1000 Books Before Kindergarten

CBC Hot of The Press August 2024 Pick

With art and text by Brad Sneed, this lift-the-flap picture book turns a mother and daughter into different animals as they go through their morning routine



Sneed's hilarious story goes beyond the typical "After a while, crocodile!" call-and-response and introduces kids to wordplay, rhyming, and obscure animals. With three pages of fun facts about all the animals featured in the book, After a While, Crocodile is both interactive and educational.

Discover the joy and meaning of the magical festival of Diwali, a very special time for people all around the world.

Sonali and her brother Jay are inviting you to celebrate with them! Join in as they make rangoli patterns, cook up a feast with their nani and nana, and visit all their friends and family with gifts and delicious treats.

Along the way, you’ll learn how Diwali is a fun five-day celebration, all about the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.

This bright, engaging, and heart-warming book covers:
 

• The preparations on Dhanteras
• The cooking and baking on Kali Chaudas
• The delicious feast and fireworks on Diwali
• The special breakfast and gifts on Nutan Varsh
• The celebration of the bond between brothers and sisters on Bhai Beej

…and the joy and excitement of this spectacular festival are brought to life with:
 

• A salt dough diva recipe
• Instructions to make a rangoli pattern
• A colorful fact-file
• A fun quiz to complete together

In this immersive exploration of Diwali, kids join a family as they celebrate this vibrant festival. A simple way to introduce little ones to this important occasion, guided by young children who are celebrating.

Part of the Celebrations & Festivals series, you are invited into a family's celebrations as you explore the magic and excitement of religious and cultural festivals around the world.

Imagine what it would be like to have a dragon as a pet! Join our funny female protagonist on her latest flight of fancy, but watch out for that burning bad breath!

Dragons are mighty mythical beasts . . . and perfect pets. Getting to school is a breeze when you can fly, and you would never have to worry about lighting the barbecue! But what exactly do dragons eat? Perhaps a trip to the museum will help, just beware of knights in shining armor!

The latest in the fantastical If I Had a . . . series is full of fantasy fun, wrapping up an exciting day of dragon adventures with a warm and cozy nighttime scene, making it the perfect book for bedtime.

A 2017 Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year.

Mom's Choice Award - Gold

A 2017 Parents' Choice Silver Honor

Things aren’t always what they seem in this charming tale of imagination, sharing and friendship.

When Elephant takes a peaceful walk with his green umbrella, he’s interrupted by Hedgehog, Cat, Bear, and Rabbit—all claiming that they’ve had exciting adventures with his umbrella. After all, it is an umbrella, and it certainly hasn’t been on any adventures more exciting than a walk in the rain. Or has it?

Jackie Azúa Kramer and illustrator Maral Sassouni both make their debut in this fun read-aloud!

An unexpected and wholly original fractured fairy tale by award-winning author Mara Rockliff, with a hilarious visual narrative from illustrator Gladys Jose--All at Once Upon a Time is a fantastic picture book read-aloud that will have listeners giggling ever after

Once upon a time
(now, tell me if you've heard this one before)
locked away up in a tower,
lived a princess with the longest . . .
NOSE?

Fairy Tale Land has gotten a shake-up. All the stories are happening at once and . . . not exactly as they used to, once upon a time! Climbing a beanstalk takes an unexpected twist, Little Red Riding Hood's basket is bursting with an unusual gift for an out-of-the-ordinary grandmother, and Rapunzel's nose grows longer every time she tells another whopping fib!

With a surprise on every page, readers will love trying to guess what happens next.

A jubilant, inclusive, luminously illustrated picture book that features families at play, each with a family member who has a disability.

With love and adaptation, this is how we play! This joyful read-aloud with an empowering refrain, from disability rights activists Jessica Slice and Caroline Cupp, demystifies and respects how disabled people and their families use adaptive, imaginative, and considerate play so everyone can join in the fun.

Back matter consists of a kid-friendly guide to thinking, learning, and talking about disability; a glossary of the different disabilities represented throughout the book; and a guide for grown-ups on ways to encourage discussions about disabilities with the children in their lives. Throughout, This Is How We Play centers, affirms, and encourages the disabled children and adults who are already doing the challenging work of advocating for themselves and finding strength in community.

What can you do when everything goes wrong? From the creator of Ruby Finds a Worry comes a story about disappointment and having fun even when things don't go the way you hoped.

Bea is looking forward to the PERFECT day – her birthday. She can't wait to have the special time with family, presents, treats, and cake! But then things begin to go wrong. When a storm blows in, suddenly nothing is how Bea hoped it would be. None of the guests can come, and the mail can't be delivered with Bea's cards and gifts. Will there even be cake?! Everything seems completely ruined, and Bea's special day turns into a BAD day. Can Bea find a way to be okay-even in the middle of a very disappointing day?

Reassuring and hopeful, this book is a perfect starting point for helping kids learn to face disappointment, practice flexibility, and find fun where they least expect it.

The Big Bright Feelings picture book series provides kid-friendly entry points into emotional intelligence topics-from being true to yourself to dealing with worries, managing anger, and making friends. These topics can be difficult to talk about. But these books act as sensitive and reassuring springboards for conversations about mental and emotional health, positive self-image, building self-confidence, and managing feelings.

Don't miss these books in the Big Bright Feelings series!

Ruby Finds a Worry | Perfectly Norman | Ravi's Roar | Meesha Makes Friends | Tilda Tries Again | Milo's Monster | Finn's Little Fibs

A tender picture book about grief and the many ways to offer comfort in sad times, from Newbery Honor-winner Kyle Lukoff.

When you see someone sad, it's only natural to want to cheer them up. But how? Some people like hugs but others don't. Sometimes a joke is more comforting than a card. How can you do the just-right-thing if you don't know what it is?

With its spare, poignant text and unexpectedly levitous illustrations, Just What to Do offers an important lesson about how to offer comfort to loved ones by setting aside your assumptions and following their lead.

Discover essential words for growing up well in this delightful collection, from your friends on Sesame Street...for everyone, ages 3 to 103!

Come along with Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby, and more of the Sesame Street friends on a journey through over 100 meaningful words that highlight the important lessons the world-renowned children's education brand, Sesame Workshop, has been teaching for over five decades - how to be smarter, stronger, and kinder. Words, definitions, examples, and sweet illustrations of the beloved Sesame Street characters are brought together for a one-of-a-kind experience to learn from, delight in, and treasure for a lifetime.

A collectible and charming social emotional dictionary! The perfect Christmas, back to school, or graduation gift, and especially perfect for fun early learning moments with toddlers and kids ages 3-7!

ATTITUDE is how you feel and how you choose to act on your feelings. You get to choose your attitude every single day!

KINDNESS is using small and large words and actions that make others feel good.

HOME is a place where you live, grow, and spend time with people you love. Home is also a feeling in your heart!

While Daddy is busy wrangling a mud-happy dog, someone else is collecting lots and lots of pinecones. Helen Yoon brings back the parent-child duo from Off-Limits in a droll celebration of high enthusiasm.

Daddy is a bit distracted on their autumn walk, while his curious child only has eyes for one of nature's small wonders: a pinecone! And look, another pinecone! And another! In fact, she could gather an entire collection--an entire extended family--of pinecones if she wanted to (and she wants to!). But what then? In a story spun with visual comedy, the characters from Off-Limits return for a small adventure in outsize enthusiasm leading to a sparkly, holiday-cheer-worthy finish. Helen Yoon brings all her quirky warmth to bear on this tribute to little ones whose fixations tend to send them over the top--and the parents who lovingly help them to funnel all that passionate energy. And perhaps some of their own!