Books in Picture Books series

Its a beautiful day for a swim, but Little Bear isnt sure that he likes the water. With Grandpas encouragement, will he be brave enough to try something new? Written by best-selling author David Bedford, with gorgeous illustrations by Brenna Vaughan, this sweet, encouraging, and comforting picture book is perfect for any grandpa and his little one to share.

James Marshall adds color and humor to the classic fairy tale with his beautiful illustrations. Retold by Barbara Karlin, Cinderella will be a favorite of all children. “Retold and illustrated with wit and humor, this is an excellent version of the favorite fairy tale.”—School Library Journal (starred review) “This collaboration is whimsical and fresh and full of undeniable child appeal.”—The Horn Book “Saccharine-free and filled with a robust, earthy humor, this rendition has a studied nonchalance laced with wit. . . . [It] will take its rightful place on the fairy-tale shelves, but won’t sit there for long!”—Booklist (starred review)

After losing her mother, shy Natumi is rescued by a team from the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, an orphanage for baby elephants. At the shelter, Natumi hides behind keepers' legs to watch the other elephants at the shelter. But soon, she meets several other orphans, and the eight of them play together in the surrounding bush. As the babies become closer and more like a real family, they need a leader, someone they can trust. Can Natumi grow into this role? Join the herd to find out what happens when they travel back into the wild. This sweet story, with its heartwarming photographs, explores the challenges and joys of family, love, and growing up, and is a perfect bedtime tale.

When I looked up, I shivered. How many stars were in the sky? A million? A billion? Maybe the number was as big as infinity. I started to feel very, very small. How could I even think about something as big as infinity? Uma can't help feeling small when she peers up at the night sky. She begins to wonder about infinity. Is infinity a number that grows forever? Is it an endless racetrack? Could infinity be in an ice cream cone? Uma soon finds that the ways to think about this big idea may just be . . . infinite.

In this charming sequel to the classic "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, " Kate and Henry eagerly await Grandpa's return from a vacation that his postcard says has been one of the best and most unusual ever. Thinking about that postcard Kate drifts off to sleep that night and... "With Henry as my co-pilot..." she visits the strange land of Chewandswallow -- a land characterized by massive amounts of food, immense carrots, leafy jungles of lettuce, and tuna fish sandwiches so gigantic they have to be moved by helicopter. What the people of Chewandswallow are doing with all that food is most intriguing of all. Fans of "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" will applaud this return trip with its underlying message of generosity and a world community.

Tomie dePaola's glorious paintings are as luminous as the farolitos that light up on the Plaza in Santa Fe for the procession of Las Posadas, the tradition in which Mary and Joseph go from door to door seeking shelter at the inn on Christmas Eve.This year Sister Angie, who is always in charge of the clebration, has to stay home with the flu, and Lupe and Roberto, who are to play Mary and Joseph, get caught in a snowstorm. But a man and a woman no one knows arrive in time to take their place in the procession and then mysteriously disappear at the end before they can be thanked.That night we witness a Christian miracle, for when Sister Angie goes to the cathedral and kneels before the statue of Mary and Jospeh, wet footprints from the snow lead up to the statue.