Picture books- Reading together

Alfred and Rex talked for hours. Alfred said he liked sleeping in the sun, dog food, and scratching. Rex did too. Rex said he hated baths and going to the vet. Alfred did too.

A little pug dog learns he's lovable just the way he is.

Alfred the pug dog thinks he's unlovable. Other dogs make fun of his tiny legs and funny face. The cat and the parrot and even the goldfish tease him. Then a new dog, Rex, moves in next door. Because Alfred wants a friend so badly, he tells Rex a little fib about himself. But what will happen when Rex learns the truth? Will he find Alfred unlovable too?

Dan Yaccarino has created a charming story about a little pug who learns the true meaning of friendship.

Hunter and Stripe are best friends. This young raccoon pair loves to do everything together, like dress in striped sweaters, read the same stories, and even eat the same lunch -- a crawfish sandwich, huckleberries, and milk. But when Stripe arrives one day at school in a mischief-making mood and starts stirring up trouble in Mr. Ringtail's class, should Hunter follow along?

Laura Malone Elliott and Lynn Munsinger introduce two delightful pals who will entertain young children as they also provide an important look at peer pressure and first friendships.

Our heroine is no fool; she knows her limitations, but doesn't let them destroy her ambitions, any more than she lets the henhouse walls keep her a prisoner. And she's not above causing a little havoc along the way once the other three thousand, three hundred thirty-three chickens find her escape route, chaos reigns in the barnyard, by the pond, and among the wheat fields.

Whether Henrietta achieves her dreams is debatable, but through her persistence and her resolute belief in herself, she does manage to change the lives of everyone in the henhouse for the better.

This delightful fable is the first book by Hanna Johansen to be published in English. The spirited pen-and-ink illustrations by Käthi Bhend, printed in two colors, capture the henhouse denizens and their frenetic escapades down to the last feather.

Frances and Thelma are friends -- most of the time

Thelma always seems to get Frances into trouble. When she tricks Frances into buying her tea set, it's the last straw. Can Frances show her that it's better to lose a bargain than lose a friend?