Arboretum Library: For Children & Families
at the Arboretum Library

The legend of the stouthearted man who moved mountains and rivers to create the most famous acequia in northern New Mexico is retold in both English and Spanish for a new generation of young readers.

A story known and loved by millions of children around the world, now remastered by the illustrator. Little Mouse loves strawberries, but so does the big hungry bear. . . How will Little Mouse stop the bear from eating his freshly picked, red ripe strawberry? This classic story is beloved for its humor, expressive illustrations, and surprise ending--pure read-aloud fun!

Some fine day, just run away To a long unscheduled day To where great clouds go sailing by Above the birds and butterfly.   Fluffy clouds, butterflies, furry bunnies, and life from a bug's-eye view: This stunning sequel to the New York Times bestseller Goodnight Songs celebrates the beauty and wonder of nature all year long. Once again, a treasure trove of Margaret Wise Brown's newly uncovered verses receives loving treatment from 12 award-winning artists, including Floyd Cooper, Peter Brown, David Small, Molly Idle, and Bob Staake. From a little bear singing one morning in May to a soft snowfall, mysterious, deep, and glowing, each song is magical.  An accompanying CD, with lilting songs beautifully composed and sung by Emily Gary and Tom Proutt, makes this the perfect gift for children.

"Irresistible...playfully existential." -- O, The Oprah Magazine "Bear's search for himself doesn't matter so much as the charm of Lavie's storytelling voice as he narrates it...Erlbruch gives the bear big, puzzled-looking eyes and a lovable grin. He lives in a forest made of ornate trees seemingly lifted from vintage engravings, whose delicate lines play off Bear's dumpy figure. Bear's encounters with various characters--the Turtle Taxi, the Penultimate Penguin--feature gentle wordplay and Lewis Carroll-like paradoxes...Everything is new to Bear, and hisdiscoveries will delight readers." --Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "Erlbruch's playful, distinctive illustrations...are sublime." --Kirkus Reviews "The volume is filled with surreal gags about prepositions and adverbs, cheerful absurdity, and down the rabbit hole-style musings." --School Library Journal "The book is filled with the bear's paradoxical, enigmatic, and sometimes Zen-like musings as he meets various creatures in the forest who assist him...This one would make for a thought-provoking read-aloud at story time. Get those children settled--it's a lengthy text--and present to them this gloriously left-of-center tale. Watch their heads spin. It'll be memorable." --Kirkus Reviews, new children's books feature "A lovable entertainment and quest venture that veers back and forth into existential territory without missing a beat of its adorable nature." --Center for Fiction "Young readers with a philosophical nature and an appreciation for provocative silliness will be especially gratified by Bear's self-discovery...Erlbruch's illustrations, which look like etchings, fit the story well. The Fabulous Forest effectively evokes a fairy tale feel, and Bear, a portly fellow with huge eyes, a bright red mouth, and colorful flecks in his black fur, is loveable at first sight." --New York Journal of Books "Imaginatively written by Oren Lavie and beautifully illustrated by Wolf Erlbruch,The Bear Who Wasn't There: And the Fabulous Forest is classic fable in the making and will prove to be an original and enduringly popular addition." -- Midwest Book Review "This cheeky book...is a melding ofPhantom Tollbooth logic,Alice in Wonderland whimsy, and peppered with a cast of unforgettableLittle Prince like characters...You can't help fall into the imaginative world of this delightfully clever picture book." --BookBloom One day, a few minutes after Once Upon a Time, a bear awakes to find he has lost something very important: himself! He sets out into the Fabulous Forest to find himself, using only a few clues scrawled on a piece of paper: the bear he's looking for is a nice bear; he is a happy bear; and he's very handsome too! These sound like pretty good qualities to Bear, and so begins his memorable journey. With the help of Fabulous Forest critters like the Convenience Cow, the Lazy Lizard, and the Penultimate Penguin, Bear finds that he himself is just what he's been looking for all along: a nice, happy bear--and handsome too! As whimsical as Winnie-the-Pooh and as wryly comic as Klassen's bear who wants his hat back,The Bear Who Wasn't There joins a select crew of unusual bears who have captured the imagination of children for generations.

From bright new talent Nicholas John Frith, a story of friendship between a very chatty hummingbird and a bear who just wants a little peace and quiet.Hector the bear has a big problem: His friend Hummingbird just won't be quiet! Whether Hector's trying to enjoy a snack, get a good scratch against a tree, or take a nap, Hummingbird's always buzzing around, asking too many questions. The pair have always been best friends, but will Hector ever find peace and quiet with Hummingbird around?

