Collection: Shop All

Based on the beloved comic strip "Bear with Me" by Bob Scott, this lighthearted odd couple middle grade graphic novel is about a girl and her very best friend: an 800-pound scaredy-bear!

When Bear wanders into eleven-year-old Molly's life, she knows she's just met her new bestie. Loyal, sweet, inquisitive--and terrified of almost everything--Bear makes a great new friend. And he's not scary at all! But try telling that to the rest of the world.

Molly eventually convinces her mom and dad to let Bear stay with them, but showing everyone else that Bear isn't dangerous (not to mention assuring Bear that he isn't in constant danger!) is going to take some work. Lucky for Bear, Molly doesn't give up easily.

"London and Zelinsky have created something unendingly fun but also deeply meaningful: Art takes on a life of its own, no matter how much the artist thinks the work can be controlled!" --Brian Selznick, Caldecott Medal-winning author of The Invention of Hugo Cabret

A still life painting is a painting where everything is supposed to stay still. But what if it doesn't? Acclaimed author Alex London and Caldecott Medal-winning artist Paul O. Zelinsky bring exquisite life and adventure to this slyly funny and inventive picture book for fans of Christopher Denise's Knight Owl and Corinna Luyken's The Book of Mistakes.

Every young artist has drawn or painted a still life scene. Perhaps it is a bowl of fruit, or a toy, or a vase of flowers, or a chair. The only rule is that a still life painting must stay still.

But staying still is hard! Especially for a curious mouse and a hungry dragon and a no-nonsense princess. Will the artist notice that his still life painting is breaking all the rules?

From award-winning author Alex London and Caldecott Medal-winning artist Paul O. Zelinsky, Still Life is a funny, subversive, and clever picture book that brings a painting to wildly imaginative life. Readers will pore over all the silly and surprising details in the illustrations--which tell a story of daring rescues, dashing heroes, and found friends. With its inventive humor, Still Life is for readers of Battle Bunny and David Ezra Stein's Interrupting Chicken.

Duck, duck, goose! Moose? From acclaimed author-illustrator John Hare, this funny picture book follows two ducks, a goose, and their unexpected friend, Moose, on a surprising journey. For fans of Suzanne Lang's Grumpy Monkey and Kelly Bingham and Paul O. Zelinsky's Z Is for Moose.

Join Duck, Duck, and Goose as they soar through the skies, leaving the cold weather behind on their annual migration south. Will Goose and friends catch a ride on a caboose? Will Duck's truck get stuck in the muck? And why is there a moose in this book? Wait, where did Moose go?

John Hare, the acclaimed author-artist of A Mouthful of Minnows, has crafted a hilarious picture book full of rhyming wordplay, exuberant illustrations, and friendship--and featuring a sly nod to seasonal migration. Duck, Duck, Goose! is an innovative, playful, and unpredictable picture book that begs to be read again and again, making it a wonderful choice for emergent readers as well as family and storytime sharing.

2025 NCTE Notable Verse Novel

High Plains Book Award Winner

"Intensely readable." --School Library Journal (starred review)

When her unconventional parents finally agree to settle down in one place, twelve-year-old Cayenne's dreams come true--but the reality of fitting in is much harder than she imagined. Acclaimed author Jessica Vitalis crafts an unforgettable historical novel-in-verse about belonging, family, and social class, for fans of Lisa Fipps's Starfish and Jasmine Warga's Other Words for Home.

As Cayenne enters seventh grade, her parents decide it's time to stop living in their van, roaming from place to place. Cayenne hopes that this means she will finally belong somewhere and make some friends. But it turns out that staying in one place isn't easy at all.

When her social studies class studies the Titanic tragedy (the wreckage has just been discovered and her teacher is obsessed), Cayenne sees more and more parallels between the social strata of the infamous ship and her own life. Will she ever squeeze her way into the popular girls' clique, even though they live in fancy houses on the hill and she lives in a tiny, rundown home with chickens in the front yard? Is it possible that the boy she likes actually likes her back? Can she find a way to make room for herself in this town? Does she really want to? Maybe being "normal" isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Set in the mid-1980s, this literary novel is for readers of Megan E. Freeman's Alone and Erin Entrada Kelly's We Dream of Space.

This lyrical and joyful picture book celebrates new experiences and community traditions when a young boy learns to dance at his first powwow. It's Powwow Time! is for readers of Cynthia Leitich Smith's Jingle Dancer and Oge Mora's Thank You, Omu!

