Alphablock. Franceschelli, Christopher. Illus. by Peskimo. Appleseed/Abrams
Each spread of this playful abecediary presents a die-cut letter revealing a few clues about the hidden object -- some expected, some unusual. A visually appealing and engaging guessing game for tots and parents alike.
Ball. Sullivan, Mary. Illus. by the author. Houghton
A ball-obsessed pup desperately waits for his owner to return to continue their play. (A 2014 Geisel Honor Book)
The Bathing Costume, or, the Worst Vacation of My Life. Moundlic, Charlotte. Illus. by the Olivier Tallec. Trans. by Claudia Zoe Bedrick. Enchanted Lion
Almost eight-year-old Myron faces a momentous summer vacation in the French countryside with his three cousins and a bathing suit that doesn’t fit. (A 2014 Batchelder Honor Book)
Benjamin Bear in “Bright Ideas!” Coudray, Philippe. Illus. by the author. TOON
Benjamin Bear does some creative thinking when he tries to walk on water, build a house in the woods and shed his fleas, in this ingenious comic book full of visual gags and puns.
A Big Guy Took My Ball! Willems, Mo. Illus. by the author. Disney/Hyperion
Gerald the elephant comes to Piggie’s aid when a big guy takes away the ball she found. A classic schoolyard encounter with a wry twist. (A 2014 Geisel Honor Book)
Building Our House. Bean, Jonathan. Illus. by the author. Farrar
An inspiring account of a resourceful family determined to raise roof and rafters. Detailed watercolors show the entire family working together to accomplish their goal.
Bully. Seeger, Laura Vaccaro. Illus. by the author. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter
Bull becomes larger and more threatening with each animal encounter until a fed-up goat calls Bull on being a bully. Simple text and clever art make for a powerful tale.
Count the Monkeys. Barnett, Mac. Illus. by Kevin Cornell. Disney/Hyperion
This interactive counting book invites readers to count 10 monkeys - provided the reader can find said monkeys. A clever and engaging concept book.
The Dark. Snicket, Lemony. Illus. by Jon Klassen. Little, Brown
Laszlo, frightened by the dark,must face his fears when his night light goes out. A little scary, a lot of fun.
The Day the Crayons Quit. Daywalt, Drew. Illus. by Oliver Jeffers. Philomel
Duncan just wants to color but his crayons have minds of their own. The imaginative humor and quirky illustrations will encourage creative youngsters to think outside the box.
Deep in the Sahara. Cunnane, Kelly. Illus. by Hoda Hadadi. Random/Schwartz & Wade
Lalla wants to wear a malafa but first must understand its true meaning. Jewel-toned illustrations introduce a West African culture in this unusual, universal story of emerging maturity.
Eat Like a Bear. Sayre, April Pulley. Illus. by Steve Jenkins. Holt
Strong illustrations portray a hungry grizzly bear as it wakes up in the spring and begins its determined search for food
Exclamation Mark. Rosenthal, Amy Krouse. Illus. by Tom Lichtenheld. Scholastic
In this simple, charming picture book, an exclamation mark learns a little bit about punctuation and a lot about being himself as a pesky question mark helps him discover his talent for emphasis.
Flight of the Honey Bee. Huber, Raymond. Illus. by Brian Lovelock. Candlewick
A day in the life of a honey bee scout is full of drama, excitement and danger as it zig zags from flower to flower, spreading pollen all around.
Flora and the Flamingo. Idle, Molly Schaar. Illus. by the author. Chronicle
The budding relationship between an awkward girl and a graceful flamingo is revealed through carefully orchestrated flaps in a minimalist setting and a limited color palette. (A 2014 Caldecott Honor Book)
Fraidyzoo. Heder, Thyra. Illus. by the author. Abrams
Little T and her family romp through the alphabet creating zoo animals from paper, scissors and glue. This bursts with energy and encourages creativity.
Little Santa. Agee, Jon. Illus. by the author. Dial
What was Santa like as a child? This clever and inventive origin tale depicts how he grew from a tot in his little red onesie into the jolly fellow we know and love.
Locomotive. Floca, Brian. Illus. by the author. Atheneum
Dramatic illustrations document a family’s unforgettable weeklong train trip from Omaha to Sacramento in 1869, including meticulously-researched portraits of train, travelers, and crew. (The 2014 Caldecott Medal Book and a Sibert Honor Book)
Lulu and the Dog from the Sea. McKay, Hilary. Illus. by Priscilla Lamont. Whitman
While Lulu, her family, and Sam the dog are enjoying a vacation in a seaside cottage, Lulu befriends a stray dog living in the dunes. Simple text, charming illustrations, and fully-realized characters, including the dogs.
Maria Had a Little Llama/María tenía una Ilamita pequeña. Dominguez, Angela. Illus. by the author. Holt
Maria and her llamita will delight young audiences in this adaptation of the traditional rhyme. (A 2014 Belpré Illustrator Honor Book)
Martin & Mahalia: His Words, Her Song. Pinkney, Andrea Davis. Illus. by Brian Pinkney. Little, Brown
The synergistic influence of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahalia Jackson, on the Civil Rights movement -one with his words and the other with her powerful voice - is breathtakingly described in word and picture.
