Publisher: Candlewick Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/10/2012
ISBN-13: 9780763661229
ISBN-10: 0763661228

Maisy the mouse loves making things, and in this simple, cheerful how-to book, she shares her favorite arts-and-crafts activities with her many fans. These projects -- which include a pasta necklace, a mask made from a paper plate, and a play house made from a box -- utilize everyday household objects, from beads and buttons to dry beans and pipe-cleaners. Illustrated with big, clear photos and laid out in very basic step-by-step instructions that preschoolers can easily follow, Maisy's craft book will thrill budding young artisans.

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/14/2012
ISBN-13: 9780375969515
ISBN-10: 0375969519

"I like old clothes. I really do," insists the star of this fresh interpretation of a 1976 poem by Children's Poet Laureate Mary Ann Hoberman. In brand-new, mixed-media illustrations that "couldn't be any warmer or fuzzier" (Publishers Weekly), the girl vamps and twirls in a variety of thrift-store or hand-me-down items, imagining the lives and experiences of the people who wore them before her. It's shabby chic for the picture-book set!

Publisher: Henry Holt
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/03/2012
ISBN-13: 9780805093131
ISBN-10: 0805093133

Larry the lamb finds his loud, flashy grandmother embarrassing and doesn't like it when she visits. He's especially mortified by the "secret handshake" that Grammy Lamby only gives to him (it's a three-squeezer that means "I love you"). But after a powerful storm blows through town during one of Grammy's visits -- and no-nonsense, capable Grammy helps get everyone back to normal -- Larry sees her in a new light. Honest, warm, and gently funny, this book is "an antidote to [...] sentimental books" (Horn Book) that assume children love their elders automatically and unconditionally.

Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/07/2012
ISBN-13: 9781423157533
ISBN-10: 1423157532

Vampirina's ambition to become a prima ballerina compels her to to overcome certain challenges: as a vampire, she needs a dance class that meets at night, and since she has no reflection, she has to improve her technique without the aid of mirrors. But she's determined and hard-working, and as the fold-out illustration of her dance recital shows, it pays off. Destined to be a favorite of kids who favor humor over frills, Vampirina Ballerina is a tongue-in-cheek "how-to" with a universal message: "passion, dedication, and patience have beautiful results" (Horn Book).

Publisher: Templar Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/10/2012
ISBN-13: 9780763655631
ISBN-10: 0763655635

In this Depression-era retelling of the classic tale, Jack and his mother run a thriving café in a bustling metropolis. But when a new overpass shifts traffic away, the café flounders. Jack spends his last pennies on an old can of supposedly magic baked beans, and you can guess what happens next. However, in this version, the beanstalk grows cans of beans, and the giant at the top of the stalk is congenial, lonely...and a great host. While the story ends happily for everyone, moody, cinematic artwork and a somewhat lengthy text make this book a good choice for kids ages six and up.

Publisher: Holiday House
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/12/2011
ISBN-13: 9780823423156
ISBN-10: 0823423158

Intrigued when he witnesses the ritual of trick-or-treating, young Mouse crawls into the candy sack of a wee "ghost" to see what Halloween is all about. Riding in the bag of treats makes him seasick, so he chews a hole in it and escapes...but then he's trapped in a sudden downpour and takes refuge in a spooky, abandoned house. How will he find his way home? A trail of candy! Illustrated in amusingly detailed, large-scale paintings, this is a great Halloween read (check out the costumes of the adults answering doors -- they're some of the best!).

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/15/2009
ISBN-13: 9781416983323
ISBN-10: 1416983325

Mommy drops off her three kids at Nana's house and posts their detailed schedule on the fridge before leaving. Of course, Nana completely disregards the schedule, and the kids have a blast playing with their energetic grandma. After a full day of fun, Nana brings the kids into the kitchen to make "peeny butter fudge," a recipe that has been passed down in the family for generations. Mommy arrives and is shocked by the mess she finds...but the aroma of the fudge takes her back to her own childhood, and all is well. This tribute to grandmothers is illustrated with joyfully riotous color, and a recipe for peeny butter fudge is included!

Publisher: Chronicle Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/17/2005
ISBN-13: 9780811846585
ISBN-10: 081184658X

There's trouble at Little Pea's house: he hates eating his dinner...of candy! Still, his parents won't let him have the spinach dessert he loves so much until he does so. Kids, even the ones who don't put up a fuss at the table occasionally (if those even exist), will relish Little Pea. For more stories of tykes thwarted by their parents' rules, check out the author's Little Hoot (about a young owl who wants to go to bed early) and Little Oink (about a wee pig who likes being tidy).

Publisher: Knopf
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/11/2009
ISBN-13: 9780375853470
ISBN-10: 0375853472

Ten costumed kids go trick-or-treating together on Halloween night, but at each stop, one gets frightened (most often by someone else in costume) and scampers off. This counting book's bright, bold, and simple illustrations are much more cute than scary, but here's one warning: kids may drool when you get to the page where the trick-or-treaters are shown filling their sacks under the spout of a candy-dispensing cement mixer.

Publisher: Little, Brown
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/01/2004
ISBN-13: 9780316988940
ISBN-10: 0316988944

When a fine, fat toad steps in a big blob of bubble gum that's melting on the road, he gets stuck. A shrew, a goose, a bee, and a crow all wander by, investigate, and get stuck, too...and the gummy mess holds them all fast as a truck approaches. Some quick thinking (and chewing, and bubble-blowing) saves the animals' hides, but the story doesn't end there. You may want to do some lip-limbering exercises before reading this bouncy, tongue-twisting book aloud -- with lines like "Yuck! Ew! The shrew's stuck, too!", it's fun, but a mouthful.