Bineshii is looking forward to his first powwow. He wakes up and travels with his mother to the community event. He eats bannock and drinks strawberry juice as he watches the dancers perform. And ever so slowly, Bineshii works his way from the edge of the circle watching the dancers to inside the circle itself, dancing and celebrating with everyone else.

Award-winning journalist Martha Troian's child-centered text and Hawlii Pichette's action-packed illustrations build excitement on the page as Bineshii's curiosity and confidence grows. It's Powwow Time! explores the rewards of being open to new experiences while also serving as a beautiful and informative introduction to a First Nations powwow.

"Noozhishenh, bimadiziwin," Nookomis says. "My granddaughter, live a good life."

An Ojibwe grandmother carefully measures and selects just the right colors of fabric, and her sewing machine hums whirr, whirr, whirr late into the night.

In the morning, her growing granddaughter has a beautiful new ribbon skirt to wear, a reminder of her nookomis and the cultural traditions that stitch together her family with love.

This heartwarming story by Marcie Rendon (Ojibwe), with stunning illustrations by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (Ojibwe), celebrates the power of Indigenous craft and community and weaves together the spirit of resilience, female empowerment, and gratitude for the generations that came before us.

Walt Kelly's newspaper comic strip Pogo was a platform for Kelly to express political satire and commentary via a wildly entertaining, motley group of swamp critters. He tackled many of the sociopolitical issues of his day: the Red Scare, civil rights, the environment, consumerism. But the strip is also a joyous, poignant, beautifully drawn, and occasionally profound work of 20th-century popular culture. It is such an all-time classic it is hard to believe that this series marks the first time that Pogo dailies and Sundays have been published in complete and in chronological order anywhere. Not only does each volume contain two full calendar years of restored black-and-white daily strips, it also includes all 104 Sundays from the same period. For the first time since their original appearance more than 50 years ago, the Sundays are in full, glorious color! Edited by comics legend Mark Evanier and Fantagraphics Associate Publisher Eric Reynolds, each volume has a surprise foreword (Jake Tapper and Sergio Aragonés Neil Gaiman have contributed).

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection ★ An Indie Next pick

This powerful and compassionate book follows a family's journey through the turbulence of parental addiction--and the moments of connection and healing that break through the dark days.

Reese is a seventh-grader in rural North Carolina who loves drawing, basketball, his hardworking mom, and his charming, charismatic dad. But then one day, he comes home to his worst nightmare - his dad on the floor, lips turning blue, overdosed. Again. Reese calls 911 and gets his dad out of danger, and he expects to go on as before. But for his mom, this is the breaking point, and she declares that she and Reese are leaving until Reese's dad gets real help with his addiction. They move to a rundown trailer outside of town, where Reese is furious with his mom, scared for his dad, and terrified his friends will find out.
Then he meets Meg and Charlie, who have likewise been stranded by circumstances beyond their control. As the trio explores the blackwater river that runs nearby, Reese discovers new beauty and joy in nature and these fresh connections. His dad is also doing better, holding things together, and talking to his mom again. But how long can the good times last? And what will Reese do if--when--they end?

In the United States today, an estimated one in eight kids live with a parent with a substance-abuse problem. Written with bracing honesty, deep sympathy, and tenderness for all its characters, Breaking into Sunlight offers readers a powerful affirmation that no one is alone.

★ "An important novel for every library to have." --School Library Journal, starred review

A new addition to the acclaimed Scientists in the Field series, Urban Coyotes follows the scientists of the Urban Coyote Research Project as they track, study, and care for coyotes living among humans in one of America's largest cities, Chicago.

But that's the thing about coyotes. They don't necessarily do what's typical or usual, nor what's expected or predicted. Coyotes are rule breakers.

The fourth largest metropolitan area in North America is home to more than nine million people and a surprisingly large population of coyotes. Join the wildlife scientists of the Urban Coyote Research Project as they carry on their twenty-five-year mission: Studying the coyotes of Cook County, Illinois, home to the city of Chicago. Explore questions such as "Where did the coyotes come from--and why?," "Are they a danger to Chicagoans?," and "Do predators create healthier urban ecosystems?" with real-life scientists in the field. Started by urban ecologist Stan Gehrt in the late 1990s when coyotes were first noticed entering the Chicago region, the Urban Coyote Research Project's mission is to help coyotes and human city dwellers live together in peace.

With stunning up-close photography by Tom Uhlman, author Mary Kay Carson offers an in-depth look into how these mystifying wild creatures, and those dedicated to studying and protecting them, navigate urban spaces.

