Early Learning

Picture Books that Staff Love

Our nipa hut : a story in the Philippines / written by Rachell Abalos illustrated by Gabriela Larios.

Abalos, Rachell, author.

Old clothes for dinner?! / words by Nathalie Alonso art by Natalia Rojas Castro.

Alonso, Nathalie, author.

Twice as many friends = El doble de amigos / words and music by Brian Amador art by Vanina Starkoff.

Amador, Brian, author.

Bunnies in a boat / Philip Ardagh illustrated by Ben Mantle.

Ardagh, Philip, author.

Mermaids’ song to the sea / words by Dianna Hutts Aston pictures by Renée Kurilla.

Aston, Dianna Hutts, author.

Boats for Papa / Jessixa Bagley.

Bagley, Jessixa, author.

Trouble / Katherine Battersby.

Battersby, Katherine, author, illustrator.

ABC learn with me [BOARD BOOK] : touch and trace nursery rhymes / [illustrations by Emily Bannister]

Love with Plato [BOARD BOOK] / Duane Armitage and Maureen McQuerry pictures by Robin Rosenthal.

Armitage, Duane, 1982- author.

Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see? [BOARD BOOK] / by Bill Martin, Jr. pictures by Eric Carle.

Martin, Bill, 1916-2004.

My first book of ABCs [BOARD BOOK] / Robb Pearlman illustrated by Bob Ross.

Pearlman, Robb, Author.

Stanley the baker / William Bee.

Bee, William, author, illustrator.

Scorch, hedgehog of doom / written by Cate Berry illustrated by Margherita Grasso.

Berry, Cate, author.

Attack of the 50-foot Fluffy / by Mike Boldt.

Boldt, Mike, author, illustrator.

The forest / Riccardo Bozzi illustrated by Violeta Lopiz and Valerio Vidali translated from the Italian by Debbie Bibo.

Bozzi, Riccardo, 1966- author.

Tamales for Christmas / written by Stephen Briseño illustrated by Sonia Sánchez.

Briseño, Stephen, author.

Leave me alone / Vera Brosgol.

Brosgol, Vera, author, illustrator.

The little house / story and pictures by Virginia Lee Burton.

Burton, Virginia Lee, 1909-1968.

Message in the mooncake : a legend from ancient China / words by Sapphire Chow art by Xiaojie Liu.

Chow, Sapphire, 1954-2023, author.

Slippery, spicy, tingly : a kimchi mystery / Yangsook Choi.

Choi, Yangsook, author, illustrator.

Rice from heaven : the secret mission to feed North Koreans / by Tina M. Cho illustrated by Jin Song Keum.

Cho, Tina M., author.

Thingamabob / Marianna Coppo.

Coppo, Marianna, author, illustrator.

Angélica and la güira / written by Angie Cruz illustrated by Luz Batista.

Cruz, Angie, author.

What could that be? / by Reza Dalvand [English translation by Baobab Books].

Dalvand, Reza, 1989- author, illustrator.

The crayons go back to school / [text] Drew Daywalt [illustrations] Oliver Jeffers.

Daywalt, Drew, author.

DC Super Friends. Flying high / by Nick Eliopulos illustrated by Loston Wallace and David Tanguay.

Eliopulos, Nick.

Pete the Cat’s 12 groovy days of Christmas / Kimberly & James Dean.

Dean, James, 1957- author, illustrator.

Just read! / by Lori Degman illustrated by Victoria Tentler-Krylov.

Degman, Lori, author.

Starcrossed / by Julia Denos.

Denos, Julia, author, illustrator.

Loaf the cat goes to the powwow / Nicholas DeShaw illustrated by Tara Audibert.

DeShaw, Nicholas, author.

The curious why / words by Angela DiTerlizzi art by Lorena Alvarez Gómez.

DiTerlizzi, Angela, author.

Gray / Laura Dockrill illustrated by Lauren Child.

Dockrill, Laura, author.

The Snatchabook / story by Helen Docherty illustrated by Thomas Docherty.

Docherty, Helen.

Waiting together / Danielle Dufayet illustrated by Srimalie Bassani.

Dufayet, Danielle, author.

The new kid has fleas / written by Ame Dyckman illustrated by Eda Kaban.

Dyckman, Ame, author.

Our celebración! / by Susan Middleton Elya illustrations by Ana Aranda.

Elya, Susan Middleton, 1955- author.

Two dogs / Ian Falconer.

Falconer, Ian, 1959- author, illustrator.

We are definitely human / a book by X. Fang.

Fang, X., author, illustrator.

