Bunting/Popp� -� One Candle
Hanukkah is celebrated by remembering the bad times - including the time when family members who were sent to Buchenwald - and rejoicing in the present. The illustrations enhance the text and bring this family and its celebration to life.

Christelow� -� Where’s the Big, Bad Wolf?
This delightful parody of The Three Little Pigs features none-too-bright Detective Doggedly who seeks that "low-down, chicken-chasing. pig-poaching Big Bad Wolf." Comments by the residents of the nearby "Home for Elderly Cows" add more humor to the fun in this fractured tale. Illustrations are sometimes cartoon style and sometimes full page bleeds.

Crum/Krenina� - Who Took My Hairy Toe?
Old Tar Pockets tries to snatch anything he can get his hands on from his neighbors, including a hairy toe. The hairy toe proves to be his undoing in this funny yet scary tale. The illustrations provide much of the humor.

Fearrington/Laroche� -� Who Sees the Lighthouse?
This counting book with a lighthouse theme features real lighthouses and a text that rhymes. The illustrations are spectacular and the theme appropriate for Maryland readers. The author’s note gives factual information about lighthouses.

Fleming/Karas� - Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!
At last Mr. McGreely is able to plant the garden of his dreams, but fails to notice three bunnies watching his efforts.� He awakens one morning to find munched stems instead of vegetables and begins mammoth efforts to save his garden from the rabbit marauders. There are repetitive phrases to encourage listeners to join in the fun and children will love the illustrations.

Hopkinson/Ransome� -� Under the Quilt of Night
The Underground Railroad as it assists slaves escaping their enslavement provides the background for this powerful story. The premise is that members of the Underground Railroad used quilts in varying patterns to give hidden messages and direction to the escapees. The vibrant illustrations are initially dark, but become brighter as the characters reach freedom.

Karas� -� Atlantic
Told from the perspective of the Atlantic Ocean, this poetic tribute shows the reader what it is, where it is and how it is seen by scientists and explorers.� The illustrations are almost childlike and present a wonderful introduction to our ocean.

Pallotta/Biedrzycki� -� Dory Story
Danny takes his small boat into the big ocean for a little adventure. The illustrations and text allow the reader to experience a variety of marine life and other adventures along with Danny. Readers and listeners alike will delight in the story and laugh aloud at the ending.

Pretlutsky/Sis� -� Scranimals
A boy and a girl using just an inner tube visit Scranimal Island. They find fantastic (and impossible!) creatures. Birds, vegetables, animals and flowers have been scrambled together to create great fun using puns and rhymes. The colorful illustrations are absolutely necessary to even begin to imagine what the creature could be. We think the listeners will enjoy making up their own scranimals!

Ryan/Selznick� - When Marian Sang
Marian Anderson, the talented and famous African American singer, is probably best known for her concert given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1939. An integrated crowd of over 75,000 people gathered to hear that wonderful voice. This book showcases the strength of her character and many other aspects of Marian’s life.

Sans Souci/Neilan� - The Rabbit and the Dragon King
Based upon a traditional Korean folk tale, San Souci gives the reader a Dragon King who is a hypochondriac and who believes he must have a rabbit’s heart or die. Needless to say, this idea does not please Rabbit! With the aid of good friend Turtle, Rabbit manages his final ploy to outwit the Dragon King. The clever illustrations add mightily to this trickster tale.

Schnitzlein/Faulkner� -� The Monster Who Ate my Peas
A food monster comes along and agrees to eat all of the narrator’s vegetables - in exchange for a soccer ball. That, of course, is only the beginning. The stakes get higher and higher until finally… Well, the story must be read to find out! This is a delightful read-aloud with text in rhyme and Faulkner’s awful monster parading through the pages.

Tchana/Hyman� - Sense Pass King: A Story from Cameroon
Young Ma’antah manages to outwit the king of her kingdom at every turn. When the jealous king takes the credit for a particularly daring feat, the people drive him from the kingdom and make little Ma’antah (now known as Sense PassKing) their queen. Humor and wonderful artwork make this a folktale to enjoy again and again.

Woelfle/Bayley Katje, the Windmill Cat
Katje, who has led an ideal cat’s life, finds herself displaced after baby Anneke arrives. When a violent storm breaks through the dike, Katje redeems herself by saving the baby and regains her rightful place in the family home.� The illustrations depict the story realistically and an author’s note tells us this adventure is based upon a true happening in Holland during the year 1421.
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