Chris Van Dusen

A little girl and her colossal friend teach a monster-size lesson about prejudging others in a charming offering from Chris Van Dusen.

Hattie McFadden is a born explorer. Every morning she grabs her life jacket and paddles out in her canoe to discover something new on the lake, singing a little song on her way. When her singing draws up from the depths a huge mysterious beast, everyone in town is terrified — except Hattie, who looks into the creature’s friendly, curious eyes and knows that this is no monster. So Hattie sneaks out at night to see the giant — whom she names Hudson — and the two become friends. But how can she make the frightened, hostile townspeople see that Hudson isn’t scary or dangerous at all? Chris Van Dusen brings his colorful, perspective-bending artwork to this satisfying new story about acceptance, friendship, and sticking up for those who are different.

Hattie and Hudson

Denene Millner

Vanessa Brantley-Newton

In this heartwarming story of love and family, a community comes together to help a young girl find the courage to lift her mighty voice.

Sundays are June’s favorite days because she gets to spend it with Mommy, Daddy, and her brother, Troy. Next Sunday is more special than most, because she will be leading the youth choir in front of her entire church.

June loves to sing. She sings loud, silly songs with Daddy, she sings to herself in front of the bedroom mirror, but performing in front of the entire congregation is another thing altogether. As her special moment approaches, June leans on the support of her whole community to conquer her fear of singing in front of the congregation.

Early Sunday Morning

Michael Bond

R.W. Alley

Celebrate the 60th anniversary of Paddington Bear with this final classic picture book adventure from beloved author Michael Bond. Paddington Bear’s adventures never go quite as planned. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t filled with fun and laughter! When Mr. Gruber takes Paddington on a special outing to St. Paul’s Cathedral, there is one surprise after another. And the biggest surprise of all comes when Paddington is mistaken for a choir bear and suddenly finds himself taking part in a most unusual rehearsal. For six decades, stories of Paddington have charmed readers all over the world. Now another generation of fans can join the beloved bear in this brand-new adventure written by Michael Bond and illustrated by artist R. W. Alley.

Paddington at St. Paul's

Eric Litwin

James Dean

Kimberly Dean

Time to head back to school with this bestselling groovy Pete the Cat book!Pete the Cat is rocking in his school shoes. Pete discovers the library, the lunch room, the playground, and lots of other cool places at school.And no matter where he goes, Pete never stops moving and grooving and singing his song…because it’s all good.The fun never stops–download the free groovin’ song.Don’t miss Pete’s other adventures, including Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons, Pete the Cat Saves Christmas, Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses, Pete the Cat and the Bedtime Blues, Pete the Cat and the New Guy, Pete the Cat and the Cool Cat Boogie, Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes, Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party, and Pete the Cat: Crayons Rock!

Rocking in My School Shoes

A story of family, faith, and following your heart  For ten-year-old Cadence Jolly, birthdays are a constant reminder of all that has changed since her mother skipped town with dreams of becoming a singing star. Cadence inherited that musical soul, she can’t deny it, but otherwise she couldn’t be more different - she’s as shy as can be.  She did make a promise last year that she would try to break out of her shell, just a little. And she prayed that she’d get the courage to do it. As her eleventh birthday draws near, she realizes time is running out. And when a secret recording of her singing leaks and catches the attention of her whole church, she needs to decide what’s better: deceiving everyone by pretending it belongs to someone else, or finally stepping into the spotlight.  In a story filled with whimsy and hope, Sherri Winston inspires readers to embrace the voice within.

Sweetest Sound

Tracey West

Pick a book. Grow a Reader! This series is part of Scholastic’s early chapter book line Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow! In book #5, the Dragon Masters are excited to meet the newest Dragon Master, Petra. But when she arrives at the castle, she doesn’t fit in right away. She’s a know-it-all, and she doesn’t even try to connect with her four-headed dragon! Could the Dragon Stone have chosen her by mistake? Then something terrible happens to the king. Petra will have to work with the other Dragon Masters to save him before it’s too late!

Song of the Poison Dragon

Robert Munsch

Michael Martchenko

Mortimer will not be quiet and go to sleep. Not for his mother, or his father, or his seventeen sisters and brothers, not even for the police. A newly designed Classic Munsch picture book introduces this unforgettable noise-maker to a new generation of young readers.

