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When Mae the mayfly hatches, Mama says she only has a single day to see the world. How will that day unfold? First, Mae nearly gets eaten by a trout. Then she watches the sunrise over the river. She even gets to dance at a wild mayfly jamboree. But then Mae finds the trout once more—and this time, he needs her help. Will she free him from the fishing line? Or will she carefully protect the little time she has left?

In her one short day, May will encounter many wonders and even an important lesson: If we hope to experience everything—even the scary things—the world has to offer, we must learn to live fully in each moment.

Mae the Mayfly reminds readers that if we hope to enjoy our lives, we must be present and mindful every day. The story tenderly explores diverse perspectives, the beauty in small things, and the sweet brevity of life. It also touches on the impact of our actions, and how connected our experiences really are. Written by Denise Brennan-Nelson and illustrated by Florence Weiser, Mae the Mayfly is published by Sleeping Bear Press.

When Mae hatches, she only has a single day to see the world—a day bursting with danger, discoveries, and adventure.

Mae The Mayfly

New Books

Nature

There’s a bee box made of painted wood that stands in the corner of Jack’s yard. He built the box to give the bees a safe, dark, cool place to make honeycomb. Nearby wildflowers feed the honey bees, who fly back to their box to make nectar for their queen. Every now and then, Jack gathers up fresh honey from their hive.

What does Jack’s family do with all the honey? They smear it on toast and eat honeycomb with sliced apples. They put honey in their tea. They mix honey into yogurt and cough syrup to make them sweeter. And there’s something else Jack makes out of beeswax—something that smells wonderful and really lights up a room.

The Bee Box that Jack Built outlines the importance of bees and the many uses for honey, beeswax, and honeycomb. It also shows how plants, animals, and people can live in harmony, giving shelter and sustenance to one another. Written by Margo Linn, illustrated by Brian Fitzgerald, and published by Blue Apple Books.

There’s a box in the corner of Jack’s yard. It’s made of painted wood, and it’s buzzing with little possibilities.

The Bee Box that Jack Built

Be Resilient

Early Childhood

Storytime Favorites

Mozzie the mosquito lives near a pond, down in the meadow. The most beautiful butterflies flutter there all day long. And everyone adores the butterflies—Mozzie most of all. One day, Mozzie builds up her courage, takes a deep breath, and approaches the butterflies. “Can I flutter around with you?” she asks.

But the butterflies don’t hang out with mosquitos, they say. They only like to be around other butterflies, who look and act like they do. So Mozzie came up with a plan—a plan to become a butterfly herself. But when the unexpected happens, being a butterfly might not be so great. Mozzie might need to simply embrace who she’s been all along.

An inversion of the classic Ugly Duckling narrative, The Mozzie with a Sharp Snozzie is a sweet, non-threatening story about self-confidence, bullying, and feeling comfortable in one’s own skin. It also touches on the nature of true friendship and acceptance. Written and illustrated by Irina Goundortseva. Published by Big Sky Publishing.

Mozzie the mosquito adores the butterflies who flutter near the pond. So, Mozzie comes up with a plan to become one of them.

The Mozzie with a Sharp Snozzie

Creative Play

Foundational Reading

There are all the “normal” pets—cats, dogs, hamsters, and the other animals you’d find in a pet store. But then there are pets who do fantastic, superb, extraordinary things. Pets with wild hairdos. Pets who make noises like a trumpet. Pets who can walk super tall, lay eggs, and slither around. Even pets that are huggable or waterproof.

If you could wish for any animal as a pet, which would you choose? And what would make your pet unique? A friend to the end, a pet all your own. You’d just have to make a wish, find a leash, and walk them home.

Pairing kids with the creatures who fit their unique style, A Pet Like No Other embraces all the ways people (and their pets) can truly be one-of-a-kind. Gorgeously illustrated by French artist Barroux, A Pet Like No Other is written by Harriet Ziefert and published by Blue Apple Books.

Lots of people have a pet cat, or a dog, or a hamster. But what if you could have a pet that was totally unique?

A Pet Like No Other

Pierre lives at the zoo. He’s an African Penguin, which means he doesn’t like the ice. He prefers to be warm. One day, while feeding the penguins, a biologist named Pam noticed Pierre had lost all of his feathers. The other penguins were frightened by how Pierre looked—and because he had no feathers, he was too cold to swim in the water. What could Pam do to help?

Come along for the true-life story of how Pam set out to solve Pierre’s problem. Would a space heater fix the issue? Or maybe a penguin-sized wetsuit? One way or another, she was determined to keep Pierre warm until he’d grown new feathers of his own.

Pierre the Penguin follows the true story of how aquatic biologist Pam Schaller creatively helped a penguin in need. The narrative teaches about different breeds of penguins, molting, insulation, and other basic scientific concepts. Written by Jean Marzollo, illustrated by Laura Regan, and published by Sleeping Bear Press.

Come along for the true story of how Pierre lost his feathers, and his good friend Pam set out to help grow them back.

Pierre the Penguin

Language and Vocabulary

Like all dogs, this dog wants a treat. In fact, he’s desperate for one. When he sleeps, he dreams of treats—steamy hot dogs and fistfulls of cereal, sugary cupcakes and dripping ice cream bars. When he wakes, he wanders in search of tasty bites. He begs, and performs, and whines. But the toddler doesn’t share her food. The older brother is too busy drawing. Grandma is snoozing and grandpa is flossing and no one seems to understand what this dog needs!

Finally, sadly, the dog returns to his dreams of sweet, unreachable treats. Does the family even care that he hasn’t had a treat all day? Will he ever get one? Come along to find out!

