Special Collections

The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear

The Little Mouse and the Big Hungry Bear are known and loved by millions of children around the world. Little Mouse loves strawberries, but so does the bear... How will Little Mouse stop the bear from eating his freshly picked, red, ripe strawberry?

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Grandfather's Journey

A 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.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Rhyming Dust Bunnies

Three dust bunnies, Ed, Ned, and Ted, rhyme all the time. They say that far, jar, and tar rhyme with car, but a fourth dust bunny, Bob, just does not seem to get it; he says, "Look!" When they try and teach him that rug, hug, and mug rhyme with bug, he says, "Look out!" Of course, the smug majority is wrong. Bob's warnings come true and when a broom and then a vacuum cleaner prove him right, the rhyming trio ask Bob what rhymes with "How do we get out?"

With thick black lines and neon colors, the dust creatures on the bright colored pages look like the huge monsters that they think they are--until the big, powerful human tools take over. Preschoolers will recognize how it feels to be just a mite in a grown-up world, and they will enjoy the playful rhymes and simple wordplay as much as the bold scenarios of the tiniest creatures in danger from giants, and one hero who sees it coming.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

But Not the Hippopotamus

A shy hippo is hesitant to join in the fun that the other animals are having. But little by little, she finds her courage. A fine and funny book, with over two million copies in print, But Not the Hippopotamus is a classic favorite anytime book for little kids and their parents. Images and image descriptions available.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

A Sick Day for Amos McGee

THE BEST SICK DAY EVER and the animals in the zoo feature in this striking picture book debut. Friends come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. In Amos McGee's case, all sorts of species, too! Every day he spends a little bit of time with each of his friends at the zoo, running races with the tortoise, keeping the shy penguin company, and even reading bedtime stories to the owl. But when Amos is too sick to make it to the zoo, his animal friends decide it's time they returned the favor A Sick Day for Amos McGee is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year and the winner of the 2011 Caldecott Medal. Images and image descriptions available.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

The Snowy Day

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 at a new world, and the hope of capturing and keeping that wonder forever. Images and image descriptions available.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Go Away, Big Green Monster

Caldecott Award-winning author-artist Ed Emberley has created an ingenious way for children to chase away their nighttime fears. Kids can go through the pages of this die-cut book and watch the Big Green Monster grow. Then, when they're ready to show him who's in charge, they'll go through the remaining pages and watch him disappear! Images and image descriptions available.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

Caps for Sale

Caps for Sale is a timeless classic, in print for over fifty years, and beloved by generations of readers. This easy-to-read story about a peddler and a band of mischievous monkeys is filled with warmth, humor, and simplicity. Children will delight in following the peddlers efforts to outwit the monkeys in this new, enlarged, and redesigned edition, and will ask to read it again and again.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

The Story of Ferdinand

Ferdinand 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.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

The story of a naughty young rabbit who decides to disobey his mother by trespassing into Mr. McGregor's garden. Images and image descriptions available.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

The Lion and the Mouse

Textless retelling of the Lion and the Mouse fable, with beautiful images. Winner of the 2010 Caldecott Award. Images and image descriptions available.

Date Added: 05/25/2017

The Kissing Hand

School is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go. To help ease Chester's fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to give him the reassurance of her love any time his world feels a little scary.

Since its first publication in 1993, this heartwarming book has become a children's classic that has touched the lives of millions of children and their parents, especially at times of separation, whether starting school, entering daycare, or going to camp. It is widely used by kindergarten teachers on the first day of school. Stickers at the back will help children and their parents keep their Kissing Hand alive.

Date Added: 05/01/2019

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The all-time classic story, from generation to generation, sold somewhere in the world every 30 seconds! Have you shared it with a child or grandchild in your life?

One sunny Sunday, the caterpillar was hatched out of a tiny egg. He was very hungry. On Monday, he ate through one apple; on Tuesday, he ate through three plums - and still he was hungry. When full at last, he made a cocoon around himself and went to sleep, to wake up a few weeks later wonderfully transformed into a butterfly!

The brilliantly innovative Eric Carle has dramatized the story of one of Nature's commonest yet loveliest marvels, the metamorphosis of the butterfly.

Date Added: 05/01/2019

The Polar Express

For twenty years, The Polar Express has been a worldwide bestseller and Christmas classic. A perfect keepsake for any family, this beautiful edition can be handed down to each new generation of readers.

In 1986 The Polar Express was awarded the prestigious Caldecott Medal and hit the New York Times bestseller list. Since that time, more than six and a half million copies have been sold, and every December it faithfully reappears on national bestseller lists. In 2004, The Polar Express became a blockbuster holiday movie. The DVD release in 2005 assures, that like the book, the movie will become a holiday classic.