Mitchell Goes Bowling. Durand, Hallie. Illus. by Tony Fucile. Candlewick
Mitchell likes knocking things down! Dad wisely decides to take him bowling. Animated digital art depicts the ups and downs of this father-son outing -- with the highs celebrated with a steamin'-hot-potato dance!
Moo! LaRochelle, David. Illus. by Mike Wohnoutka. Walker
Using just the word "Moo!" to express his excitement, glee, fear, consternation, and embarrassment, an adventuresome cow has the adventure of a lifetime when he steals the farmer's car.
Mr. Tiger Goes Wild. Brown, Peter. Illus. by the author. Little, Brown
Mr. Tiger is tired of his proper clothing and gentlemanly manner. Venturing into the wild, he learns it's not all that he expected. Lush illustrations celebrate this expression of individuality and freedom.
Mr. Wuffles! Wiesner, David. Illus. by the author. Clarion
In a nearly wordless science fiction tale of epic and miniature proportions, a cat finds a new toy that is a tiny spaceship. Illustrations shine in this innovative picture book-graphic novel hybrid. (A 2014 Caldecott Honor Book)
My Father’s Arms Are a Boat. Lunde, Stein Erik. Illus. by Øyvind Torseter. Trans. by Kari Dickson. Enchanted Lion
During one long Norwegian night, a father and son explore their powerful emotions of love and loss, but also hope and healing. Grief and loss are explored through a simple plot and complex characters. (A 2014 Batchelder Honor Book)
My Happy Life. Lagercrantz, Rose. Illus. by Eva Eriksson. Gecko
In this simple chapter book translated from the Swedish, Dani starts school and finds a best friend, who then sadly moves away; a portrait of an optimistic child working her way through a broken heart.
Nelson Mandela. Nelson, Kadir. Illus. by the author. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen
Kadir Nelson's rich paintings and lyrical text pay homage to the life of Nelson Mandela.
Niño Wrestles the World. Morales, Yuyi. Illus. by the author. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter
Niño, lucha libre hero, defeats almost all comers. Clever use of fonts, text bubbles, word art, and vibrant illustrations energizes this world-class wrestling match. (The 2014 Belpré Illustrator Medal Book)
Old Mikamba Had a Farm. Isadora, Rachel. Illus. by the author. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen
The children's Classic gets new life on the African plain. Kids will love the handsome illustrations as they sing EIEIO with spring boks, baboons, and wart hogs.
On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein. Berne, Jennifer Illus. by Vladimir Radunsky. Chronicle
Whimsical illustrations capture the untraditional imagination of one of the greatest minds of modern time, Albert Einstein.
Parrots Over Puerto Rico. Roth, Susan L. and Trumbore, Cindy. Illus. by Susan L. Roth. Lee & Low
A story of the rescue and return of the Puerto Rican parrot, a species once so abundant it blotted out the sun. (The 2014 Sibert Medal Book)
Penny and Her Marble. Henkes, Kevin. Illus. by the author. Greenwillow
After Penny finds a beautiful marble in her neighbor’s yard, she is faced with a moral dilemma, explored with emotional truth in four brief chapters. (A 2014 Geisel Honor Book)
Robot, Go Bot! Rau, Dana Meachen. Illus. by Wook Jin Jung. Random
A girl bosses around her homemade robot using words that contain the long O sound and all its myriad spellings in this easy comic book-format reader
Take Me Out to the Yakyu. Meshon, Aaron. Illus. by the author. Atheneum
This colorful picture book playfully explores the similarities and differences between baseball games played in the U.S. and Japan as seen through the eyes of a young boy.
Ten Orange Pumpkins: A Counting Book. Savage, Stephen. Illus. by the author. Dial
A little bit scary and a whole lot of fun, ten orange pumpkins disappear one by one in this Halloween-themed picture book.
Tito Puente: Mambo King/Rey del Mambo. Brown, Monica. Illus. by Rafael López. Rayo
This vibrant, bilingual portrayal of Tito Puente, the King of Mambo, conveys the rhythm and movement of the musical legend through the use of bold colors, swirly lines, and carefully placed word art. (A 2014 Belpré Illustrator Honor Book)
The Tortoise & the Hare. Pinkney, Jerry. Illus. by the author. Little, Brown
The familiar Aesop's fable, here set in the American southwest, features a nearly wordless text and sunny, earthy, and luminous watercolors.
Warning: Do Not Open This Book! Lehrhaupt, Adam. Illus. by Matthew Forsythe. Simon & Schuster
This inventive presentation shows the importance of heeding warnings as mischievous monkeys, toucans, and alligators have fun breaking the rules.
The Watermelon Seed. Pizzoli, Greg. Illus. by the author. Disney/Hyperion
A watermelon-loving crocodile becomes distraught after swallowing a seed, believing it will grow inside of him. An innovative look at a childhood fear with color illustrations fresh as a cool slice of watermelon. (The 2014 Geisel Medal Book)
Xander's Panda Party. Park, Linda Sue. Illus. by Matt Phelan. Clarion
Party planning has never been so fun. The jaunty rhymes and lively illustrations capture Xander's zeal to create the perfect guest list in this playful picture book.
The Year of Billy Miller. Henkes, Kevin. Illus. by the author. Greenwillow
Seven-year-old Billy starts second grade with a bump on his head and a lot of worries, but as the school year unfolds, he grows and shines. (A 2014 Newbery Honor Book)