Elementary

Everyone's Reading

Animals

Language and Vocabulary

New Books

Vooks A to Z

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

Creative Play

Camp Vooks

Can you guess what each animal does with their eyes, ears, nose, feet, or tail? You might be surprised! A nose for digging? Ears for seeing? Knees for hearing? Explore the many amazing things that make these critters unique, as you journey through their fascinating animal world.   

This Caldecott honor winning picture book is written by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? is published by HMH Books for Young Readers. 

Can you guess how each animal uses their eyes, ears, nose, feet, or tail? You may be surprised! 

What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?

Be Creative

Sing-alongs and Music

Simon is a backstage cat. His owner is a celebrity. Together, they ride to the theater in a big, silver-grey limousine. Simon watches in the dressing room while his owner puts on rouge and powder. Then come eyelashes, lipstick, bracelets. Finally, a wig, shoes, and her costume. Then, it’s time for the show! Simon’s owner promises to come back and see him during intermission.

But then Simon sees a mouse, and he can’t help but chase it out of the dressing room. But what will happen when a falling prop spooks him onstage? This backstage cat is about to get an unexpected moment in the spotlight. It could be a disaster—or maybe it’ll turn Simon into a celebrity as well.

With a theater-themed vocabulary and mixed-media illustrations, Backstage Cat follows the silly misadventure of a rather mischievous kitty. Written by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Jenni Desmond, and published by Blue Apple Books.

When Simon gets spooked during a performance, this backstage cat might get an unexpected moment in the spotlight.

Backstage Cat

5 Minutes or Less

On the Farm

Aboard the Farm Train, the animals make all kinds of different noises. In the first train car is the farmer himself, whose tractor goes vroom vroom. Next in line is the rooster, who screams cock-a-doodle-doo every morning. After that comes the sheep, who says baa, baa as she dreams of being counted each night. And then comes the messy pig’s car, where he happily oinks in his puddle of mud.

From snorting to squeaking to mooing, to meowing, this train is unlike any you’ve probably ridden on before. Punch your ticket, hop aboard, and listen to each sound the animals make. It’s time to take a ride on the Farm Train!

Farm Train introduces all the standard barnyard animals and the sounds we know them by. Written and illustrated by Susanna Covelli. Published by Familius.

Aboard the Farm Train, the animals make all kinds of different noises. Punch your ticket to come and listen!

Farm Train

Mr. Wuffles ignores every toy his people buy for him. You might think he’s just a lazy, uninterested cat, but you’d be wrong. Mr. Wuffles is not lazy, he’s just very picky—once he finds the right plaything, he’ll stalk, chase, leap, pounce, and bat it around.
 
Finally Mr. Wuffles has found the perfect toy and he’s ready to play… but it’s not really a toy at all. In fact, it’s something much more interesting—an alien spaceship piloted by small, green aliens! 
 
When Mr. Wuffles plays a little too roughly with the tiny ship, the aliens must risk everything and venture into the cat’s territory to make emergency repairs. All seems lost until the aliens team up with some unlikely allies.
 
A nearly wordless book featuring a made-up alien language, Mr. Wuffles! is a 2014 Caldecott Honor book, written and illustrated by David Wiesner. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Mr. Wuffles the cat finally finds a toy that he’s interested in. But little does he know, it’s actually an alien spaceship!

Mr. Wuffles!

Vehicles

Meet Jack and his dog Max. Jack is building a new house all by himself—or at least, that’s how he tells it. But when the land gets scraped by the bulldozer, and the cellar gets dug by the backhoe, and the floor gets poured by the cement mixer, and the bricks get hoisted by the forklift, and the windows get delivered by the rack truck, and the shingles get raised by the boom truck, where is Jack?

Come along with Max as the house gets built one step and truck at a time. Jack might spend the whole day relaxing in the hammock that Max hung. But then, something unexpected might happen when the house is finally complete.

Ideal for the truck enthusiasts among us, Jack’s House is a humorous twist on the classic nursery rhyme. While walking young readers through a simple overview of how a home is built, the narrative plays on the theme of getting what you work for. Written by Karen Magnuson Beil, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka, and published by Holiday House.

Jack built his own house—or so he says. But there’s another version of the story that goes a little different.