Bear got more than he bargained for when he accidentally ran into Fox. Little did he know, Bear had picked up Fox's stolen goose egg. Soon, the egg hatches and Bear finds himself holding a confused little gosling that's calling him "Mama." Try as he might to convince the little goose he's not its mother, the goose sticks around. Bear tries to show the goose that he's not its mother by climbing, running, and swimming away, but Goose is there every step of the way, climbing, running, and swimming just as well as Bear. But, Fox is lurking the whole time, waiting to take back his "prize." Just as Bear begins to accept Goose as his own, Fox makes his move. Will Fox get Goose, or will "Goose the Bear" make "Mama" proud? In this quirky mix-up at its finest, Katja Gehrmann tells the heartwarming and species-confused story of Goose the Bear with the help of colorful, offbeat illustrations and a narrative to match. If you want to be a bear, be a bear--even if you're a goose. Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers--picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Destined to become a contemporary classic, this book has spare text and sweet illustrations but contains only five words: apple, pear, orange, bear--and there. Emily Gravett creates clever variations on this theme by rearranging the words--on one spread, a brown bear juggles an orange, apple, and pear; on another spread, there is an orange-colored apple and a pear-shaped bear. Simple and compelling, children will enjoy reading this book over and over again as they learn many different concepts.

Caldecott Honor Book What happens when Sal and her mother meet a mother bear and her cub? A beloved classic is born! Kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk! Sal and her mother a picking blueberries to can for the winter. But when Sal wanders to the other side of Blueberry Hill, she discovers a mama bear preparing for her own long winter.  Meanwhile Sal's mother is being followed by a small bear with a big appetite for berries! Will each mother go home with the right little one? With its expressive line drawings and charming story, Blueberries for Sal has won readers' hearts since its first publication in 1948. "The adventures of a little girl and a baby bear while hunting for blueberries with their mothers one bright summer day. All the color and flavor of the sea and pine-covered Maine countryside." -School Library Journal, starred review.

A Bonsai Master loves his little bear so much that he uses bonsai methods to keep it from growing. Finally he sees that the greatest love is releasing his pet to follow its true nature.

As snow begins to fall in the canyon, Mouse knows just what will keep her warm--blue corn soup. As the soup starts simmering, her neighbors catch the scent and hope to share. There isn't nearly enough blue corn soup for everyone, but Mouse has an idea that will keep them all toasty, their bellies full, and will make friends out of neighbors.

Everyone knows Beatrix Potter as the creator of the Peter Rabbit stories. But before that, she was a girl of science. As a child, Beatrix collected nature specimens; as a young adult, she was an amateur mycologist presenting her research on mushrooms and other fungi to England's foremost experts. Like many women of her time, she remained unacknowledged by the scientific community, but her keen eye for observation led her to an acclaimed career as an artist and storyteller. A beloved author is cast in a new light in this inspiring picture book story.

A middle grade memoir from fifteen year-old lemonade entrepreneur and one of TIME Magazine's Top 30 Most Influential Teens, Mikaila Ulmer, and her advice for life and business. When Mikaila Ulmer was four, she was stung by a bee--twice in one week. She was terrified of going outside, so her parents encouraged her to learn more about bees so she wouldn't be afraid. It worked. Mikaila didn't just learn what an important role bees play in our ecosystem, but she also learned bees are endangered, and set out to save them. She started by selling cups of lemonade in front of her house and donating the small proceeds to organizations dedicated to bee conservation. When she realized the more lemonade she sold, the more bees she could help, Me & the Bees Lemonade was born. Now she sells her lemonade across the country. From meetings with Fortune 500 CEOs, to securing a deal on Shark Tank, to even visiting the Obama White House, Mikaila's lemonade and passion for bee conservation have taken her far. In Bee Fearless, part memoir, part business guide, Mikaila--now fifteen--shares her personal journey and special brand of mindful entrepreneurship and offers helpful tips and guidance for young readers interested in pursuing their own ventures, instilling in them the bee-lief that they can bee fearless and achieve their dreams too.

Everyone's favorite monkey, Curious George, has a fun-filled fall day in this sturdy board book with colorful tabs that's perfect for preschoolers. It is fall and George is excited for crisp days of cozy play. He'll rake leaves, bake pie, play flag football, and more in this rhyming book with a shiny foil cover and tabbed pages.

Appalled by government apathy regarding climate change, 15-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg started a protest in front of the her country's parliament building in August 2018. She criticized leaders for not doing enough to reduce carbon emissions and stood outside with the sign Skolstrejk för klimatet (school strike for the climate). Within months, Thunberg's strikes and blunt speeches to world leaders and all adults ignited a global movement, inspiring millions of people to take action worldwide.

