2013 Children's Choices-Beginner Readers (Grade K-2)

It starts with a grumbling tummy.

And a dream of something yummy.

What is it time for?

Pancakes!

Tyler and his dog, Tofu, are hungry for blueberry pancakes.

They are so good to eat—all fluffy and juicy and hot. But the real fun is making them.

First you need a chicken, a cow, a few blueberry bushes, some special trees, and lots of mixing, flipping, and topping.

Chickens? Trees? We're still talking pancakes, right?

Yes we are, and Tyler and Tofu find out just how it's done, all before sitting down for the best breakfast ever!

Do you think pancakes come from a box? Not really! So let Food Network star Tyler Florence and Craig Frazier take you on an adventure from farm to mouth. You'll learn how we get the best ingredients and discover that the most important one of all comes from the heart.

Who messed with my ducks?

Splat the Cat notices that something isn't quite right in his house. First his father's duck decoys start to go missing. Then they are mysteriously returned but, strangely enough, without their beaks! Who could possibly be causing all of this trouble? To solve the mystery, Splat musters up his courage and rises to the challenge as Secret Agent Splat.

This wacky cat-and-mouse story from bestselling author and illustrator Rob Scotton will have readers laughing from beginning to end.

Little Miss planted a kiss . . .

One small act of love blooms into something bigger and more dazzling than Little Miss could have ever imagined in this epic journey aboutlife, kindness, and giving.

New York Times bestselling author Amy Krouse Rosenthal and award-winning illustrator Peter H. Reynolds have teamed together for the first time, creating what may soon prove to be a perennial favorite.

Most piglets want to be pigs when they grow up. Not Liam. He wants to be a bunny. Even if it takes a lot of practice to learn how to hop...and to eat salad. Even if no one believes that a piggy can be a bunny. With a lot of determination, and a little help from his grandma, Liam is determined to make his dream come true.

For children who put on a cape or a tutu, who dream of being someone or something different, Piggy Bunny offers a reassuring and fun opportunity to believe in themselves.

Poor Pig! He just wants to take a nap, but his barnyard pals are making a terrible racket. Cow gabs on her cell phone, Cat pops balloons, and Hen saws. Pig hatches a plan to block all the noise. In a surprise ending, Pig learns that his friends have been planning a birthday party just for him. So much for napping!

Hilarious illustrations, a fun story line, and an easily decodable text make for a real treat for new readers.

Pete the Cat is wearing his favorite shirt—the one with the four totally groovy buttons. But when one falls off, does Pete cry? Goodness, no! He just keeps on singing his song—after all, what could be groovier than three groovy buttons? Count down with Pete in this rocking new story from the creators of the bestselling Pete the Cat books.

Thought-provoking visual illusions and characters that are bright, bold, and original accompany a text that is pleasing to the ear yet just right for the newest reader.

Mice skate on ice. As they skate, their blades leave lines that depict a cat. Magically, the cat appears, colorful, graphic, and three-dimensional. What happens next? Why, the cat and the mice skate together!

Sam the library mouse and his friend Sarah are off on a new adventure. This time they leave the library behind and go to a museum so Sam can make sketches in his explorer's journal. Sarah isn't so sure that explorers have the time or the interest to write in journals. But Sam shows her that a journal can contain anything, from a ticket stub to drawings of cool things like dinosaurs and ancient Egyptian mummies. As they explore the museum, they see all kinds of art and unexpectedly make friends with another artist.

The latest book in this bestselling series is sure to entice readers to come along on the museum adventure.

Poor Lenore! None of the other animals at Bedlam Farm welcome her. Even Rose the border collie is too busy to play. But Lenore refuses to give up, and when she licks a grumpy ram named Brutus―right on the nose!―an unexpected friendship begins.

Jon Katz's irresistible photographs chronicle this true story of a dog determined to make friends.

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs is a new take on the fairy-tale classic Goldilocks and the Three Bears, so funny and so original—it could only come from the brilliant mind of Mo Willems.

Once upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur . . . and a Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway.

One day—for no particular reason—they decided to tidy up their house, make the beds, and prepare pudding of varying temperatures. And then—for no particular reason—they decided to go . . . someplace else. They were definitely not setting a trap for some succulent, unsupervised little girl.

Definitely not!

Supports the Common Core State Standards.

A fly enters a concert hall and causes a commotion among the audience and performers alike in this funny and easy-to-read picture book. In the wake of a fly's flight, a wig flips, eyeglasses fall, and a lollipop is launched. Musicians BANG and BOOM as they try to get that fly! All fail, and the chaos culminates when an overzealous singer, flyswatter in hand, leaps off the stage. The audience applauds enthusiastically for the greatest display of showmanship they have ever seen.

David Catrow pays homage to the slapstick films of the last century with masterfully rendered artwork and an understated text that has a music of its own.

In this hilarious bedtime story, a monster is licking his lips . . . maybe he's thinking about eating a bedtime snack? And what if that snack just happened to be you? Gulp! He's getting closer and closer . . . and his tummy is rumbling really loudly. But all this monster actually wants is a sloppy monster-sized goodnight kiss!