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Bedtime

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Vooks A to Z

Before bedtime, Big Truck tells Little Truck, “I love you with all of my heart”—but what does that mean? What if Little Truck lets Big Truck down, or makes mistakes, or has a bad day?

In this universal story of the unbreakable bond between parent and child, Little Truck tests the limits of Big Truck’s devotion and reassuringly learns that a parent's love is unconditional and everlasting. Adorable illustrations and sweetly personified vehicles add a silly dynamic to a dramatic and emotional poem.

“‘All of my heart’ means
That I’ll be with you —
Wherever you go
And whatever you do.”
 
Children will be profoundly comforted by the lovingly steadfast Big Truck who continually assures Little Truck that no matter what—or where—their love is eternal.

A Vooks Original, I Love You, Little Truck is a poetic bedtime story about a parent’s love for their child, no matter what their child may do. Written by David and Stephanie Miles, and illustrated by Natasha Molins.


“I love you with all of my heart.” A sweet bedtime story about the unconditional love between parent and child.

I Love You Little Truck

Everyone's Reading

Celebrate Black History

Friendship

Vooks Originals

Elementary

Be Caring and Kind

Kid at Heart

Storytime Favorites

Free Access

Little Craig loves birthday parties, even though he doesn’t get invited very often. That is until Craig gets invited to TWO birthday parties, on the same day. Joey’s the new kid in school, and he invited Craig to his party first. But Dan is Craig’s good friend, and he invited Craig to his party second. Little Craig is torn between keeping his word to Joey, or going to his friend Dan’s party instead. Craig’s mom reminds him “You’re only as good as your word,” and leaves the choice up to him. Little Craig has a tough decision to make, but with his mom’s encouraging words, he just might learn a valuable lesson that will guide him the rest of his life.

Based on a true story, this Little Craig book teaches the lesson of keeping your word. That’s the lesson Craig Robinson learned in real-life, when he was invited to two birthday parties on the same day. Craig’s mom Marian Robinson, always full of wisdom, helped him learn the valuable lesson that he still remembers to this day. The adorable illustrations bring Little Craig’s world to life, and a heartwarming retro-inspired soundtrack takes you back to the real-life era the story comes from. Little Craig: Balloons and Cake is the first book in the new Little Craig series, which teaches important lessons that kids can take with them for life.

A Vooks Original, Little Craig: Balloons and Cake teaches the lesson that keeping your word is important, even if it’s the hard thing to do. Based on a true story and a real-life lesson learned, the book is written by Craig Robinson and Leslie Harter, and Illustrated by Skylar Hogan.

Little Craig loves birthday parties! But when he gets invited to two parties on the same day, he has to make a tough decision.

Little Craig: Balloons and Cake

Familius Presents

Build Confidence

Early Childhood

Foundational Reading

Main Carousel

Of all the children that ever could be, you are the one made just for me. From a child's first uttered "Dada" to his or her first unsteady steps, nothing can adequately convey the joy and awe of watching the birth and growth of a new child. Filled with adorable illustrations and the refrain, "You are the one made just for me," Made for Me is a winning presentation of tender moments that tie a father and his new child together—forever.

Made for Me is written by Zack Bush and illustrated by Gregorio De Lauretis. The bestselling book is published by Familius.

Of all the children that ever could be, you are the one made just for me.

Made for Me

Spork sticks out. In his kitchen, utensils have a single purpose. Even though he tries to act more spoonish or look more forkish, he never gets picked at mealtime. Instead, he sits and watches while the forks twirl knots of noodles and the spoons scoop up mountains of peas. They even get to enjoy a bubbly bath in the sink when dinner is over.

He seems destined for a life in the drawer … until one day, a messy guest arrives. This guest doesn’t seem to care about cutlery customs. Spork wonders—could this be his chance to find his way to the table? Could his uniqueness make him the best solution for this problem?

A metaphor-rich celebration of hybrid identities, Spork is a “multi-cutlery” tale for anyone who’s ever felt like a misfit. Exploring themes of purpose, conformity, diversity, and finding your place in the world, Spork is written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault. Published by Kids Can Press.

Spork never gets picked during mealtime. He seems destined for a life in the drawer… until an unexpected guest arrives.

Spork

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage

Brightly Storytime Presents

When Carmela wakes up on her birthday, her wish has already come true–she’s finally old enough to join her big brother as he does the family errands. Together, they travel through their neighborhood, past the crowded bus stop, the fenced-off repair shop, and the panadería, until they arrive at the Laundromat, where Carmela finds a lone dandelion growing in the pavement. But before she can blow its white fluff away, her brother tells her she has to make a wish. If only she can think of just the right wish to make . . .

With lyrical, stirring text and stunning, evocative artwork, Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson have crafted a moving ode to family, to dreamers, and to finding hope in the most unexpected places.

Join Ms. Linda in reading! Carmela is finally old enough to join her big brother as he does the family errands. Together, they travel through their neighborhood, until Carmela finds a lone dandelion. But before she can blow its white fluff away, her brother tells her she has to make a wish.

Carmela Full of Wishes

Be Creative

Food and Cooking

Aneel loves when his grandparents visit. Most of all, he loves their stories. Today, Dada-ji tells Aneel the story of a lad from a village far, far away. The lad could wrestle water buffalo, tie two hissing cobras in a knot, spin trumpeting elephants by their tails, and touch the sky with his feet. The source of the lad’s tiger power? Hot, hot roti, prepared by Aneel’s Badi-ma herself!

