Book Finder

Children will delight in this fantastic tale of a young girl’s vacation in the Smoky Mountains. Wandering from her tent late one summer’s night, Sara finds an invitation she just can’t resist! She watches the grand ball from safely behind a tree until suddenly she is discovered.

The Florida Everglades are made up of nine different ecosystems supporting an astonishing variety of wildlife ― panthers, manatees, snails, frogs, and a rainbow of bird species. But for years, the Everglades were threatened. They needed a voice to speak up for them. Marjory Stoneman Douglas became that voice. Her book “A River of Grass” helped the world see the irreplaceable beauty and value of the Everglades. Marjory’s activism led to the creation of a national park and dedicated conservation efforts, and throughout her long life she inspired countless people to use their voices to make a difference.

A story told in two voices: siblings 12-year-old Josie and her older, disabled brother Abe each have dreams and aspirations. Based on the author’s experience growing up with a comparably challenged brother.

What’s the difference between a country and a continent? And what about a wormhole and a black hole? What’s the difference between an alligator and a crocodile? In space, on earth, in food, even in history many things are similar but are in fact quite different. Explore 150 pairs here through facts and illustration.  

An oversized format supports dramatic, appealing, and realistic illustrations and information about a range of creatures. Backmatter includes a glossary and index.

This weird, wacky, and downright fun and informative look at how disparate things connect is a worthy addition to the FACTopia series.

Told through crisp narration and dramatic illustration, this true story of the Hudson River cleanup is riveting. Additional backmatter is included.

Follow a raindrop as it falls into the Mekong River on its journey to the ocean. Along its way, it sustains plants, animals, and people, presented here in crisp text and informative illustrations.

Vegetables make rabbits lively, but will a rabbit enjoy a lively carrot? Fun and friendship develop when Mr. Rabbit pulls up a walking, talking, rabbit-sized carrot with which to share adventures.

Inspired by actual animals in the Monterey Bay Aquarium, meet an orphaned sea otter who learns to help other orphaned baby otters. Lush illustrations enhance the tone and power of Odder’s story. (Adapted from Applegate’s best-selling middle grade novel of the same name, Odder.)

A family of elephants stick together as the sun comes up on the savannah. It travels across the world on other animal families until it ends where it begins again. Rhyming text and die-cuts indicate the passage of the day.

Pablo is a beret-wearing canine whose favorite subject is cats. Other dogs don’t understand him, and (understandably) cats run away from him. Pablo decides to give up his art until befriended by a brave feline. Bold forms, color, and rich language tell a seemingly simply but surprisingly sophisticated tale meant to be shared. Older children may enjoy this board book as well.

Mouse, a rodent living in Dogtown, narrates this fast-paced, humorous, and engaging tale of life for misfit shelter dogs, both real and robotic. Revisit Buster, the bounce-back hound, and robot dog Smokey with a peculiar chip in Dogtown (opens in a new window), the standalone, highly illustrated first tale in the series.

After a natural death, a whale provides continued life for numerous sea and land creatures for many years. Follow one 90-year-old whale in its environment and after its life has ended, through accessible language and highly informative illustrations in this stunning book.

Rufus and the staff of the Woofmore Hotel work diligently to please all guests, but especially movie star Greta Garbark. Wordplay, a bit of scatological humor, and full-color illustrations will engage readers young and old in the first volume of the series. 

A mouth is for eating of course, but animals use them for so much more!  Discover how some use them for climbing and for storing food and what differentiates similar mouths. Dramatic illustrations and informative inserts create a fact-packed, accessible book. Back matter includes a glossary and additional resources.

Follow an arctic tern as it grows from egg to migrating bird. In another book from the same Start Small, Think Big series, Little Brown Nut (opens in a new window), watch a small nut grow into a huge tree with a little help from the agoutis. Each book unfolds in text and illustration that can be shared at different levels. Both titles include a large, informative foldout. 

Hank is not only a silly goose, but he’s also rude and downright obnoxious, making his friends miserable. Until they don’t want to deal with him anymore. Lonely Hank becomes a more considerate goose who changes his ways (or does he?) in this slyly funny tale.

Eddy is lonely as he swims — until one day not one, but two friends appear just outside of the fishbowl. The friends’ identity is revealed when Eddy excitedly jumps out the bowl. Tension is high until a true friendship becomes evident. 

A single word begins each short poem on opposing page, describing an animal and contrasting attributes: a cautious groundhog appears with the reckless squirrel, a patient spider with a restless blowfly, a playful dolphin with the dignified sperm whale, and more in each of the bold, bouncily illustrated pairings in this handsome volume.

The countdown to the change in season begins with one red fox “stalking winter” to 12 excited children “happily meeting spring.” Bold scratchboard illustrations evoke the frozen Alaskan landscape, inspired by the author’s time in Fairbanks.

Dogs help people in many ways. Guess what jobs the dogs presented in color photographs and simple rhymes perform — including being a best friend.

After a busy day, animal families snuggle up just like children and their parents in this cozy illustrated and gently rhyming board book.

Dogs and cats talk without words! Childlike illustrations and straightforward language describe myriad moods to bring meaning to the familiar ways pets communicate. In the same series: Cat Chat: How Cats Tell Us How They Feel (opens in a new window).