Storytime: New & Notable Picture Books (16)

This week's Storytime features adorable nonfiction about the struggle to love spiders, a wish gone wrong, a bossy moose, finding magic in the ordinary, and the power of please!

I'm Trying to Love Spiders

Written & Illustrated by Bethany Barton
Ages 4-8, Available 7/7/2015

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Goodreads

The Official Spider Test.
What do you do when you see a spider?

a. Lay on a BIG spidey smoocheroo.

b. Smile, but back away slowly.

c. Grab the closest object, wind up, and let it fly.

d. Run away screaming.

If you chose b, c, or d, then this book is for you! (If you chose a, you might be crazy.)

I’m Trying to Love Spiders will help you see these amazing arachnids in a whole new light, from their awesomely excessive eight eyes, to the seventy-five pounds of bugs a spider can eat in a single year! And you’re sure to feel better knowing you have a better chance of being struck by lightning than being fatally bit by a spider. Comforting, right? No? Either way, there’s heaps more information in here to help you forget your fears . . . or at least laugh a lot!

I do not like spiders, but I loved this book! Facts about spiders told in a funny, engaging format. This is definitely for younger listeners and will make a fun read aloud. 

Templeton Gets His Wish
Written & Illustrated by Greg Pizzoli
Ages 4-8

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Templeton the cat doesn't like his parents telling him to clean up, and he really doesn't like when his brothers steal his toys. So, he makes a wish on a magic diamond, and his family disappears!

At first, Templeton is over the moon. He's free to lounge and play all day, and he never has to take a bath. But being alone might not always be as fun as he'd thought. Will another wish on the magic diamond get Templeton what he really wants?

Greg Pizzoli, the Geisel Award-winning author/illustrator of The Watermelon Seed, uses his signature humor, vibrant graphics, and a touch of magic to bring this mischievous tabby to life.

I adore Greg Pizzoli's picture books and this newest offering is no exception! Kids will easily relate to Templeton's wish that his family (and their demands that he take a bath, do his chores, and stop lounging around) would just disappear. But, when Templeton's wish comes true, he realizes that getting everything you want has its downsides.
 

But What About Moose?
Written by Corey Rosen Schwartz & Rebecca J. Gomez; Illustrated by Keika Yamaguchi
Ages 4-8

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Goodreads

It takes a team to build a tree house, but what if that team includes one very bossy moose?

When Fox, Toad, Bear, Porcupine, and Skunk set out to build a tree house, they know just what to do: they'll follow a plan and they'll work as a team. But when bossy Moose barges in and upends their plans with some of his own, his friends become more and more frustrated until things go hilariously awry!

This lively rhyming picture book is pure, bouncy fun even as it imparts a subtle lesson about teamwork. Young readers will love to chant along: But what about you, Moose!

When a group of animal friends decides to build a tree house, one little moose loses sight of his friendships and lets his bossiness go to his head. Told in rhyme this story about the importance of teamwork is a fun read aloud.

Something Extraordinary
Written & Illustrated by Ben Clanton
Ages 4-8

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Goodreads

Amazing things are happening all around you. You just need to know where to look and this whimsical picture book is the perfect place to start.

Have you ever wished for something extraordinary? Like the ability to fly? Or to breathe underwater? What if you could talk to animals?

It's fun to wish for amazing things. But take a look around, and you just might find that the most ordinary things can be extraordinary.

This newest offering from Clanton (Mo's Mustache) is a quiet, sparsely worded celebration of everyday magic. I adored the illustrations in this one!
 

One Word from Sophia
Written by Jim Averbeck; Illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail
Ages 4-8

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Goodreads

Sophia tries varied techniques to get the giraffe she wants more than anything in this playfully illustrated story about the nuances of negotiation.

Sophia has one true desire for her birthday. But she has Four Big Problems in the way: Mom, Dad, Uncle Conrad...and Grand-mama.

Will her presentations, proposals, and pie charts convince them otherwise?

Turns out, all it takes is one word.

I have SO much love for this book! Sophia is sure she can convince her family let her get a pet giraffe. She approaches each family member with a different (hilarious) negotiation technique, only to have her request denied. In the end, it only takes one little word...

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Love any of the books featured this week? Let me know in the comments!