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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Counting Winter
"Playful . . . Claudia McGehee's scratchboard illustrations--similar in style to woodcuts--emphasize contrasts of light and texture: between snow and soil, fox and field, bird and birch tree." -- The Wall Street Journal
"It's a counting book. It's a winter animal book. It's a just plain beautiful book! . . . The prettiest nondenominational winter book seen in ages." -- Kirkus Reviews (STARRED REVIEW)
An atmospheric tribute to the beauty of winter and its creatures.
One red fox walks across the white snow--quietly stalking winter. Two ravens croak and gurgle--raucously talking winter. Three snowshoe hares hop on big paws--silently tracking winter. Four red squirrels feast at their midden full of cones--hungrily cracking winter. Wherever you look, another creature is making its mark on the snow-covered season.
Inspired by the author's years in Alaska, this lyrical book celebrates the rhythms of the tundra and its inhabitants. Poetic lines and stunning scratchboard art create the perfect read for chilly days--whether winter is just beginning or just starting to melt into spring.
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Snow Is...
From award-winning author Laura Gehl, a sparkling, lyrical picture book about the magic of an early snow.
It’s dawn and there is snow all around. The wonder of winter’s first snowfall brings the magic of changing seasons and sees a family sharing the perfect snow day with coziness and togetherness from dawn to dusk. -
Plumber Pearl!
Clang, clang, clang! Grrrriind! Where is the water coming from? When the pipes spring a leak, Plumber Pearl arrives to save the day!
Plumber Pearl just got a call.
“Our building has a waterfall!”
SSSShhhhhhh!
Plumber Pearl comes in to fix their overflowing sinks, toilets, bathtubs, and pipes one floor at a time! Each floor has a problem that needs to be solved with her skills and tools. But where is this waterfall coming from?! Plumber Pearl is determined to find out with the help of squeaky mice and fun onomatopoeia on the way.
The Big Jobs, Bold Women series introduces kids to strong women in tough hands-on jobs. Don’t miss Firefighter Flo! and Crane Jane!
With dynamic artwork from Dan Yaccarino, Nickelodeon character designer for The Backyardigans, and energetic verse from Andrea Zimmerman, best-selling author of Trashy Town, Plumber Pearl is the perfect book for the kids who love tinkering with tools and solving problems! -
Big Gorilla: A Book of Opposites
Anthony Browne lends his singular talent for rendering primates to a lovingly detailed concept book that will captivate readers both young and old.
What's the opposite of old? Young! What's the opposite of sad? Happy! Big or small, alone or together, the primates in this book of opposites are wonderfully unique, from gorillas to white-faced capuchins to orangutans. With Anthony Browne's striking palette and flair for facial expressions, this celebration of the world of primates is sure to charm and entertain. -
Squirrel-Ish
An enterprising rat discovers the joy of being true to himself
At the park, people give squirrels free peanuts. And nobody screams when a squirrel crosses their path. But for Rat, it's all screams and no nuts ... until he comes up with a plan: be more like a squirrel--squirrel-ish!
When his attempts at adopting a squirrel-ish posture and pinning his ears down don't make a difference, Rat considers his tail. And after a few crafty but failed squirrel-ish tail prototypes made from cotton balls, feathers, and spaghetti, he lands on a winning material: straw from a broom!
Finally, Rat can walk through the park without getting shooed. Free peanut in hand, he daydreams about building a re-tail empire ... until the dogs in the park spot him and give chase. All of a sudden, Rat understands why squirrels do so much scampering! Maybe his rat tail isn't so
bad after all ...Brightly illustrated and packed with hilarious details and hidden gags, this laugh-out-loud ode to self-love reminds readers that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.
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Cold
This lyrical environmental picture book introduces readers to some of the most beautiful and fascinating cold climate creatures and habitats all over the world.
Cold is a morning dappled in dew; an ocean, swirling and deep; a desert shrouded by night; and tiny tracks on hills of snow. No matter where or how, life finds a way even in the coldest weather. From an octopus to an arctic hare, meet animals who thrive in chilly environments and learn about the climate phenomena that shape their homes. -
Sharing Is UnBEARable!
What's a pair of bears to do when they can't decide who get dibs on the perfect nap spot? Find out in this playful picture book with fun graphic novel-style art!
When a bear named Orson goes for a walk in the forest one day, he finds a big rock that's the perfect place to take a nap. The only problem is that another bear named Izzy has also found the rock, and she wants to take a nap there, too.
