Early Childhood Education

2015 Caldecott Medal. An imaginary friend waits a long time to be imagined by a child and given a special name, and finally does the unimaginable--he sets out on a quest to find his perfect match in the real world.

2012 Caldecott Medal. A wordless picture book showing the fun a dog has with her ball, and what happens when it is lost. This story is about what it is like to lose something special, and find a friend.

Eight-year-old Garang, orphaned by a civil war in Sudan, finds the inner strength to help lead other boys as they trek hundreds of miles seeking safety in Ethiopia, then Kenya, and finally in the United States. Coretta Scott King Honor, illustrator, 2006.

When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl. George thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part ... because she's a boy. With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.

2006 Caldecott Medal. Looking through the kitchen window, a little girl and her doting grandparents watch stars, play games, and, most importantly, say hello and goodbye.

Jenna, a member of the Muscogee, or Creek, Nation, borrows jingles from the dresses of several friends and relatives so that she can perform the jingle dance at the powwow. Includes a note about the jingle dance tradition and its regalia.

On a gray, rainy day, everything seems particularly frightening and bad to Louise until she enters a library and finds books that help her to know and imagine the beauty and wonder that have been there all along.

Harriet Tubman -- Helen Keller -- Clara Lemlich -- Nellie Bly -- Virginia Apgar -- Maria Tallchief -- Claudette Colvin -- Ruby Bridges -- Margaret Chase Smith -- Sally Ride -- Florence Griffith Joyner -- Oprah Winfrey -- Sonia Sotomayor.

A collection of stories, poems, and songs celebrating "the best things in life--family, friendship, giving, thankfulness, and love ..." (jkt.). Did you ever dream of talking to a mermaid? Can you imagine facing off with a bully who barely reaches your knees? What would you do with a box of golden coins? Have you ever said thank you to ... a button? And how would you respond if you met a magic genie who asked you for a handout instead of granting you a wish? Free to Be ... You and Me creator Marlo Thomas has once again produced a joyful volume for children and the grown-ups in their lives. Reaching into the heads and hearts of our most acclaimed writers, artists, and performers, Thanks & Giving celebrates the best things in life -- family, friendship, giving, thankfulness, and love (and just for fun, a few of their opposites -- stinginess, bullying, ingratitude, and the occasional urge to stamp your feet and throw a fit). From Tiger Woods and Maurice Sendak to Hilary Duff and Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo, this colorful collection of stories, poems, and songs will take readers on a lighthearted and thoughtful (but never overserious) adventure. Whether you're gazing at the brilliant child's-eye paintings of illustrator Eric Carle, or laughing out loud at the off-the-wall humor of Mel Brooks, you'll enjoy every step of the magical journey that the creators of Thanks & Giving have planned for you: Delight in Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's fractured fable starring a mouse, a bird, and a sausage who learn all about sharing -- the hard way. Hold on tight as Rosie Perez recounts the tale of a little girl confronted with a heart-stopping decision. Rock along with Kevin and Michael Bacon's funky valentine to sibling rivalry and brotherly love. And laugh with Ray Romano as he reveals how his life was changed by a giant burrito. Designed for both cover-to-cover reading and selective excerpting (when you can't refuse that last impassioned call for "One more story!" just before lights-out), this sparkling anthology also includes marvelous contributions from Avi, Shel Silverstein, Tom Chapin, Arthur creator Marc Brown, Matt Groening, Deepak Chopra, Donald Trump, Frankie Muniz, Walter Dean Myers, Paul Newman, Sumner Redstone, Jerry Pinkney, Whoopi Goldberg, Sonia Manzano, the Sesame Street Muppets, Julianne Moore, Ed Koren, Wendy Wasserstein, and Paul O. Zelinsky.

An illustrated collection of over 200 Mother Goose nursery rhymes.