A family of humans and a crafty black cat go on parallel journeys through Europe in this sweet, low-key travelogue. While the human tourists politely take in the sights, the more adventurous City Cat romps through ancient ruins in Rome, bathes in the fountains of Paris, and fearlessly explores the bridges, buildings, and rooftops of other great European cities. Younger readers will delight in finding the cat in the soft-edged, invitingly detailed illustrations of each city, while older kids can use the flags, map, and further information at the end of the book to decipher the cat's route.

For one little boy, the day doesn't begin until his father knocks on the door and the boy leaps into his arms. Yet one morning, "the knock never comes." Through the changing hues of the expressive collage art, readers can see the boy's sadness at his father's continued absence… until a letter arrives from the father, reminding the boy that even though they're apart, "as long as you become your best, the best of me still lives in you." While the author's note explains that the boy's father is away in prison, this poignant yet comforting book will speak to children who are separated from a parent for all sorts of reasons.

It's the perfect day for the zoo, but Little T is afraid… she just can't remember why. Luckily, her parents and big sister are smart, determined, and not ashamed to be silly! Using props from around the house, they act out an A-Z series of animals to see which one scares Little T. The illustrations (like the costumes they depict) have a whimsical, handmade feel, and readers will dissolve into giggles as T's dad dons a tutu and several pink Post-Its for his flamingo impression, or T's sister crafts a jellyfish out of bubble wrap, streamers, and an umbrella. For more imaginative play, check out Antoinette Portis' Not a Box.

You already know Old McDonald's version of this familiar song, but you might need to brush up on the sounds made by the animals on Old Mikamba's game farm. Rendered in lively textures and bold colours, African animals such as giraffes, baboons, ostriches, hippos, and springboks are introduced, each one contributing an exciting new sound for readers to echo. With a wildebeest's "honk honk" here and a dassie's "trill trill" there, Old Mikamba Had a Farm will keep kids "e-i-e-i-o"-ing until the cows - or, in this case, zebras - come home.

Told exclusively through dramatic, lifelike illustrations, this wordless story is sure to spark curiosity from aspiring archaeologists as well as those looking for a good adventure yarn. While walking with his dog, a boy finds a cool-looking rock containing the fossil imprint of a fern - and is shocked to see the fern spring to life! Eager for more discoveries, the boy cracks open another rock, freeing a buzzing dragonfly. But what will happen when he finds a fossilised dinosaur footprint? To find out, pick up this this "exceptionally creative" (School Library Journal) follow-up to Bill Thomson's earlier book, Chalk.

This is a colourful baby board book from a beloved author/illustrator with charming animals and a novelty surprise. "Heehaw," says the donkey. "Miaow," says the cat. Turn the pages and learn all the animal sounds in this fun and lively board book from multi-award-winning author/illustrator Petr Horacek. Part of the Baby Walker series of books for babies, the shaped pages build to a special animal ending.