Monica Sheehan has taken her bestselling book “be happy.” and created an irresistible little gem for people “BIG & small.” So open it up and get inspired to . . .”Sing and dance a little!  Have fun!  Be kind–be brave!

And be the best YOU.

Perfect Piggies by Sandra Boynton $6.95

Piggies rock! So does Boynton. Through her eyes, her words, her music, and above all her art, the world is seen with whimsy and pleasure. “Perfect Piggies!” comes with a song available free via a download from the Workman Web site.

A Good Day by Kevin Henkes $7.99

It started out as a bad day for little yellow bird, little white dog, little orange fox, and little brown squirrel. Until . . .A discovery, and love, and luck and persistence, and a different point of view changed all that.

Noisy Peekaboo Board Books by DK Publishing

Noisy Peekaboo takes DK’s popular Peekaboo books to the next level by filling them with sounds that will captivate and delight toddlers with a new noisy surprise after every turn of the page.

How Do Dinosaurs Love Their Cats by Jane Yolen $6.99

With the same humor and warmth of their previous bestselling dinosaur books, Yolen and Teague show readers how young dinosaurs care for their kitties and puppies. Each title includes an introduction for children who may be getting a pet soon.

Counting Little Geckos by Charline Profiri  $6.95

Geckos everywhere, having fun! Number one is the cool gecko with the blue shades. Gecko number six does push-ups and number four sleeps through it all. The book’s rhyming text helps children anticipate the next number and teaches little ones to count from one to ten.

Wynken, Blynken and Nod by Eugene W Field  $6.99

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod take children on a magical journey into the night sky–where the three fishermen sail in a wooden shoe, capturing stars in nets of silver and gold, and laughing along with the moon.

Have You Been Naughty or Nice? by Ethan Long $10.99

Long’s mischievous and hilarious Duck is back and is excitedly awaiting a visit from Santa Claus. But after he eats all of Santa’s snacks, Duck realizes he just put himself on the naughty list. However, he has a clever plan to get himself back on the nice list.

Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch  $6.95

Bear’s Day Out by Michael Rosen  $7.99

Bear’s life by the sea is quiet and peaceful, but the sounds of the nearby city call to him, and he must go exploring. Rosen’s spare lyrical text lends itself to the board-book format, just right for reading aloud.

Baby Bear, Baby Bear What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr & Eric Carle  $7.99

Young readers will enjoy Baby Bear’s quest to find Mama and are sure to revel in identifying each of the native North American animals that appear along the way.

Night-Night Little Pookie by Sandra Boynton  $5.99

Told in Boynton’s signature rhyme and illustrations, this humorous and gentle story is sure to delight toddlers and those who love them. It’s evening, and mom patiently eases Pookie toward bed. Pookie cooperates (mostly), though with that particular Pookie flair.

*

Horns to Toes and in Between by Sandra Boynton

Sheila Rae’s Peppermint Stick byKevin Henkes

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton

I Don’t See Any Bears, Do You? by Theresa Howell

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow

Ten Little Dinosaurs by Pattie Schnetzler

The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and The Big Hungry Bear by Audrey & Don Wood

Way Out in the Desert by T.J. Marsh

Little Butterfly Finger Puppet Book by Klaartje van der Put

Hush Little Baby by Sylvia Long

Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara Joosse

I Howl, I Growl: Southwest Animal Antics by Marcia Vaughn

There are many more board books available.  But these are a few of my favorite.  Most of these authors also have other books for this same age group.  Prices for board books normally run between $5.99 and $9.99

Picture Books

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C Stead  $16.99

Amos McGee is too sick to make it to the zoo, so his animal friends decide to return the favor and visit him, making it the best sick day ever.

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson $6.99

A clever mouse uses his imagination to conjure up a vicious “gruffalo” to ruin the appetites of the hungry woodland animals he meets.

The Gruffalo’s Child by Julia Donaldson $5.99

In this delightful sequel to “The Gruffalo,” the Gruffalo’s child goes into the woods to find the Big Bad Mouse, a creature her father met years ago.

Ella Kazoo Will Not Brush Her

Hair by Lee Fox  $15.99

Ella Kazoo would rather do anything than brush her hair, especially when she could be skipping in the rain and dancing in the sunshine instead. As her hair grows from bad to worse, soon it’s out of control! Something must be done to tame her wild locks, and although it’s no easy task, Ella and her mother find a solution that makes them both happy.

How You Got So Smart by David Milgrim $16.99

This celebration of curiosity and creativity, with its funny, joyful illustrations full of kid-friendly details, makes a great gift to commemorate any milestone.

Stella: Star of the Sea by Marie-Louise Gay $7.95

Stella and her little brother are spending the day at the sea. Stella has been to the sea before and knows all its secrets, but Sam has many questions. Stella has an answer for them all.

Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes $6.99

Wemberly is a worrywart, and nothing worries her more than starting school. A #1 “New York Times” bestseller from Caldecott Medalist Henkes, “Wemberly Worried” is just the thing for any child with first-day-of-school jitters.

My Mother is So Smart by Tomie dePaola $16.99.

Through the heartfelt words of a little boy awed by all the things his mom can do, this glowing celebration of mothers has a universal appeal that will make young readers everywhere want to share it with their own moms.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell by Lucille Colandro $5.99

With rollicking, rhyming text and funny illustrations, this lively version of a classic song is sure to appeal to young readers with every turn of the page. There’s also a surprise ending readers won’t see coming.

How do Dinosaurs Go to School? (includes CD) by Jane Yolen  $9.99

Everyone’s favorite dinosaurs are back–and this time they are going to school. These prehistoric pupils are in a class of their own!As in their previous books, Yolen and Teague capture children’s rambunctious natures with playful verse that is read by the author!

The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone  $3.99

Is there a monster at the end of this book? Lovable Grover believes so and he will try anything to stop readers from turning the pages to find him. This bestselling Sesame Street book of all time is an exciting and original tale that children will read again and again.

My Garden by Kevin Henkes $17.99

The girl in this book grows chocolate rabbits, tomatoes as big as beach balls, flowers that change color, and seashells in her garden.

How does your garden grow?

When Stella Was Very Very Small by  Marie-Louise Gay  $16.95

Gay has gone back in time to answer the questions often asked by the children who read and love her Stella books.

Tyrannosaurus Drip by Julia Donaldson $16.95

From the author of the bestselling picture book “The Gruffalo” comes a deceptively simple, completely charming story about a little dinosaur who takes on the big wide world.

Tarra & Bella by Carol Buckley  $16.99

A stray Labrador named Bella befriends Tarra, a former circus elephant and resident of the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. While the pairing is unusual, the two are inseparable–even when a crisis threatens to separate them.

Can You Make a Scary Face? by Jan Thomas $12.99

This exuberant, interactive picture book starring a bossy little ladybug and a giant hungry frog will have kids leaping up and down and out of their seats to dance and make silly-scary faces of their own.