We believe high-quality books are an integral part of early literacy education. Offering children a balance of fiction and nonfiction reading experiences can provide not only gorgeous illustrations and compelling text, but also an opportunity to learn! With the holidays around the corner, winter break offers a great opportunity to spend extra time with your kids reading amazing books. Whether you are shopping for a gift, or cozying up together for the holiday season, check out our Holiday Book Guide collection.
Board Books
We Sang You Home by Richard Van Camp
In this sweet and lyrical board book from the creators of the bestselling Little You, gentle rhythmic text captures the wonder new parents feel as they welcome baby into the world. A celebration of the bond between parent and child, this is the perfect song to share with your little ones.Internationally renowned storyteller and bestselling author Richard Van Camp teams up with award-winning illustrator Julie Flett for a second time to create a stunning board book for babies and toddlers.
What Do You Wear? by Taro Gomi
When it comes to getting toddlers dressed, the struggle is real. Enter: Taro Gomi! The bestselling author/illustrator offers a creative and colorful look at animals, reimagining their fur, feathers, and fins as…clothes! A sheep wears a fluffy jacket, a zebra sports striped PJs, a snake is snug in a stocking, and a penguin looks dapper in a classic suit. Young children will be amused by the spirited take on animals, and they’ll very likely be convinced that getting dressed is best!
Alphabet Family Band by Sarah Jones
Add a little rhythm to your ABCs with this latest addition to the ROYGBaby series. Grab your congas, flutes, and xylophones—it’s an Alphabet Family Band! Bright, colorful illustrations feature members of a family playing a host of different musical instruments in a warm island setting. Harmoniously combining two concepts (letters and music), this lively board book will soon become a family favorite!
Picture Books (Fiction)
Nerdy Birdy Tweets by Aaron Reynolds
Nerdy Birdy and his best friend, Vulture, are very different. Nerdy Birdy loves video games, but Vulture finds them BORING. Vulture loves snacking on dead things, but Nerdy Birdy finds that GROSS. Luckily, you don’t have to agree on everything to still be friends.
One day, Nerdy Birdy joins Tweetster, and the friend requests start flying in. Vulture watches as Nerdy Birdy gets swept up in his new friendships, but when she finally gets angry, Nerdy Birdy knows just what to do to make things right.
Alfie: (The Turtle That Disappeared) by Thyra Heder
Nia loves Alfie, her pet turtle. But he’s not very soft, he doesn’t do tricks, and he’s pretty quiet. Sometimes she forgets he’s even there! That is until the night before Nia’s seventh birthday, when nAlfie disappears! Then, in an innovative switch in point of view, we hear Alfie’s side of the story. He didn’t leave Nia—he’s actually searching for the perfect birthday present for his dear friend. Can he find a gift and make it back in time for the big birthday party?
From the author-illustrator of Fraidyzoo and The Bear Report comes a warm and funny ode to friendship—even when the friends see the relationship, and the world, very differently.
The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Jerry Pinkney
Jerry Pinkney puts his indelible stamp on another beloved folktale in the same vein as the Caldecott Medal-winning The Lion & the Mouse and the highly acclaimed The Tortoise & the Hare and The Grasshopper & the Ants.
When the three billy goats Gruff are hungry, they see bountiful grass to eat across an old bridge. But the bridge is home to a terrible troll, who is peckish himself, and looking for a tasty morsel to gobble up. In his interpretation of the timeless tale, Jerry Pinkney shows there’s little good to come from greed–but in the end, redemption for even the most trollish bully is possible. A dramatic gatefold heightens the climax of this brilliant rendition.
Picture Books (Non-Fiction)
If Sharks Disappeared by Lily Williams
Even though sharks can be scary, we need them to keep the oceans healthy. Unfortunately, due to overfishing, many shark species are in danger of extinction, and that can cause big problems in the oceans and even on land.
What would happen if this continued and sharks disappeared completely?
Artist Lily Williams explores how the disappearance would affect other animals across the whole planet in this clever book about the importance of keeping sharks, and our oceans, healthy.
ABCs from Space by Adam Voiland
From A to Z, ABCs from Space is a rare opportunity to see Earth like you could never have imagined. And as you go through the book, play a guessing game of where and what the letters might be and then find the answers in the detailed descriptions in the back of the book along with information about the science of space.
Pedal Power by Allan Drummond
Cycling rules the road in Amsterdam today, but that wasn’t always the case. In the 1970’s, Amsterdam was so crowded with vehicles that bicyclists could hardly move, but moms and kids relied on their bicycles to get around the city. PEDAL POWER is the story of the people who led protests against the unsafe streets and took over a vehicles-only tunnel on their bikes, showing what a little pedal power could do! Author and illustrator Allan Drummond returns with the story of the people that paved the way for safe biking around the world.