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Modern Favs

Modern gems en route to becoming classics

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Modern Favs, Rhythmic, Alphabet

There is always enough room on your child’s bookshelf for this Classic Board Book edition of the rollicking alphabet chant that has been a children’s favorite for over thirty years! A told B, and B told C, “I’ll meet you at the top of the coconut tree” In this lively alphabet rhyme, all the letters of the alphabet race each other up the coconut tree. Will there be enough room? Oh, no—Chicka Chicka Boom! Boom! Countless children—and their parents—can joyfully recite the familiar words of this beloved alphabet chant. Bill Martin, Jr., and John Archambault’s rhythmic text keeps the beat with Caldecott Honor illustrator Lois Ehlert’s bold, cheerful art. This winning combination has made the Chicka Chicka series an enduring classic.
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 34835 votes, reviews

Bill Martin Jr.

Grumpy Monkey

Emotions, Modern Favs

The smash-hit #1 New York Times bestselling picture book about feeling your feelings is now available as a board book! Jim the chimpanzee is in a terrible mood for no good reason. His friends can't understand it--how can he be in a bad mood when it's SUCH a beautiful day? They encourage him not to hunch, to smile, and to do things that make THEM happy. But Jim can't take all the advice...and has a bit of a meltdown. Could it be that he just needs a day to feel grumpy? Suzanne and Max Lang's hilarious approach to this very important lesson is now in a toddler-friendly board book format! It is an excellent case study in the dangers of putting on a happy face and demonstrates to kids that they are allowed to feel their feelings (though they should be careful of hurting others in the process!).
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 23506 votes, reviews

Suzanne Lang

I've Loved You Since Forever

Celebrity Authors, Lovey Dovey, Modern Favs, Adoption

I’ve Loved You Since Forever is a celebratory and poetic testament to the timeless love felt between parent and child. This beautiful picture book is inspired by Today show co-anchor Hoda Kotb’s heartwarming adoption of her baby girl, Haley Joy. With Kotb’s lyrical text and stunning pictures by Suzie Mason, young ones and parents will want to snuggle up and read the pages of this book together, over and over again. In the universe, there was you and there was me, waiting for the day our stars would meet. . . Makes a lovely gift for baby showers, Mother's Day, and more. Plus don't miss Hoda Kotb and Suzie Mason's beautiful follow-up picture book, You Are My Happy.
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 21028 votes, reviews

Hoda Kotb

God Gave Us You

Christian, Modern Favs

ECPA BESTSELLER—Over one million copies sold! When a charming polar bear cub climbs into bed one night, she asks her Mama a very important question, one that little “human cubs” often wonder about, too: “Where did I come from?” As Mama bear tucks her youngest cub under the quilts, she gently, tenderly, and reassuringly communicates the message loving parents everywhere (bears and non-bears alike) want their little ones to hear: "We wanted you very, very much, and we are so very glad because—God gave us you." Perfect for bedtime, naptime, storytime or anytime, God Gave Us You provides a valuable opportunity to build children's self-esteem every day and assure each one that he or she truly is a welcomed, precious, and treasured gift from the Lord.
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 20200 votes, reviews

Lisa Tawn Bergren

Moo Baa La La La

Best of Boynton, Modern Favs

This raucous story about the sounds animals make—including three pigs who say "la la la!"—is just right for reading aloud. Serious silliness for all ages. Artist Sandra Boynton is back and better than ever with completely redrawn versions of her multi-million selling board books. These whimsical and hilarious books, featuring nontraditional texts and her famous animal characters, have been printed on thick board pages, and are sure to educate and entertain children of all ages.
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 17263 votes, reviews

Sandra Boynton

Little Blue Truck's Springtime

Modern Favs

Celebrate the beauty of springtime with the #1 New York Times best-selling Little Blue Truck! Beep! Beep! Little Blue Truck is out for a ride with his good friend Toad. The sun is shining and the flowers are blooming—it's a beautiful spring day! Who will they see along the way? Open the flaps to meet all of the sweet baby animals just born on the farm. Peep! Peep!
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 14378 votes, reviews