A relatable story about dogs, treats, and the frustration that comes with not being understood, Treat is for anyone who's ever thrown a dog a bone. Written and illustrated by Mary Sullivan. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

This dog is desperate for a treat—but no matter how hard he begs, he can’t seem to get his paws on one.

Treat

From the moment he wakes in his owner’s bed, to the moment he collapses for an afternoon nap, this dog just wants to play fetch. So, the dog and his owner play. They play while the girl gets dressed. They play until she walks out the door. But while the girl is at school, the dog is distraught. He tries to play fetch with the mom, and the cat, and even the baby, but none of them seem to understand.

When the dog finally dozes back off in bed, his dreams are haunted by balls in space, balls on cakes, balls stuck down the endless tubes of giant toilets. Will the little girl ever return to play fetch? Can he possibly wait until she does?

The silly story of a dog and his beloved ball, Ball imagines the emotional journey of a pup waiting for his next chance to play fetch. Written and illustrated by Mary Sullivan, and published by the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

When this dog’s owner goes to school and there’s no one to play ball with, what is he to do?

Ball

Bear loves to dance. But when he tries to dance with the other animals, he can’t seem to get the moves right. He’s too clumsy for ballet with the giraffes. He’s too stiff for breakdancing with the monkeys. The rhinos say he’s too slow for tap-dance—and Zebra claims he’s too strong for swing. Even synchronized swimming doesn’t click!

But when Bear notices a poster for a bears-only ice skating competition, he decides to sign up. He’s very nervous. Will he be able to stay on his feet? Will ice skating be something he’s good at? Or will the ice prove just as challenging and awkward as everything else?

Written and illustrated by Monika Filipina, The Bear Who Never Gave Up is a book for every child (and adult) who struggles to find their groove and gets singled out as a result. The story touches on themes of self-expression, individuality, conformity, and discovering one’s place. Published by Willow Tree Books.

Bear loves to dance—but he’s too clumsy to jive with the other animals. Is there any dance he’s good at?

The Bear Who Never Gave Up

On the African savanna, hungry creatures are looking for food. But when Rhino trips and gets hurt, he finds kindness instead—when Beetle helps him treat his bruise. Rhino is impressed. He’s never experienced kindness before. So, he gives kindness back to Beetle. He passes it on to Termite, Baboon, and Little Hare too. Before long, the whole savanna is feeling the effects of kindness, as it spreads from one creature to the next.

By listening, sharing, and caring, the animals make an incredible discovery. Come along for the journey and learn the secret of how big love can transform each of us as people—and the whole world around us as well.

A mythical story of where the bunny got its hop and the lion got its mane, Love Big shows that when we care for each other, we all grow in incredible ways. The story focuses on kindness, sharing, listening, and caring. Written by Kat Kronenberg, illustrated by David Miles, and published by Greenleaf Book Group Press.

On the African savanna, a few hungry animals are looking for food—and they find something incredible along the way.

 Love Big

Friendship

There are many amazing things to love, both real and make-believe. There are purple moose and spotted geese. There are cotton candy hats and tap-dancing cats. There are foxes and raccoons who dare to camp on the moon—and there are fun-loving mice who chew up bubble gum balloons. Pizza, and cake, and tigers in tuxes, and ants driving cars, and breakdancing ducks-es.

With so many amazing things out there to love, is it possible to love one thing more than all the rest? And if so, just how incredibly fantastic would that one thing have to be? There’s only one way to find out. 

A silly, slapstick rhymer, I Love You More Than a Purple Moose is a story all about how very, very much a parent or guardian can love their child. Written by Laura Gates Galvin, illustrated by Sr. Sanchez, and published by Kidsbooks.

There are many amazing things to love, both real and make-believe. But can you guess what’s most lovable of all?

I Love You More Than a Purple Moose

Free Access

It's time for the annual Race-a-thon, and Steve the horse is excited. He already knows he'll win, because he wins every year. (With long legs, a long neck, and strong bum muscles, Steve is totally built for running.) Then Steve finds out the rules have changed. This year’s race will be a relay, which means all the runners must compete in teams—and Steve’s teammates are the slowest in the forest.

Is Steve about to lose his first Race-a-thon ever? Come along as Steve prepares his team to handle rain, brambles, flooding, and more. By the time he’s done, the only runner who will be able to defeat Team Steve might be Steve himself.

Steve the horse is back in Team Steve, narrated by the exceptional Rainn Wilson. The story digs into the meaning of teamwork, good sportsmanship, and how self-confidence can help you succeed—but overconfidence can be an embarrassing oversight. With vocabulary enrichment woven throughout, Team Steve is written and illustrated by Kelly Collier and published by Kids Can Press.

It's time for the annual Race-a-thon, and Steve is excited. At least, until he finds out the rules have changed.

Team Steve

Everyone poops, yes, it’s true—from aardvarks to the humped zebu. There are even special names for different kinds of poop (like guano, dung, and whitewash). But what’s with all the poo? Where does it go, and what is it for? Turns out, poop is a critical part of growing tall, healthy plants. It’s also used to mark territory, build homes, produce heat, and cook food.

Join Professor Poopdeck on a journey around the globe as he explores all the places poop shows up, and then where it goes. In the end, you might think poop is gross. Or maybe you’ll realize that poop is a little bit wild, a little bit amazing, a little bit… poopendous!

A silly educational rhymer, Poopendous! introduces all the different kinds of poop and how they factor into both our societies and our ecologies. The story not only normalizes pooping, it also introduces the concept that even things we consider repellent can be critical to our lives. Written by Artie Bennett, illustrated by Mike Moran, and published by Blue Apple Books.

From flyspecks to doo-doo, there are all kinds of poop. Is poop simply gross? Or does it have very important uses?