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40 pp.
| Knopf
| May, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-0-385-75534-4$16.99
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-385-75535-1$19.99
|
EbookISBN 978-0-385-75536-8
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Mark Fearing.
"Step 1: Choose a Super Name." "Step 2: Pick a Partner." While a boy follows his "Superhero Instruction Manual," readers follow the real drama: he goes from avoiding his fawning little sister to christening her his super sidekick. Equal parts heart, humor, and thrills, the book features art with old-school comics-style touches, including Ben-Day dots and all-caps action sound bursts: "KAPOW!"
32 pp.
| Little Bee
| July, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4998-0229-0$16.99
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Jane Massey.
Fingers features several toddlers playing and eating cake, exploring--and counting--what they can achieve with their hands. Toes follows more tykes, this time highlighting what little feet do during the day. The consonant-laden, rhythmic texts ("Ten toes curl, ten toes tap. / Ten toes peek out from a nap") make for good read-alouds; the warm illustrations feature diverse groups of tots.
40 pp.
| Bloomsbury
| September, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-1-61963-390-2$16.99
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Lori Richmond.
A young boy walks his puppy through their neighborhood, where they encounter ballerinas, a parade, ducks crossing a road, and, most excitingly, their neighbor's cat. While the digitally created illustrations show a puppy causing mischief, the euphonious text ("A BOING-BOING-BOING is a SKIP-SKIP-SKIP") uses a series of movements--hop up, bend down, spin around--to encourage a lively reading experience.
32 pp.
| Little Bee
| November, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4998-0236-8$16.99
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Jane Massey.
Fingers features several toddlers playing and eating cake, exploring--and counting--what they can achieve with their hands. Toes follows more tykes, this time highlighting what little feet do during the day. The consonant-laden, rhythmic texts ("Ten toes curl, ten toes tap. / Ten toes peek out from a nap") make for good read-alouds; the warm illustrations feature diverse groups of tots.
32 pp.
| Philomel
| January, 2014
|
TradeISBN 978-0-399-25284-6$16.99
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Floyd Cooper.
A young African American girl longs to be a ballerina, but in the segregated 1950s, she doubts her dream is possible. Seeing ballerina Janet Collins--the first African American to perform at New York's Metropolitan Opera--gives the girl hope for her own future as a dancer. Soft mixed-media paintings, capturing the girl's joy, optimism, and dedication, accompany the spare, lyrical text.
32 pp.
| Abrams
| May, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4197-0188-7$16.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Henry Cole.
When her surfing-star dad agrees to teach Chick how to ride the waves, she is stoked. She gets off to a rough start with a "colossal wipeout," but copying her dad's moves gives her confidence to hang ten and then some. Incorporating gnarly surfer lingo, the rhyming text is evenly metered and well matched to Cole's humorously expressive colored-pencil and acrylic illustrations of chickens catching the waves.
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Bridget Strevens-Marzo.
A dozen types of animals at the helms of exotic or improbable vehicles (e.g., two rabbits drive a carrot-shaped car; a snail rides a skateboard) compete in a road race. Dempsey's rhymes bounce right along down the track. Though it's not clear why these are "mini" racers, they are awfully cute, and Strevens-Marzo gives them lots to do.
32 pp.
| Philomel
| May, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-0-399-25017-0$16.99
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Christopher Denise.
A rhyming text conveys the tender connection between a cub and her grandfather bear: "my favorite me will always be... / when I am me with you." Soft, expressive digital illustrations fill the pages as the little cub swings, sings, and plays with Grandpa. It's all a bit precious, but the story does effectively illuminate a caring intergenerational relationship.