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"You only have to close your eyes, and when you snuggle in… You’ll be carried to your dream tonight on wing or paw or fin." ~ from Emily Winfield Martin's Dream Animals
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New and Recently Released!
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| Finding Spring by Carin BergerIt's time for bears to hibernate, but in his excitement over seeing his first spring, little cub Maurice can't sleep. Instead, he leaves his cave to go searching for spring. When it begins to snow, Maurice mistakes snowflakes for flowers, gathering some up before returning home, satisfied, to hibernate. By the time Maurice wakes, his "flowers" have melted, but nature has replaced them with something just as breathtaking. Illustrated with enchanting cut-paper collages, Finding Spring is a joyful and "wonderfully immersive" (Kirkus Reviews) tale of seasonal change. For another endearingly confused young animal, try Julia Rawlinson's Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms. |
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| Blown Away by Rob BiddulphHow do three penguins, a seal, and a polar bear end up in a tropical jungle? Well, it all starts when Penguin Blue's kite carries him (and all the friends who try to help him) into the sky and far away, and it doesn't end until the clever creatures find a way home. This playfully absurd premise, paired with crisp digital illustrations and steady rhyming text, results in the kind of deadpan humor that will appeal to kids and adults alike. Fans of this breezy, high-flying story may also appreciate Flora's Very Windy Day by Jeanne Birdsall. |
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| Smick! by Doreen CroninFrom the author of the popular Click Clack Moo books comes another winsome critter: Smick, a goofy, floppy-eared dog. Illustrated with just a few simple lines, Smick's good nature is obvious as he follows one-word commands and gleefully fetches a stick. Then tiny, colorful Chick appears, and though Smick's first instinct is to chase, the two quickly become "sidekick" and "sidechick." This uncomplicated story of friendship is perfectly paced for very young children, while the minimal text and generous white space will tempt beginning readers. Kids who love the gentle wordplay of Emily Gravett's Apple Pear Orange Bear or Mary Sullivan's Ball will be charmed by Smick! |
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| Cat & Bunny by Mary LundquistSince the day they were born, Cat and Bunny (two adorable, round-faced children clad in animal costumes) have been besties. They eat together, daydream together, and play a special "Made-Up Game" with rules that only they know -- until the day Quail asks to play with them. To Cat's dismay, Bunny agrees, and soon so many other children have joined in that Cat runs away, feeling left out. The realistic conflict in Cat & Bunny is one that young readers will recognize, and the delicate hues and soft shapes of the artwork are just as comforting as the story's feel-good resolution. |
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| Gingerbread for Liberty! How a German Baker Helped Win the American Revolution by Mara Rockliff; illustrated by Vincent X. KirschThey say that an army marches on its stomach, and that was certainly the case during the American Revolutionary War, when German-American baker (and gingerbread specialist) Christopher Ludwick volunteered to feed the American troops. "No empty bellies here!" he declared. "Not in my America!" Using a playful tone that's just right for reading aloud, Gingerbread for Liberty! describes the generosity and spirit of a little-known patriot. Best of all, the book is illustrated in the warm colors and white-icing lines of gingerbread cookies, creating a reading experience so delicious that you can practically smell the spicy-sweet treats. Good thing there's a recipe included! |
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Focus on: Sleeping and Dreaming
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| Dream Friends by You ByunBy day, shy Melody has a hard time talking to the other children at her new school. But by night, Melody visits a fanciful, pastel-colored “visual wonderland” (Booklist) where she and her dream friend -- a huge, white, furry creature with a red bow tie -- dance, play hide-and-seek, and watch magical candy-shaped fireworks. Mesmerizing and intricately detailed illustrations make this simple and satisfying story about friendship a “bedtime destination that children will want to visit again and again” (Publishers Weekly). |
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| While the World is Sleeping by Pamela Duncan Edwards; illustrated by Daniel KirkIn this quiet read, a white owl large enough to carry a kid on its back appears at a child's bedroom window, and the two of them take a tour of the nighttime landscape. Soaring over rooftops and meadows and into the woods, the airborne pair witness the moonlit activities of many creatures, including deer, fish, beavers, a porcupine, a raccoon, a fox, and more. Richly colored and finely detailed gouache paintings bring the after-dark scenes to life -- and show off illustrator Daniel Kirk's particular talent for rendering fur and feathers -- in this "perfect prelude to dream time" (Booklist). |
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| Rosie's Magic Horse by Russell Hoban; illustrated by Quentin BlakeThe lively, offbeat artwork of Quentin Blake adds energy and flair to this magical journey. Young Rosie knows that her parents are worried about paying the bills. One night while Rosie sleeps, her popsicle-stick collection transforms into Stickerino, a flying horse who knows exactly where to find enough treasure to help Rosie's parents. Together, Rosie and Stickerino travel through a fantastical dream world to a pirate lair, where they use tricks (and tickles) to distract the pirates as Rosie grabs their gold. But will the treasure still be there when Rosie wakes up? Find out in this whimsical and lighthearted adventure. |
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| Sleep Like a Tiger by Mary Logue; illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski"Once there was a little girl who didn't want to sleep." A common situation for children becomes gorgeously surreal as the girl's parents describe how various animals sleep, and the girl pictures herself dozing with the animals in luminous, creative detail. She imagines floating like an otter, snuggling into a bird's nest, curling up like a snail, and many other dreamy scenarios before finally nodding off in the curve of a tiger's tail, her own stuffed tiger clutched tight. This soothing, stylized Caldecott Honor book is one that children will clamor to revisit, since its inventive mixed-media artwork "holds treasures to find even after several readings" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| Dream Animals: A Bedtime Journey by Emily Winfield MartinKids who long to play and explore even in their sleep will be captivated by this book about dream animals, the creatures that carry sleepers to their dreams. There are just so many dream animals and "lushly rendered, celestial dreamscapes" (The Horn Book Guide) to visit: a fox might take you to play banjo with forest elves; a narwhal could guide you to a mermaid's tea party; and a bear might show you how to bake pastries for robots and kindly ogres. Kids (and adults) who enjoy the nostalgic look and fairy tale feel of Dream Animals won't want to miss its companion book, Day Dreamers. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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If you are having trouble unsubscribing to this newsletter, please contact the Round Rock Public Library at
512-218-5400, 221 E. Main Street Round Rock, Texas 78664
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