1000 Books Before Kindergarten
Track progress online with Beanstack or a printable log. If you have questions, email us at 1000books@bcpl.org.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library mails one free high-quality, age appropriate book each month to children from birth to age 5.
Tales Birthday Club
Children up to 5 years old are eligible to register for the Tales Birthday Club. During the month of their birthday, children will receive a card in the mail! Bring your Tales Birthday Card to any BCPL location to get the card stamped and receive a birthday gift.
Access Video - Just for Kids!
Stream many favorite children's programs and PBS favorites, such as Sesame Street, The Electric Company, Arthur, Reading Rainbow, and much, much more!
ComicsPlus for Kids
A growing collection of digital comics, graphic novels, and Manges specially curated for kids!
Explora for Kids
New Picture Books
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The Forgotten Scoop: A Sprinkle of Self-Confidence
Mint Chip is green with envy. Well, he's green because he's mint-flavored. But he IS envious of Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry. They are so popular on the ice cream truck. First, he tries to break into the cool crowd. Will making himself more minty or chippy do the trick? Alongside his trusty pal Waffle Cone, a chance meeting with a new ice cream flavor gives him a new perspective.
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How the Forest Feels
Forest school meets sensory play in this cozy picture book about a grandparent and grandchild on an exploratory walk through the woods.
Smooth and wet is a stone in a creek. Slippery and cold is the splash on your cheek.
A boy and his grandfather travel through a scenic forest on a sensory adventure written in soothing rhyme. Everywhere they look, there are fascinating things to see and feel. The boy is naturally curious… and in the woods, it’s okay to touch!
Some things are sticky. Some things are firm. Some are oozy or crumbly or coarse. The boy delights in using his sense of touch to explore the natural world—made even sweeter by grandpa as his companion.
With soft, velvety illustrations, this sumptuous story is just right for kids who learn by doing, and makes an ideal read-aloud for preschools with sensory awareness on the curriculum. Back matter features an author’s note about the five senses, as well as an interactive sensory treasure hunt for curious young readers (with adult supervision). -
Buffalo Fluffalo and Puffalo
A NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Fluffalo has had enuffalo when his quiet prairie life is turned upside down by the arrival of his new sibling, Puffalo, in this sweet and funny follow-up to the #1 New York Times bestselling Buffalo Fluffalo!
Every day, Buffalo Fluffalo goes about his usual routine. He munches all the grass he can eat, frolics and rollicks with his friends, and at noontime, lies down for a nap in the shade. But one morning, Fluffalo wakes up to a loud wailing cry and, to his surprise, finds a little buffalo named Puffalo with the tiniest, shiniest eyes!
At first, Fluffalo does not like Puffalo. “What does it need?” he huffs in alarm. But Crow wisely explains that Puffalo doesn't need much—just time to learn and grow. Slowly, Fluffalo watches as Puffalo learns to trip, slip, gallop, and trot. He teaches Puffalo to eat plants and to keep away from red ants. Together, the two take long strolls and snuggle for naps. And even though Puffalo sometimes slows him down, Fluffalo realizes that life is much better with Puffalo by his side.
From national bestseller and Emmy-nominated comedy writer Bess Kalb comes this hilarious tale featuring the surly Buffalo Fluffalo and introducing his new sibling, Puffalo. Illustrated by the talented Erin Kraan, readers will delight in the loving message about the joy of discovering that the yelly, smelly, squiggly, and short new sibling might be a tiny bit cute. -
Who's Making All That NOISE?!
Hey! What's that rap-tap-tapping? Too-OOT! Is that a trumpet? Yak-yak-yammer! Who's making all that NOISE?!
A rowdy, nonfiction animal guessing game picture book for 3-7-year-olds that will cause a ruckus of a read-aloud!
Animals make all sorts of sounds for all sorts of reasons! Can you guess the noisemaker from the noise?
Featured animals include:
- Woodpecker
- Dolphin
- Quacking frog
- And more
From world-class zoologist Darrin Lunde, author of Whose Poop Is That?, find out which animals hammer, click, and roar (and why) in this guessing game perfect for fun and rowdy read-alouds. -
Red Canoe Shows Up at Two!
"Eye-catching images help kids master time and colors....Useful and attractive introductions to several important concepts."--Kirkus Reviews
I spent the day
On the dock
And who zoomed up
At six o'clock?
A purple speedboat.A day on the dock is never dull when boats of all shapes, sizes, and colors are zooming on by! Indulge your preschoolers love for boats while also subtly teaching them about colors and time! Who zoomed up at six o'clock? A purple speedboat! What boat will arrive next? What time will it be?
