To the Beach!
illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott
Harcourt, 2005
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-15-216490-4

It’s a perfect day to go to the beach, but this family is having some trouble getting there. First they forget Fido. Then the cooler of drinks. Then baby’s beloved ducky pail. Will this wacky family ever make it to the beach?

Awards
Colorado Book Award Finalist; Junior Library Guild Selection

Starry Safari
illustrated by Jeff Mack
Harcourt, 2005
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-15-204766-5

Join this daring young girl and her trusty orange jeep on an exciting safari. There are giraffes to watch, rhinos to race, and wily crocodiles to avoid. Just watch out for the Big Safari Ranger!

Awards
Texas Library Association 2X2 Award; Missouri Building Block Award finalist 2007; Children’s Book of the Month Club Main Selection; Nick Jr. Blue’s Book Club Selection; Kansas National Education Association Readers Circle Selection 2006

How to Make a Night
illustrated by Tricia Tusa
HarperCollins, 2004
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-06-029032-0

After a hectic day, a resourceful young girl brings on the night so everyone can rest. She lassoes the sun, peels the blue from the sky, paints some glittering stars, and gets the crickets singing. Then she gets a good night’s sleep so she’s ready to rise bright and early the next morning to bring on the day.

Awards
New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading & Sharing 2004; Eric Carle Museum Picture Book of Distinction 2004; starred reviews in Kirkus and The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Just Another Morning
illustrated by Claudio Muñoz
HarperCollins, 2004
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-06-029054-2

The day begins as many do:
I find myself inside a zoo...

Join this imaginative boy as he escapes wild animals, rappels down a mountain, crosses jungles and deserts, wrestles a spitting snake, then finally succumbs to a giant’s magic sleeping punch. After a nap, he’s ready to start all over again.

Awards
Colorado Book Award for Children’s Literature 2005

The Essential Worldwide Monster Guide
illustrated by David Small
Simon & Schuster, 2003
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-689-82640-5

Dear Traveler:
Say you’re sailing in the south,
Or hiking in the east.
Your holiday’s delightful—till you meet a pesky beast.

What should you do? In this collection of poems that Kirkus called “as pithy and clever as Ogden Nash at his best,” Ashman gives tips on how to avoid monsters found all across the globe.

Awards
Beehive Award (Utah) finalist; Pennsylvania Young Readers Award finalist; Gate City Award (New Hampshire) finalist; starred reviews in Kirkus and School Library Journal

Rub-a-Dub Sub
illustrated by Jeff Mack
Harcourt, 2003
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-15-202658-5

A young boy in a bright orange submarine encounters all sorts of amazing undersea creatures, but races back home to safety (and to a surprise ending) when he comes face to face with a toothy shark.

Awards
Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award finalist (Kansas Reading Association); Nevada Young Reader Award finalist; Texas Reading Club Selection; Junior Library Guild selection; Children’s Book of the Month Club selection

The Tale of Wagmore Gently
illustrated by John Bendall-Brunello
Dutton, 2002
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-525-46916-2

Meet Wagmore, a happy dog with a powerful tail...which sometimes makes his family very unhappy. When Wagmore’s wild wagging gets him in trouble yet again, he works very hard to keep it in check. Fortunately, he’s not entirely successful.

Awards
Florida Reading Association Honor Book

Can You Make a Piggy Giggle?
illustrated by Henry Cole
Dutton, 2002
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-525-46881-3

In an attempt to make a grumpy pig giggle, a boy gets the whole barnyard laughing—and the reader, too! Rhyme and repetition make for a lively read-aloud.

Awards
IRA/CBC Children’s Choice 2003; A Healing Stories selection; A Book It! Beginners (Books Every Classroom Should Have); Chicago Public Schools Recommended Reading List

Sailing off to Sleep
illustrated by Susan Winter
Simon & Schuster, 2001
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-689-82971-0

In this “splendid bedtime fantasy” (Kirkus), a young girl postpones bedtime by imagining a fantastic Arctic adventure. Told in lilting rhyming couplets sure to lull the most reluctant sleeper off to sweet dreams.

Awards
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award; Governor McGreevey’s Book Club Selection (New Jersey)

Castles, Caves, and Honeycombs
illustrated by Lauren Stringer
Harcourt, 2001
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-15-202211-2

Many places make a home:
A heap of twigs, a honeycomb.

Many places can make a home—a silent cave, a secret den, a silky web, even a sticky honeycomb. Each one is safe and snug and just right for the families who live there.

Awards
Booklist Editors’ Choice 2001; Golden Kite Honor for Picture Book Illustration; Virginia Young Readers Award finalist; Baltimore County Public Library’s Best Picture Books of 2001; Junior Library Guild selection; Children’s Book of the Month Club selection

Maxwell's Magic Mix-Up
illustrated by Regan Dunnick
Simon & Schuster, 2001
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-689-83178-2

Maxwell, a bumbling, last-minute replacement at a birthday party, unintentionally turns the birthday girl into a rock, her father into a broom, and her friends into a variety of animals. When Maxwell’s every move brings more chaos, he calls in his young nephew to help out. Can this party be saved?

Awards
The Center for Children’s Books Best Books of 2001; Junior Library Guild Selection