Jack's House

Vooks at a Glance

Foundational Reading

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

Friendship

There’s a duck on Alligator’s lawn, and Alligator isn’t happy about it. Worse, when Alligator tries to get Duck to go away, the bird says they’re nobody’s duck. But how can that be? Surely, this is someone’s duck. Starting to grow impatient, Alligator sets off to find whoever is responsible for this quacky individual.

From the library to theater, to the race track, to a leap from an airplane, Alligator and Duck search all over town. Will they ever find out whose duck this is? And will some of Duck’s sunny attitude rub off on Alligator along the way? Whatever happens, one thing is sure: This duck knows how to have a good time.

A silly adventure about being uptight, learning to let go, and grasping the idea of friendship, Nobody’s Duck shows us that sometimes the thing we’re looking for has been right in front of us all along. Written and illustrated by Geisel Honor winner Mary Sullivan, Nobody’s Duck is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

There’s a duck on Alligator’s lawn, and Alligator isn’t happy about it. Just whose duck is this, anyway?

Nobody's Duck

Food and Cooking

In the City

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage

Meet Chip, the boss of a bodega in New York City. What’s a bodega? It’s a grocery store—but it’s also more than that. It’s a place to see friends, have fun, and grab the best Dominican food in the city. Throughout the day, Chip is there to make sure nothing gets missed, and everyone feels welcome. Sometimes, that means counting bottles of soap. Sometimes, it means playing hide-and-seek with the regulars.

Come see the world through the eyes of a kitty who never rests… unless he’s chasing pigeons with his human brother Damian or taking a nap on a bag of potato chips. Day or night, in a rush or on a delivery, Chip will never let you down.

Bodega Cat is an ode to New York’s feline friends and the people who give the city heart. The slice-of-life narrative explores themes of diversity, inclusion, community, and the richness to be found in shared experiences. Written and illustrated by Louie Chin, the book is published by POW! (a division of powerHouse Packaging & Supply, Inc.). Chip is based on a real, playful orange tabby named Simba.

Chip is the boss of a bodega in New York City. He also happens to be a cat. How does a feline keep the place humming?

Bodega Cat

Poetry

This is the story of the hiccupotamus: A hippo with a never-ending case of the hiccups. One day, the hippo sees an elephant. He tries to say hello, but his hiccups get in the way. Soon, instead of a new friend, he’s got an angry elephant chasing after him—right through a poor centipede’s newly poured cement. When a flossing rhinoceros gets involved, it’s decided: The hiccups must come to an end.

Come along for a wild, wacky, unexpectedly startling quest to rid the hippo of his hiccups. Will the elephant, centipede, and rhinoceros find a solution? What if there is no cure? Maybe fixing the problem will be easier than they think. Or maybe the hiccups are here to stay.

The Hiccupotamus is an adorable story about making new friends, working together, and using both creativity and critical thinking to solve a challenging problem. Written and illustrated by Aaron Zenz and published by Dogs in Hats Children’s Publishing.

What’s worse than always having the hiccups? How about being a hippo who falls on his bottom every time he’s got ‘em?

The Hiccupotamus

Bedtime

Familius Presents

Storytime Favorites

Early Childhood

Sick Day Stories

All Rabbit wants to do is play. All Sloth wants to do is sleep. This hilarious book will have kids young and old laughing along, as Rabbit continues to up his silly antics, in an attempt to wake up Sloth. Perfect for any time of the day, But First, We Nap shows the humorous side of what can be a common nap-time struggle.

But First, We Nap is written by David W. Miles and published by Familius.

*For those with photosensitive epilepsy concerns, there is a sequence containing flashing lights at 2:45.

Rabbit wants to play. Sloth wants to sleep. Who will win in this laugh-along nap-time struggle?

But First, We Nap

Be Caring and Kind

Build Confidence

Kid at Heart

Every great story has a beginning. In this wondrous prequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice first learns how truly magical her world can be. Alice lived at the dreariest boarding school, void of color or cheer. But after discovering a secret garden, and filling it with her love and care, her circumstances begin to change in magical ways!

Alice’s Magic Garden tells the story of Alice before the rabbit hole, before wonderland. This delightful story is brimming with charm, whimsy, and a heartfelt message about friendship and kindness. Alice’s Magic Garden is written by Henry Herz, illustrated by Natalie Hoopes, and published by Familius.


Curiouser and curiouser! This is the story of Alice before the rabbit hole.