Crying is like the rain : a story of mindfulness and feelings / Heather Hawk Feinberg illustrated by Chamisa Kellogg.

Feinberg, Heather Hawk, 1975- author.

Our dragon / written by Mem Fox illustrated by Linda Davick.

Fox, Mem, 1946- author.

Ho’onani : hula warrior / Heather Gale illustrated by Mika Song.

Gale, Heather (Children's author), author.

Cover art for Aloha everything / Kaylin Melia George

Aloha everything / Kaylin Melia George, Mae Waite.

George, Kaylin Melia, author.

Look up! : Fontaine the pigeon starts a revolution / poem by Britt Gondolfi art by Amanda Romanick.

Gondolfi, Britt, author.

The boy who found his voice / written and illustrated by Tyler Gordon.

Gordon, Tyler, author, illustrator.

Umami / Jacob Grant.

Grant, Jacob, 1984- author, illustrator.

What does my teddy bear do all night? / Bruno Hächler illustrated by Birte Müller translated by Charise Myngheer.

Hächler, Bruno.

A flicker of hope / written by Cynthia Harmony illustrated by Devon Holzwarth.

Harmony, Cynthia, author.

The owl who came for Christmas / John Hay illustrated by Garry Parsons.

Hay, John, author.

Cover art for The amazing and true story of Tooth Mouse Pérez / written by Ana Cristina Herreros illustrated by Violeta Lópiz translated from Spanish by Sara Lissa Paulson edited by Karin Snelson.

The amazing and true story of Tooth Mouse Pérez / written by Ana Cristina Herreros illustrated by Violeta Lópiz translated from Spanish by Sara Lissa Paulson edited by Karin Snelson.

Herreros, Ana Cristina, 1965- author.

Loose threads / Isol Misenta translated from Spanish by Lawrence Schimel.

Isol, author.

Moomin and the little ghost / based on the original stories by Tove Jansson [text and illustrations Moomin Characters].

Jansson, Tove, creator.

The sour grape / Jory John and Pete Oswald.

John, Jory, author.

What can a mess make? / Bee Johnson.

Johnson, Bee, author, illustrator.

I’m not scary / Raahat Kaduji.

Kaduji, Raahat, author, illustrator.

Crafty llama / Mike Kerr illustrated by Renata Liwska.

Kerr, Mike (Art instructor), author.

The home we make / by Maham Khwaja illustrated by Daby Zainab Faidhi.

Khwaja, Maham, author.

Little Red Hot / by Eric A. Kimmel illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith.

Kimmel, Eric A.

Snake’s big mistake / written and illustrated by Sarah Kurpiel.

Kurpiel, Sarah, author, illustrator.

Clive Penguin / Huw Lewis-Jones & Ben Sanders.

Lewis-Jones, Huw, author.

Froggy builds a snowman / by Jonathan London illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz.

London, Jonathan, 1947- author.

Goth moth / Kai Lüftner illustrations by Wiebke Rauers translated by Tim Mohr.

Lüftner, Kai, 1975- author.

A spoonful of frogs / written by Casey Lyall illustrated by Vera Brosgol.

Lyall, Casey, author.

I want 100 dogs / written by Stacy McAnulty illustrated by Claire Keane.

McAnulty, Stacy, author.

World so wide / Alison McGhee with illustrations by Kate Alizadeh.

McGhee, Alison, 1960- author.

Not an alphabet book : the case of the missing cake / Eoin McLaughlin illustrated by Marc Boutavant.

McLaughlin, Eoin, author.

The wilderness / Steve McCarthy.

McCarthy, Steve, 1984- author, illustrator.

Millie Fleur’s poison garden / Christy Mandin.

Mandin, Christy, author, illustrator.

Metal baby / Stephen W. Martin illustrated by Brandon James Scott.

Martin, Stephen W., 1981- author.

I can’t draw / written by Stephen W. Martin illustrated by Brian Biggs.

Martin, Stephen W., 1981- author.

Griso : the one and only / Roger Mello with illustrations based on the world’s art translated from Portuguese by Daniel Hahn.

Mello, Roger, author.

Cover art for Matthew's birthday party / Pato Mena translation

Matthew’s birthday party / Pato Mena translation, Cecilia Ross.

Mena, Pato, 1980- author, illustrator.

I’m not scared, you’re scared! / Seth Meyers pictures by Rob Sayegh Jr.

Meyers, Seth, 1973- author.

The shadow & the ghost / Cat Min.

Min, Cat, author, illustrator.

Luna Ranchera / story by Rodrigo Morlesin translated by Sara Lissa Paulson pictures by Mariana Ruiz Johnson.