Victoria Allenby adds another kid-tastic instalment to the Big, Little Concept Books collection that has already graced story times with the Mathical Book Prize honor book Shape Up, Construction Trucks!, the sound-celebrating Listen Up! Train Song, and the most recent Look Up High! Things that Fly. Like its predecessors, this book features a closing note to caregivers with age-appropriate enrichment activities to extend both the learning and the fun. But they needn't worry about handing the whole thing over to their children, since the padded cover, rounded corners, and extra-sturdy paper of this Toddler Tough format can endure many a rough reading.
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Broken
A New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Book! • Join Mei Mei on her hilarious and emotional journey in this dramatic and tenderhearted picture book about guilt and forgiveness, from the acclaimed creator of We Are Definitely Human.
When Mei Mei accidentally breaks her ama's favorite cup, she's convinced it's the end of the world. What if Ama is angry? What if she yells? What if she kicks Mei Mei out of her house? Mei Mei can't face it. But when Mimi, the innocent cat who witnesses her crime, ends up being blamed, the guilt is too much! Mimi's accusing eyes follow Mei Mei until she just can't take it anymore, and the truth comes spilling out.
With vibrant and moody cinematic illustrations and pitch-perfect pacing, X. Fang's newest picture book is filled to the brim with comedic drama and the comforting sweetness of a grandparent's forgiving hug. -
Don't Eat Eustace
Author-illustrator Lian Cho of Oh, Olive! and Pig Town Party delivers her third hilarious picture book about a bear and the fish, named Eustace, that they're trying to make their lunch. But a dash of diversion, a pinch of luck, and the surprising power of friendship just might save Eustace after all!
Today's Lunch Special: Freshly caught fish.
Bear lives alone in a lighthouse.
Bear mends their clothes, sweeps the floors, and catches their own lunch.
Today's lunch is Eustace.
Eustace would really like to live. (He has a girlfriend after all.)
Will Eustace be released back into the sea Or will he end up in Bear's stock pot
Find out in this funny adventure filled with brilliant illustrations and lots of humor.
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Echo
New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Adam Rex has created a funny and timely conversation starter about how dull life might be if everyone always agreed
Everyone always agrees with Junior, including the mysterious voice from across the valley.
“Junior Junior is the greatest in the world!” he shouts.
“Junior Junior is the greatest in the world!” the echo shouts back.
Until one day, a new girl moves in next door. A disagreeable, rude girl who doesn’t think Junior is right all the time. Unable to stand living next door to someone like that, Junior runs to the valley to meet his echo. But when being around someone who agrees with him all the time is less fun than he imagines, Junior must decide if a new friend is worth admitting he was wrong. -
Go, Sloth, Go!
★ "Simultaneously cozy and utterly engaging."--Kirkus, starred review
This celebration of going at your own pace will remind readers that sometimes slow is the best way to go!
After some sleep,
sloth is ready to eat.
Go, Sloth, go!In a world where the pressure to speed ahead seems relentless, now is the time to take a trip to the rainforest and cheer for the slowest mammal on Earth--a hungry sloth--who takes her time moving through thicket and vine in search of the tastiest leaves. Developed in consultation with The Sloth Conservation Foundation in Costa Rica, Toni Yuly's exploration of the sloth's habits and habitat springs to life, rendered in rich, colorful layers of torn paper and ink.
Don't miss Toni Yuly's companion title The Pelican Can!
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Never Let a Princess Paint
Celebrate the little artist in your life with this hilarious picture book from bestselling author Diane Alber that asks the question: if princesses run entire KINGDOMS and unicorns run on RAINBOWS...why can't they PAINT together?
Even if everyone says "never let a princess paint with her unicorn," one little princess is determined to unleash her inner artist with her silly steed by her side. But princesses aren't all ballgowns and sing-alongs...give them a paint brush, a unicorn, and who KNOWS what colorful, magical messes will happen. With bright illustrations that jump off the page and hilarious text, parents, educators, and children ages 4-10 will love this laugh-out-loud story that celebrates the power of creativity.
This funny picture book with one very inde-paint-ent princess is the perfect read-aloud or gift opportunity for birthdays, bedtime, or any occasion!
I'm not sure if you noticed my dazzling crown, but I'm a princess. And I do pretty much everything with my pet unicorn. So when I heard NEVER LET A PRINCESS PAINT WITH HER UNICORN, I was shocked!