Alice Schertle

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On The Night You Were Born

Lovey Dovey, Modern Favs

On the night you were born, you brought wonder and magic to the world. The moon stayed up till morning. Polar bears danced. Here is a book that celebrates the one and only ever you! Now available in its entirety in board book format, Nancy Tillman's masterpiece is perfect for acknowledging the special people in our lives that they are loved.
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 14309 votes, reviews

Nancy Tillman

Little Blue Truck's Halloween

Modern Favs, Halloween, Lift the Flap

Celebrate Halloween with the #1 New York Times bestselling Little Blue Truck and friends! Beep! Beep! It’s Halloween! Little Blue Truck is picking up his animal friends for a costume party. Lift the flaps in this large, sturdy board book to find out who’s dressed up in each costume! Will Blue wear a costume too?
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 13445 votes, reviews

Alice Schertle

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Little Blue Truck Leads the Way

Modern Favs, Ethical Leadership

Zooom! Wooeeee . . . ! quot;Make way! quot;The big city sure is a speedy, noisy place for a country truck like Blue. Everywhere Blue looks, he sees buses, police cars, taxis, vans, a street sweeper, and even the mayor's limousine. With everyone pushing to be first, soon there's a giant traffic jam! But even a wrangle-tangle is no match for Little Blue Truck, who comes to the rescue in true Blue style. Brimming with bright colors, sounds, and city energy, this adventure makes working together and taking turns more fun than ever.
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 12310 votes, reviews

Alice Schertle

Peek-a Who?

Modern Favs, Permanence, Lift the Flap

"A board book that's become a staple for baby showers and first libraries, little ones love Nina Laden's simple rhyming text and peek a boo cutouts." Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor Colorful pictures and simple rhyming texts help children guess what's peeking through the die cut windows in these two fun board books. The anticipation of what's hiding on the next page and the bright, engaging illustrations will keep youngsters guessing and giggling all the way to the suprise endings.
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 11119 votes, reviews

Nina Laden

Llama Llama Red Pajama

Modern Favs, Bedtime

Baby Llama turns bedtime into an all-out llama drama in this rhyming read-aloud favorite! Llama Llama’s tale of nighttime drama has charmed readers for over a decade and makes an ideal story for bedtime reading. With this board book edition, Anna Dewdney’s infectious rhyming text and expressive artwork are availabe to the youngest readers. Children will relate to Baby Llama's need for comfort, as much as parents will appreciate Mama Llama's reassuring message.
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 11074 votes, reviews

Anna Dewdney

The Gruffalo's Child

Modern Favs, Bravery

The Gruffalo said that no gruffalo should Ever set foot in the deep dark wood. But one wild and windy night the Gruffalo's child disobeys her father's warnings and ventures out into the snow. After all, the Big Bad Mouse doesn't really exist... does he? The Gruffalo's Child is the number one bestselling, much-loved sequel to the worldwide picture-book phenomenon that is The Gruffalo. Julia Donaldson's trademark rhyming text and Axel Scheffler's brilliant, characterful illustrations combine once more to ensure that the Gruffalo's Child has followed firmly in her father's footsteps and that her story is one that children will ask for again, and again... and again!
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 10674 votes, reviews

Julia Donaldson

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes

Modern Favs, Colors

Don't miss the first and bestselling book in the beloved Pete the Cat series! Pete the Cat goes walking down the street wearing his brand-new white shoes. Along the way, his shoes change from white to red to blue to brown to WET as he steps in piles of strawberries, blueberries, and other big messes! But no matter what color his shoes are, Pete keeps movin' and groovin' and singing his song...because it's all good. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes asks the reader questions about the colors of different foods and objects—kids love to interact with the story. The fun never stops—download the free groovin’ song.
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 10253 votes, reviews

James Dean

The Color Monster

Emotions, Modern Favs

Unpack feelings with color in this international bestseller that helps young readers identify emotions and feel more in control. One day, Color Monster wakes up feeling very confused. His emotions are all over the place; he feels angry, happy, calm, sad, and scared all at once! To help him, a little girl shows him what each feeling means through color. As this adorable monster learns to sort and define his mixed up emotions, he gains self-awareness and peace as a result. Everyone will enjoy sharing this concept book that taps into both socio-emotional growth and color concepts in a simple, friendly way.
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 10044 votes, reviews

Anna Llenas

An Elephant & Piggie Biggie (Volume 1)

