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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When We Gather (Ostadahlisiha): a Cherokee Tribal Feast
Nothing welcomes spring like a wild onion dinner!
As the dirt warms and green sprouts poke up, a Cherokee girl joins her family in the hunt for green onions. Together, they pick enough to bring to a feast, which is cooked with love and shared by their community.
Idalisdayvhvga!
Let's all eat!
Written with simple, sensory lyricism by Andrea Rogers (Cherokee) and featuring warm, vibrant art by Madelyn Goodnight (Chickasaw), this picture book celebrates the spring tradition of wild onion dinners--and the community and comfort that are shared when we gather.
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Thank You
With inviting collage illustrations, Jarvis brings his singular whimsy and sweetness to a musing on gratitude that spans the ages.
I thank my hat for stopping my thoughts from floating
up, up, and away.
I thank the cloud for the puddles.
The moon brings nighttime, and the sun the day. With no yellow and blue, we'd be a world without green lights, and without itches we'd never know the relief of a scratch. From oversized plants that offer hiding places to boots that somehow know the way, from siblings who bravely take the first plunge to yourself for being you, award-winning picture-book creator Jarvis spans the gamut from the silly to the sublime and opens the endless possibilities for giving thanks. Strikingly illustrated in bright, clear colors, this uplifting picture book is poised to make a thoughtful gift. -
It's Powwow Time!
This lyrical and joyful picture book celebrates new experiences and community traditions when a young boy learns to dance at his first powwow. It's Powwow Time! is for readers of Cynthia Leitich Smith's Jingle Dancer and Oge Mora's Thank You, Omu!
Bineshii is looking forward to his first powwow. He wakes up and travels with his mother to the community event. He eats bannock and drinks strawberry juice as he watches the dancers perform. And ever so slowly, Bineshii works his way from the edge of the circle watching the dancers to inside the circle itself, dancing and celebrating with everyone else.
Award-winning journalist Martha Troian's child-centered text and Hawlii Pichette's action-packed illustrations build excitement on the page as Bineshii's curiosity and confidence grows. It's Powwow Time! explores the rewards of being open to new experiences while also serving as a beautiful and informative introduction to a First Nations powwow.
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Fall Parade
Celebrate the colorful autumn season with this playful and vibrant ode to the arrival of fall in all its glory from author Camelia Kay and illustrator Allyn Howard.
Here comes fall! Follow Daddy and Baby Fox as they welcome a festive parade of autumn fun, with falling leaves, shiny red apples, acorns, and all of their beloved friends.
A charming picture book companion to Spring Parade, perfect for sharing as part of seasonal lessons and just for snuggling. -
Goodnight Gymnastics
After a day of watching thrilling routines, a young gymnastics fan says goodnight to her favorite sport. From the vault and beam to the bars and floor, her favorite gymnasts soar to success until the very last flip. With action-packed rhyming text and energetic art, Goodnight Gymnastics will have little tumblers cheering for bedtime!
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I Am Wriggly
Playful and jubilant, Michael Rosen's read-aloud delight captures the can't-sit-still spirit of children with energy to burn.
This bunny is so wriggly! Around and around, on the ground, it waves its feet and drums out a beat. It just can't stop! But, phew--it's tiring being this wriggly! Melding an exuberant text by rhyming master Michael Rosen with bold and bouncing illustrations from Robert Starling, this third in a series exploring early childhood emotions is a go-to book to share with little ones. The author's introductory note to grown-ups invites readers to use I Am Wriggly as a springboard for interactive play.
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All Aboard the Alaska Train
★ "It's hard to imagine a more appealing picture book for introducing young children to the varied landscapes and wild animals of Alaska."-Booklist STARRED REVIEW
"A rousing, rhyming tour of Alaskan wildlife and scenery." -Kirkus Reviews
"A cheerful ode to Alaska . . . that is sure to leave readers demanding, "Again!""-School Library JournalToot toot! Come aboard the Alaska Train for a rollicking rhyming adventure with Alaska's favorite animals!
Five shiny train cars roll down the railroad track, picking up passengers along the way--a porcupine, grizzly bear, caribou, and more. Soon the cars are packed, but now the train must go up a tall mountain. Will the Alaska Train reach its destination?
All Aboard the Alaska Train takes you on a rumbling journey as you zoom across the tracks and meet some of the state's most famous animal residents. Included at the back is a glossary of the parts of a train, plus more information about the famous Alaska Train and a map of its route.
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Ahoy!
