Life Poetry

The foremost diverse children's authors and illustrators - including Jason Reynolds, Jacqueline Woodson, and Kwame Alexander - share answers to the question, "In this divisive world, what shall we tell our children?" in this powerful collection, published in partnership with Just Us Books.

During a visit to her grandma's house, a young girl discovers a box of poems in the attic - poems written by her mother when she was growing up. Her mother's family often moved around the United States and the world because her father was in the air force. Over the years her mother used poetry to record her experiences in the many places the family lived. Reading the poems and sharing those experiences through her mother's eyes, the young girl feels closer to her mother than ever before.

Lily the limpet lives happily in a rock pool. When Billy and Gran go to the beach they accidentally take the stone she lives on. Join Lily as she tries to find her way home. A beautiful tale of life by the sea.

A day at the circus! Oh my! So many things to see! So many things to do! Clowns and Ferris wheel rides, tents and trapeze artists. A Day at the Circus takes a look at all those wonderful experiences that happen at a sunny day at the circus.

"I have something new to talk about...tonight I will be going out," Mama gently tells Llama Llama. At first, Llama feels okay with this. After all, Mama has gone out before and Gram and Grandpa have stayed with him. But this time they can't. Someone new is coming over, and the more he thinks about it, the more he worries! He knows he will be miserable...and then the doorbell rings. It's Molly from the ice cream store. What is she doing here? And she has ice cream! Maybe having a new babysitter isn't nearly as bad as he thought!

On a surprisingly snowy day in Texas, a young student finds himself braving recess alone…that is, until he spots a new face sitting on the school's Buddy Bench. After a quick introduction, the two spend their recess discovering fun ways to enjoy the snow. By the end of recess, both kids leave the playground with a brand new friend. This sweet story of friendship brings the Buddy Bench's purpose to life.

Concrete Kids is an exploration of love and loss, melody and bloodshed. Musician, playwright, and educator Amyra León takes us on a poetic journey through her childhood in Harlem, as she navigates the intricacies of foster care, mourning, self-love, and resilience. In her signature free-verse style, she invites us all to dream with abandon - and to recognize the privilege it is to dream at all.

Llama Llama's tooth is wiggling! Is it time for his first tooth to come out? He's excited, but anxious. Who is this tooth fairy everyone talks about? Mama Llama reassures him; the tooth will come out when it's good and ready. But no one is ready for what happens next.... Suddenly, the tooth is GONE! Where did it go? And will the tooth fairy come at all, now? Anna Dewdney's fun rhyme is full of humor and comfort, and of course, a very happy ending.

How can Irene and Charles work together on their fifth grade poetry project? They don't know each other...and they're not sure they want to. Irene Latham, who is white, and Charles Waters, who is black, use this fictional setup to delve into different experiences of race in a relatable way, exploring such topics as hair, hobbies, and family dinners. This remarkable collaboration invites listeners of all ages to join the dialogue by putting their own words to their experiences.

Come experience the non-stop excitement of having to keep up with your energy-filled grandpa while he’s in town visiting you on vacation. He’s going to make each day the best day you have ever had. There’s not a minute to waste, because you are about to pack an entire summer of fun into a week. There’s no way of knowing just what all can happen when grandpa gets going.

The Weather Girl is a tale for children of all ages. This story written by Christopher Bejole features the adventures of a bird named Boo on a journey to find out why the weather suddenly has begun to change so dramatically.

In a new city, at a new school, 12-year-old Emmy has never felt more out of tune. Things start to look up when she takes her first coding class, unexpectedly connecting with the material - and Abigail, a new friend - through a shared language: music. But when Emmy gets bad news about their computer teacher, and finds out Abigail isn't being entirely honest about their friendship, she feels like her new life is screeching to a halt. Despite these obstacles, Emmy is determined to prove that, for the first time ever, she isn't a wrong note, but a musician in the world's symphony.

This heart-wrenching novel in verse describes the life of a poor girl surviving the Irish Land War and the everyday challenges she experiences.

Anna Dewdney's Llama Llama is growing up, but he still loves to play with all his toys! When Mama Llama says it's time to clean up, Llama responds like any child more interested in playing than cleaning...by ignoring her! But Mama has an imaginative response of her own. What if she never cleaned? What would happen then? Well, Llama Llama is going to find out! Here is a truly funny take on a childhood chore that all children will relate to and laugh at! And it is sure to be helpful to get kids cleaning up!

Dylan cannot sleep without his Cosydoze, but it goes missing on a visit to Granny’s house. Where has it gone? And can Mum and Dad get Dylan to sleep without it? A funny, heart-warming story for very young listeners told in rhyme.

Join in the fun as a kid and his bubbe prepare for Shabbat.

The Bumpy, Lumpy Horseshoe Crab is a horseshoe crab adventure with a happy ending. This audiobook has a whimsical, rhyming style, and portrays horseshoe crabs exhibiting behaviors that they commonly use in real life. It's the perfect choice for children three to 10 years old. It also is a great tool for teachers who are studying marine life, tidepools, or coastal sea animals. Although two horseshoe crabs are the central characters, periwinkles, limpets, barnacles, and green and Jonah crabs are also portrayed in the story.

Martin Rising is a stunning, poetic presentation of the final months of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life - told in a rich embroidery of visions, color, musical cadence, deep emotion, and multiple layers of meaning. Against a backdrop of the sanitation workers’ strike in Memphis, Tennessee, the book builds to its rousing crescendo as King delivers his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech - where his life’s commitment to peaceful activism and his dream of equality ascend to their highest peak.

Groovy Joe is back, and this time he's singing a groovy rendition of a favorite preschool song! Are you ready to sing along? Number-one New York Times best seller Eric Litwin (Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes) is back, and adding a groovy twist to the classic children's song "If You're Happy and You Know It." This story will have little ones singing, dancing, and grooving along to a new favorite beat. Signature rhyme, repetition, and musical writing style come together to create a character that will have you singing all day long. Groovy Joe is back, ready to get groovy!

Meet the married Dads, the divorced Dads, the widowed Dads and the gay Dads; the gamblers, the firemen, the bankers, the nurses, the soldiers and the milkmen. They’re trying to guide their sons through the foothills of childhood into the bewildering uplands of adulthood. But it’s hard to know if they’re doing it right. Or what their sons’ mothers think... Wise and funny, touching and true, What We’re Teaching Our Sons is for anyone who has ever wondered how to be a grown-up.