Modern Favs

Mo Willems, a #1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator, celebrates ten years of Elephant & Piggie in this special bind-up collection: Today I Will Fly!; Watch Me Throw the Ball!; Can I Play Too?; the award-winning Let's Go For a Drive!; and I Really Like Slop!
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 9596 votes, reviews

Mo Willems

Little Blue Truck's Valentine

Valentines, Modern Favs

Spread the love with Little Blue Truck—a perfect Valentine's Day read-aloud in this best-selling series! "Beep!" said Blue. "Happy Valentine's Day!" Join Little Blue Truck as he delivers Valentine's Day cards to all his farm animal friends. But as Blue beeps along, he starts to wonder: will he get any cards of his own? With brightly colored foil accents throughout and a large gatefold at the end, this book is the perfect Valentine's Day gift.
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 9510 votes, reviews

Alice Schertle

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Everything Is Mama

Celebrity Authors, Modern Favs

Everything is . . . MAMA! Jimmy Fallon, one of the most popular entertainers in the world and NBC's Tonight Show host, was on a mission with his first children's book to have every baby's first word be DADA. And it worked! A lot of babies' first words were DADA. However, everything after that was MAMA. So take a lighthearted look at the world from your baby's point of view as different animals try to teach their children that there are other words in addition to MAMA for familiar objects and activities, now available in board book.
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 9304 votes, reviews

Jimmy Fallon

Sneezy the Snowman

Modern Favs

B-R-R-R-R! AH-CHOO! Sneezy the Snowman is cold, cold, cold. To warm up, he drinks cocoa, sits in a hot tub, stands near a warm fire–and melts! But the children know just what to do to build him up again–and make him feel “just right”. Hilarity chills the air with playful mixed-media illustrations by Stephen Gilpin as Sneezy attempts to warm himself with some silly results.
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 8384 votes, reviews

Maureen Wright

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Little Blue Truck

Modern Favs

Beep! Beep! Beep! Meet Blue. A muddy country road is no match for this little pick up--that is, until he gets stuck while pushing a dump truck out of the muck. Luckily, Blue has made a pack of farm animal friends along his route. And they're willing to do whatever it takes to get their pal back on the road. With a text full of truck sounds and animal noises to read aloud, here is a rollicking homage to the power of friendship and the rewards of helping others.
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 8219 votes, reviews

Alice Schertle

An Elephant & Piggie Biggie (Volume 2)

Modern Favs

Titles include: I Am Going! We Are in a Book! I Broke My Trunk! Listen to My Trumpet! I'm a Frog!
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 8164 votes, reviews

Mo Willems

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The Mitten

Modern Favs

In this bestselling modern classic, a young boy’s lost mitten leads to a charming snowy adventure. Jan Brett’s beautiful retelling makes a perfect holiday gift. When Nicki drops his white mitten in the snow, he goes on without realizing that it is missing. One by one, woodland animals find it and crawl in; first, a curious mole, then a rabbit, a badger and others, each one larger than the last. Finally, a big brown bear is followed in by a tiny brown mouse and what happens next makes for a wonderfully funny climax. As the story of the animals in the mitten unfolds, the reader can see Nicki in the borders of each page, walking through the woods unaware of what is going on. In her distinctive style, Jan Brett brings the animals to life with warmth and humor, and her illustrations are full of visual delights and details faithful to the Ukrainian tradition from which the story comes.
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 6626 votes, reviews

Jan Brett

An Elephant & Piggie Biggie (Volume 3)

Modern Favs

From award-winning, best-selling author and illustrator Mo Willems comes a bind-up of five Elephant & Piggie adventures to help foster early readers' problem-solving skills. Titles include: There is a Bird on Your Head!; Are You Ready to Play Outside?; Elephants Cannot Dance!; Should I Share My Ice Cream?; and I Will Take a Nap!
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 6144 votes, reviews

Mo Willems

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The Very Busy Spider

Modern Favs, Perseverance, Strong Female Leads

From bestselling author and illustrator Eric Carle, the creator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, comes another classic tale about one very busy spider. A perfect gift to share with the child or grandchild in your life. Early one morning a little spider spins her web on a fence post. One by one, the animals of the nearby farm try to distract her, yet the busy little spider keeps diligently at her work. When she is done, she is able to show everyone that not only is her creation quite beautiful, it is also quite useful! This multi-sensory board book allows children to feel the pictures as well as see them, and is the perfect size for little hands. With its rhythmic text, The Very Busy Spider becomes an experience to touch, to see, and to hear.
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 6018 votes, reviews

Eric Carle

The Pigeon Needs a Bath!

