This award-winning modern classic--a must-have for every child's home library--is an inclusive ode to kindness, empathy, gratitude, and finding joy in unexpected places, and celebrates the special bond between a curious young boy and his loving grandmother.

Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don't own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn't he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty--and fun--in their routine and the world around them.

This energetic ride through a bustling city highlights the wonderful perspective only grandparent and grandchild can share, and comes to life through Matt de la Pe a's vibrant text and Christian Robinson's radiant illustrations.

From Caldecott Honor artist Melissa Sweet comes the perfect Thanksgiving Day picture book. Let's have a parade!

Meet the master puppeteer who invented the first balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Melissa Sweet brings to life the inspirational story of the puppeteer who invented the giant balloons floating in the sky during the annual parade celebrating Thanksgiving. The Caldecott Honor artist brilliantly captures the essence of Tony Sarg, a self-taught immigrant with a fascinating imagination.

The collage illustrations coupled with Sweet's storytelling portray Sarg's joy in his childhood inventions and his ingenious balloon creations that still bring delight to viewers around the country. This nonfiction illustrated book will capture the hearts of all ages.

This clever marriage of information and illustration soars high. (Kirkus starred review)

In 1914, Harry Colebourn, a veterinarian on his way to tend horses in World War I, followed his heart and rescued a baby bear. He named her Winnie, after his hometown of Winnipeg, and he took the bear to war.

Harry Colebourn's real-life great-granddaughter tells the true story of a remarkable friendship and an even more remarkable journey--from the fields of Canada to a convoy across the ocean to an army base in England...

And finally to the London Zoo, where Winnie made another new friend: a real boy named Christopher Robin.

Before Winnie-the-Pooh, there was a real bear named Winnie. And she was a girl

What are you waiting for? An owl, a puppy, a bear, a rabbit, and a pig wait for marvelous things to happen in this irresistible and resonant picture book by the New York Times-bestselling and Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes.

Five friends sit happily on a windowsill, waiting for something amazing to happen. The owl is waiting for the moon. The pig is waiting for the rain. The bear is waiting for the wind. The puppy is waiting for the snow. And the rabbit is just looking out the window because he likes to wait What will happen? Will patience win in the end? Or someday will the friends stop waiting and do something unexpected?

Waiting is a big part of childhood--waiting in line, waiting to grow up, waiting for something special to happen--but in this book, a child sets the stage and pulls the strings. Timeless, beautiful, and deeply heartfelt, this picture book about imaginative play, the seasons, friendship, and surprises is a Caldecott Honor and Geisel Honor Book.

Share Waiting alongside Mo Willems's Waiting Is Not Easy at home or in a classroom--these books about waiting for kids will be enjoyed as picture book stories and also allow kids to explore their emotions about that ultimate frustration: waiting.

The short sentences of the text flow with the precision one would expect from a master picture-book creator like Henkes. Little ones, to whom each experience is new, will know what it's like to dream and wait.--ALA Booklist

A magical bedtime story, honored as a Caldecott Honor Book.

In sincere and imaginative dialogue between a child and her kind and understanding parents, the little girl decides in a cocoon of sheets, a nest of blankets, she is ready to sleep, warm and strong, just like a tiger.

The lyrical narrative echoes a Runaway Bunny-like cadence: Does everything in the world go to sleep? the little girl asks.

Artist Pamela Zagarenski's rich, luminous mixed-media paintings effervesce with charming details that non-yet-sleepy children can examine for hours. A rare gem.

Bestselling author Lemony Snicket teams up with Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen to create an irresistible picture book about conquering fear of the dark.

Laszlo is afraid of the dark.

The dark lives in the same house as Laszlo. Mostly, though, the dark stays in the basement and doesn't come into Lazslo's room. But one night, it does.

This is the story of how Laszlo stops being afraid of the dark.

With emotional insight and poetic economy, two award-winning talents team up to overcome a universal childhood fear.

★ Readers are going to want to read this one over and over.―Library Media Connection, starred review

A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year - A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year - ALSC Notable Books for Children

Patrick McDonnell--bestselling author-artist and creator of the beloved MUTTS comic strip--shares the inspiring story of young Jane Goodall, the legendary and inspiring conservationist featured in the hit documentary film Jane.

★ This remarkable picture book is one of the few that speaks, in a meaningful way, to all ages.​ --Booklist, starred review

In his characteristic heartwarming style, Patrick McDonnell tells the story of the young Jane Goodall and her special childhood toy chimpanzee named Jubilee. As the young Jane observes the natural world around her with wonder, she dreams of a life living with and helping all animals, until one day she finds that her dream has come true. With anecdotes from Jane Goodall's autobiography, McDonnell makes this very true story accessible for the very young--and young at heart.

One of the world's most inspiring women, Dr. Jane Goodall is a renowned humanitarian, conservationist, animal activist, environmentalist, and United Nations Messenger of Peace. In 1977 she founded the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), a global nonprofit organization that empowers people to make a difference for all living things.

Don't miss these other picture books by Patrick McDonnell:
Me...Jane
The Gift of Nothing
The Gift of Everything
Art
Hug Time
Tek
The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC's (the Hard Way)
A Perfectly Messed-Up Story
The Monsters' Monster

Rukhsana Khan's clever story and Sophie Blackall's irresistible illustrations make for a powerful combination in this fresh and surprising picture book.