Who?

What?

Where?

When?

Why?

It's 1942, and the United States is at war. While most of the kids in Henry Hamilton's class dream of being soldiers and shipping off overseas, Henry wants to contribute in a different way: he dreams of being a reporter. When his city organizes an air raid program as part of its civilian defense efforts, he just might find the scoop he's been hoping for. But as he tracks down his leads, he discovers a story far more perilous and important than he could have imagined.

As the danger mounts, Henry must navigate dark forests, hidden tunnels, and even enemy spies and saboteurs in order to expose the shocking truth in this propulsive, high-stakes mystery.

"Absurdly funny."--Kirkus Reviews

Author-illustrator Lian Cho delivers a rib-tickling picture book about a young girl who receives a mysterious invite to a Pig Town party and follows the trail into a secret world of pigs--where epic parties, chase scenes, and a cake heist soon unfold. Hilarious twists abound!

When a mysterious invite addressed to "Cutie" arrives in the mail, a young girl follows the mailman through the hedges and discovers a dazzling, secret world of . . . pigs.

Pigs on bikes. Pigs in bakeries. Pigs on their way to a mansion.

Cutie goes to the address on her invite and is welcomed into an epic party of pigs dressed in every costume imaginable. And they love her human costume the most. Cutie realizes their mistake, and she is definitely going to set the record straight. After all, lying is wrong. But being flattered is also loads of fun. And maybe a little distracting. So when they call Cutie's name to award her for best costume, she doesn't realize another pig is storming up to the stage...and this pig looks angry. Author-illustrator Lian Cho delivers a hilarious tale filled with chase scenes and cake heists in a wildly imagined world.

Crawl into the deepest corners of caves across the world and learn about the wonderfully weird creatures that live their lives in the dark!

Did you know that some creatures that live in the dark have adapted to have no eyes? Or that some dark dwellers have extra long antennae so they can feel their way around their homes? Have you ever seen a troglobite? There many different types of troglobites including the fearless waterfall-climbing cave fish, the mutant Mexican tetra, and the mystifying olm.

Author and illustrator Lindsey Leigh introduces young readers to some of the weirdest and creepiest critters that thrive in the darkest corners of our planet in her uniquely funny and graphic style. This fact-filled book reveals the different ways that creatures of the dark have adapted to thrive in their environments, including slow movement and loss of pigment in their bodies to blend in with their surroundings. Readers will get to know aquatic cave leeches, tailless whip scorpions, cave beetles, the devil's hole pupfish, worms, salamanders, and all kinds of bats.

Praise for Lindsey Leigh's The Deep!
"A buoyant undersea venture. Leigh draws her teeming wildlife in accurate detail."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

A wickedly funny cautionary tale about the perils of missing the most important meal of the day!

Croc is running late for his shift as the river ferry. No time for breakfast. He'll pick up some donuts at the Hippo Hut. Only, Hippo's sold out! Good thing Croc has an emergency snack. Except, his banana has gone bad! Croc is going to have to work on an empty stomach, with loads of animals on his back. Croc gets hungrier and hungrier, thinking of donuts and ... other things to eat. Will he ever make it to lunch?

Author and illustrator Colleen Larmour keeps the suspense level high in this playful picture book, with a fast-paced story told mostly in dialogue bubbles, spreads filled with animal antics and bright tropical colors, and funny, exaggerated depictions of Croc's growing hunger. A delicious romp, this book also serves as a terrific reminder that food is fuel.

A visit to a fire house is always fun, but it's even more exciting when the Gingerbread Man comes along!

Guess who gets to go along on a field trip to the firehouse? The Gingerbread Man! But when he falls out of his classmate's pocket, Spot the Dalmatian comes sniffing around. Luckily, this Gingerbread Man is one smart cookie, and he races into the fire truck, up the pole, and all through the station, staying one step ahead of the hungry dog the whole time.Then an emergency call comes in and the Gingerbread Man knows just what to do:
"I'll ride to the rescue, as fast as I can.
I want to help, too! I'm the Gingerbread Man!"

With snappy rhymes and fresh illustrations, the Gingerbread Man makes a sweet return in his second school adventure. Look for all of this hilarious Gingerbread Man's adventures: The Gingerbread Man Loose at School, The Gingerbread Man Loose on the Fire Truck, The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas, The Gingerbread Man Loose at the Zoo, and The Gingerbread Man and the Leprechaun Loose at School!