New Books

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Animals

Vooks A to Z

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

Familius Presents

Back to School

Foundational Reading


Little e has always known he was important. After all, he comes from a long line of E’s. In his heart, he can tell he has the power to be a hero—he even has a blue cape! He just needs the chance to prove himself. But at school, Little e is so quiet, the other little letters rarely pay him any attention.

That is, until the day Little e doesn’t show up to class. At first, the other letters don’t even notice he’s gone. But then c, a, and k try to form a word for dessert, and they can’t make it work. The whole class is suddenly in an uproar. Without their silent friend, what are they going to do? Will Little e finally get his chance to come to the rescue?

While cleverly teaching spelling, grammar, and vowel rules, The Mighty Silent e also presents an important message: You don’t have to be loud to be a hero—you just have to be yourself. The narrative celebrates identity, diversity, and contributions from everyone. Written by Kimberlee Gard, illustrated by Sandie Sonke, and published by Familius.

Little e is sure he could be a hero. He even has the cape! But at school, he’s so quiet, he mostly goes unnoticed.

The Mighty Silent e!

Nature

Friendship

Main Carousel

Vooks Originals

Poetry

Norb is about to have a snack but a speedy critter swipes his grub! Iz thinks it was a Blub. What are Blubs? As they search for these squishy little mysteries, Iz and Norb learn how their actions impact others, how to take care of nature and the importance of generosity. This is the third book in the Iz and Norb Series.

Iz and Norb go on a journey to learn more about a mysterious group of adorable creatures that live in the woods.

What Are Blubs?

Everyone's Reading

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

Elementary

Storytime Favorites

Nothing ever happens to poor Delia. Her life is dull, dull, dull. And yet, if Delia decided to look up or turn around, what do you think she’d notice? Probably not elephants marching through her house. And it’s unlikely she’d catch a pirate sitting behind her on the school bus. Really, what are the odds that a submarine would surface just as she gets out of the pool?

Come join Delia for the dullest day you’ve ever read about. There definitely won’t be any hot air balloons, astronauts, ostriches, tight-ropers, dinosaurs, or blasts of butterflies coming out of her tuba during band class. At least, none that Delia will see.

A (incredibly dull) story about how our perceptions shape our reality, Delia’s Dull Day reminds us that when we forget to pick our head up, we miss so many of life’s most exciting moments. Written and illustrated by Andy Myer, Delia’s Dull Day is published by Sleeping Bear Press.

According to Delia, her life is dull, dull, dull. But if Delia looked up, she might be surprised by what she’d see.

Delia's Dull Day

Family 

Build Confidence

In a little house in the very middle of a small Inuit town where winter is always longer than summer, a little girl named Nalvana lives with her mother. Everywhere she goes, she wears her superhero outfit: a yellow blanket-cape and snowmobiling goggles. Nalvana doesn’t know what her superpower is yet—but she’s determined to find out what it is.

As she goes to school and plays with other kids, Nalvana discovers that many of her friends have superpowers. But Nalvana still hasn’t discovered one of her own. Is it possible Nalvana doesn’t have a superpower? Or is her superpower hidden in plain sight?

What’s My Superpower is a celebration of those who use their words and abilities to lift up the world around them. Filled with references to Inuit language and culture, the narrative focuses on themes of positivity, community, and embracing the things that make us who we are. Written by Aviaq Johnston, illustrated by Tim Mack, and published by Inhabit Media Inc.

In the middle of a small Inuit town where winter is always longer than summer, a girl discovers her superpower.

What's My Superpower?

When her father brings home a baby seagull, Elisapee falls in love with the tiny bird. She names it Nau (short for Naujaaraq). Elisapee and her brother feed Nau sculpins, seal fat, and small krill. Nau grows bigger and her feathers turn white. Eventually, Elisapee and her brother teach Nau to fly. To be sure they know which bird is theirs, Elisapee ties a pink bow onto Nau’s leg.

Every day, Nau flies with the other seagulls, then comes back to sleep on the roof of Elisapee’s shed. But then one day, Nau is ready to leave home for good. Will Elisapee have to say a final goodbye? Or will Nau’s spirit and memory live on, no matter where the arctic winds lead her?

