Vehicles

New Books

Bedtime

Family 

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

Animals

Nature

Seasonal - Spring

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

Poetry

Using lilting, rhyming couplets, this book explores the many items that are made from trees. But it doesn’t stop there! Learn about the many uses of live trees – and the environmental danger to trees posed by forest fires, floods, and deforestation. You will be encouraged to be kind, not only to one another, but to the environment as well. View your backyards and parks in a whole new light after going on an arboreal eco-tour in this gorgeous tribute to trees.

Seven sections describe the individual characteristics of trees and how they relate to the lives of humans, animals, and the environment. Cheerful couplets and repetitive phrases, excellent for reading aloud, explain how trees serve as food, comfort, music, and more. Written by Harriet Ziefert and illustrated by Brian Fitzgerald, Be Thankful for Trees is published by Blue Apple Books and print edition published by Red Comet Press. 

A celebratory ode to one of nature’s wonders: trees! 

Be Thankful for Trees

Mindfulness

Be Creative

5 Minutes or Less

Leo is a busy lad. No matter how hard he works, there’s always more to do. Until one day, another Leo shows up to lend a hand. Together, they tackle the list of To-Dos—but it’s still too much! So, they wrangle another Leo, then another. They wash, scrub, sweep, and shop. They make calls, and plans, and agendas. Before long, there are ten Leos on the job.

But when the first Leo—Leo himself—decides to take a nap, the others are furious. There’s no time for sleeping. There’s no time for dreaming! Dreaming isn’t on the list. And there’s no time for anything not on the list… is there?

A touching ode to the importance of slowing down, taking a break, and remembering to dream, So Few of Me reminds us that working too much can’t be solved by simply working harder. The story also highlights the importance of quality over quantity. Written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds and published by Candlewick Press.

No matter how hard Leo works, there’s always more to do. Until one day, another Leo shows up to help out.

So Few of Me

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

Max and his BFF (Best Furry Friend) Bob do everything together. On “Bring Your Pet to School Day,” they sit side by side at the back of the school bus. During lunchtime, Bob helps Max eat everything—even his vegetables. In the afternoon, they trek deep into the jungle to discover new creatures. They paint, and dig in the sandbox, and play catch and make believe.

Because of his sticky-out tail—and because he gets scared of the dark—Bob even sleeps in Max’s bed at night. Is there anything that can separate these two? It’s doubtful. Come meet Bob, and find out why he and Max are the very best of buds.

A lighthearted celebration of a boy’s best friend, My Dog Bob follows the small adventures that young children share with their pets. Written by Steph Clarkson, illustrated by Alison Brown, and published by Kidsbooks.

Digging, painting, exploring, bathing—Max and his BFF (Best Furry Friend) Bob do everything together.

My Dog Bob

Be Resilient

Be Caring and Kind

In the City

Each day, the big trucks go to work. They scoop and hoist and push. They build tall buildings for working, wide roads for driving, and long bridges for crossing. Every day, they build until the loud whistle blows—and then they do it all over again, filling each city block. But then one day, Digger finds something growing among the rubble. A lovely little something called a flower.

Digger begins caring for the flower—watering it, protecting it, singing it to sleep. But when time comes for the trucks to put a building where the flower grows, what will Digger do? Will he be able to save the flower? Is there any place where lovely little flowers can still flourish?

The Digger and the Flower is a heartfelt story of tenderness and caring for the world around us. Written and illustrated by Joseph Kuefler. Published by Balzer + Bray.

When he finds something growing among the rubble, Digger—and his city—will be changed forever.

The Digger and the Flower

Build Confidence

What can you do with your hands? Well, you could plant a tree—or an idea. You could touch a book, or someone’s heart. You could lift a bucket—and by doing that, you might lift someone’s spirit. You could stretch your arms out wide, or stretch someone’s imagination. And, of course, you could always reach out—for love, peace, truth, faith, hope, and dreams—or even just to take someone else’s hand in yours.

Every day, we make decisions about how we’ll use our hands. But what makes them beautiful isn’t how they look, it’s how we choose to use them. Now, the question is up to you. What will you do with your beautiful hands today?

An ode to the beauty of what our hands can create, Beautiful Hands pairs gentle language with illustrations made of hand and thumbprints. Written by Kathryn Otoshi and Bret Baumgarten, illustrated by Kathryn Otoshi, and published by Blue Dot Press.

There are so many things your hands can do—such as plant ideas, touch hearts, and stretch imaginations.

Beautiful Hands

Elementary

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

S.T.E.M.

Energy is all around us. It makes things move, heats things up, and makes things glow. But where does energy come from? Some energy comes from deep within the ground in the form of oil, gas, coal, and uranium. Some energy comes from the wind. Other energy comes from water in the ocean, or water in dams. And some energy comes directly from sunlight!

Often, these resources are used to produce steam that spins turbines, which generate energy at power stations. From there, long lines bring the energy into our homes. We’re always thinking of new ways to get clean, reliable, sustainable energy. What will we come up with next?

An easy-reading explanation of where energy comes from, Energy Animated explains the basic concept of how we turn raw resources into the power we rely on. Written by Tyler Jorden, illustrated by Elsa Martins, and published by Familius.

Energy is everywhere. It makes things move, heats things up, and makes things glow. But where does it all come from?

Energy Animated

Storybook Genius Publishing

Just like one of her towers, everything around Olivia is built with blocks called cells. Or at least, that’s what Olivia’s mom says. But where are the blocks hiding? Olivia doesn’t see them in her yard. The house is made of bricks, but Olivia can’t find cells. The playground isn’t built out of cell-blocks either! Maybe if Olivia thought like her mom—like a scientist—she’d get what her mom was trying to tell her.

What happens when Olivia steps into the lab and looks at the world through a microscope? Come journey into the world of beakers, scales, flasks, and Bunsen burners. You might be surprised by what you see.

Using the simple metaphor of building blocks, Olivia’s Tower introduces readers to the concept of cells as the building blocks of the physical world. The story also explains the scientific method, along with various tools a scientist uses inside a lab. Written and illustrated by Gretchen Day. Published by Storybook Genius, LLC.

Olivia’s mom says everything is built with blocks called cells. But where are the blocks hiding?

Olivia's Tower

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

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