Mortimer

Kate DiCamillo

Jaime Kim

Conceived by Kate DiCamillo and featuring enchanting illustrations by Jaime Kim, this nearly wordless graphic story follows a little girl in search of a friend. “La la la . . . la.” A little girl stands alone and sings, but hears no response. Gathering her courage and her curiosity, she skips farther out into the world, singing away to the trees and the pond and the reeds – but no song comes back to her. Day passes into night, and the girl dares to venture into the darkness toward the light of the moon, becoming more insistent in her singing, climbing as high as she can, but still there is silence in return. Dejected, she falls asleep on the ground, only to be awakened by an amazing sound. . . . She has been heard. At last. With the simplest of narratives and the near absence of words, Kate DiCamillo conveys a lonely child’s yearning for someone who understands. With a subtle palette and captivating expressiveness, Jaime Kim brings to life an endearing character and a transcendent landscape that invite readers along on an emotionally satisfying journey.

La La La

Kate O'Shaughnessy

single-parent families

anxiety

courage

This sparkling middle-grade debut is a classic-in-the-making!  Maybelle Lane is looking for her father, but on the road to Nashville she finds so much more: courage, brains, heart–and true friends.  Eleven-year-old Maybelle Lane collects sounds. She records the Louisiana crickets chirping, Momma strumming her guitar, their broken trailer door squeaking. But the crown jewel of her collection is a sound she didn’t collect herself: an old recording of her daddy’s warm-sunshine laugh, saved on an old phone’s voicemail. It’s the only thing she has of his, and the only thing she knows about him. Until the day she hears that laugh–his laugh–pouring out of the car radio. Going against Momma’s wishes, Maybelle starts listening to her radio DJ daddy’s new show, drinking in every word like a plant leaning toward the sun. When he announces he’ll be the judge of a singing contest in Nashville, she signs up. What better way to meet than to stand before him and sing with all her heart? But the road to Nashville is bumpy. Her starch-stiff neighbor Mrs. Boggs offers to drive her in her RV. And a bully of a boy from the trailer park hitches a ride, too. These are not the people May would have chosen to help her, but it turns out they’re searching for things as well. And the journey will mold them into the best kind of family–the kind you choose for yourself.

The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane

David Walliams

Tony Ross

Sing your heart out with a whole choir of characters, in the showstopping new picture book from number one bestselling author David Walliams, illustrated by the artistic genius, Tony Ross!

There’s more than one star of the show… In fact, there’s a whole choir of them!

Warble the walrus LOVES to sing.

Unfortunately, she is not very good at it! And when her atrocious warbling causes an avalanche, the other walruses leave her all alone.

But when you SING like no-one is listening, SOMETIMES, they start to hear you…

The perfect story for anyone who loves to laugh or sing, this brand-new story from David Walliams is a delightfully wonderful warble about doing what makes you HAPPY, and being LOUD about it!

The Creature Choir

Tomson Highway

Sue Todd

Timely, Fun, Challenging and Wise!
Tomson Highway’s musical cabaret, The Incredible Adventures of Mary Jane Mosquito, couldn’t be more vividly presented unless you were sitting in the middle seat of the front row watching the Cree playwright, performer, musician and poet himself. The story of a wingless little mosquito from Manitoba has all the whimsy and wise humour any audience could ask for.

The ageless theme of a misfit, who finds her voice through song and who learns to make friends by communicating directly with her audience, is a timely treat for anyone who has felt like an outsider, dealt with bullying, moved to a new place, or was different from the rest of the pack.

The entire script is here, complete with song lyrics, stage directions, Cree vocabulary, and challenging tongue twisters to delight all ages. A perfect book for drama students, teachers, and theatre enthusiasts, this beautiful full-colour volume serves as an interactive read-aloud for the young, or a great way to introduce students to the joys of staging a musical production.

The Incredible Adventures of Mary Jane Mosquito

An award-winning and bestselling Pete the Cat hardcover picture book!

Count down with Pete in this rocking story that makes counting fun! Pete the Cat is wearing his favorite shirt—the one with the four totally groovy buttons.

But when one falls off, does Pete cry? Goodness, no! He just keeps on singing his song—after all, what could be groovier than three groovy buttons? The winner of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award.

The fun never stops—download the free groovin’ song!

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

Jacqueline Jules

Kim Smith

Sofia’s family does not want to hear her singing anymore, so she must find the appropiate place to use her new superstar-sing box machine.

Singing Superstar

Iza Trapani

Troll has appropriated rights to the bridge and charges the forest creatures a toll to cross it. Clever Vole has no money, but he does have a silver tongue. Praising Troll’s singing and teaching him new songs affords Vole the opportunity to sneak across the bridge several times. But Troll catches on eventually. Does Vole end up as a tasty casserole in Troll’s bowl?

Familiar songs and movements—from spiders crawling up waterspouts to nodding our head when we’re grumpy and we know it—along with Iza’s hilariously detailed illustrations and a diabolical plotline, create a harmony of storytelling that will elicit giggles and uproarious laughter.

Vole and Troll

Carol Thompson

We’re amazing! We can sing, make music, dress up and dance.