Elisapee and Her Baby Seagull is a charming story about learning to care for animals, and also learning to let them go. The story focuses on Nunavut culture, along with themes of kindness, compassion, and doing what’s best for others. Written by Nancy Mike, illustrated by Charlene Chua, and published by Inhabit Media.

When her father brings home a baby seagull, Elisapee helps the tiny bird grow—and eventually, teaches it to fly.

Elisapee and Her Baby Seagull

There’s a wall in the middle of this book—and that’s a good thing. The wall keeps the friendly knight safe from the other side. Most importantly, it protects the knight from the ogre. If the ogre ever caught the knight, the ogre would eat him up. But the ogre is over there, on the other side, so the knight is perfectly safe. Nothing can harm the knight if he stays where he is.

Until something happens—something that’s, well, not supposed to happen. There’s a danger on the knight’s side of the wall. What can he do? Is the knight doomed? Or will he learn a valuable lesson about stepping over the walls we’ve built between us?

The Wall in the Middle of the Book is a beautiful metaphor. It shows readers that walls don’t just keep out danger, they can also keep us in. The story also demonstrates how assumptions can sometimes keep us from discovering exciting new things. Written and illustrated by Jon Agee. Published by Penguin.

There’s a wall in the middle of this book—and that’s a good thing. What else will keep one side safe from the other?

The Wall in the Middle of The Book

Vooks at a Glance

Unicorns can run on rainbows, so why can't they scribble?
 
This story is about a little girl who keeps hearing, "Never let a unicorn scribble!" But in her heart believes that people just don't understand how beautiful scribbling can be. She keeps trying to teach her unicorn to scribble, but soon realizes this is more difficult than she anticipated. Instead of giving up, she uses her imagination to come up with a creative way to get her unicorn to scribble. At first it looks like it was a complete disaster, but ends up being truly magical!

A fun and imaginative book, Never Let a Unicorn Scribble! is written and illustrated by Diane Alber. Published by Diane Alber Art LLC.

Everyone says to never let a unicorn scribble…but what could possibly go wrong?

Never Let a Unicorn Scribble!

Max and his little sister Sarah are playing hide-and-seek. Sarah is good at the game. She’s so good that Max has to search the entire house—and he still can’t find her! Finally, Max gives up. The pair decide to play a different game. They want to head out into the snow to build snow siblings—one for Max, and one for Sarah.

What do Sarah and Max need to do to get ready for the snow? Ski pants, boots, and hats, for starters. Come along as two siblings keep each other entertained during the winter months, both inside and out.

A simple vocabulary primer, Max and Sarah Build a Snowman shows two siblings playing games and having a little fun. Written by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Ekaterina Trukhan, and published by Brain Food Kids.

After playing hide-and-seek, Max and his little sister Sarah decide to head out into the snow.

Max and Sarah Build a Snowman

S.T.E.A.M.

How We Work

What does a veterinarian do? Today, Dr. Kate is visiting the school—and she’s going to give Henry, the class guinea pig, a checkup. Veterinarians help keep animals healthy. She checks Henry’s eyes and ears. Then she shows the students some of her tools. One is a hairbrush. Veterinarians groom their patients by trimming beaks, washing hooves, and even brushing teeth.

Of course, Vets have many tools for solving pet-related problems. She even uses some of the same tools that people doctors use, like a stethoscope for listening to the heart, and an x-ray for looking at bones. Before she leaves, can you guess what Dr. Kate prescribes for little Henry?

Let's Meet a Veterinarian gives young readers a look at how veterinarians care for the animals in our homes, on our farms, and at our zoos. By showing the simple ways we can care for the animals we love, the story shows the basic similarities between human and animal health. Written by Gina Bellisario, illustrated by Cale Atkinson, and published by Millbrook Press.

Dr. Kate is a veterinarian. Today, she’s visiting the school to give Henry, the class guinea pig, his routine checkup.

Let's Meet a Veterinarian

A collection of all the latest books released on Vooks, with many more great titles coming soon!