
MONTH OF MAY
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Lotus & Feather read by Michelle Yeoh
A winter illness left Lotus, a little girl, without a voice and without friends. A hunter’s bullet left Feather, a crane, injured and unable to fly. As Lotus nurses Feather back to health, their bond grows. Soon Feather is following Lotus everywhere, even to school! The bird dances to the girl’s reed whistle, much to the delight of the other children. One day, when the village floods, Feather helps raise the alarm as Lotus and her grandfather urge their neighbors to get to high ground. Feather is a true friend to Lotus, but the time comes when Lotus must be a true friend to him–by encouraging him to migrate with the rest of the cranes. The next spring, Feather miraculously returns, and that’s not all . . . he has brought new life to the nearby lake. Inspired by the true story of a crane that rescued a Chinese village, and graced with sensitive watercolor illustrations, this lovely book about respecting nature offers deep emotion and delightful surprises.
The Sound of Silence read by Simu Liu
“Do you have a favorite sound?” little Yoshio asks. The musician answers, “The most beautiful sound is the sound of ma, of silence.”
But Yoshio lives in Tokyo, Japan: a giant, noisy, busy city. He hears shoes squishing through puddles, trains whooshing, cars beeping, and families laughing. Tokyo is like a symphony hall!
Where is silence?
Join Yoshio on his journey through the hustle and bustle of the city to find the most beautiful sound of all.
MONTH OF MAY
Older Americans Month
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge read by Bradley Whitford
Wilfrid lives next to a retirement home, and his favorite old person is 96-year-old Miss Nancy. Everyone says Miss Nancy has lost her memory, and despite the fact that Wilfrid doesn’t even know what a memory is, by accident he helps her find it.
Getting to Know Ruben Plotnick read by Zach Braff
What do you get when you put together the coolest kid in class, an unpredictable live-in grandmother, and a caring but anxious grandson? Disaster?
No. You get to know Ruben Plotnick.
David is worried about how zany Ruben Plotnick will react when he meets Grandma Rosie, who often says and does unexpected things. Will Ruben make fun of her to their classmates? Will he imitate her whispery voice? What will he do if Grandma Rosie suddenly wants to dance?
This heartwarming story of senility and school-age embarrassment reveals the importance of looking beneath the surface to really get to know someone.
MONDAY, MAY 1
International Worker’s Day
Please Please the Bees read by Rashida Jones
Life is sweet for Benedict. Every morning he wakes up to find jars of fresh honey on his back porch. He makes honey toast for breakfast, bakes honey cake in the afternoon, and drinks honey tea before bed. But one day, the jars on Benedict’s porch are empty. The bees in his backyard have gone on strike! They are tired of doing all the work around the hive. What can Benedict do to make the bees happy and bring sweetness back to his days?
SUNDAY, MAY 4 – SATURDAY, MAY 10
National Pet Week
Harry the Dirty Dog read by Betty White
Harry is a white dog with black spots who loves everything…except baths. So one day before bath time, Harry runs away.
Me and My Cat? read by Elijah Wood
Late one night Nicholas sees a witch enter his bedroom and hears her say some magic words. When he wakes up the next morning, it doesn’t take him long to realize something very strange is going on — especially when he pulls at his whiskers!
MONDAY, MAY 5 – FRIDAY, MAY 9
Teacher Appreciation Week
Thank You, Mr. Falker read by Jane Kaczmarek
Little Trisha is overjoyed at the thought of starting school and learning how to read. But right from the start, when she tries to read, all the letters and numbers just get jumbled up. Her classmates make matters worse by calling her “dummy” and “toad”.
TUESDAY, MAY 6
Teachers’ Day
Clark the Shark read by Chris Pine
Clark is a shark with zing, bang, and boom. Clark zooms into school, crashes through the classroom, and is rowdy at recess. Clark loves life – but when his enthusiasm is too much for his friends, Clark’s teacher, Mrs. Inkydink, helps him figure out a way to tone it down. Clark the Shark celebrates boisterous enthusiasm – and knowing when it’s time for indoor voices.
FRIDAY, MAY 9
Europe Day
How I Learned Geography read by Ed O’Neill
Having fled from war in their troubled homeland, a boy and his family are living in poverty in a strange country. Food is scarce, so when the boy’s father brings home a map instead of bread for supper, at first the boy is furious. But when the map is hung on the wall, it floods their cheerless room with color. As the boy studies its every detail, he is transported to exotic places without ever leaving the room, and he eventually comes to realize that the map feeds him in a way that bread never could.
SUNDAY, MAY 11
Eat What You Want Day
Carla’s Sandwich read by Allison Janney
When Carla brings weird sandwiches to school, her classmates have plenty to say about them. “That’s sick!” says Leslie. “That’s disgusting!” says Natie. But Carla thinks otherwise.
“It’s unique. It’s creative.” Just like Carla. Although she is teased and even ignored by her classmates, Carla’s strong inner sense of uniqueness eventually wins them over.