Everyone knows that bears don't share. But can the duo come up with a resolution to resolve their rocky relationship anyway? -
Hello Day
The picture book Hello Day presents a whimsical kid's-eye view of a day, filled with wonders big and small . . . which sometimes clashes with their parent's more practical plans.
Hello apple,
hello shelf
I can reach you
all by myself.When a father and child finally get out of the house, the toddler says "hello" to everything from a snack to a squirrel to a sidewalk puddle. Meanwhile, Dad stays focused on getting the duo from point A to point B. But the eager and enthusiastic "hellos" from his kid remind Dad to pay attention to the here and now.
Told entirely in the child's voice, and boldly illustrated in vibrant colors and joyful lines, this picture book from Charlie Mylie celebrates gentle parenting and invites kid and adult readers alike to get curious about the small wonders hiding in everyday moments.
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Hobbies
A monkey hides in a game room. A mitten hides in a garden. A hammer hides in a kitchen. Do you see the dragonfly on the sewing table? Can you find them in this fun book of photo puzzles?
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The Great Outdoors
An elephant hides on the beach. A strawberry hides at a campsite. A ghost hides in the snow. Do you see the giraffe on the mountain? Can you find them in this fun book of photo puzzles?
New Graphic Novels for Kids
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Bog Myrtle
Best Books of 2024 lists: NYPL, New York Magazine, Quill & Quire * JLG Gold Standard Selection * Moonbeam Children's Book Award Winner * Kids Indie Next Pick
From the acclaimed author of The Wolf Suit comes another weirdly hilarious, masterfully thought-provoking, and lushly painted early reader graphic novel.
Two sisters, one stubbornly cheerful (Beatrice) and one relentlessly grumpy (Magnolia), live in a drafty old house with a family of helpful spiders. When Beatrice is gifted magic yarn from a giant forest spider obsessed with sustainability named Bog Myrtle, she and the spiders set to work knitting up a perfectly warm sweater.
But greedy Magnolia sees only the opportunity for profit, and quickly converts the old house into a magic sweater factory. The exhausted spiders are driven to strike, and Bog Myrtle is not pleased . . .
Bog Myrtle is a witty modern folktale that touches on themes of capitalism, environmentalism, labor rights, and being a nice person.
"I adore this book as much as I adore empowered spiders, poker-faced narrators, and cooperative bookstores. It's wry, whip-smart, and freaking gorgeous. Sid Sharp is a maestro of comic timing and subversion." --Kyo Maclear, author of It Began With a Page
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Fantasy Sports No. 2: The Bandit of Barbel Bay
Wiz and Mug are back and this time they're headed to a mysterious beach town to meet its amphibious inhabitants!
Wiz and Mug's adventure continues as a teleportation spell accidentally drops them off in a ruined beach town. A mysterious tournament and the town's amphibious inhabitants confront Wiz and Mug with the revelation that the United Order of Mages may not be exactly what it seems. In order to fulfill their mission, however, they're going to have to abide by the ancient law of the land and better their opponent in a game of beach volleyball! The question is, can they trust each other and work together to defeat the great and powerful volleyball champions Yahma and Yahmi? -
Kitty Quest: Phantom Frenzy: A Graphic Novel
The fourth book in the funny graphic series for younger readers, featuring a heroic team of cats!
Perfect for fans of Dog Man and The Investigators!
After returning from a mission at a nearby haunted house, the Kitty Quest team discovers that Meowminster has become overrun with ghosts! And even worse, their trusted phantom mentor Mortimore has somehow been split into nine different personalities, each more bizarre than the next. What could have opened this pandora's box of paranormal peril?
The cats must travel to Skitten Dedsbury, the city of the dead, in order to get some answers. But it turns out getting to a place that only ghosts can see is harder than it sounds. And when a little magic goes awry, Woolfrik and Perigold get seperated from the others, leaving the entire quest in their paws. So what if Woolfrik is really spooked out by ghosts?
With poltergeist problems, a ghost invasion, and a new villain behind it all, Kitty Quest will have to overcome their fears and get to the bottom of this mystery if they're going to have any hope of saving their kittydom from descending into supernatural chaos. -
Boss Battle (Spy Ninjas Official Graphic Novel #3)
YouTube stars Chad Wild Clay and Vy Qwaint of the Spy Ninjas are back and ready to defeat Project Zorgo once and for all in their third original graphic novel!