Sing

We are amazing! We can sing, dance, dress up, and make music. There’s nobody like us!
 Enjoy the antics of this inclusive and diverse group of friends, as they celebrate the natural and boundless creativity to be found in every child.

 ¡Somos sorprendentes! Cantamos, bailamos, nos disfrazamos y tocamos música. ¡Somos únicos y especiales! 
 Disfruta de las travesuras de este diverso y simpático grupo de amigos mientras celebran la infinita y espontánea creatividad que hay en cada niño.

Gabby Dawnay

Alex Barrow

An imaginative story about a bear trying to learn to sing, complete with engaging illustrations and an empowering message.

From the duo behind If I Had a Dinosaur and A House for Mouse, Gabby Dawnay and Alex Barrow’s A Song for Bear is a story about recognizing and celebrating what makes us unique.

Bear wakes every morning to beautiful birdsong and longs to join in. He stretches his legs, puts on his cap and suspenders, and tries to sing with the beautiful birds crooning all around him in the forest. Unfortunately, he discovers his song is more of a holler, a howl, and rumbling growl. His wise friend, Owl, tries to encourage him by pointing out that Bear is not a bird, but Bear learns the wrong lesson and attempts to fly, thinking that being more birdlike might make him a better singer. In the end, Bear concentrates on what he does best, discovering in the process that his unique “bear song” is in fact a rap. All of the forest animals gather to watch him perform his new song, and cheer in amazement at his newfound talent. Satisfied with finding what makes him unique, Bear smiles to himself and promptly falls back to sleep.

A Song for Bear

Jeanne Birdsall

With over one million copies sold, this series of modern classics about the charming Penderwick family, from National Book Award winner and New York Times bestseller Jeanne Birdsall, is perfect for fans of Noel Streatfeild and Edward Eager.

Springtime is finally arriving on Gardam Street, and there are surprises in store for each member of the family.

Some surprises are just wonderful, like neighbor Nick Geiger coming home from war. And some are ridiculous, like Batty’s new dog-walking business. Batty is saving up her dog-walking money for an extra-special surprise for her family, which she plans to present on her upcoming birthday. But when some unwelcome surprises make themselves known, the best-laid plans fall apart.

Filled with all the heart, hilarity, and charm that has come to define this beloved clan, The Penderwicks in Spring is about fun and family and friends (and dogs), and what happens when you bring what’s hidden into the bright light of the spring sun.

The Penderwicks in Spring

Annie Kubler

An illustrated version of the song which identifies parts of the body. On board pages.

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes ...

Jane Cabrera

Sing, stomp, and clap along - if you’re happy, let it show! Get the youngest listeners moving, clapping, and flapping in this brightly colored board book, perfect for small hands, full of joyful jungle animals. Nod along with groovy giraffe, flap with baby bird, and ROAR out loud with lion. Jane Cabrera’s fresh spin on the familiar song is a family favorite for baby dance parties since 2003. An Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award Winner. Jane Cabrera’s Story Time celebrates children’s best-loved read along nursery rhymes and songs. These interactive favorites are given a new twist by award-winning artist Jane Cabrera and feature her bold, bright, kid-friendly illustrations. Other titles in the series include Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush, One Two Buckle My Shoe, and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.

If You're Happy and You Know It

If You're Happy and You Know It (Jungle Edition)

Rebecca Emberley

Ed Emberley

Monsters sing their own version of this popular song that encourages everyone to express their happiness through voice and movement.

If You're a Monster and You Know It

Kwame Alexander

Tim Bowers

On the eve of singing at a community festival, a bout of stage fright threatens a little girl’s confidence. As Indigo Blume drifts off to sleep, she isn’t sure she’s brave enough to take the stage. But once she falls asleep, Indigo finds herself in a dream world with the characters of her favorite book, Acoustic Rooster and his Barnyard Band. The band’s members, including Miss Dairy Parton and Chickee Minaj, are rehearsing, and they invite Indigo to join the group. But when a storm destroys their barn, the animals are left with almost nothing. Can Indigo rally the band to work together and save their home? And will she find her voice in time for the festival?

Acoustic Rooster's Barnyard Boogie Starring Indigo Blume

Designed to be read with a buddy, this dialogue between an aardvark and a mouse contains only kindergarten or first-grade words, making it a unique first reading book. Sentences are short, with lots of repetition for reinforcement and to build reading confidence. Early childhood specialist and former Romper Room teacher “Miss Karen” believes that reading should be easy and fun, and that reading with a buddy brings pleasure to young children. Recalling the classic children’s book The Little Engine that Could, this story encourages beginning readers to believe in themselves. They will want to read it over and over again, and will be proud to say “I can read!”

Top 10 Singing Books