Some of our librarians’ favorite read-alouds for mystery readers!
Sheila Rae, The Brave
Henkes, Kevin.
When brave Sheila Rae, who usually looks out for her sister Louise, becomes lost and scared one day, Louise comes to the rescue.
Check AvailabilityAnansi And The Talking Melon
Kimmel, Eric A.
A clever spider tricks Elephant and some other animals into thinking the melon in which he is hiding can talk.
Check AvailabilityAnansi Goes Fishing
Kimmel, Eric A.
Anansi the spider plans to trick Turtle into catching a fish for his dinner, but Turtle proves to be smarter and ends up with a free meal. Explains the origin of spider webs.
Check AvailabilityThe Relatives Came
Rylant, Cynthia.
The relatives come to visit from Virginia and everyone has a wonderful time.
Check AvailabilityHorton Hears A Who!
Seuss
A city of Whos on a speck of dust are threatened with destruction until the smallest Who of all helps convince Horton's friends that Whos really exist.
Check AvailabilityHorton Hatches The Egg
Seuss
When a lazy bird hatching an egg wants a vacation, she asks Horton, the elephant, to sit on her egg--which he does through all sorts of hazards until he is rewarded for doing what he said he would.
Check AvailabilityChato's Kitchen
Soto, Gary.
To get the "ratoncitos," little mice, who have moved into the barrio to come to his house, Chato the cat prepares all kinds of good food: fajitas, frijoles, salsa, enchiladas, and more.
Check AvailabilitySylvester And The Magic Pebble
Steig, William
In a moment of fright, Sylvester the donkey asks his magic pebble to turn him into a rock but then can not hold the pebble to wish himself back to normal again.
Check AvailabilityFlat Stanley
Brown, Jeff
In a moment of fright, Sylvester the donkey asks his magic pebble to turn him into a rock but then can not hold the pebble to wish himself back to normal again.
Check AvailabilityBook! Book! Book!
Bruss, Deborah.
When the children go back to school, the animals on the farm are bored, so they go into the library in town trying to find something to do.
Check AvailabilityDear Mrs. Larue
Teague, Mark.
Gertrude LaRue receives typewritten and paw-written letters from her dog Ike, entreating her to let him leave the Igor Brotweiler Canine Academy and come back home.
Check AvailabilityThe Seven Silly Eaters
Hoberman, Mary Ann.
Seven fussy eaters find a way to surprise their mother.
Check AvailabilityThe Boy Who Loved Bananas
Elliott, George
Seven fussy eaters find a way to surprise their mother.
Check AvailabilityGo To Sleep, Gecko!
MacDonald, Margaret Read
Retells the folktale of the gecko who complains to the village chief that the fireflies keep him awake at night but then learns that in nature all things are connected.
Check AvailabilityWhen Turtle Grew Feathers
Tingle, Tim.
In this Choctaw version of Aesop's fable "The Tortoise and the Hare," storyteller Tim Tingle reveals some unexpected twists and expands the cast to include a turkey, a colony of ants, and a cheering squad of little bitty Turtles as well.
Check AvailabilityHiromi's Hands
Barasch, Lynne.
In this Choctaw version of Aesop's fable "The Tortoise and the Hare," storyteller Tim Tingle reveals some unexpected twists and expands the cast to include a turkey, a colony of ants, and a cheering squad of little bitty Turtles as well.
Check AvailabilityUncle Andy's
Warhola, James.
The author describes a trip to see his uncle, the soon-to-be-famous artist Andy Warhol, and the fun that he and his family had on the visit.
Check AvailabilityAnansi's Party Time
Kimmel, Eric A.
When Anansi the spider invites Turtle to a party just to play a trick on him, Turtle gets revenge at a party of his own.
Check AvailabilityArchie And The Pirates
Rosenthal, Marc
When Archie the monkey finds himself on a strange island, he makes a multitude of new friends who help him defend their home from intruding pirates.
Check AvailabilityTarra & Bella
Buckley, Carol
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. Based on the national media sensation, this is a true story of friendship and loyalty.
Check AvailabilityWonder Horse
McCully, Emily Arnold.
A fictionalized account of Bill "Doc" Key, a former slave who became a veterinarian, trained his horse, Jim Key, to recognize letters and numbers and to perform in skits around the country, and moved the nation toward a belief in treating animals humanely. Includes an author's note.
Check AvailabilityA Pig Parade Is A Terrible Idea
Black, Michael Ian.
Explains precisely why, although it may sound like a good idea, gathering hundreds of pigs to march in a parade through one's hometown is inadvisable.
