2024 Summer Reading: Preschool Book List

This is a snoot. Snoots need boops. A boop is a pat. A gentle tap. Get your finger ready and . . . BOOP! There are so many snoots to boop! Snoots attached to big dogs and little dogs and dogs with beards and those without. Are you ready to boop ALL the snoots!?

Skunk wants to be a dog. EVERYONE loves dogs. And every dog seems to have exactly what he's looking for: a home and a family. When Skunk sees a "lost" poster for Max the dog, he wonders if he can pass himself off as the missing pet. He enlists the help of three neighborhood critters--a racoon, a cat, and a squirrel--who train him in the art of being a dog with hilarious results. But, uh-oh, there's just one thing Skunk didn't account for . . . Will it prevent him from finding a home where he belongs?

Everyone knows the rhyme "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." We know about the climb up the waterspout, the washout, the return of the sun, and the determined climb back up the spout--again. Generations of children have sung this beloved verse and mastered its accompanying twisty finger play. But what sent the tiny spider on his upward trek to begin with? What happened along the way--and where is Itsy now? Steve Light--with his meticulously rendered, highly detailed pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations and an endearing cast of insect characters--riffs on a classic as he offers some surprising answers, ushering us into a charming tale of perseverance, kindness, and community. And it all starts when a branch falls from a tree . . .

Mister Kitty is missing somewhere inside this book! Will you help us find him? Join the hunt for five yellow spots, four orange paws, three purple bells, and more, exploring numbers and colors along the way in an interactive countdown all leading to the BIGGEST twist at the end!

An emotionally unaware tornado carves a path of destruction until it picks up a very empathetic cow in this quirky and sweet picture book about compassion and navigating negative emotions. Tornado is on a rampage. It tosses cars and knocks over barns. Tornado is also angry, only it doesn't know that or want to admit it. Then Tornado picks up Cow. Oh, no! Cow would like to be put down. Fortunately, Cow is a good listener. And sometimes Tornado just needs to be heard.

King Penguin is off to find subjects who will listen to him-as long as they don't eat him first, in this cheeky tale by beloved author-illustrator Vanessa Roeder Percival the King Penguin doesn't think he's asking for too much when he makes all the rules-he is a king after all. But he's tired of the other penguins protesting, so he's off to find subjects who are more obedient and supportive. But it won't be the seals. Or the whales. And definitely not the rude sardines. As Percival gets chased away by every new group of potential subjects, he'll have to learn how to put his best flipper forward and live in a community, not a kingdom.

It's the last day at the construction site and Cranky the crane truck is feeling, well, cranky. And he doesn't want to talk about it. His friends Zippy, Wheezy, and Dump Chuck try to cheer him up. But you know what doesn't help when you're feeling cranky A lot of talking. But what will help?

A stray cat follows her love of books all the way to a new library home in this charming debut picture book that's "catnip for librarians and young book lovers alike" ( School Library Journal , starred review). Clarisse is a clever cat who loves books. She may not understand the dark, squiggly lines, but she can't get enough of the pictures. One day, she stumbles upon a magical building where people walk in empty-handed and come out with an armload of books. She has to find a way inside! There's just one problem: NO CATS are allowed in the library! That's not going to stop clever Clarisse, though. Once she sneaks in, she stumbles upon exciting new stories and even helps a little girl practice reading aloud. But when the librarian comes looking, will Clarisse be allowed to stay?

You're told that this won't work, but how will you know If you never try? Sometimes the world feels broken. And problems seem too big to fix. But somehow, we all have the power to make a difference. With a little faith, and maybe the help of a friend, together we can find beauty and create change. With intimate and inspiring text and powerfully stunning illustrations, Something, Someday reveals how even the smallest gesture can have a lasting impact.

What happens when you knock on an egg? Flip a plate of sloppy spaghetti? Clap your hands near a tree full of birds?...OOPS! When children might otherwise be encouraged to be careful or quiet, in Oops!they are invited to explore cause and effect in mischievous scenarios without the real-life consequences. The results are often surprising and always fun!

WARNING! This is a VERY scary story. It is the most spine-chilling story anyone could ever read. It takes place in a horrifying haunted house (okay, not that terrifying) . . . with a creepy creature (well, maybe not that creepy) . . . and its frightening friends (but are they that frightening?). Seriously. You're going to be scared right out of your underpants by these guys! There's no way they're the cutest little critters you've ever seen . . . right? Packed with humor and heart and adorable illustrations, this not-quite-scary story will keep you laughing until the very last page.

"You ate the story?" says one mouse to the other in this funny, heartfelt read-aloud with pitch-perfect repartee and Barney Saltzberg's signature take on the joys of creativity. Two mice-one big and one small-have a terrible problem. Little Mouse is looking for a story-they're in a book, after all!-and Big Mouse has to admit the truth. The story is gone. And (gasp!) he ate it. That is not okay with Little Mouse, who is all ready to hear a story and will settle for nothing less. Saltzberg's improvisational dialogue showcases both the patience required of true creativity and the dazzling on-the-spot storytelling that can happen when you get in the flow. In the end, these endearing mice work out their conflict- and make the reader realize that they've been delivering a story all along.