Morlesin, Rodrigo, author.

Joyful song : a naming story / Lesléa Newman illustrated by Susan Gal.

Newman, Lesléa, author.

Princess Puffybottom… and Darryl / written by Susin Nielsen illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller.

Nielsen-Fernlund, Susin, 1964- author.

Cover art for If it's snowy and you know it

If it’s snowy and you know it, clap your paws! / by Kim Norman illustrated by Liza Woodruff.

Norman, Kim.

Exactly as planned / Tao Nyeu.

Nyeu, Tao, author, illustrator.

The legend of Iron Purl / Tao Nyeu.

Nyeu, Tao, author, illustrator.

Sulwe / Lupita Nyong’o illustrated by Vashti Harrison.

Nyong'o, Lupita, author.

Coquí in the city / Nomar Perez.

Perez, Nomar, 1975- author, illustrator.

Don’t trust cats : life lessons from Chip the dog / by Dev Petty illustrated by Mike Boldt.

Petty, Dev, author.

¡Vamos! : Let’s go read / by Raúl the Third colors by Elaine Bay.

Raúl the Third, 1976- author, illustrator.

Blackout / by John Rocco.

Rocco, John.

Just try it! / Phil and Lily Rosenthal illustrated by Luke Flowers.

Rosenthal, Phil, 1960- author.

Seoul food / by Erin Danielle Russell illustrated by Tamisha Anthony.

Russell, Erin, author.

After the fall : how Humpty Dumpty got back up again / a story by Dan Santat.

Santat, Dan, author, illustrator.

One family / George Shannon pictures by Blanca Gomez.

Shannon, George.

Starlight symphony / Buffy Silverman.

Silverman, Buffy, author.

Harriet gets carried away / Jessie Sima.

Sima, Jessie, author, illustrator.

Abuela’s super capa / written by Ana Siqueira illustrated by Elisa Chavarri.

Siqueira, Ana, author.

Bedtime for Bo / Kjersti Annesdatter Skomsvold & [illustrations by] Mari Kanstad Johnsen translated from Norwegian by Kari Dickson.

Skomsvold, Kjersti A., 1979- author.

Quizás algo hermoso : cómo el arte transformó un barrio / por F. Isabel Campoy y Theresa Howell illustrado por Rafael López.

Campoy, F. Isabel, author.

The mango tree = La mata de mango / by Edel Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, Edel, author, illustrator.

What I am / Divya Srinivasan.

Srinivasan, Divya, author, illustrator.

Wheels / Sally Sutton illustrated by Brian Lovelock.

Sutton, Sally, author.

Tou-can’t! : a little sister story / by Brandon Todd.

Todd, Brandon, author, illustrator.

Reading Beauty / by Deborah Underwood illustrated by Meg Hunt.

Underwood, Deborah, author.

The wreck of the Zephyr / written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg.

Van Allsburg, Chris.

My saree / written by Gita Varadarajan illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan.

Varadarajan, Gita, author.

We’re having a party (for everyone!) / words + pictures by Katie Vernon.

Vernon, Katie, author, illustrator.

Wolfgang in the meadow / Lenny Wen.

Wen, Lenny, author, illustrator.

Should I share my ice cream? / by Mo Willems.

Willems, Mo.

How do dinosaurs say trick or treat? / Jane Yolen illustrations by Mark Teague.

Yolen, Jane, author.

Upcoming Early Learning Events

Preschool Storytime: Virtual Summer Pajama Party

Summer at Your Library

Registration Required

Monday June 29 7:00pm

Online (Virtual Room - Alafaya)

Event Categories: Education & Learning; Storytime

Preschoolers will delight in interactive stories, songs, and rhymes that inspire a love of reading and build early literacy skills. Recommended for ages 3–5.

Learn more>

Preschool Tales

Presented by OCLS’ Professional Storytelling Troupe

No Registration Required

Tuesday June 30 10:15am

West Oaks Branch and Genealogy Center (West Oaks - Sarchet Community Room)

Event Categories: Storytime

Through picture books, songs, and stories, preschoolers (ages 3–5) build early literacy skills and prepare for reading and writing by talking, singing, reading, and playing.

Learn more>

Mindful Play Learning: Yoga for Preschoolers

Registration Required

Tuesday June 30 10:15am

Eatonville Branch (Eatonville - Meeting Room)

Event Categories: Health & Wellness

Each session is themed and playfully uses yoga and imagination to teach early learners social-emotional skills, support cognitive development and enhance creativity. Recommended for ages 3–5.

Learn more>

More Early Learning Events >