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When I draw a panda by Amy June BatesA celebration of imagination, grit and the wonders of a unique perspective by the creator of The Big Umbrella traces a girl’s artistic journey spent gradually transforming less-than-perfect shapes and squiggles into other objects, before her panda drawing comes to life and becomes a creative companion.
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When I'm bigger, Mama Bear
by Rachel Bright
Wishing to be capable of more adult activities while helping Mama Bear run errands and fix lunch, Bella Bear disregards her mother’s caution about her still-small size before discovering while climbing a rather high tree that she still needs help, sometimes. By the best-selling creator of the Love Monster series.
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| Milo imagines the World by Matt de la Peña; illustrated by Christian RobinsonWhat it's about: Can you picture someone's life just by looking at them? That's what Milo does when he and his sister take the train to visit their mum in prison, but he soon realises that there's more to every person than meets the eye.
Who it's for: Kids who are similarly separated from loved ones, as well as imaginative readers of all kinds will be taken with observant, bespectacled Milo in this latest collaboration from the creators of Last Stop on Market Street. |
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| Don't hug Doug (he doesn't like it) by Carrie Finison; illustrated by Daniel WisemanWhat it is: an upbeat and inclusive primer on consent and the various ways in which people do -- or don't -- prefer to show affection.
Starring: Doug, a kid who likes socks and rocks and chalk, and definitely likes you, but doesn't like hugs -- he'd much rather do high fives!
Want a taste? "Can you hug these people? There's only one way to find out. ASK!" |
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| Moose, Goose, and Mouse by Mordicai Gerstein and Jeff MackWhat it's about: Housemates Moose, Goose, and Mouse want to ditch their old, cold, and mouldy abode in favour of something sunny, funny, and with a bunny. But when they board a train to go house-hunting, things quickly go off the rails.
Why kids might like it: It's hard to resist the playful rhymes, silly slapstick, and winsome animal trio at the heart of this easy reader.
About the creators: Before his death in 2019, author/illustrator Mordecai Gerstein asked illustrator Jeff Mack to finish the artwork in this book, and Mack did so with madcap aplomb. |
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| Eyes that kiss in the corners by Joanna Ho; illustrated by Dung HoWhat it's about: After noticing how her appearance differs from her peers', a Chinese American girl finds comfort and confidence in recognizing how her eyes are beautiful just like Mama's, Amah's, and Mei-Mei's.
Read it for: poetic, affirming words, as well as sumptuous illustrations teeming with visual references to Chinese culture and mythology.
Try this next: Minh Lê's Drawn Together, another warm, fanciful story celebrating Asian identity and intergenerational bonds. |
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You make me happy
by Smriti Prasadam-Halls
The gift-appropriate rhyming tale of best friends Fox and Porcupine, who discover that life is brighter when they are together.
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| Seeking an Aurora by Elizabeth Pulford; illustrated by Anne BannockWhat it's about: After their father wakes them up in the night, a sleepy yet curious child bundles up and follows Dad into the frosty darkness and up the hill, where they wait patiently until "wide wings of light" fly over the sky, "glimmering, shimmering, and shining."
Why kids might like it: An irresistible sense of hushed anticipation draws readers steadily through the story and into a conclusion suffused with wonder and breathtaking colour. |
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Construction site mission: Demolition
by Sherri Duskey Rinker
In rhyming text, the vehicles of the construction crew set to work demolishing an old rickety building--the necessary first step to building something new
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Little duck
by Britta Teckentrup
Little Duck decides to go for a swim with her mother and the other ducklings.
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| Animal babies like to play by Jennifer Adams; illustrated by Mary LundquistWhat it is: an alphabet book starring children dressed as baby animals ranging from alligator baby to X-ray tetra baby (and beyond).
Art alert: Endearing illustrations in soft watercolour hues depict an inclusive group of animal-costumed kids playing together and enjoying the outdoors.
Who it's for: With a whimsical approach to a simple concept, Animal Babies Like to Play is a good fit for very young children who prefer imagination to facts. |
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| This is our baby, born today by Varsha Bajaj; illustrated by Eliza WheelerWhat it's about: As a herd of Indian elephants welcomes a "wrinkled and gray" baby, they rejoice in new life and the goodness of their wild environment.
Featuring: lush, luminous artwork paired with repetitive, cumulative phrasing that's just right for reading aloud; and a concluding section offering information about real-life elephants and animal conservation. |
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| Baby animals moving by Suzi EszterhasWhat it is: an accessible, photo-illustrated book that portrays a variety of wild animal babies in motion.
What's inside: photos of little leaping lemurs, warthog piglets running free, a sleepy sloth climbing, and many more, including bears, orangutans, otters, kangaroos, and other animal babies who are carried along by their mothers.
Further reading: Kids who love Baby Animals Moving won't want to miss the charming companion book, Baby Animals Playing. |
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| Homes in the wild: Where baby animals and their parents live by Lita JudgeWhat it is: an overview of 26 different mammals and the dwellings they create to raise their babies.
Who it's for: Very young children can admire the expressive animal illustrations, while older picture book readers may relish the facts and examples provided in the more detailed spreads.
Further reading: Little ones who want additional cozy reads about animal homes may also enjoy Jennifer Ward's Mama Dug a Little Den or Mary Murphy's Good Night Like This. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 0-8!
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