Aneel asks his mother, father, Dadi-ma, and sister for help making roti for Dada-ji. But when no one can help, Aneel is left to make the recipe on his own. Will the roti turn out alright? And if it does, can it still give Dada-ji the power of the tiger? There’s only one way to find out!

Hot, Hot Roti for Dada-Ji tells the story of a bond between grandson and grandfather. The narrative features themes of cultural heritage, traditions, belief in one’s self, and the expression of love through cooking. Written by F. Zia, illustrated by Ken Min, and published by Lee & Low Books.

There once was a lad who could tie two cobras in a knot and touch the sky with his feet. His secret? Hot, hot roti.

Hot, Hot Roti for Dada-Ji

When the WiFi goes down, mommy and daddy are devastated. Their daughter, on the other hand, is not. She’s brimming with ideas and plans for things to see, places to explore. So, with her adventurous nana’s help, the girl drags her parents outside. They ride bikes. They buy pastries and coffee. They play soccer at the park. It’s a beautiful, internet-free day. Maybe a perfect day.

But what happens when the family gets home and the WiFi is still down? And how did the WiFi go out in the first place? Come along for a day unplugged from screens and find out just how much fun is waiting when we pick up our heads and put down the devices.

A wry look at the value of internet-free family time, The Manic Panic reminds us that a whole world is waiting outside of our screens. By inverting the parent/child relationship, the story explores screen addiction in an approachable, kid-centric way. Written by Richa Jha, illustrated by Mithila Ananth, and published by Creston Books.

When the WiFi goes out, a young girl drags her parents outside to remind them how to have screen-free fun.

The Manic Panic

Language and Vocabulary

In the City

Storybook Genius Publishing

Today is an exciting day. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and Landon is going to visit the Museum of Natural History with his mom. He’s heard so many things about the museum. There’s a room full of butterflies, a huge whale hanging off the ceiling, and even giant dinosaur bones. He can hardly wait to get their tickets and walk inside.

But to get to the museum, Landon will have to do something he’s never done before—something that will open an entire world, hidden right beneath New York City. In the end, Landon might learn an important lesson: That when you open your heart to the world around you, the journey can be as magical as the destination.

Touching on themes of exploration, family bonds, and enthusiasm for trying new things, Landon Rides the Subway is a warm, lighthearted ode to the joys of childhood wonder. Written by Diana Perez, illustrated by Yip Jar Design, and published by Storybook Genius.

Landon is going to the museum with his mom. To get there, he’ll have to do something magical: Ride the NYC subway.

Landon Rides the Subway

Birthday parties are so much fun: the friends, the family, the games, the gifts, and, of course, the food! But what type of food do you serve at a birthday party when your family is from two different cultures? Young Mikey Yam is having a hard time choosing between the Italian food of his mother’s side and the Chinese cuisine of his dad’s. So, he turns to his grannies, Bahboo and Nonna, for advice.
 
“Ravioli or Dumplings? Linguine or Lo Mein? All of these options were hurting his brain.”
 
Join Young Mikey as he decides which type of food to have for his birthday party, and the important life lesson he learns along the way.

A Vooks Original, Fried Rice & Marinara is a rhyming story about two cultures coming together to create something special. Written by Mike Yam and illustrated by Laura Dong.

Young Mikey Yam is about to turn four, but deciding what type of food to have at his party is creating a jumble of possibilities!

Fried Rice & Marinara

Be Brave

Papa is a soldier. And because he’s a soldier, sometimes Papa has to go away for a while, so Little Bear can stay and play in safety. But it’s not easy for Little Bear to be left behind. He misses the way Papa holds his hand, and touches his hair, and kisses his face and eyes. He misses Papa’s strong, warm arms.

Little Bear starts to wonder: What would it be like to stow away in Papa’s backpack? So he could stand side-by-side with Papa, and they could face the storms together. So Little Bear could whisper in Papa’s ear and see the things that Papa sees. So that he could be sure that Papa finds his way back home.

A tender, heartfelt story about the difficulties of separation, Papa’s Backpack abstractly works through the complicated emotions that come with a parent leaving for deployment. In an age appropriate way, the narrative approaches the subject with sensitivity, avoiding specifics on the complexities of a soldier’s duties. Written by and illustrated by James Christopher Carroll and published by Sleeping Bear Press.

A tribute to the bond between a child and military parent. Papa Bear is a soldier. When Papa has to go away, Little Bear wonders… what would it be like to go with him?

Papa's Backpack

All Seasons

Animals

Everyone knows Daddies are great! They spend time with us, show us new things, and they love and care for us. There are so many reasons to love daddies!

I Love Daddy is published by Kidsbooks®.

From spending time, to showing new things, to caring for us—everyone knows Daddies are great!

I Love Daddy

When Lucy’s new owners rescue her from the pound, the little girl shows Lucy around her new home. Then suddenly, Lucy starts to howl. “Wah-ooo-ooo-roo,” Lucy howls in the morning. She keeps howling in the afternoon, then on into the night. Dad tries showing Lucy a mirror, in case she misses other dogs. Mom makes Lucy special foods and treats. They even take Lucy to a dog psychologist, who prescribes classical music and lullabies.

Day after day, nothing can stop Lucy from crying. If she doesn’t stop soon, Mom says they’ll have to take her back to the pound. Then the little girl has an idea—an idea that just might rescue Lucy once more.

Lucy Rescued tells the story of an anxious pup who needs some friends of her own. The story shows the difficulties that come with adopting a pet, and how patience, love, and understanding can be just what an animal needs to feel at home. Written by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Barroux, and published by Blue Apple Books.

When Lucy is brought home from the pound, she begins to howl. Why is she crying—and can anything make her stop?