Picture Books

Mermaids' song to the sea

Dianna Hutts Aston

"Three mermaid troubadours, draped with leis and strumming harps, sing their blessings to sea creatures everywhere, traveling the ocean to deliver a benediction to their beloved community of fish, whales, sharks, sea snails and many others"--

This picture book is adorable, fun, and great to read (or sing) aloud! Seek and find minded littles will delight in the endsheets and repeated reads. -Casey

Roy is not a dog

Esmé Shapiro

jE Shapiro
Picture Books, Mystery, Animals

"On Lilypod Lane, everyone knows everything about everybody . . . or so they believe! When curious paperboy Weasel encounters his mysterious neighbor Roy on his route, he becomes convinced that Roy is actually a dog!"--

Dogs are people too! Wonderful storytelling and adorable illustrations abound in this latest from Esme Shapiro and Daniel Newell Kaufman. -Casey

This is not my lunch box!

Jennifer Dupuis

j591.73 Dupuis
Nonfiction, Kids, Animals, Picture Books

"Join in on a surprising camping trip and discover the favorite meals of your favorite forest creatures--from the wood frog to the moose. Rich art illustrates the beautiful biodiversity found in our forests and expressive, repetitive text helps even the youngest naturalists learn all about herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores"--

A cute book about animal diets that keeps kids guessing from page to page! -Anne W

More dung! : a beetle's tale

Frank Weber

jE Weber
Picture Books

"A dung beetle sets off on a quest for more and more dung"--

A hilarious fable about the perils of greed! A cute dung beetle is happy living in nature, collecting enough dung to have a simple yet comfortable life, and no more. But when a leopard suggests he go to a farm where there is an abundance of dung free for the taking, the beetle finds himself amassing more and more dung, to the point that it is a health hazard, he's paranoid that the beetles he's enlisted as "workers" are stealing from him, he's stressed out, exhausted, and unhappy. Will the dung beetle be able to slough off the dung and find balance in his life again? -Anne W

I was : the stories of animal skulls

Katherine M. Hocker

j573.7616 Hocker
Picture Books, Animals, Nonfiction, Science

"Strong, smooth domes, skulls are more than remnants of creatures that used to be. They are artifacts that allow us to travel back through time. Every ridge, hollow, and crevice of a skull reveals something about an animal's habitat, food source, and skill set. By observing the characteristics of six different animal skulls, readers can learn about the lives once led by a lynx, a deer, a beaver, a hummingbird, a wolf, and an owl. Katherine Hocker's lyrical text and Natasha Donovan's fluid artwork, paired with sound scientific data and back matter resources, will ignite a child's native curiosity and encourage mindful observation of the wonders hidden in nature-and ourselves"--

A simple, satisfying juvenile nonfiction picture book that examines several animal skulls and connects them to characteristics and behavior the animal in question utilized while they were alive. The narrative, while based firmly in scientific knowledge, uses lyrical storytelling - it's not dry facts, but a poignant, beautiful celebration of perfectly-adapted animal behavior as evidenced by bone structure. A great first examination of how our physical selves have evolved to allow us to do specific survival tasks! -Anne W

The sea hides a seahorse

Sara T. Behrman

jE Behrman
Nonfiction, Picture Books, Nature

"The Sea Hides a Seahorse is a subtle seek-and-find story that journeys underwater to provide a glimpse into the secrets of seahorses as they swim, hide, hunt, court, mate, and more. Included at the back is more information about seahorses and how to support their protection and conservation"--

The Sea Hides a Seahorse is a beautiful pairing of seek and find and nonfiction. Littles will love looking for and learning about the various types of seahorses and seadragons presented. Add this to the picture book nonfiction 2024 shelf! -Casey

I Hear a Búho

RAQUEL MACKAY

ON ORDER BOOK
Kids, Picture Books

As a child and adult caregiver snuggle together in a hammock at night, it’s a chance to share various animal sounds, introduced throughout MacKay’s effectively rhyming bilingual phrases. In English and Spanish, a repeated pattern of exchange unfolds between the companions: “Meow/ meow/ meow/ I hear a gato/ Could it be?// Sí, mamita/ That gato is me.” Fonseca’s mixed-media art employs contrasting colors, and incorporates textures of stamping and etching. Minimally detailed figures, cast in black and white, are captured busily engaging in creaturely pursuits until the call and response game, which has ranged from ducks to frogs and beyond, gives way to the actual sound of an animal that “is NOT me!” The result is a vibrantly artsy wind-down book. A pronunciation guide and glossary conclude. Ages 5–7. Publishers Weekly

This book is perfect for storytime with your little one! The rhyme, rhythm, and flow of the story are crafted by an author who knows what they are doing when it comes to storytelling. Raquel was a children's librarian at ICPL, leading our weekly Spanish Bilingual Storytime and now teaches ELL classes here in Iowa City. The story also mixes in a perfect amount of Spanish and includes a pronunciation guide in the back. Illustrations are engaging and striking, sure to keep everyone's attention! -Angie

Family is family

Melissa Marr

jE Marr
Picture Books, Kids, LGBTQ+

When Little Chick starts school, he discovers that there are lots of different kinds of families, all of them full of love.

Delightful and whimsical illustrations fill the pages along with wonderful text from a child's point of view about how a family is a family no matter what yours may look like. -Angie