Wacky sandwiches, wacky illustrations and kid-true dialogue make this book’s message of acceptance, tolerance and the importance of individuality extremely palatable. And who knows? Carla’s Sandwich may even help parents with that ever present dilemma – what to pack for school lunch!
SUNDAY, MAY 11
Mother’s Day
The Kissing Hand read by Barbara Bain
School is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go. To help ease Chester’s fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to give him the reassurance of her love any time his world feels a little scary.
MONDAY, MAY 12
International Nurses Day
Lotus & Feather read by Michelle Yeoh
A winter illness left Lotus, a little girl, without a voice and without friends. A hunter’s bullet left Feather, a crane, injured and unable to fly. As Lotus nurses Feather back to health, their bond grows. Soon Feather is following Lotus everywhere, even to school! The bird dances to the girl’s reed whistle, much to the delight of the other children. One day, when the village floods, Feather helps raise the alarm as Lotus and her grandfather urge their neighbors to get to high ground. Feather is a true friend to Lotus, but the time comes when Lotus must be a true friend to him–by encouraging him to migrate with the rest of the cranes. The next spring, Feather miraculously returns, and that’s not all . . . he has brought new life to the nearby lake. Inspired by the true story of a crane that rescued a Chinese village, and graced with sensitive watercolor illustrations, this lovely book about respecting nature offers deep emotion and delightful surprises.
THURSDAY, MAY 15
International Day of Families
Quackenstein Hatches a Family read by Kristen Bell
Crack open this tale of family and fright, as cute as it is creepy. All the animals in the zoo have friends and family to play with and love. All of them, that is, except Quackenstein. Lonely and bitter in his ramshackle corner, he decides to adopt an egg. He cares for it diligently, waiting until the moment when it will hatch a baby duck of his own.
Julius, the Baby of the World read by Rosario Dawson
The baby of the world is anything but that to his big sister—until Cousin Garland dares to criticize him.
When baby Julius is born, his parents think he is just perfect. “Julius is the baby of the world,” they chime as they kiss him and admire him.
But Lilly is Julius’s older sister, and she knows differently. “I am the queen,” says Lilly. “And I hate Julius.”
Poor Julius. And poor Lilly, because her selfish behavior is making her miserable, too. Can anyone persuade Lilly that her brother really is the baby of the world?
Guji Guji read by Robert Guillaume
Guji Guji is quite content with his life as a duckling, despite the fact that he doesn’t look anything like his brothers. Then one fateful day, he meets up with three nasty, grinning creatures.
TUESDAY, MAY 20
World Organizing Day
The Busy Life of Ernestine Buckmeister read by Connie Britton
Ernestine is in over her head. Monday through Sunday, Ernestine’s week is packed with after-school lessons— tuba, knitting, sculpting, water ballet, yoga, yodeling, and karate.
Overwhelmed and exhausted, Ernestine decides to take matters into her own hands and heads off to the park with her Nanny where she builds a fort, watches the clouds, and plays all kinds of unstructured and imaginative games. But when a teacher calls Ernestine’s mom to report that she has not shown up for yodeling, her parents search everywhere until at last they hear their daughter’s laughter coming from the park. Ernestine tells her parents what a wonderful afternoon she’s had, and explains her plight, asking, “I like my lessons, but can’t I stop some of them?”
SATURDAY, MAY 24
National Brother’s Day
My Brother Charlie read by Holly Robinson Peete
Callie is very proud of her brother Charlie. He’s good at so many things – swimming, playing the piano, running fast. And Charlie has a special way with animals, especially their dog, Harriett. But sometimes Charlie gets very quiet. His words get locked inside him, and he seems far away. Then, when Callie and Charlie start to play, Charlie is back to laughing, holding hands, having fun. Charlie is like any other boy – except he has autism.
In this story, told from a sister’s point of view, we meet a family whose oldest son teaches them important lessons about togetherness, hope, tolerance, and love.
Rodeo Red read by Gillian Anderson
Rodeo Red and her hound dog Rusty are happier than two buttons on a new shirt—until Sideswiping Slim shows up.
Red is sure that anyone who hollers that much will be hauled to the edge of town and told to skedaddle, but her parents seem smitten with the new addition to the family. So when that scallywag sets his eye on Rusty, Rodeo Red had better figure out a way to save her best friend in the whole world. Can a cowgirl make a bargain with a varmint?
My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother read by Melissa Gilbert
Tricia can’t stand her rotten redheaded older brother Richie, who can do everything better than she can. So when her grandmother tells her a wish made on a shooting star will come true, she knows exactly what to wish for – to be able to do something, anything, better than Richie.
THURSDAY, MAY 29
International Alligator Day
Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book!) read by David Harbour
Snappsy the alligator is having a normal day when a pesky narrator steps in to spice up the story. Is Snappsy reading a book … or is he making CRAFTY plans? Is Snappsy on his way to the grocery store … or is he PROWLING the forest for defenseless birds and fuzzy bunnies? Is Snappsy innocently shopping for a party …or is he OBSESSED with snack foods that start with the letter P? What’s the truth?