They perch high above gardens and fields, with borrowed coats and button eyes and pie pan hands that glint in the sun. What else is there to know about scarecrows? Perhaps more than we realize. Illustrations.

Whimsical illustrations encourage readers to use a creative imagination. While seeds draw ugly pigeons to the park, the Birdman assures Rose they can do more than that. This refreshing, almost unpredictable lesson shows readers there is always more than one way to view something.

This wordless story comes alive through the wonder and kindness of a little girl. As a bright light would shine in a dark room, the young heroine wears red, the only spot of color at the story's black and white outset. Trailing her distracted Dad along city sidewalks, she collects simple beauty -- weeds and wildflowers in crevices amidst a cement jungle -- and then gives it away little by little. ...

This irresistible tale begs to be read aloud! It unfolds as a play with delightful characters whose traits bubble to the surface during the worst of times, revealing true colors — raccoon brothers who keep their Scout pact, find courage in the face of grave danger (though a weakness for sweet, sugary pies nearly derails their plan) and bravely see a mission through for the greater good; Cha ...

Free-verse text describes the transition from day to night and from night to day, revealing the magic in these everyday moments.

""What does the sky say?" a child asks.What does it say on a winter day, or on a Saturday night, or when the rain beats on its chest, or its mouth is full of moon?A child watches the sky in changing seasons and in all kinds of weather and learns to listen to its voice.In "What Does the Sky Say? author Nancy White Carlstrom's imaginative and poetic text encourages all readers, both very young and o ...