In the Night Kitchen
Written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak

Sendak's hero Mickey falls through the dark into the Night Kitchen where three fat bakers are making the morning cake. So begins an intoxicating dream fantasy, described by the artist himself as 'a fantasy ten feet deep in reality'.

I'm not sure why it was banned, but possibly for nudity. The little boy, Mickey, is naked for part of the book, just as many little children are at that age!

Rascal and the Bad Smell
Author: Paul Jennings
Illustrator: Bob Lea
Real books for beginners

Someone made a bad smell. But who?

Like a bloodhound on a case, Rascal puts his nose to the task of finding the culprit.

Read a Rascal story to your children and before long they'll read it to you.

You can buy the book here => http://bit.ly/dd083c

The Sandwich Swap [Hardcover] Newest Printing
by Queen Rania of Jordan al Abdullah and Kellie DiPucchio

Lily and Salma are best friends. They play together and stick together through thick and thin. But who would have ever thought that ordinary peanut butter or plain old hummus could come between them? Lily and Salma don’t quite understand each other’s tastes, but does that mean they can't be friends? They understand far better than a lot of gown ups that these things hardly matter and that friendship is the most important thing of all.

Her Majesty,Queen Rania’s children’s book is inspired by her own experience. As written by Kelly Dipuchio, it is a warm-hearted and gently humorous fable about two girls who become aware of their subtle cultural differences, only to have their friendship strengthened as a result. Her Majesty travels the world promoting children’s causes as well as cross-cultural understanding and tolerance

Amazon is selling the book for $9.49 reduced from $16.99

Hooray! There's a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Having a Birthday Party

Author:  Hazel Edwards Deborah Niland

The hippo is back to celebrate his 30th birthday with a brand-new book!

Join him and his friends for a jungle-inspired celebration full of games and lots of jungle-party treats!

Download all the things you need for your very own Hippo birthday party here (and find more details about the book)

http://bit.ly/dwo93X

Crazy hair

by Neil Gaiman

Illustrated by Dave McKean

The duo responsible for The Wolves in the Walls (2003) return with another chaotic picture book popping with bright collage and multimedia imagery.

... more

---Listen to the author, Neil Gaiman reading his poem

“All right, Noah, dear. It’s time to leave,” says Noah’s mom. Noah has other plans. “No,” he says. And then says it again. And again. And each time, his nos get crazier and crazier.

It’s a lot of fun and will feel familiar to any parent up against a child’s tireless opposition, and kids (maybe) will  recognize their own silly stubbornness. The educational use of various languages extends the book’s age range a bit, too.

Watch a trailer of the book

Rattletrap car

by Phyllis Root

The internal rhymes, alliteration, and creative car sounds make a perfect read-aloud. The watercolor illustrations are full of action as the rattletrap car bounces off the road and seems to rush off the page. The words for the car sounds bounce, too, in their larger, uneven fonts. The illustrations contribute humorous detail capturing the family's alternating despair, inventiveness, and glee at moving again.

Read more plus links to

3 excellent Library/Classroom Suggestions


Lesson Idea on using onomatopoeia

Examples of Art by Jill Barton

Read and listen to the book online

More books for onomatopoeia

Hello babyAfter meeting a bevy of baby animals -- including a clever monkey, a hairy warthog, and a dusty lion cub -- the baby in this story discovers the most precious creature of all...itself, of course!

With an exuberant rhyming text by bestselling author Mem Fox and adorable cut-paper illustrations by Caldecott-Honor recipient Steve Jenkins, this book is an irresistible celebration of the joyful connection between parent and child.

  1. ---Take a guided tour of the private writing space of author Mem Fox.

  2. ---Listen to the author, Mem Fox reading the book aloud

lazy_littleLazy Little Loafers

by Susan Orleon

Ever experienced stroller envy? Ever wished you were applauded just for walking across a room? Ever wanted to loaf about the park on a blanket in the middle of a school day with nothing on your agenda but being relaxed and happy? Then you should be a baby. They’ve got it made.

In this charming, droll story, a world-weary older sister ponders the question, why don’t more babies work? Her answers, hilariously tinged with resentment, offer up a wickedly accurate picture of just how great babies have it.

If you give a cat a cupcake

by Laura Numeroff

If you give a cat a cupcake, he'll ask for some sprinkles to go with it. When you give him the sprinkles, he might spill some on the floor. Cleaning up will make him hot, so you'll give him a bathing suit . . . and that's just the beginning!   ... more