Also in the Never Let A series:
- Never Let a Dinosaur Scribble
- Never Let A Unicorn Wear a Tutu
- Never Let a Unicorn Scribble
- Never Let a Unicorn Make Slime
- and more!
New Graphic Novels for Kids
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Sugar Shack
In the final volume of the bestselling Peapod Farm series, a city kid turned country girl whose life has been changing nonstop is settling into her new place in the family—only for unexpected drama to strike between sisters.
“Understated and full of heart.”—Kirkus Reviews
Jen couldn't be more excited to spend time on Peapod Farm with her stepsisters, Andy and Reese. For months, Jen has been so focused on trying to figure out how she fits into her new blended family that she hasn't realized she's found her place... that is, until Reese calls her "sister."
Excited and content, Jen thought she had figured everything out, but now she's not so sure. A rift emerges between the girls as Andy doubles down on being Reese's ACTUAL sister, while Jen is just the STEP sister. With Andy's attitude bringing a cold front to the farm, it seems like it's going to be a long winter.
Maybe between Peapod Farm's first snow and learning how to tap a tree for sugar at winter's end, Jen and Andy both will have a chance to truly understand what it means to be family.
Look for the whole Peapod Farm series
STEPPING STONES • APPLE CRUSH • SUGAR SHACK -
Miss Camper: A Graphic Novel
A companion to Miss Quinces, Kat Fajardo's bestselling, award-winning middle-grade graphic novel!
Sue is heading to Camp Willow this summer! She's looking forward to hiking, archery, and making comics in the fresh air. She's especially excited about LARPing (live-action role-playing) and can't wait for the freedom of being away from home. But she won't be far from family because her big sister, Carmen, is a camp counselor and her little sister, Ester, is a fellow camper and won't give her any space! All Sue wants is to make memories with her friends, but they're assigned to only a few of the same activities. To make matters even worse, her best friend, Sam, has a best camp friend named Marisol? And Sue's good friend Izzy has a crush on Sue?! This summer isn't at all going as planned!
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Cosmo Park
This rollercoaster ride through the galaxy is a bright and thrilling comic, following a narrative that is packed full of fascinating science facts and concepts about cosmology within a exciting and funny adventure story.
The Universal Nature Park is a place of wonder and scientific adventure, but watch out - there are mysterious and nefarious plots afoot, and it's not all fun and learning when the Universe is at stake...
Hop on a hover-buggy to the centre of the Milky Way and catch a ride around the Universal Nature Park to learn some amazing facts about our galactic neighbourhood. Maybe you'll spot some tricksy black holes trying to escape their enclosure, or perhaps you'll get caught in a meteorite storm (don't forget your comet-repellent umbrella!), and make sure you wrap up warm for the freezing end of the Universe!
This colourful comic informs and explains some of the key tenets of cosmology in an engaging and accessible way, following a narrative and packing in fascinating facts and concepts along the way. Kids will emerge from this world with new-found knowledge about the nature of our Universe, and a thirst to learn and explore on their own. -
Kingdom of Water: A Graphic Novel (the Rema Chronicles #2)
Tabby's adventures in the rich and captivating world of Rema continue!
Even though Rema's portals no longer work for Tabby, she hasn't given up on finding a way back to her world. Her father's last words urge her to search for a lost geist prince, but the escalating hunt for geists means that Philip and the others are in more danger than ever. When Philip is apprehended, Tabby must expose the lost history of Rema and those who want to distort it. But the secrets of the geists, Tabby's father, and the ghost that haunts them threaten to overturn everything Tabby knows -- and change her relationship with Philip forever.
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Pumpkin and Beetle: Two Vampire Cats
Meet Pumpkin and Beetle, two vampire cat best friends, as they explore their cozy-spooky town together in this early graphic novel.
Vampire cats are just like other cats, except they sleep during the day, they only eat red foods, and they go to school at night!
One night after school, Pumpkin and Beetle discover everyone in Hallowsville is reading the latest Frightfuls comic. Everyone except them, that is. When they check their wallets, they only have a quarter and a bug. Determined not to miss out, they brainstorm all sorts of ways to make money. They'll sell crabapples! They'll set carved crabapples! They'll sell carved crabapple muffins!
Will their silly schemes work in time? Will they be the only cats in town without the comic? As the two friends explore their community in search of a solution, they'll meet witches, werewolves, and other monster neighbors in this delightful adventure for young graphic novel readers. Jannie Ho's adorably cute art is filled with Halloween town worldbuilding. The book also includes a town map, a recipe for muffins, and even a sample of the treasured Frightful comic!