Mo Willems' spare, poignant text and Jon J. Muth's expressive watercolors team up to tell a story that will resonate with readers of all ages.

A Caldecott medalist and a Newbery Honor-winning poet celebrate the beauty and value of spirals.What makes the tiny snail shell so beautiful? Why does that shape occur in nature over and over again--in rushing rivers, in a flower bud, even inside your ear?

With simplicity and grace, Joyce Sidman's poetry paired with Beth Krommes's scratchboard illustrations not only reveal the many spirals in nature--from fiddleheads to elephant tusks, from crashing waves to spiraling galaxies--but also celebrate the beauty and usefulness of this fascinating shape.

Your neighbor says red is angry like a dragon's breath, but you think it's brave like a fire truck. Or maybe your best friend likes pink because it's pretty like a ballerina's tutu, but you find it annoying -- like a piece of gum stuck on your shoe. In a subtle, child-friendly narrative, art teacher and debut author Jessica Young suggests that colors may evoke as many emotions as there are people to look at them -- and opens up infinite possibilities for seeing the world in a wonderful new way.

In a spare, powerful text and evocative illustrations, the Newbery medalist Katherine Applegate and the artist G. Brian Karas present the extraordinary real story of a special gorilla.

Captured as a baby, Ivan was brought to a Tacoma, Washington, mall to attract shoppers. Gradually, public pressure built until a better way of life for Ivan was found at Zoo Atlanta.

From the Congo to America, and from a local business attraction to a national symbol of animal welfare, Ivan the Shopping Mall Gorilla traveled an astonishing distance in miles and in impact.

This is his true story and includes photographs of Ivan in the back matter.

Water is water, puddle, pond, sea. But now can you guess what else it can be?

Water can be a . . .thirst quencher, kid drencher, cloud fluffer, fire snuffer. Find out about the many roles water plays in this poetic exploration of water throughout the year.

Laura Purdie Salas's lyrical, rhyming text and Violeta Dabija's glowing illustrations make simple yet profound observations about seemingly ordinary objects and encourage readers to suggest what else it can be! Using metaphors for a leaf (tree topper / rain stopper), a rock (hopscotch marker / fire sparker), and water (thirst quencher / kid drencher), these insightful picture books creatively highlight a variety of roles and relationships in nature.

An excited and frustrated boy watches hopefully as wintry weather develops slowly into a big snow.

While helping his mother with holiday housecleaning, a boy keeps a watchful eye on the progress of a winter storm. He's hoping for a big snow. A really big snow. Inside, he is underfoot, turning sheet-changing and tub-scrubbing into imaginary whiteouts. Outside, flakes are flying. But over the course of a long day (for Mom) the clouds seem slow on delivering a serious snowfall. Then comes a dreamy naptime adventure, marking just the beginning of high hopes coming true in this irresistible seasonal story.

On August 28, 1963, a remarkable event took place--more than 250,000 people gathered in our nation's capital to participate in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The march began at the Washington Monument and ended with a rally at the Lincoln Memorial, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic I Have a Dream speech, advocating racial harmony. Many words have been written about that day, but few so delicate and powerful as those presented here by award-winning author and illustrator Shane W. Evans. When combined with his simple yet compelling illustrations, the thrill of the day is brought to life for even the youngest reader to experience.

We March is one of Kirkus Reviews' Best Children's Books of 2012

Bilingual English/Spanish. Based on a Yiddish folk song, a young girl's cherished baby blanket becomes old and worn over time and she finds new ways to use it as she grows up.

Little Maya has a special blanket that Grandma stitched with her own two hands. As Maya grows, her blanket becomes worn and frayed, so with Grandma's help, Maya makes it into a dress. Over time the dress is made into a skirt, a shawl, a scarf, a hair ribbon, and finally, a bookmark. Each item has special, magical, meaning for Maya; it animates her adventures, protects her, or helps her in some way. But when Maya loses her bookmark, she preserves her memories by creating a book about her adventures and love of these items. When Maya grows up, she shares her book--Maya's Blanket/La manta de Maya--with her own little daughter while snuggled under her own special blanket.

Inspired by the traditional Yiddish folk song Hob Ikh Mir a Mantl (I Had a Little Coat), this delightful bilingual picture book puts a child-focused, Latino spin on the tale of an item that is made into smaller and smaller items. Maya's Blanket/La manta de Maya charmingly brings to life this celebration creativity, recycling, and enduring family love.

Spike is a scary-looking salamander who keeps trying to frighten other animals--until he finds that using fear is not the best way to make friends. And since Spike lives in Mexico (he is an endangered species called the axolotl), this story is peppered with easy-to-understand Spanish words. In addition to a charming tale of friendship, this picture book contains nonfiction information about the axolotl and a Spanish/English glossary.

While Coco sleeps far away, the sun creeps over a hill and skids across the water, touching a fisherman's cap. It heads out over frozen forests, making shadows in a child's footprints, and balances on an airplane's wing for a little boy to see. The sun crosses cities and countrysides, wakes furry creatures, makes a desert rainbow, and barges into Coco's room to follow her through a day of play. With an eye for capturing small moments of shared experience, Bob Graham illuminates the natural wonder that comes with every new day.

Any readers who have felt shy will certainly recognize themselves within the pages of this adorable book, which will encourage even the most timid of audiences with its celebration of the value of a good friend.

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