Grade: K

Pop-up guru Robert Sabuda performs his paper engineering magic again with this stunning adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale. With large and small textured pop-ups — some of the animals are actually furry — that will dazzle you with their intricacy and inventiveness, Sabuda’s rendition tells the familiar tale of Alice as she falls down the rabbit hole and makes her way through Wonderland. The book features artwork based on John Tenniel’s time-honored illustrations and text that follows the original story, and each spread includes several smaller pop-ups in “subpages,” along with larger pop-ups taking center stage. Some of the amazing must-sees are Alice’s initial fall down to Wonderland (with an accordion-like feature labelled “Open me” to pull up and peek into); the Mad Hatter’s tea party, with silvery dishware that includes a fuzzy dormouse; and the croquet match that opens wide.

When Allison tries on a kimono her grandmother sends her, she realizes she looks more like her Japanese doll, Mei Mei, than her parents. When her parents explain that she is adopted, she withdraws from them and her playmates at school and destroys childhood keepsakes that belong to her adoptive parents. Taking in a stray cat helps Allison see the true nature of adoption and love. Realistic illustrations show the many emotions Allison experiences on her way to acceptance.

An Amazing ABC Safari for Preschoolers! In Matthew Van Fleet’s incredible new multiconcept book, over 100 creatures and plants from A to Z hilariously demonstrate action words, synonyms, opposites, and more. Young explorers are challenged to spot four plants or animals that begin with each letter of the alphabet. Twenty-three textures plus foils, flaps, pull tabs, and even a scratch-and-sniff scent add to the interactive surprises on every page.

Fleming’s brilliant illustrations, created by pouring colored cotton fiber through hand-cut stencils, show a mouse working on each letter of the alphabet. Young readers will learn new vocabulary while the mouse “airbrushes the A, buttons the B, carves the C … ” and so on. And don’t miss the calendar in the back where the mouse maps out his shopping lists and chores.

Angel’s stepfather has announced that he is taking the family to Greece to visit his parents. Angel, “the worrier,” has a lot on her mind. Will she survive the airplane trip? Will she be able to communicate with her grandparents who don’t speak English? In this sixth book of Delton’s popular series, Angel’s worries turn into fun adventures.

“Are you a snail? If you are, your life began in an egg like one of these.” This book details the life of a snail, showing how it changes from a tiny egg to a slimy adult. Soft-colored paintings, combined with playful graphics, may convince librarians to place Are You a Snail? on the picture book shelf, rather than in the science section.

It is the story about a mother bird who knows her egg will be in her nest where she left it, so she leaves him alone to go and get something for him to eat. The baby bird hatches. He doesn’t understand where his mother is so he goes to look for her. In his search, he asks a kitten, a hen, a dog, and a cow if they are his mother. They each say, “No.”

Then he sees an old car, which can’t be his mother for sure. In desperation, the hatchling calls out to a boat and a plane, and at last, convinced he has found his mother, he climbs onto the teeth of an enormous power shovel. But he is betrayed by the behemoth, as it shudders and grinds into motion. He can’t escape. “I want my mother!” he shouts.

But at this climactic moment, his fate is suddenly reversed. The shovel drops him back in his nest, just as his mother is returning home, and the two are reunited, much to their delight. He then tells her about the adventure he had looking for her.

Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? is the final collaboration from this bestselling author-illustrator team. Young readers will enjoy Baby Bear’s quest to find Mama, and they’ll revel in identifying each of the native North American animals that appear along the way. The central focus on the special bond between mother and child makes a fitting finale to a beloved series.
These groundbreaking picture books have been teaching children to read for over forty years, and their consistently strong sales prove their staying power and continued applicability for today’s kids.