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection -
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Spooky
As the weather cools and leaves start falling, it's spooky season in Ponyville!
Something terrifying is happening at Sweet Apple Acres. Bad apples have come alive and are determined to take over all of Ponyville in "Night of the Apples!" Then, the Ponies go on an adventure to a newly erupted geyser and after some fun playing in the water, they begin to act a bit strange, perhaps even...sinister, in "Ponies of Dark Water!"
Collects My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic issues #32-33 and #43-45 by writer Thom Zahler and artist Tony Fleecs. -
Karmopolis (Book 1): the Land of Cars
Welcome to a world on wheels! It's nonstop excitement in this nutty graphic novel starring two kids in a fast-paced future.
Karmopolis is a world made up of super-highways and super-vehicles! Drivers zip from their wheeled houses to the moving super-mall without ever touching the ground, while the few mysterious Walkers skulk within the highway median. Two young Drivers, Pooja and her brother Om, are out shopping when they accidentally find a beautiful gem. After two angry men demand that they hand it over, a head-spinning adventure begins-Pooja and Om race across Karmopolis in search of the meaning of the gem, with the two creeps hot on their tailpipe.
Award-winning cartoonist Nick Bertozzi (Lewis & Clark; Shackleton- Antarctic Odyssey) combines old-fashioned comic book thrills with futuristic frenzy and super-cool diagrams in the endlessly imaginative Karmopolis- The Land of Cars. -
Quest for the True Dragon: A Graphic Novel (City of Dragons #3)
Perfect for fans of dragon adventure graphic novels like Wings of Fire! Grace and friends return for a new adventure in this third installment of the bestselling City of Dragons series.
Daijiang's continued pursuit of Grace has made it clear that she and Nate are crucial to his plan. But as her Hùnxuè powers grow stronger, Grace can't help but feel it's unfair she might be missing out on a normal school life. Other kids get to relax, watch movies with friends, and go on dates, while Grace is risking her life to save the world. Something has felt off about her connection with Nate lately, and she keeps dreaming of her father and his ominous insistence that she must wake the dragon kings.
When a trip to rendezvous with an old ally goes awry, Grace and her friends find themselves stranded in Tokyo with only one day to wake the Southern Dragon King. But with the race against the clock exacerbating tensions on the team, can Grace get back in sync with Nate and her friends before it's too late?
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Cat and Cat Adventures: Magic at the Mansion
Follow the antics of Squash and Ginny in the fifth installment of Cat & Cat Adventures from popular webcomic creator Susie Yi! This chapter book graphic novel series from Susie Yi is perfect for fans of Catstronauts, Babymouse, and Catwad.
The search is afoot! Squash and Ginny must locate the second orb of the Staff of Knowledge before the Spirit World leaks further into the Human World. Not only that, but their best friends Fern and Lotus are still missing!
Thankfully, their wand tracks Fern, Lotus, and the orb to a mysterious mansion, where they're shocked to discover all three are about to be auctioned off. Can Squash and Ginny save their friends and the orb--or will they lose them to the highest bidder . . . forever?
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Welcome to the Forest: the Harvest Party
A group of quirky forest creatures embark on heartwarming adventures in this graphic novel series opener featuring original gouache art. Perfect for beginning readers and graphic novel fans, especially those who love the Studio Ghibli films, Kasing Lung's Labubus, and Tove Jansson's Moomin. Includes nonfiction information at the back of the bookâe‹ about the autumnal season.
Deep in the heart of the Forest lives a handful of monsters. The Forest is home to many creatures, big and small, like:- boisterous Mossman, who is much kinder than he looks;
- cautious but cheerful Wallace;
- carefree, kind Grumpkin;
- and a sweet, mysterious entity named Shadow.
The creatures prove that every day is an adventure as new discoveries draw them closer together.
In this book, readers will get a glimpse at the woodland creatures' lives and discover three bite-sized stories, perfect for the autumnal harvest season. In Welcome to the Forest: The Harvest Party, Mossman and Wallace decorate pumpkins, Grumpkin meets a new friend, and the creatures celebrate fall with a lively Harvest Party.
Cottagecore and Studio Ghibli meet in this graphic novel by debut author and illustrator Katie Risor. Risor's breathtaking gouache mixed-media illustrations shine throughout this graphic novel. It features a Dyslexia-friendly font and is perfect to share with emerging readers, English and Second Language (ESL) learners, and veteran graphic novel enthusiasts alike.