Check AvailabilityThe Boy From The Dragon Palace
MacDonald, Margaret Read
A magical boy grants a poor flower-seller's every wish until the greedy and ungrateful man grows tired of the boy's unpleasant behavior and sends him away.
Check AvailabilitySamantha On A Roll
Ashman, Linda.
Warned not to try out her new skates, Sammy straps them on anyway, resulting in a wild ride through town.
Check AvailabilityLenore Finds A Friend
Katz, Jon.
The true story of Lenore, a dog who made friends with a ram named Brutus.
Check AvailabilityWhat Floats In A Moat?
Berry, Lynne.
While trying to cross a moat, Archimedes the Goat and Skinny the Hen learn why objects sink or float.
Check AvailabilityWhat Floats In A Moat?
Berry, Lynne.
While trying to cross a moat, Archimedes the Goat and Skinny the Hen learn why objects sink or float.
Check AvailabilityStrega Nona Does It Again
De Paola, Tomie
Strega Nona has the perfect remedy for a houseguest who overstays her welcome.
Check AvailabilityAlice From Dallas
Sadler, Marilyn.
Two young cowgirls in Dallas, Pennsylvania, have a showdown on the school playground.
Check AvailabilityA Mom For Umande
Faulconer, Maria Fasal.
Because his own mother is too young to take care of him, Umande, a newborn gorilla, is fed and cuddled by human zookeepers until a surrogate mother is found.
Check AvailabilityChukfi Rabbit's Big, Bad Bellyache
Rodgers, Greg.
Bear, Turtle, Fox, and Beaver agree to build Ms. Possum a new house, but Chukfi Rabbit says he is too busy to help until he hears there will be a Chocktaw feast afterwards and helps himself to a treat while the work is being done.
Check AvailabilityParty Croc!
MacDonald, Margaret Read
In this retelling of a Shona folktale from Zimbabwe, a girl promises a crocodile he can come to a party in exchange for a favor, but since crocodiles aren't allowed in the village, she doesn't expect she'll have to keep the promise"--
Check AvailabilityTommy Can't Stop
Federle, Tim.
Tommy has worn out his parents and sister with his bouncing, clomping, and leaping, but when they convince him to try tap dancing, he finds it the perfect outlet for his energy.
Check AvailabilityJust Itzy
Krumwiede, Lana
Tired of being called "Itzy Bitzy," Itzy tries to catch his own lunch on the first day of spindergarten to prove he is a big spider, but a girl sitting on a tuffet, a dangerous waterspout, and other nursery rhyme characters get in his way.
Check AvailabilityStrongheart
McCully, Emily Arnold
When silent movie director Larry Trimble decides to put Strongheart, a police dog, into his movies as the lead actor, he must first train him to play with toys and walk like a regular dog, but Strongheart becomes a sensation until his military training leads to trouble, and possibly the end of his career. Includes author's note on the real Strongheart.
Check AvailabilityRita's Rhino
Ross, Tony
When Rita's mother refuses to get her a pet, Rita goes to the zoo and returns with a rhinoceros--but keeping a pet rhino a secret proves to be much trickier than she ever imagined.
Check AvailabilityI Yam A Donkey
Bell, Cece
Confusion abounds when a poorly spoken donkey says to a grammarian yam, "I yam a donkey!
Check AvailabilityThe Red Bicycle
Isabella, Jude
A bicycle dubbed Big Red by its first owner is donated and sent overseas to West Africa, where it passes through a series of owners who ride the bicycle to facilitate busy days of working, running errands, and helping neighbors.
Check AvailabilityOne Hundred Bones
Zommer, Yuval
Scruff the dog is a stray who loves to dig, which doesn't make him the most popular dog in town, but one day, he sniffs out a pile of old bones that just may change how the neighborhood thinks of him.
Check AvailabilityThis Book Just Ate My Dog!
Byrne, Richard
When her dog disappears into the gutter of the book, Bella calls for help. But when the helpers disappear too, Bella realizes it will take more than a tug on the leash to put things right"--
Check AvailabilityThunder Boy Jr.
Alexie, Sherman
Thunder Boy Jr. wants a normal name...one that's all his own. Dad is known as Big Thunder, but Little Thunder doesn't want to share a name"--
Check AvailabilityThe Legend Of Rock Paper Scissors
Daywalt, Drew.
You've played the game. Now read the legend of the three great warriors who started it all... Rock, Paper, Scissors!"--Front jacket flap.
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