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 Tales

Presented by OCLS’ Professional Storytelling Troupe

No Registration Required

Wednesday August 19 10:15am

North Orange Branch (North Orange - Ask at Desk)

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.

Preschool Tales

Presented by OCLS’ Professional Storytelling Troupe

No Registration Required

Wednesday August 19 10:15am

Southeast Branch (Children's Area)

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.

Toddler Storytime: T is for Teacher

No Registration Required

Wednesday August 19 10:30am

Alafaya Branch (Alafaya - Meeting Room 1)

Event Categories: Storytime

Toddlers will explore a playful mix of songs, rhymes, and stories while building early literacy skills and having fun. Recommended for ages 18–36 months.

More Early Learning Events >