Learn more about how New York City's High Line park went from abandoned elevated railway to vibrant urban park and art space. Explore the logistics of repurposing the land and meet the people who made it happen. The book showcases a range of 21st century skills -- from "Flexibility & Adaptation" to "Creativity & Innovation"--and shows how moving away from a tear-down culture towards one of reuse helps tackle a host of critical challenges facing our planet and population. Thought-provoking questions and hands-on activities encourage the development of critical life skills and social emotional growth. Books in this series include table of contents, glossary of key words, index, author biography, sidebars, and infographics.

Boom-dee-ah-da, Boom-dee-ah-da, Boom boom boom! I love the mountains, I love the rolling hills, I love the flowers, I love the daffodils, I love the fireside, when all the lights are low, Boom-dee-ah-da, Boom-dee-ah-da, Boom-dee-ah-da, Boom-dee-ah-da... Take a walk in the mountains and sing this rollicking song, whether for you it's a beloved campfire traditionor a brand new rhyme. Little ones will love the bouncing melody and the Meyers' adorable illustrations, and parents will love the nostalgia of simpler times and summer camp songs.

From master of nonfiction Steve Jenkins comes the By the Numbers series--accessible readers packed with fascinating infographics and full-color cut-paper art.Insects focuses on the creepy-crawly world of bugs. Through infographics and illustrations readers will learn about the sometimes gross and absolutely always fascinating world of insects. With astounding numbers, facts, and figures, discover some of the most astonishing aspects of the animals that outnumber us humans on the planet: bugs!  With Steve Jenkins's signature art style, his By the Numbers reader series explores the most fascinating fields of nature and natural science. These readers are fact-packed and run the gamut from dinosaurs to dwarf planets, detailing the astonishing phenomena that make our universe such an incredible place to live and learn. Each title uses engaging graphics and visual literacy to convey scientific facts and concepts, making them accessible for all kinds of new readers. 

When Field Mouse and Squirrel find something big, round, and orange in the middle of the road, it looks kind of familiar. Skunk is positive it's a lamp, and Rabbit thinks it looks like a snack, but no one knows for sure. Luckily, there's one thing they can all agree on: it's the life of the party! Discover all of the ways you can use a pumpkin in this adorable fall adventure.

La Acequia del Rito y la Sierra in the Mora Valley is the highest and most famous traditional irrigation system in New Mexico. It carries water up and over a mountain ridge and across a sub-continental divide, from the tributaries of the Río Grande to the immense watershed of the Mora, Canadian, Arkansas, and Mississippi Rivers. The names and stories of those who created this acequia to sustain their communities have mostly been lost and replaced by myths and legends. Now, when children ask, some parents attribute the task of moving mountains and changing the course of rivers to Juan del Oso, the stouthearted man whose father was a bear. From the mountains of northern Spain to the Andes in South America, Spanish-speaking people have told ancient legends of Juan del Oso and his friends. In this children's tale, agriculturalist Juan Estevan Arellano and folklorist Enrique Lamadrid share a unique version of a celebrated story that has been told in northern New Mexico for centuries.

Eager young readers can now discover and experience Laura Ingalls Wilder's books like never before. Author Annette Whipple encourages children to engage in pioneer activities while thinking deeper about the Ingalls and Wilder families as portrayed in the nine Little House books. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion provides brief introductions to each Little House book, chapter-by-chapter story guides, and "Fact or Fiction" sidebars, plus 75 activities, crafts, and recipes that encourage kids to "Live Like Laura" using easy-to-find supplies. Thoughtful questions help the reader develop appreciation and understanding of Wilder's stories. Every aspiring adventurer will enjoy this walk alongside Laura from the big woods to the golden years.

A story known and loved by millions of children around the world, now remastered by the illustrator. Little Mouse loves strawberries, but so does the big hungry bear. . . How will Little Mouse stop the bear from eating his freshly picked, red ripe strawberry? This classic story is beloved for its humor, expressive illustrations, and surprise ending--pure read-aloud fun!

Follow the Monarch butterfly's multigenerational journey from Canada to Mexico in the Marvelous Migrations series. Focused on 21st century content, engaging inquiry-based sidebars encourage young readers to think, create, guess, and ask questions. Book includes table of contents, glossary, index, author biography, and sidebars.

Follow the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird's journey to Mexico and Central America in the Marvelous Migrations series. Focused on 21st century content, engaging inquiry-based sidebars encourage young readers to think, create, guess, and ask questions. Book includes table of contents, glossary, index, author biography, and sidebars.

Slow down to watch 50 nature stories that command calm and foster mindfulness   All around us, nature is working wonders. Every day, hour by hour, magical transformations happen right in front of you. But it's not always easy to see them . . . In this beautiful illustrated collection, 50 moments in nature are paused for you to watch them in detail. Then you should go outside, and explore, and see what you find when you take the time to slow down. Gorgeously illustrated, this charming collection celebrates the small wonders happening all around us every day.