Join a child captain and parent first mate as they embark on a wild high seas adventure…all without leaving the living room! This imaginative romp of a picture book is filled with glorious illustrations from a beloved Caldecott Medalist and New York Times bestselling creator.
Raise the mainsail!
Batten the hatches!
It's time to set sail…on the couch!
There's a storm coming, and a child is ready to captain the ship. "Make haste and climb aboard," they call out to their parent, "before you're swept out to sea!"
Sea? What sea? The parent is only trying to vacuum the rug. But the child is adamant. It's not a rug--it's the ocean. And that broom? It's the ship's mast. Soon enough, child and parent are both off on an imaginary nautical adventure!
Here is a thoroughly engaging, hilarious picture book that celebrates the joys of playing make-believe--and hanging out with a parent! -
Abuela's Library
Alfonso and Abuela love to spend Saturday afternoons finding books at the library and reading them together beneath their favorite oak tree. But when their beloved tree is cut down, can Alfonso transform the stump into something magical for their whole community--their very own neighborhood library?
This uplifting story from award-winning poet Lissette Norman and illustrator Jayri Gómez shows us how to turn an unexpected setback into a happy ending: one with a beautiful sky-blue door and shelves filled with books for everyone to enjoy.
New Graphic Novels for Kids
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Phoebe and Her Unicorn
"Phoebe is a remarkably real little girl, as bright and imaginative as Bill Watterson's Calvin, as touchingly vulnerable as Charles Schulz's Charlie Brown. And if these strike you as big names to conjure with, I'll go further and state for the record that in my opinion Heavenly Nostrils is nothing less than the best comic strip to come along since Calvin and Hobbes. Simpson is that good, and that original."
--Peter S. Beagle, author of The Last Unicorn, from the Introduction
A boy and his dog . . . a girl and her . . . unicorn?
It all started when a girl named Phoebe skipped a rock across a pond and accidentally hit a unicorn in the face. Improbably, this led to Phoebe being granted one wish, and she used it to make the unicorn, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, her obligational best friend. But can a vain mythical beast and a nine-year-old daydreamer really forge a connection? Indeed they can, and that's how Phoebe and Her Unicorn unfolds.
This beautifully drawn comic strip follows the unlikely friendship between a somewhat awkward girl and the magic unicorn who gradually shows her just how special she really is. Through hilarious adventures where Phoebe gets to bask in Marigold's "awesomeness," the friends also come to acknowledge that they had been lonely before they met and truly appreciate the bond they now share. -
Sunset of the Sabertooth
The #1 bestselling chapter book series of all time celebrates 25 years with new covers and a new, easy-to-use numbering system!
The Ice Age is very cool…for two kids in bathing suits! Jack and Annie nearly freeze when the Magic Tree House whisks them back to the time of cave people and woolly mammoths. But nothing can stop them from having another wild adventure—not even a saber-toothed tiger!
Did you know that there’s a Magic Tree House book for every kid?
Magic Tree House: Adventures with Jack and Annie, perfect for readers who are just beginning chapter books
Merlin Missions: More challenging adventures for the experienced reader
Super Edition: A longer and more dangerous adventure
Fact Trackers: Nonfiction companions to your favorite Magic Tree House adventures -
Splatoon 3: Splatlands, Vol. 2
All-new adventures featuring the beloved characters from the hit Nintendo video games!
Goggles’s adventures continue in the Splatlands!
Trouble is brewing when four of the most popular players split off from the Splatlands’ Great Eight to form the New Order of Splatlands. Their goal is to kick players they defeat out of the game! Will Team Blue be able to stop their scheme?! -
Yokai Cats Vol. 8
THERE'S A YOKAI CAT FOR EVERYONE!
Yokai cats--there are so many different types, it's hard to choose! Do amabie, kappa, nurikabe, or nekomata not seem like the right pets for you? Then meet our new friend Konaki-jiji, the crying old man yokai, who has thick eyebrows and gets heavier when he sleeps. Like the rest, he's strange and lovable in his own way!
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Big Nate: Remain Calm!
Big Nate delights middle grade readers with stories of mischief and misadventure in these full-color comics featuring sixth grader Nate Wright and friends at P.S. 38.
Middle school can be a hot mess--especially for sixth-grader Nate Wright. Whether he's bluffing his way through an oral report about...umm...some random war, peer-reviewing a classmate's story about cats, or writing a book report on a literary gem called The Cheerleader Chronicles, Nate's usually up to his eyeballs in stress. But our hero always finds ways to cope. Like bringing Spitsy to school as an emotional support dog. Or creating a graphic novel to (sort of) complete his math homework. Nate even authors a no-nonsense advice column with a title that says it all: Ask The Genius. So take a tip from P.S. 38's resident renaissance man: When problems start piling up, do what Nate does: REMAIN CALM!
