Animals
Cicada symphony
Sue Fliess
j595.752 Fliess
Animals
"There are about three thousand different kinds of cicadas but only the males make the sound we know. Some cicadas appear every year but other kinds only show up every seventeen years, but no one knows why. And there can be trillions of them! Interesting facts and a rhythmic, rhyming verse combine with colorful illustrations to portray one of the most fascinating insects in the world"--
The last zookeeper
Aaron Becker
jE Becker
Picture Books, Animals, Nature, Science Fiction
A master of the wordless form imagines a futuristic Noah's Ark in a luminous sci-fi parable for our changing world.
Masterful! Aaron Becker's latest title is wordless picture-book perfection. -Casey
Ungrateful mammals
Dave Eggers
741.973 /Eggers
Humor, Animals, Philosophy, Art / Art History
Before he embarked on his writing career, Dave Eggers was classically trained as a draftsman and painter. He then spent many years as a professional illustrator and graphic designer before turning to writing full-time. More recently, in order to raise money for ScholarMatch, his college-access nonprofit, he returned to visual art, and the results have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the country. Usually involving the pairing of an animal with humorous or Biblical text, the results are wry, oddly anthropomorphic tableaus that create a very entertaining and eccentric body of work from one of today's leading culture makers.
A fun, amusing, and quick read! I didn't know Dave Eggers was an illustrator and graphic designer before turning to writing — it's inspiring to know that all art can fuel other forms of art. Give this flip through before seeing him in conversation at the Englert on Thursday, March 7! -Annie
Creep, leap, crunch! : a food chain story
Jody Jensen Shaffer
j577.16 Shaffer
Nonfiction, Picture Books, Animals, Nature
"In this nonfiction picture book, discover how the animal kingdom's food chain takes shape"--
Fabulous illustrations by Christopher Silas Neal accompany this cumulative food chain text. "Creep, Leap, Crunch!" is great for sensitive youngsters with alternate endings for each of the animals offered, reminding readers that predators are not always successful. A lovely glossary adds more information about the animals and temperate setting as well. Add this to the picture book nonfiction shelf! -Casey
On a flake-flying day : watching winter's wonders
Buffy Silverman
j508.2 Silverman
Nonfiction, Picture Books, Animals, Nature
"With winter's arrival, plants and animals hunker down for the cold season. Eye-catching photos and rhyming text sparkle in this exploration of how creatures survive the snow" --
Rhyming text and beautiful photographs make "On a Flake-Flying Day" the perfect seasonal read-aloud! -Casey
Jake the ballet dog
Karen LeFrak
j394.2663 LeFrak
Picture Books, Animals
Allegra takes her little dog Jake to ballet class for the rehearsal of "The Nutcracker," and he proves himself to be a very good dancer.
What can I say other than I'm a sucker for a Nutcracker adaptation already, and then there's a scruffy black and white dog doing chassés, pas de bourrées, and jetés? I'm in! I enjoyed this intro-to-ballet picture book with a heartwarming dog protagonist, and so will kids and parents who look forward to seeing or reading "The Nutcracker" each December! -Mari
Catside up, catside down : a book of prepositions
Anna Hrachovec
jE Hrachove
Picture Books, Animals
In this charming introduction to prepositions, a collection of cozy, knitted cats find themselves in silly situations and PAW-sitively hilarious positions.
Catside Up, Catside Down, is an adorable picture book featuring knitted cats in hilarious scenes! I'm looking forward to reading this one aloud in Storytime soon. -Casey
I am dog!
Peter Bently
jE Bently
Picture Books, Animals, Humor, Poetry
A day in the life of a dog--told from the dog's point of view! A funny rhyming picture book from Peter Bently and Chris Chatterton. Have you ever wondered just what goes on in a dog's head? Now you can find out in this funny rhyming story!
I Am Dog, sure is great. Get this book, don't hesitate! This book rocks! This dog is fun! Share this book with everyone! -Casey
10 dogs
Emily Gravett
jE Gravett
Picture Books, Animals, Humor
Bursting with energy and fun, young children will love to count the dogs and the sausages, as well as looking out for all the funny details on each page. The book explores numbers one going up to ten, and ten going down to zero, touching on several simple concepts like half, all, more, less along the way.
Emily Gravett's follow-up to "10 Cats" is just as delightful and original. Be sure to look out for all the hidden doggy details, especially the endsheets! -Casey
Giraffe math
Stephen R. Swinburne
j513.2 Swinburne
Picture Books, Nonfiction, Animals, Science
"Told through the voice of Twiga the giraffe, this picture book shares knowledge about giraffes through math, using measurements, graphs, fractions, time, elemental geometry, and percentages."--
Giraffe Math is wonderful and so fun! Add this to the ever-growing list of fabulous picture book nonfiction. -Casey
I recommend sharing this book with a young friend or family member. I love cicadas, and this book provided neat tidbits to expand my knowledge. The illustrations and narration are both engaging and colorful. This year, there are two different broods of cicadas coemerging, so now is the perfect time to brush up on your cicada facts! -Heidi K