Growth Mindset, NY Times Best Sellers

The Pigeon really needs a bath! Except, the Pigeon's not so sure about that. Besides, he took a bath last month! Maybe. It's going to take some serious convincing to try and get the Pigeon to take the plunge.
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 5488 votes, reviews

Mo Willems

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Modern Favs, Perseverance

When a bus driver takes a break from his route, a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take his place-a pigeon! But you've never met one like this before. As he pleads, wheedles, and begs his way through the book, children will love being able to answer back and decide his fate.
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 5307 votes, reviews

Mo Willems

Change Sings

Diversity, Modern Favs, Thinking Big

A lyrical picture book debut from #1 New York Times bestselling author and presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman and #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Loren Long "I can hear change humming In its loudest, proudest song. I don't fear change coming, And so I sing along." In this stirring, much-anticipated picture book by presidential inaugural poet and activist Amanda Gorman, anything is possible when our voices join together. As a young girl leads a cast of characters on a musical journey, they learn that they have the power to make changes—big or small—in the world, in their communities, and in most importantly, in themselves. With lyrical text and rhythmic illustrations that build to a dazzling crescendo by #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Loren Long, Change Sings is a triumphant call to action for everyone to use their abilities to make a difference.
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 4862 votes, reviews

Amanda Gorman

The Jolly Postman

Modern Favs

This nostalgic classic, including real letters, is a must-have for every child! This gorgeously illustrated, full-color classic celebrates a time before email by depicting amusing correspondence between fairy tale and Mother Goose characters. What could possibly be in a letter from Goldilocks to the Three Bears? Who would write to the Wicked Witch? Open this book, take out the letters, and discover what favorite characters would write to each other--and reimagine best-loved tales together.
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 4859 votes, reviews

Allan Ahlberg

Elephant & Piggie: The Complete Collection (25 Book Set)

Modern Favs

Gerald is careful. Piggie is not. Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can. Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to. Gerald and Piggie are best friends. Read all of Elephant & Piggie's funny adventures with the complete collection of all 25 titles. Create an instant Elephant & Piggie library with the sturdy metallic Elephant & Piggie bookends included with each set. Mo Willems' number one New York Times best-selling Elephant & Piggie series has won two Theodor Seuss Geisel Awards and five Theodor Seuss Geisel Honors! Collect them all in this deluxe box set.
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 4212 votes, reviews

Mo Willems

Just Me and My Mom

Modern Favs

Head to the big city with Little Critter and his mom in this adventurous picture book that makes for the perfect Mother's Day present! Mercer Mayer's Little Critter is spending a special day with his mom in this classic, funny, and heartwarming story. Whether the duo is at the museum, the aquarium, or the toy store, both parents and children alike will relate to Little Critter’s beloved story. A perfect gift for Mother’s Day . . . or any day!
average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 3496 votes, reviews

Mercer Mayer

Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?

Modern Favs

Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? is the final collaboration from this bestselling author-illustrator team.Young readers will enjoy Baby Bear's quest to find Mama, and they'll revel in identifying each of the native North American animals that appear along the way. The central focus on the special bond between mama and baby makes a fitting finale to a beloved series. Now in board-book format for the youngest readers.
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 3138 votes, reviews

Bill Martin Jr.

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I Broke My Trunk!

Honesty, Modern Favs

Gerald is careful. Piggie is not. Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can. Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to. Gerald and Piggie are best friends. In I Broke My Trunk! Gerald tells Piggie the long, crazy story about breaking his trunk. Will Piggie end up with a long, crazy story of her own? Once again, Mo Willems creates another hilarious escapade starring the Geisel Award-winning duo. Vetted by an early-learning specialist, I Broke My Trunk! will have readers breaking into laughter left and right!
average rating is 4.9 out of 5, based on 1824 votes, reviews

Mo Willems

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Modern Favs

meaningful additions

Children learn and hear more than we think.  Books provide context for new and potentially confusing topics, and give caregivers a way to approach complex topics.

Balanced Rocks
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