picture books for children

When Pokko plays her drum in the forest she suddenly finds herself surrounded by an entire band of animal musicians.

"Santa Claus can't deliver presents on Christmas Eve and he needs backup. But not just anybody can help him--he needs the Holiday Heroes! This Christmas, it's up to the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, a Witch and a Leprechaun to fill in for Santa and save Christmas"--Amazon.

Kevin is excited for his turn to light the candles on the last night of Kwanzaa. As he narrates through the week of Kwanzaa, readers learn about the origins, purpose, and rituals of this holiday.

Freda uses jars to save everything from a chocolate chip cookie to the full moon, just as her grandmother saves summer blueberries. Includes a recipe for blueberry jam.

"A day at the community pool is full of unwater magic--dunking and diving with friends; somersaulting, walking on your hands, and bursting up through the surface like a tortoise. But when a thunderstorm comes and a little brother ventures too close to the pool's edge, will our main character be quick enough and brave enough to save the day?"--From the publisher's web site.

"A boy and his father cross the United States-Mexico border every other Saturday, visiting their favorite places, spending time with family and friends, and sharing in the responsibility of community care"--Provided by the publisher.

Embarrassed about gathering watercress from a roadside ditch, a girl learns to appreciate her Chinese heritage after learning why the plant is so important to her parents.

Bruce the bear's family wishes he were less grumpy, but when his cousin Kevin arrives for a visit, he brings more fun than they ever wanted.

A variety of animals with different anxieties about going off to summer camp receive reassurance, in this story about going to a new place.

"It's punny. It's spooky. It's a meta picture book that puts a fresh spin on an old joke and elevates chicken comedy to ghastly new levels. A little spring chicken crosses the road but quickly gets flattened under a semitruck. The barnyard beasts who've gone before break the news: now that Chicken's fried--dispatched to the Other Side--Chicken has a job, an unwanted job, as a noisy troublemaking ghost. This fowl may be weak in the beak, but Chicken knows that scaring people isn't nice. There is such a thing as a friendly ghost, after all--isn't there? Loaded with laughs and shivers, this Halloween-ready treat features ghoulishly funny art by the illustrator of the #1 New York Times best-selling Bad Seed series. Let the haunting begin!"--Provided by the publisher.