At the office playing some catch up with shelving and weeding books. Took a break to read some of the new books sent to me by Holiday House (thanks, Terry!). Here are a handful of some of their new titles for the fall.




Yo Mama Goose pulls together an array of animals for a barnyard slam. Charley Horse recites a poem about his distaste for hay; cow's rhyme tries to dispel rumors about cows. Lamb's selection is entitled "Lamb I Am." Lots of fun and language at play here.




When a boy is captured by a ghost, he delays his untimely end by telling the ghost he has a fabulous recipe for boy dumplings. Of course, there is much trickery involved and a happy ending.




Bridget yearns for a wee cabin to call her own. Unfortunately, it does not seem to be in the cards for the woman abandoned as a child. Wee men come to her rescue on Christmas evening, though.

David Adler's picture book biographies are always wonderful introductions for young readers. This is no exception as readers will learn about the life of Harry Houdini.




Muslims helped rescue Jews during the Holocaust by using one of their mosques as a way station of sorts. This little known story is brought to life by the somber yet hopeful illustrations.




Harriet Quimby became the first female licensed pilot in the US. This picture book tells of her challenges as she pursued her goals. Illustrations by Catherine Stock accentuate the sometimes hectic world in which Harriet lived and worked.

I cleared about 50 books off a shelf (of course there were more than that to take their places) and took another time out to read through the towering stack of picture books on the desk (maybe I can see the top of the desk later???).




Classic Ed Young illustrations combine with spare text to tell the story of a young egg abandoned. A boy gives the egg over to the care of a mother hen who is surprised to discover her newest chick is not meant for the earth. (Roaring Brook)






David McPhail provides readers a fable of war and its ultimate victims in this nearly textless book. (Roaring Brook)




James Warhola tells another tale of his Uncle Andy (Warhol). Andy begins with two cats and somehow ends up with a building overrun with cats, all but one named Sam after their father. Not only do we see great good humor, readers also meet Andy Warhol as a person and as an artist. Putnam




After you read CHICKA CHICKA BOOM, read THE SLEEPY LITTLE ALPHABET. Bedtime can be hectic for the alphabet, but eventually there are some ZZZZZZZZs in their future. Knopf

Drew, that is. I devoured the Nancy Drew books when I was a tween. If this book had been around, it would have been a perfect book for me. I listened to this book as I was driving hither and yon (are those Texas terms) over the last week or so.






Sophie, Margaret, and Rebecca are all students in the 7th grade at St. Veronica's Catholic School. Before you can say "Holy, Nancy Drew!" they are smack in the middle of a mystery. A gift from a long gone father to his daughter is hidden somewhere in the church. There are clues for the girls to follow, of course. The clues involve some pretty fancy thinking, too. Charming characters, including some eccentric ones, some novel twists and turns (shades of Charles Dickens no less), and a totally satisfying conclusion make this a near perfect tween book. Please, may we have some more???

Not sure why there are so many books about butts, but this one os charming and perfect for reading aloud. Rhyming text tells us of the importance of the rear end. Feiwel and Friends




From the bottom to the top with this book about a hat found abandoned on a park bench. The young adventurer who finds it imagines himself in all sorts of situations where an oversized hat might just help. Bloomsbury




Almost is one of those words..the boy in the story is almost six and almost never cries. He can almost do lots of things, almost. HarperCollins

How about these two for a pairing?




Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean team up again for a fanciful adventure. This time the journey takes a young girl into a head of wild and crazy hair full of animals and oddities.




And here is Laurie Halse Anderson's wild hair story, the tale of poor Zoe whose hair requires its own crib, chair, etc. All is well until a teacher asks the hair to behave...

Here is a lift the flap book that takes one snake and transforms it into its opposite: skinny to plump, straight to tangled, and quiet to loud. Little Simon




Reminiscent of Lois Ehlert's books, this one features die-cuts in various shapes and they combine to create a dinosaur. Little Simon

Lulu wants to be a big chick and so heads off from home to look for a far away place where she will be treated in a manner more befitting a big chick. Of course, there is no place like home. Bloomsbury




A beauty contestant's sash floats away on a breeze and lands on a pig who now declares herself to be a princess. Be careful what you wish for, Princess Pig. Knopf




Wilson is puzzled when he arrives at school and no one is there. Where is Miss Lovely and what is that strange sound? Random House




Arnold Lobel's daughter used her father's line drawings as the basis for this illustrated collection of poems about frogs and toads. HarperCollins