2009 Children's Choices-Beginner Readers (Grade K-2)

Lots of kids like to run around naked and here's a funny book to remind them why it's best to keep their clothes on, particularly at school. Just think about it—could you go down the slide? Steal second base? This little guy's parents warn him of many dangers he'd face if he went to school without clothes on, and eventually he sees their point. But if he has to wear something, it's going to be what he chooses (and it's only slightly better than going naked).

Kids will giggle and squirm at the silly scenarios this little guy imagines and cheer his unique solution.

Kanga wants to make cookies, but someone has eaten all the cookie dough.Who could it be? Join in the fun and find out! This rollicking whodunit begs to be read aloud. The refrain will remind teachers and kids of the preschool game Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar, making Who Ate All the Cookie Dough? a perfect story-time choice in conjunction with the popular classroom game.

Even the youngest readers can solve the mystery if they look closely― preschool children will want to gobble this up!

We're going on a lion hunt. Time to put on your safari hats, says a teacher before leading her class on an exciting imaginary journey. Off they go! They slosh through mud, splish-splash through rivers, swish through grass, and finally come face to face with a lion! Joe Mathieu brings the lion hunt to life with delightful illustrations rendered in Prisma colors, dyes, pen, and ink that add to this classroom fantasy based on a traditional game.

Where did that little piece of sand in the corner of your eye come from? That's easy―the Sandman.

It all started a long time ago when a tiny man named Tor discovered that a dragon's scale held magical powers. Ground dragon scales make magic sand that Tor sprinkles in the eyes of children to help them fall asleep. But how does he get the scales to make the special sand? He has to venture into the lair of a dragon, and that's no easy feat!

This imaginative telling of the legend of the Sandman combined with fantastical, illuminating pictures will be enjoyed by the whole family.

Four kittens have never seen the snow. The first three kittens are wary--snow is cold, it's wet, it covers everything. This unknown thing called snow is a little bit. . . scary. As the seasons pass and winter begins to loom, the three skittish kittens worry. But the fourth kitten takes a different view. The fourth kitten is getting excited. Snow will cover everything?! "I can't wait!"

Caldecott Medal winner Eric Rohmann gives us a charming, gentle story that both respectfully acknowledges a child's fear of the unknown and celebrates the power of a positive outlook. Deceptively simple and quietly profound.

The acclaimed author and illustrator of Chickens to the Rescue has created a sweet, funny, and entirely irresistible new character―a little dog just bursting with good intentions.

Katie is so excited when Sara Ann brings home three little kittens that she can't stop herself from howling "AROOOOO!" and trying to run after them. She loves them so much!

But Katie's enthusiasm frightens the kitties, and she's sad when they run away from her. Don't they know that she just wants to play?

Katie Loves the Kittens is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Not only is this irrepressible squid the biggest thing ever, he?s also the best artist in the entire ocean. He squirts ink, for goodness? sakes, and there aren?t many animals in the ocean who can do that! This squid is making a masterpiece that is sure to wow his fellow fish. But perhaps they aren?t as pleased as he would think?

The giant squid that garnered starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus for his larger-than-life performance in I?m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean is sure to delight fans with this lively and fresh follow-up that includes a double gatefold spread featuring the squid?s impressive artwork!

?Goodnight tomb. Goodnight goon. Goodnight Martians taking over the moon.?

It?s bedtime in the cold gray tomb with a black lagoon, and two slimy claws, and a couple of jaws, and a skull and a shoe and a pot full of goo. But as a little werewolf settles down, in comes the Goon determined at all costs to run amok and not let any monster have his rest.

A beloved classic gets a kind-hearted send up in this utterly monsterized parody; energetic art and a hilarious text will have kids begging to read this again and again.

Incredibly touching in its simplicity, Don?t Worry Bear reveals the very heart of friendship.

Colin is the smallest of his ten brothers and sisters, and oh, how his mother worries about him! She won't let him run and play. She insists that Colin sit quietly indoors -- until Grandma has a clever idea: wrapping him up tight in cotton.

Sweet, humorous illustrations of Colin's adventures in the big, wide world will charm readers of all ages.