Grade: K

There’s a Wocket in My Pocket is filled with bizarre creatures and rhymes: the nupboard in the cupboard, ghairs beneath the stairs, and the bofa on the sofa!

“There’s a lemur in my lunch box
My banana’s just a peel,
And my candy bar’s a wrapper
This is not a happy meal.”

Fish tanks in classrooms and a hamster or two aren’t unusual. But when Miss Darling’s students ask for a pet, they get one, in poetry form, for every letter in the alphabet.

The story of a moose who was too hospitable for his own good is told in verses which march in double-quick time. The pictures are scenes of happy confusion.

In this hilarious touch-and-feel book, a cranky duck dares children to tickle his soft stomach, his hairy armpit, his rubbery foot, and reacts uproariously each time. Despite his protests, does the duck really like being tickled after all? This modern day version of Pat the Bunny will have its audience laughing, and maybe even snorting, “Do it again!” Like Ten Little Lady Bugs and Tails, this treasure of interactive fun is sure to engage parents and children for hours of tickling and giggling.

This endearing bedtime book is perfect for winding down with little ones at the end of a busy day. After reading it, you’ll feel good too! Each large two-page illustration radiates genuine affection and celebrates the love between moms of all kinds and their young, as they ready them for bed. Mommy mouse embraces her baby. A sheep and her lamb rub muzzles. Mother cow and her calf exchange loving glances. Mommy horse and her foal nuzzle each other. And on and on, concluding with a human mommy tucking her young child in bed with this thought: “The stars on high are shining bright-Sweet dreams, my darling, sleep well… good night!” This book will melt your heart.

Yes, even little animals have to go to sleep. When night falls, little fawns and little bears close their eyes under the watchful care of their mothers and fathers. Sally Lloyd-Jones’s rhythmic text paired with Jane Chapman’s depiction of a nighttime world settling down for slumber will make any reluctant sleepyhead want to curl into bed.

Little ones play a dressed-up version of peek-a-boo in Marion Dane Bauer’s board book Toes, Ears, & Nose!, illus. by Karen Katz. “Inside my mittens I’ve got,” Bauer begins. Readers lift decorative pink mittens to find “fingers.” Snow boots, earmuffs and a scarf hide other body parts; vibrant colors and patterns add pizzazz.

Tomás’s grandfather is a wonderful storyteller. No matter where his family is in their yearly migration, they gather around the fire after their work in the fields is done and are treated to the gift of a story. When Papá Grande runs out of his own stories, he sends Tomás to the library to find more. There, Tomás finds a cozy spot where his imagination soars along with his friendship with the librarian. Based on a true incident in the life of the famous writer and educator Tomás Rivera, this story is about family, friendship, and the power of stories.