Fiction

The Very Hungry Caterpillar board book

As a tiny green caterpillar eats his way through the book, he is transformed into a beautiful butterfly, in a board book edition of the classic picture book.

"In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf." So begins Eric Carle's modern classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. More than 12 million copies of this book have been sold in its original, full-sized edition, and the beloved tale of science and gluttony has been translated into 20 languages. This five-by-four-inch miniature edition is truly tiny, with tiny type, but it is a nice size for small hands to hold and flip through the pictures. Despite its diminished state, the book is complete in every detail, following the ravenous caterpillar's path as he eats his way through one apple (and the pages of the book itself) on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, three plums on Wednesday, and so on, through cherry pie and sausage--until he is really fat and has a stomachache. And no doubt you know what happens next! Kids love butterfly metamorphosis stories, and this popular favorite teaches counting and the days of the week, too. A fun gift package for caterpillar fans. (Baby to preschool) --Karin Snelson

Fireflies (Reading Rainbow)

A young boy is proud of having caught a jar full of fireflies, which seems to him like owning a piece of moonlight, but as the light begins to dim he realizes he must set the insects free or they will die.

Diary of a Worm

Doreen Cronin (Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type) and cartoonist Harry Bliss (illustrator of A Fine, Fine School) shed a whole new light on a creature that spends most of its time underground: the earthworm. Written in diary form, this truly hilarious picture book tracks the ins and outs of a worm's life from the perspective of the worm family's young son. Take June 15's entry: "My older sister thinks she's so pretty. I told her that no matter how much time she spends looking in the mirror, her face will always look just like her rear end. Spider thought that was really funny. Mom did not." Except for the fact that he can't chew gum or have a dog, the boy likes being a worm. He never has to go to the dentist ("No cavities--no teeth, either"), he never gets in trouble for tracking mud through the house, and he never has to take a bath. As long as he can remember Mom's rule "Never bother Daddy when he's eating the newspaper," all is well. Bliss's endearing cartoonish illustrations of anthropomorphized worms are clever visual punchlines for Cronin's delightfully deadpan humor. For example, "June 5: Today we made macaroni necklaces in art class" sounds normal enough until you see the worms wearing one piece of macaroni around their necks, taking up a good part of each worm's body. Children and adults alike will adore this worm's eye perspective on the world. (Ages 6 and older) --Karin Snelson

One small worm . one big world!

This is the diary . of a worm. This worm lives with his parents, plays with his friends, and even goes to school. But unlike you or me, he never has to take a bath, he gets to eat his homework, and because he doesn't have legs, he just can't do the hokey pokey – no matter how hard he tries.

This hysterical picture book by New York Times bestselling author Doreen Cronin and New York Times bestselling illustrator Harry Bliss tells the daily doings of a small worm in a gigantic worm world.

Ages 4–8

The Snail and the Whale

This is the tale of a tiny snail and a great big whale. The snail may be small, but she has huge dreams of seeing the world. So she hitches a ride on a friendly whale’s back to see amazing sights. Icebergs and volcanoes, storms and sharks—the two friends see it all together. And when the whale runs into trouble, the snail proves that even the tiniest creature can help a friend in a very big way. The creators of The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom have teamed up again to bring you this whale of a tale.

Diary of a Spider

This is the diary ... of a spider.

But don't be worried – he's more scared of you and your gigantic shoe! Actually, he's a lot like you. He goes to gym class and has Grandparents' Day at school. But he also spins sticky webs, scales walls, and takes wind–catching lessons. Lucky for him, his best friend is a fly!

Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss, the team behind the #1 bestselling Diary Of A Worm, spin a hilarious tale about the upside–down web world of an eight–legged charmer and his unlikely friend, Fly.