Another day, another threat looming from Project Zorgo! This time, these determined hackers kidnap tech genius Joseph Banks to steal ideas to finally defeat the Spy Ninjas. Hold on just a minute! Chad and Vy rescue Banks with the help of their Spy Ninjas recruits, but it looks like it was a little too late. Project Zorgo created a 3D printer that allows them to send video game bosses to the real world! This can't be good.
Soon the Spy Ninjas are on the case battling, crafting, and smashing their way through the Project Zorgo plan. Will their expert moves be enough to stop this video game takeover or will Project Zorgo get the upper hand? With quick thinking and some sweet skills, the Spy Ninjas are ready for another graphic novel adventure!
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Disney Manga: Stitch! the Manga Collection
You know and love Stitch's Hawaiian adventures ... so join your favorite alien as he visits a Japanese island near Okinawa, where he befriends a young girl named Yuna who excels at karate. Come along as Yuna and Stitch go fishing, enter a costume contest, and even attempt to bake a cake. You never know what sticky situations they'll find themselves in next!
This edition combines the first two volumes of the Stitch! manga series.
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Jimmy's Elbow
Jimmy has an elbow! Do you have one, too? Well, what if it could talk? Award-winning graphic novelist James Kochalka explores surreal frontiers of the body and mind in this psychedelic comedy for all ages.
Jimmy is a very good boy. He even wears a tie! But when he bumps his elbow on a table, this very good boy starts feeling very bad. Did his elbow die? Was that just a dream? Or has Jimmy's magic elbow come to life and unlocked his superpowers? Well, no matter what, it's time for Jimmy and his elbow to go to school... What else could go wrong?
Cartoonist James Kochalka has delighted generations of readers with series like Johnny Boo, Banana Fox, and American Elf. Now he's back with a sprawling and silly graphic novel about childhood, toys, and the mysteries inside us. Explore the nature of sensation, the meaning of America, and the fundamental silliness of having a body, in this surreal and spectacular roller coaster ride for kids, families, and very serious adults.
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Mia's Baker's Dozen The Graphic Novel
The bestselling Cupcake Diaries series is now available in graphic novel format! In this adaptation of the sixth book, Mia finds that one more in the mix is always better!
Mia loves all her friends in the Cupcake Club, and things are good at home with her new stepdad and stepbrother and going to her dad’s house on the weekends. School is okay too with one exception: Mia is failing Spanish! She can speak it at home with her family, but writing is a different story. And when it’s parent-teacher night, Mia has a new dilemma: Who goes to that? Mom and Eddie? Mom and Dad? All of them? Mia soon realizes that sometimes having an extra (or a “baker’s dozen”) of something can be a very good thing.
Fun, bright, full-color graphic panels tell the story with the same humor and heart as the original novel. -
Tryouts
It's warm up time in this newest installment in the Brinkley Yearbook series. Will Alexandra make the cut and help the historically boys baseball team defend their 9-year championship title?
Alexandra, also known as Al, has been playing baseball with her older brothers for as long as she can remember. But when she ages out of Little League, it seems like it’s the end of the road for Al and the sport she loves. Until, that is, her friend Sammy suggests that Al try out for the middle school team—a team that has always been boys-only.
Al is prepared to fight for her right to try out, but to her surprise, the coach is delighted by her interest. When Al makes the team, it seems like everything is going to work out. But with a tenth consecutive championship on the line for Brinkley Middle School and a team that can’t seem to get along, will their season ground out faster than Al can say “home run”?
Look for the whole Brinkley Yearbooks series:
PICTURE DAY • TRYOUTS • SCHOOL DANCE (Coming August 2025!) -
The Inflatables in Air to the Throne (the Inflatables #6)
The Inflatables don't get pumped. They stay pumped! Inflata-pals and bouncy BFFs Cactus, Flamingo, Donut, and Watermelon are ready for a fresh wave of drama in this hilariously action-packed graphic novel series that's perfect for fans of Dog Man and The Bad Guys!
When an Airy Frogfather grants Flamingo's wish for a fancy new home for his inflata-pals, he's pumped! But to claim the palace, the gang will have to go up against Sir-Spits-A-Lot, an evil inflatable llama who won't give up the castle easily. Will Flamingo have what it takes to survive llamagedon and become the rightful air to the throne?