Submitted by Jill from Leonardtown!
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson. When Mouse goes walking in the Deep Dark Woods, he runs into Fox, Owl, and Snake… and they all want to eat him! Clever Mouse scares them off by warning them about the terrible Grufflalo, a monster who has “terrible tusks, and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws.” When they hear that a Gruffalo’s favorite foods are “roasted fox,” “owl ice cream,” and “scrambled snake,” the predators scamper away. Mouse laughs at their foolishness: “Silly old snake! Doesn’t he know? There’s no such thing as a Gruffalo!”…Or is there? How will Mouse save himself when a Gruffalo really does appear, complete with purple spikes, a warty nose , and an appetite for mouse on bread?
Duck Soup
Submitted by Carol from Charlotte Hall!
Duck Soup written and illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic. This is a very entertaining story about Duck, who loves to cook, mainly soups. He cooks for his friends and does not always make the most appetizing meals, such as cracker barrel cheese and marshmallow soup, and fish soup with curry and pickled lemon. One day he decides he wants to create his very own soup with his very own special recipe. He wants to be a great chef. His friends arrive and they can’t find Duck. They look in the kitchen and they see the soup Duck is preparing and there is a feather floating on top. OH NO!!!! Did Duck fall in? His friends panic and are determined to find out. They rush and get out the strainer. Join the fun as Dakota, Brody and Bebe try to rescue Duck. Will they succeed or will Duck become Duck Soup?
Violet the Pilot
Submitted by Catherine from Lexington Park!
Not every little girl wants to play princess and dress-up. Violet, in Violet the Pilot, by Steve Breen, is much more interested in turbo engines than tiaras. With the help of her pup, Orville, Violet works as hard as she can to follow her dreams of building the best and most creative airplanes in the world. When kids in her class make fun of her for her obsession with machines, Violet decides to show everyone just how amazing her new airplane is. But along the way, things work out a little differently, and Violet gets to see how good it is to just be yourself, and to be proud of all you do. With beautiful and funny pictures that tell the story just as much as the words, this will be a wonderful book for little girls or boys who think outside the box.
Freckleface Strawberry
Submitted by Catherine from Lexington Park!
When you’re a kid, being different can be hard. Freckleface Strawberry, written by Julianne Moore, and illustrated by LeUyen Pham, tells the story of a little girl with red hair, and freckles from head to toe. Tired of being the only freckle face in her class, Freckleface Strawberry tries everything from markers to ski masks to hide those dots. But by the end of the story, Freckleface Strawberry decides that maybe having freckles isn’t so bad after all. With illustrations and dialogue that really seem to capture the thoughts and expressions of kids, Freckleface Strawberry is a great story that shows that being different doesn’t matter all that much when you like who you are.
Korgi: Volume 1
Submitted by Tess from Lexington Park!
Korgi is a delight of worldless graphic novel for children, brought to us by former Disney animator Christian Slade. In it, we are introduced to a colorful cast of characters–all sorts of magical specimens–awaiting us in Korgi Hollow. There’s the mollies, small woodland folk, like Ivy, our diminuative heroine, and the Korgis (which uncoincidentally resemble our Pembroke Welsh Corgis), like Sprout, Ivy’s constant companion. One day Sprout chases a winged insect out of the Hollow and Ivy of course follows. They’re happy to explore the unfamiliar territory until they’re abducted by a gang of decidedly unpleasant creatures. How will this seemingly normal girl and her dog escape? Well it turns out Ivy and Sprout has a few tricks hidden up they’re sleeves… The best part: this book is just the beginning of more adventures to come!
Monkey with a Tool Belt and the Noisy Problem
Submitted by Sue G. from Lexington Park!
Monkey With a Tool Belt and the Noisy Problem. Where would we be without tools to help us fix things and solve problems? Chico Bon Bon, a monkey who lives in a tree house, has a noisy problem he wants to fix. The trouble is, Chico can hear the problem, but he can’t find it! So what does Chico do? He uses his tools, because with his tool belt, Chico can do anything! Enjoy author Chris Monroe’s humor and intricate illustrations in this second adventure with Chico Bon Bon, the clever monkey.