and Piggie, winners of two Theodor Seuss Geisel Medals and recipients of two Geisel Honors!
Gerald is careful. Piggie is not.
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.
Gerald and Piggie are best friends.
In A Big Guy Took My Ball! Piggie is devastated when a big guy takes her ball! Gerald is big, too... but is he big enough to help his best friend?
Images are described.
Other books in this series are available in this library.
Winner of the Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor
I Broke My Trunk! (An Elephant and Piggie Book)
by Mo WillemsMeet Elephant Gerald and Piggie.
Gerald is careful. Piggie is not.
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.
Gerald and Piggie are best friends.
In I Broke My Trunk! Gerald tells Piggie the long, crazy story about breaking his trunk. Will Piggie end up with a long, crazy story of her own?
Winner of the Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor
Let's Go for a Drive! (An Elephant and Piggie Book)
by Mo WillemsMeet Elephant Gerald and Piggie, winners of two Theodor Seuss Geisel Medals and recipients of two Geisel Honors!
Gerald is careful. Piggie is not.
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.
Gerald and Piggie are best friends.
In Let's Go for a Drive! Gerald and Piggie want to hit the road! But the best-laid plans of pigs and elephants often go awry.
Winner of the Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor
There Is a Bird on Your Head!
by Mo WillemsGerald and Piggie are best friends. In There Is a Bird On Your Head!, Gerald discovers that there is something worse than a bird on your head--two birds on your head! Can Piggie help her best friend?
Winner of the Theodore Seuss Geisel Medal
We Are in a Book!
by Mo WillemsGerald is careful. Piggie is not. Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald and Piggie are best friends.
In We Are in a Book! Gerald and Piggie discover the joy of being read. But what will happen when the book ends?
Using vocabulary perfect for beginning readers (and vetted by an early-learning specialist), Mo Willems has crafted a mind-bending story that is even more interactive than previous Elephant & Piggie adventures. Fans of the Geisel Award-winning duo won't be able to put this book down--literally!
Stop! Bot!
by James YangWinner of the 2020 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for most distinguished American book for beginning readers. In this very young picture book mystery, a little boy out for a walk with his family stops to show a building doorman his new "bot": "I have a bot!" Only he doesn't have it for long, because it floats up out of his hands like an escaped balloon. "Stop! Bot!" Springing to action, the kind doorman runs up to each floor of the building to try and catch it -- along with the help of each floor's resident. But while everything looks normal at first, every floor (and resident) is a little more wacky and unusual than the last! Musicians, baseball players, zoo animals, and finally a very large monkey all play a part -- but will they rescue the Bot before it's too late?! Children will love all the funny details and easy-to-read words in this very playful picture book!
Mouse and Mole Fine Feathered Friends
by Wong Herbert YeeIt is a blustery spring day, and Mouse and Mole are very excited. They are going to go bird watching! They are planning to make bird books! Mouse and Mole pack paper and crayons and hurry outside. It turns out, birds are not so easy to watch. Splashing in puddles scare them away. Stepping on crunchy leaves does too.
Mole rubs his snout. Mouse twirls her tail. Together, they come up with a plan to get closer to the birds. A plan that includes glue and feathers...
Join Mouse and Mole on another high-flying adventure in which teamwork, brainstorming, and good ideas always make for a fun day out!
Winner of the Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor