By Stephen Savage

Where's Walrus? He's escaped from the zoo! Will the zookeeper find him? Or will this clever runaway stay one step ahead by disguising himself among firefighters, businessmen, and even high-stepping dancers? In this delightful wordless picture book, follow Walrus's happy-go-lucky spree in the big city as he tries on different hats from all walks of life. But what happens when the hats are off?

By Jon Klassen

A bear has lost his hat. What if he never sees it again? WAIT! He has seen his hat...

By Ed Young

In Ed Young's childhood home in Shanghai, all was not as it seemed: a rocking chair became a horse; a roof became a roller rink; an empty swimming pool became a place for riding scooters and bikes. The house his father built transformed as needed into a place to play hide-and-seek, to eat bamboo shoots, and to be safe.

For outside the home's walls, China was at war. Soon the house held not only Ed and his four siblings but also friends, relatives, and even strangers who became family. The war grew closer, and Ed watched as planes flew overhead and frends joined the Chinese air force. But through it all, Ed's childhood remained full of joy and imagination.

This powerful, poignant, and exquisitely illustrated memoir is the story of one of our most beloved children's illustrators and the house his baba built.

By Allen Say

This is Allen Say's own story of his path to become the renowned artist he is today. Shunned by his father, who didn't understand his son's artistic leanings, Allen was embraced by Noro Shinpei, Japan's leading cartoonist and the man he came to love as his "spiritual father." As World War II raged, Allen was further inspired to consider questions of his own heritage and the motivations of those around him. He worked hard in rigorous drawing classes, studied, trained and ultimately came to understand who he really is. Part memoir, part graphic novel, part narrative history, Drawing from Memory presents a complex look at the real-life relationship between a mentor and his student. It is a book that will inspire the artist in all of us.

By Eric Carle

A brilliant new Eric Carle picture book for the artist in us all!
Every child has an artist inside them, and this vibrant new picture book from Eric Carle will help let it out. The artist in this book paints the world as he sees it, just like a child. There's a red crocodile, an orange elephant, a purple fox and a polka-dotted donkey. More than anything, there's imagination. Filled with some of the most magnificently colorful animals of Eric Carle's career, this tribute to the creative life celebrates the power of art.

By Yu Li-Qiong
Illustrated by Zhu Cheng-Liang

Maomao's father works far away and comes home only at Chinese New Year. When Papa arrives, Maomao hardly recognizes him at first. But before long, the family is making sticky rice balls, hearing the firecrackers, and watching the dragon dance in the street. Maomao loves doing ordinary things with Papa -- getting a haircut, fixing things around the house, and sleeping tucked between her parents. But all too soon it is time for Papa to go away again.

In this poignant, vibrantly illustration tale, winner of the prestigious Feng ZiKai Chinese Children's Picture Book Award, is a bittersweet portrayal of love that endures time and distance.

By Claire A. Nivola

As a child, Claire A. Nivola loved visiting Orani, a tiny village nestled among the mountains of central Sardinia in the heart of the Mediterranean. It was there that her father had been born, one of ten children in a family so poor that he had to share a bed with five of his siblings. And it was there, when Claire returned with him years later, that she learned about life and death, about the ways of nature and of the human family. In her tribute to this village where life was lived close to the earth, Claire Nivola invites us into the labyrinthine cobbled streets where she and her cousins ran free, encountering surprises at every turn. Orani becomes a tangible world that we can all marvel at and love.

By Norton Juster
Illustrated by G. Brian Karas

A new block, a new house, and a new boy who doesn't know anyone at all. That's the worst part: how will he ever make friends? The boy wanders along the street, deep in thought, until he makes a decision, stops, and at the top of his voice, calls out NEVILLE again and again. Soon all the neighborhood kids have gathered to join in. But who is Neville? Does he live there? What's he like? Everyone wants to know, and you will too.

By Mary Lyn Ray
Illustrated by Marla Frazee

From acclaimed author Mary Lyn Ray and two-time Caldecott Honor winner Marla Frazee comes this tender, evocative—and profound—exploration of stars both near and far.

By Leo Landry

Bear dreams of making his friends laugh. He wants to tell his jokes on Woodland Stage. But Bear has a problem. He has stage fright. Meet Bear and the rest of the forest gang as they discover that dreams can come true in unexpected ways.

By Chris Raschka

This is the story of a dog and her ball. Caldecott Medalist Chris Raschka brings us a tender and beautiful wordless picture book about what it's like to lose something special -- and find a friend.

By Melissa Sweet

Every Thanksgiving morning for more than eighty years, mammoth-size balloons have risen to the skies to wobble and sway, sally and shimmy, up and down the canyons of New York City. Just how did this beloved tradition come to Broadway? Who first invented these wondrous "upside-down marionettes"? Meet Tony Sarg: the boy who loved to figure out who things moved -- the boy who became the puppeteer of Macy's parade!

By Joyce Sidman
Illustrated by Beth Krommes

What makes the tiny snail shell so beautiful? Why does that shape occur in nature over and over again -- in rushing rivers, in a flower bud, even inside your ear? Spirals -- bold, beautiful, and mysterious -- are all around us. Can you find one?

By Frank Viva

See the road?
There it goes!
From page to page
Without a break
Over and around
Up and out
In and down.
Reach the end?
It goes around again!

By Alice Melvin

Join Sally on her journey along the High Street and open the flaps to see what's going on inside each of the shops she visits. Can you spot the spinning top in Mr. Crispin's toy shop? How many hamsters can you see in Mrs. Jomo's pet shop? Will Sally find everything on her list? This charming story is brought to life by Alice Melvin's unique style that has made her one of the most acclaimed illustrators of her generation.

By April Stevens
Illustrated by Sophie Blackall

"I'm hot! Franny, open your window."
"Mom, tell Franny to close her window. My hair's blowing."
"Figbutton noo noo POCKY BOOKY froppin ROOF," baby Edwin says.
The Finnemore family's shopping trip is already a disaster, and they haven't even gotten to the supermarket yet. Mrs. Finnemore has found her car keys -- but whatever has she done with her pocketbook? Baby Edwin is trying to help, but he's just babbling...isn't he?

By Brock Cole

When Pa brings a turkey poult home to fatten for Christmas dinner, he assures Ma that it will be no trouble since it can live in a box by the stove and be fed on table scraps. But raising a turkey in a tiny three-room flat is not quite so simple. Can Pa and the children manage the willful and growing Alfred and keep the neighbors happy until Christmas? In this exuberant romp through a holiday season set in a nineteenth century New York tenement, Pa finds a solution for every difficulty -- until he encounters one that threatens to ruin Christmas completely. How the family joins together to solve this last difficulty provides a heartwarming climax to a very funny and satisfying holiday story.

By Shane W. Evans

A family silently crawls along the ground. They run barefoot through unlit woods, sleep beneath bushes, take shelter in a kind stranger's home. Where are they heading? They are heading for freedom. A handful of well-chosen words and arresting images by the co-creator of BLACK JACK: THE BALLAD OF JACK JOHNSON make this book about a journey on the Underground Railroad an experience that readers won't soon forget.

By Matt de la Pena
Illustrated by Kadir Nelson

On the eve of World War II, African American boxer Joe Louis fought German Max Schmeling in a bout that had more at stake than just the world heavyweight title; for much of America their fight came to represent the country's war with Germany. From Caldecott Honor winner Kadir Nelson and acclaimed novelist Matt de la Pena, this elegant and powerful picture book biography centers around the historic fight in which Black and White America were able to put aside prejudice and come together to celebrate our nation's ideals.

By Kadir Nelson

The story of America and African Americans is a story of hope and inspiration and unwavering courage. But it is also the story of injustice; of a country divided by law, education, and wealth; of a people who struggles and achievements helped define their country. This is the story of the men, women, and children who toiled in the hot sun picking cotton for their masters; it's about the America ripped in two by Jim Crow laws; it's about the brothers and sisters of all colors who rallied against those who would dare bar a child from an education. It's a story of discrimination and broken promises, determination and triumphs.

By Lane Smith

Follow Grandpa Green's great-grandson through a garden where memories are handed down in the fanciful shapes of topiary trees and imagination recreates things forgotten. In his most enigmatic and beautiful work to date, noted picture book creator Lane Smith explores aging, memory, and the bonds of family history and love. By turns touching and whimsical, Grandpa Green opens the door to a garden of wonders for parents, grandparents, and children alike.

By Patrick McDonnell

A Carle Museum "Top of the Shelf" Book.
Click here to read our book review.

Award-winning picture book author Patrick McDonnell tells the inspiring story of the young girl who would grow up to be Dr. Jane Goodall - primatologist, environmentalist, humanitarian, and United Nations Messenger of Peace.

By Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Illustrated by Holly Meade

Naamah is the wife of Noah, and her name means "great singer." For forty days and forty nights, as the ark tosses on storm-wracked seas, Naamah sings. She signs to the animals, two by two. She sings to her husband, her sons, and their wives. She sings, and they all seep, finally at peace.

By Philip C. Stead

When Jonathan loses his best friend, a stuffed bear named Frederick, he sets sail on the Big Blue Boat to find him. Along the way he assembles a ragtag crew, including a mountain goat, a lonely circus elephant, and even a friendly whale. Adventure and intrigue (and pirates!) follow. Philip Stead's whimsical illustrations, an unusual mix of detailed collage and acrylics, his gently droll text, and a supremely satisfying conclusion make this a picture book to treasure.

By Hervé Tullet

A Carle Museum "Top of the Shelf" Book.
Click here to read our book review.

Press here. That's right. Just press the yellow dot. And turn the page. The single touch of a finger sparks a whimsical dance of color and motion in this joyful celebration of the power of imagination.