Dex, the Heart of a Hero
Author: Caralyn Buehner
When a little wiener dog named Dex is teased and taunted by other bigger animals, he desires to be big and strong. So he trains to become a hero for his town. When Dex is called to save a cat that has been the meanest to him, the cat realizes that he has been wrong in teasing Dex. After Dex rescues the cat, the cat decides he too wants to train with Dex and become a hero.
This book is a good example of a fantasy because it involves characters that are not normally able to talk in real life. Dex and the rest of the animals talk and express emotions.
A teacher could use this book in a classroom to show kids that they can be heroes by expressing kindness and being helpful to those that are in need of help, even to those who are not kind to us. A teacher could explain that everyone can be a hero by the way they behave and act towards others.
The plot in this book contains all elements of literature. It contains a problem (Dex being small), and conflict (the other animals teasing Dex for his size), and a resolution (Dex saves the day and the other animals then show him respect).
Media: Oil Paints
Are You Ready to Play Outside
Author: Mo Willems
Gerald and Piggie are best friends.
Gerald is careful. Piggie is not.
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to. In Are You Ready to Play Outside?, Piggie can’t wait to go play in the sunshine. But will a rainy day ruin all the fun?
Knuffle Bunny – A Cautionary Tale
Author: Mo Willems
Trixie, Daddy, and Knuffle Bunny take a trip to the neighborhood Laundromat. But the exciting adventure takes a dramatic turn when Trixie realizes somebunny was left behind… Using a combination of muted black-and-white photographs and expressive illustrations, this stunning book tells a brilliantly true-to-life tale about what happens when Daddy’s in charge and things go terribly, hilariously wrong.
There is a Bird on Your Head
Author: Mo Willems
Gerald and Piggie are best friends!
Gerald is careful. Piggie is not.
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to. In There Is a Bird On My Head!, Gerald discovers that there is something worse than a bird on your head–two birds on your head! Can Piggie help her best friend?
Knuffle Bunny Too! A Case of Mistaken Identity
Author: Mo Willems
Trixie can’t wait to bring her one-of-a-kind Knuffle Bunny to school and show him off to everyone. But when she gets there, she sees something awful: Sonja has the same bunny. Suddenly, Knuffle Bunny doesn’t seem so one-of-a-kind anymore. Chaos ensues until the bunnies are taken away by Ms. Greengrove. After school, Trixie finally gets her beloved bunny back. But in the middle of the night, Trixie realizes something. She has the wrong bunny Daddy comes to the rescue again as a midnight swap is arranged with the other bunny, the other little girl, and the other daddy. Needless to say, the daddies are not very happy. By the end of the story Trixie has her beloved bunny back, but she has also gained something new: her very first best friend. In the tradition of the Caldecott Honor-winner KNUFFLE BUNNY: A CAUTIONARY TALE, this is another heartfelt, hilarious picture book that children (and their parents) will love.
The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!
Author: Mo Willems
When Pigeon finds a delicious hot dog, he can hardly wait to shove the entire thing in his beak. But . . . then a very sly and hungry duckling enters the scene and wants a bite. Who will be the more clever bird?In this hilarious follow-up to the acclaimed Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Mo Willems has created another avian adventure that encourages children to share even their most prized processed foods. Mo Willems is a six-time Emmy Award-winning writer and animator for Sesame Street and the head writer of Cartoon Network’s Code Name: Kids Next Door. The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! is the companion to Mo’s first children’s book, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! He is also the author of Time to Pee!.
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse
Author: Charlie Mackesy
Charlie Mackesy’s beloved The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse has been adapted into an Academy Award(R) winning animated short film, now available to stream on Apple TV+#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER – WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER – USA TODAY BESTSELLER “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse is not only a thought-provoking, discussion-worthy story, the book itself is an object of art.”- Elizabeth Egan, The New York Times. From British illustrator, artist, and author Charlie Mackesy comes a journey for all ages that explores life’s universal lessons, featuring 100 color and black-and-white drawings. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” asked the mole. “Kind,” said the boy. Charlie Mackesy offers inspiration and hope in uncertain times in this beautiful book, following the tale of a curious boy, a greedy mole, a wary fox and a wise horse who find themselves together in sometimes difficult terrain, sharing their greatest fears and biggest discoveries about vulnerability, kindness, hope, friendship and love. The shared adventures and important conversations between the four friends are full of life lessons that have connected with readers of all ages.
Ghost Patrol
Fun
Children’s Series
Books one through ten of the Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol series are now together in a ghoul-riffic paperback collection!
Join best friends Desmond Cole and Andres Miedoso in their spooky adventures as they meet all sorts of trouble-making ghosts, ghouls, zombies, mer-surfers, and so much more!
With easy-to-read language and illustrations on every page, the Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.
Included in this collection are:
The Haunted House Next Door
Ghosts Don’t Ride Bikes, Do They?
Surf’s Up, Creepy Stuff!
Night of the Zombie Zookeeper
The Scary Library Shusher
Major Monster Mess
The Sleepwalking Snowman
Campfire Stories
Now Museum, Now You Don’t
Ghouls Just Want to Have Fun
Mailing May
Author: Michael O. Tunnell
The Littlest Angel Earns His Halo