Date Added: 05/01/2019

The Sneetches and Other Stories

Dr. Seuss creates another timeless picture-book classic with The Sneetches and Other Stories. Are you a Star-Belly Sneetch or a Plain-Belly Sneetch? This delightful book contains four tales with deliciously subtle takes on how silly it is to be, well, silly. “The Sneetches,” “The Zax,” “Too Many Daves,” and “What Was I Scared Of?” make this energetic compilation a must-have for every library. Full of Dr. Seuss’s signature rhymes and unmistakable characters, it’s perfect for new and lifelong Seuss fans.

Date Added: 05/01/2019

The Gardener

By the author-and-illustrator team of the bestselling The Library

Lydia Grace Finch brings a suitcase full of seeds to the big gray city, where she goes to stay with her Uncle Jim, a cantankerous baker. There she initiates a gradual transformation, bit by bit brightening the shop and bringing smiles to customers' faces with the flowers she grows. But it is in a secret place that Lydia Grace works on her masterpiece -- an ambitious rooftop garden -- which she hopes will make even Uncle Jim smile. Sarah Stewart introduces readers to an engaging and determined young heroine, whose story is told through letters written home, while David Small's illustrations beautifully evoke the Depression-era setting.

The Gardener is a 1997 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year and a 1998 Caldecott Honor Book.

Date Added: 05/01/2019

The Library

Meet an unforgettable bibliophile

Elizabeth Brown doesn't like to play with dolls and she doesnt like to skate. What she does like to do is read books. Lots of books. The only problem is that her library has gotten so big she can't even use her front door anymore. What should Elizabeth Brown do? Start her own public library, of course! With charming verse and watercolors Sarah Stewart and David Small celebrate one of America's oldest and finest institutions.

The Library is a 1995 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year and Outstanding Book of the Year.

Date Added: 05/01/2019

Olivia

Olivia is a little pig who likes to dress up, sing songs, dance, think, snooze and is even quite good at building sandcastles. At the end of the day, when she snuggles up in bed and her mother reads her a story (or three), Olivia feels very full of love.

Date Added: 05/02/2019

Bread and Jam for Frances

Frances is a fussy eater. In fact, the only thing she likes is bread and jam. She won't touch her squishy soft-boiled egg. She trades away her chicken-salad sandwich at lunch. She turns up her nose at boring veal cutlets. Unless Mother can come up with a plan, Frances just might go on eating bread and jam forever!

Date Added: 05/02/2019

Goodnight Moon

In this classic of children's literature, beloved by generations of readers and listeners, the quiet poetry of the words and the gentle, lulling illustrations combine to make a perfect book for the end of the day.

In a great green room, tucked away in bed, is a little bunny. "Goodnight room, goodnight moon." And to all the familiar things in the softly lit room—to the picture of the three little bears sitting on chairs, to the clocks and his socks, to the mittens and the kittens, to everything one by one—the little bunny says goodnight.

One of the most beloved books of all time, Goodnight Moon is a must for every bookshelf and a time-honored gift for baby showers and other special events.

Date Added: 05/02/2019

Bedtime for Frances

It may be bedtime for Frances, but before Frances can sleep, she needs a glass of milk, a kiss from Father, one from Mother, her teddy bear, her doll, another kiss from Father, and another one from Mother. And then there are tigers and giants and ominous cracks in the ceiling to keep her up. Will Frances ever go to sleep?

Date Added: 05/03/2019

Green Eggs and Ham

“Do you like green eggs and ham?” asks Sam-I-am in this Beginner Book by Dr. Seuss. In a house or with a mouse? In a boat or with a goat? On a train or in a tree? Sam keeps asking persistently. With unmistakable characters and signature rhymes, Dr. Seuss’s beloved favorite has cemented its place as a children’s classic. In this most famous of cumulative tales, the list of places to enjoy green eggs and ham, and friends to enjoy them with, gets longer and longer. Follow Sam-I-am as he insists that this unusual treat is indeed a delectable snack to be savored everywhere and in every way.

[This text is listed as an example that meets Common Core Standards in English language arts for K-1 at http://www.corestandards.org.]

Date Added: 05/03/2019

My Lucky Day

An 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.

Date Added: 05/08/2019

Duck on a Bike

One day down on the farm, Duck got a wild idea. "I bet I could ride a bike!" he thought.

At first he rode very slowly, and he wobbled a lot, but it was fun!

A duck on a bike?

From Sheep to Horse to Chicken to Goat, everyone in the barnyard has something to say about Duck's zany idea. But what are they really thinking? And what will happen next?

Date Added: 05/08/2019

I Love My White Shoes

Don't miss the first and bestselling book in the beloved Pete the Cat series!

Pete the Cat goes walking down the street wearing his brand-new white shoes. Along the way, his shoes change from white to red to blue to brown to WET as he steps in piles of strawberries, blueberries, and other big messes!

But no matter what color his shoes are, Pete keeps movin' and groovin' and singing his song...because it's all good. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes asks the reader questions about the colors of different foods and objects—kids love to interact with the story.

The fun never stops—download the free groovin’ song.

Date Added: 05/08/2019