Guji Guji

I cannot believe this book is out of print. It is, without question, one of the best picture books of all time. Simple, sweet, and the pictures are gorgeous. If you haven't read this before, you should. Now. Even better if you read it aloud to a child. 

Perfect.

Ages 3 and up.

Lunchtime

This is a perfect book for your toddler or a perfect gift for a young child. So cute, the pictures will occupy them for hours. It's fun for even grown-ups to look at and imagine!

It's lunchtime for one little girl, but she's just not hungry. A visiting crocodile, bear and wolf, however, are starving. It's just as well that children taste revolting! A beautifully illustrated tale of food, friendship and fun from an exciting new talent, Rebecca Cobb.

Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animals Lives

This is such a beautiful book. We love it. LOVE it. Perfect for your young children learning how to count or your older naturalist. Calvin is writing his own book like this, because it is interesting to think about the connection between numbers and nature. Combine these ideas with the texture of the pages and the gorgeous illustrations, and you have a family keepsake, not just a book.

Ages 3 and up.

From Amazon:

In one lifetime, a caribou will shed 10 sets of antlers, a woodpecker will drill 30 roosting holes, a giraffe will wear 200 spots, a seahorse will birth 1,000 babies.

Count each one and many more while learning about the wondrous things that can happen in just one lifetime. This extraordinary book collects animal information not available anywhere else—and shows all 30 roosting holes, all 200 spots, and, yes!, all 1,000 baby seahorses in eye-catching illustrations. A book about picturing numbers and considering the endlessly fascinating lives all around us, Lifetime is sure to delight young nature lovers.

Crankenstein

Do I need to say anything else?

(Ages 3 and up.)

Oh, okay, and here's the description from Amazon:

BEWARE OF CRANKENSTEIN!

Who is Crankenstein?

HE IS A MONSTER OF GRUMPINESS THAT NO ONE CAN DESTROY! MEHHRRRR!!! HE'S ALIVE!

He may look like any ordinary boy, but when faced with a rainy day, a melting popsicle, or an early bedtime, one little boy transforms into a mumbling, grumbling Crankenstein. When Crankenstein meets his match in a fellow Crankenstein, the results could be catastrophic--or they could be just what he needs to brighten his day!

Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted to be Noticed

Ninjas are have problems too. Read this book and you'll know why. 

Ages 3 and up

From Amazon:

Ninjas are supposed to be silent and stealthy. This creates problems for Wink, a ninja in training who has a flamboyant streak. The desire to be in the spotlight causes Master Zutsu to send him home several times with admonishments that read like proverbs: "The loudest cricket is the first to be caught" and "The blossom that flaunts its color is soon plucked." Wink's grandmother tries to cheer him up and shares a few proverbial sayings of her own, including "Time spent laughing is time well spent" and "Sometimes a worry must rest." After a particularly disastrous outing to the panda pen at the zoo, Wink encounters a boy practicing acrobatic tricks and realizes that he has found his special talent. This charming story ends with Master Zutsu and Grandmother receiving tickets to the Lucky Dragon Circus. After watching Wink, aka "the Nimble Ninja," perform, Grandmother remarks, "Your smile has come home." Phillipps's debut is an auspicious one. The story's oft-told message of acceptance has been invigorated with originality and humor. The collage-style illustrations often appear to have a three-dimensional effect and Wink practically bounds off the pages with barely contained energy.

 

Shark vs Train

So I'm the only person in this world who hadn't seen this book, and you probably own it already, and it is probably old news for you, but Flannery got this for Christmas, and we thought it was pretty darn awesome:

Ages 3 and up

From Amazon:
Shark VS. Train! WHO WILL WIN?!
If you think Superman vs. Batman would be an exciting matchup, wait until you see Shark vs. Train. In this hilarious and wacky picture book, Shark and Train egg each other on for one competition after another, including burping, bowling, Ping Pong, piano playing, pie eating, and many more! Who do YOU think will win, Shark or Train?