Imagine A Story: A Summer Reading Picture Book List

An imagination is a great thing!  These books all tells about characters with good imaginations.  Here are a few of my favorites . . .

For Just One Day by Laura Leuck

After guessing the identity of each animal before turning the page, the reader pretends to be a porcupine, bear, crocodile, and bumblebee.

My Garden by Kevin Henkes

After helping her mother weed, water, and chase the rabbits from their garden, a young girl imagines her dream garden complete with jellybean bushes, chocolate rabbits, and tomatoes the size of beach balls.

Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

To an imaginative little bunny, a box is not always just a box.

Can You Make a Scary Face? by Jan Thomas

A ladybug invites the reader to play a game of "let's pretend."

Snowman All Year by Caralyn Buehner

A child imagines what it would be like if a snowman, made of magical snow, could be a companion throughout the year.

More Stories --

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat

The Birthday Box by Leslie Patricelli

Chicken in Space by Adam Lehrhaupt

Claymates by Dav Petty

Happy Dreamer by Peter H. Reynolds

If I Were a Jungle Animal by Amanda Ellery

If Waffles Were Boys by Charise Mericle Harper

The Imaginary Garden by Andrew Larsen

A Long Way by Katherine Ayres

Maybe a Bear Ate It by Robie H. Harris

Old Bear by Kevin Henkes

On My Way to the Bath by Sarah Maizes

Still a Gorilla by Kim Norman

That's How! by Christoph Niemann

Vroom! by Barbara McClintock

A Wild Cowboy by Danna Smith

You Are a Lion! and Other Fun Yoga Poses by Taeeun Yoo

Check out the Imagine a Story picture book display at the Arnold Branch through August 10, 2020.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star: Books for Night Time

This week, I'm sharing some of my favorite night-time stories for kids.  Here are a few of my favorite picture books . . . .

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star by Jane Cabrera
A version of the well-known song featuring animals from around the world as they wonder about the twinkling star.

Slow Loris by Alexis Deacon
All the animals at the zoo think Slow Loris is very slow, until one night when they see something a little unusual.

Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
Snowmen play games at night when no one is watching.

Bears in Beds by Shirley Parenteau
Big Brown Bear gets his four fellow bears into their cozy, warm beds without much trouble, but in the middle of the night a strange sound frightens them awake.

Nighttime Ninja by Barbara DaCosta
Late at night, when all is quiet and everyone is asleep, a ninja creeps silently through the house in search of treasure.


More Books --
10 Little Ninjas by Miranda Paul
All Through the Night by John Hughes
At Night by Jonathan Bean
Baby Bedtime by Mem Fox
Beautiful Moon: A Child's Prayer by Tonya Bolden
Dusk by Uri Shulevitz
Flashlight by Liz Boyd
Good Night Owl by Greg Pizzoli
Good Night, Pillow Fight by Sally Cook
Henry's Night by D.B. Johnson
How to Catch a Star by Olivier Jeffers
I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed by Lauren Child
Imagine a Night by Rob Gonzales
Let's Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy by Jan Thomas
Little Hoot by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
The Midnight Library by Kazuno Kohara
Musical Beds by Mara Bergman
Naamah and the Ark at Night: A Lullaby by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
The Night Pirates by Peter Harris
The Night World by Mordecai Gerstein
No Go Sleep! by Kate Feiffer
The Nuts: Bedtime at the Nut House by Eric Litwin
Peekaboo Bedtime by Rachel Isadora
Sleep Train by Jonathan London
Sleepy, Oh So Sleepy by Denise Fleming
Touch the Brightest Star by Christie Matheson
Who Will Tuck Me In Tonight? by Carol Roth
Wynken, Blynken & Nod by Eugene Field

Check these and more night-time books out at the Arnold Branch on display through July 6, 2018.

Stories for a Snowy Evening

It's that time of year when cold weather makes us want to cuddle up under the blankets and read a good book.  Hear are some of my favorite picture books to share on a cold and snowy evening . . .

Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
Snowmen play games at night when no one is watching.

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton
Katy is a crawler tractor who saves the city when it is snowed in by a blizzard.

Snowballs by Lois Ehlert
Some children create a family out of snow.

Winter Woes by Marty Kelley
Rhyming lament of a young worrywart who wants to go outside and play in the snow but fears what could happen if he does, from slipping on steps to freezing his brain.

Snow by Uri Shulevitz
As snowflakes slowly come down, one by one, people in the city ignore them, and only a boy and his dog think that the snowfall will amount to anything.


More Snowy Books --
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
The First Day of Winter by Denise Fleming
First Snow by Bernette Ford
First Snow by Peter McCarty
Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London
Grandmother Winter by Phyllis Root
A Hat for Minerva Louise by Janet Morgan Stoeke
A Kitten Tale by Eric Rohmann
A Little Bit of Winter by Paul Stewart
The Missing Mitten Mystery by Steven Kellogg
Moon Glowing by Elizabeth Partridge
Old Bear by Kevin Henkes
Sleepover with Beatrice and Bear by Monica Carnesi
Snow Day! by Lester Laminack
The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen
Snowball Fight! by Jimmy Fallon
Snowbots by Aaron Reynolds
Straight to the Pole by Kevin O'Malley
Supertruck by Steven Savage
Tacky and the Winter Games by Helen Lester
The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett
When Winter Comes by Nancy Van Laan
Winter is the Warmest Season by Lauren Stringer
The Winter Visitors by Karel Hayes

Check out these and more "snowy" books on display at the Arnold Branch through January 5, 2017.

It's a Bird! It's a Plane! No, It's a Superhero Story!

This Saturday, the JCL Arnold Branch is celebrating all things fandom with Fandemonium.  We'll have a full day of great events celebrating various fan series.  Obviously one of the biggest fan series are the different superheroes.  The library does have superhero books featuring the Marvel and DC Comics superheroes.  However, we also have some great picture books featuring unknown superheroes.  Check these out . . .

Superdog: The Heart of a Hero by Caralyn Buehner
Tired of being overlooked because he is so small, a big-hearted dog named Dexter transforms himself into a superhero.

Supermoo! by Babette Cole
A bovine superhero crusades against the evil spreaders of filth and pollution.

Max by Bob Graham
Max, the young son of superheroes, is a late bloomer when it comes to flying, until he is inspired by the plight of a falling baby bird.

Atomic Ace (He's Just My Dad) by Jeff Weigel
In this rhyming story, a boy considers his family normal, though his superhero dad, Atomic Ace, does amazing feats, even battling the evil Insect King. Includes inset comic book panels of Dad's adventures as Atomic Ace.

The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man by Michael Chabon
A young superhero describes his awesome powers, which he then demonstrates as various foes arrive on the scene.

Also -- join us Saturday at 10:00 a.m. for a Superhero Story Time featuring your favorite Marvel and DC Comics superheroes.  Call (636) 296-2204 to sign-up.