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Quinnelope and the Mystery of the Missing Moon
"Outrageously adorable, out-of-this world entertainment." —Kirkus Reviews
"No matter what planet the audience is on, Quinnelope and the Mystery of the Missing Moon [is] packed full of quirky, far-out escapades that make for a humorously enjoyable read." —Shelf Awareness
Perilous planets, glittery gossip aliens, a snack-obsessed black hole, and more await Quinnelope and friends in the second laugh-out-loud book from comic duo Kayla Coombs and HF Brownfield.
As Quinnelope is getting ready for bed one night, she discovers that the moon is mysteriously missing from the sky. Weird . . . BUT it’s the perfect opportunity to pull an all-nighter. (Err, an “all-dayer” actually, since the sun is still up!) Except hours later, there’s still no moon . . . this is a DISASTERRrrRrRrrRrrRrRRR!!!! There’s only one thing to do: launch a space mission to solve the mystery of the missing moon! Along with her dutiful butler, Bub, and loyal companion, Star, the trio blast off on a cosmic adventure to find the missing moon once and for all.
Solving this mystery won’t be as easy as they thought, especially when they learn it’s not just their moon that’s missing, but moons all over the galaxy! Wait, WHAT?!?!?!? Will they be able to find the moons and restore night time once again, or will they be doomed to endure sunny days forever? Join comic duo Kayla Coombs and HF Brownfield as they take you on a hilarious planet-hopping road trip of a lifetime. Don’t forget to pack the snacks!
Don’t miss the first book in this series, Quinnelope and the Cookie King Catastrophe—available now! Perfect for fans of Dog Man and Investigators! -
Cat Ninja
Calling all Cat Ninja fans: Your favorite feline ninja is back in another action-packed collection of stories from Epic Originals!
It's nonstop crime time in Metro City, and the hero the city needs is...Octopunch? Even an eight-armed avenger can't keep the streets safe by himself, though, so Cat Ninja's spending all his time catching crooks--and no time curled up with his family. When he realizes that Leon needs him more than Metro City does, it might be time to hang up the nunchucks. But with a brand-new baddie kidnapping every pest and pet in town, can our hero really afford to cat nap?
This book includes a two-part bonus tale featuring Cat Ninja and friends against a vengeful villain with a fishy agenda.
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Karen's Sleepover: a Graphic Novel (Baby-Sitters Little Sister #8)
Another graphic novel in this fun series spin-off of The Baby-sitters Club, featuring Kristy's little stepsister!
Karen is having her first sleepover! She and her friends are going to tell spooky stories, bake cookies, and raid the refrigerator.
But then Karen and Nancy get into a big fight, and Karen doesn't want Nancy to come to her party. A new girl, Pamela, comes instead and she isn't any fun. What is Karen going to do?
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Band Camp! 2: Out of Sync (Band Camp! #2)(A Little Bee Graphic Novel Series for Kids)
The band is learning to play in tune in the second book of this laugh out loud series starring four musical instruments in their first year at Band Camp!
Cordelia is feeling down after losing her footing during the tug-of-war competition, so Kaylee, Zook, and Trey decide to throw her a surprise birthday party. Determined not to disappoint her friends again for the next challenge, a group hike, Cordelia does all she can to prepare, but all the rest of the instruments' secret planning for the party is making Cordelia feel even more left out. Who will end up surprising who when the day of the hike comes around? -
Minecraft: Heart of Cobblestone Volume 1
Build skyward in this brand new graphic novel set in the world of Minecraft!
Farmer Cobb likes to keep his crops as neat as possible, which is frustrating when he has neighbors who like to chow down on his fresh produce without asking and villagers who can’t stop themselves from planting potatoes in his field without rhyme or reason. After a rough encounter with an Enderman he finally decides to get as far away from everyone and everything as he can . . . building a tower up into the sky!
When a stranger shows up on his new sky island and reveals a whole town full of people who desired peace and quiet just like Cobb, he accepts an invitation to join the town of like-minded hermits and moves onto a plot they so generously give him. But he learns that his neighbors in the sky might be even more disruptive than those on the ground. As tensions rise sky high, he is reminded that he didn’t just have neighbors down below, but caring friends. Friends he may need to protect.
Join writer Andrew Clemson and cartoonist Jeremy Lawson on an exciting new Minecraft adventure in the clouds.