THURSDAY, JUNE 5
World Environment Day
Here Comes the Garbage Barge! read by Justin Theroux
Before everyone recycled…there was a town that had 3,168 tons of garbage and nowhere to put it. What did they do? Enter the Garbage Barge! This mostly true and completely stinky story is sure to make you say “Pee-yew!”
The Mess That We Made read by Kathryn Hahn
Join four children in a little boat as they discover the magnitude of The Mess That We Made. With rhythmic language and captivating art, this cumulative tale portrays the terrible impact of trash on the ocean and marine life, inspiring us to make changes to save our seas.
FRIDAY, JUNE 6
National Doughnut Day
Arnie the Doughnut read by Chris O’Dowd
At first glance, Arnie looks like an average doughnut – round, cakey, iced and sprinkled, with a hole in the middle. He was made by one of the best bakeries in town, and admittedly his sprinkles are candy-colored. Still, a doughnut is just a doughnut, right?
WRONG! Not if Arnie has anything to say about it. And, for a doughnut, he sure seems to have an awful lot to say. Can Arnie change the fate of all doughnuts – or at least have a hand in his own future?
SUNDAY, JUNE 8
World Oceans Day
The Rainbow Fish read by Ernest Borgnine
The Rainbow Fish is an award-winning book about a beautiful fish who finds friendship and happiness when he learns to share. The book is best known for its morals about the value of being an individual and for the distinctive shiny foil scales of the Rainbow Fish.
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.
SUNDAY, JUNE 8
National Best Friends Day
I’m Not Scared, YOU’RE Scared! read by Seth Meyers
When you’re a bear who is easily scared, it’s hard to have friends. Fortunately, Bear has one: Rabbit, who is very brave. One day, Rabbit urges Bear to face his fears and embark on an adventure together. However, things don’t entirely go as planned, and the two friends learn the true meaning of bravery.
Equal parts hilarious and touching, this funny tale of adventure, bravery, and daring rescue will both inspire the adventurous spirit in all of us and make us laugh along the way. With the unfailingly witty voice of one of America’s favorite comedians, Seth Meyers’s debut picture book is bound for hilarity history.
SUNDAY, JUNE 8
Dia de los Niños
¡Los Zombis No Comen Verduras! read by Jaime Camil
Mo Romero es un zombie que ama cultivar, cocinar y comer vegetales. ¿Tomates? Tentadores. ¿Pimientos? ¡Pura perfección! ¿El problema? Los padres de Mo insisten en que sus hijos solo coman comida de zombi. Le dicen a Mo una y otra vez que los zombis no comen vegetales. Pero Mo no puede imaginar una vida de comer cocina zombiana y renunciar a sus verduras. Mientras cuestiona su propia identidad zombi, Mo hace todo lo posible para convencer a sus padres de que den una probadita a los guisantes.
SUNDAY, JUNE 15
Father’s Day
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.
TUESDAY, JUNE 17
National Eat Your Vegetables Day
Zombie’s Don’t Eat Veggies! read by Jaime Camil
Mo Romero is a zombie who loves nothing more than growing, cooking, and eating vegetables. Tomatoes? Tantalizing. Peppers? Pure perfection! The problem? Mo’s parents insist that their niño eat only zombie cuisine, like arm-panadas and finger foods. They tell Mo over and over that zombies don’t eat veggies. But Mo can’t imagine a lifetime of just eating zombie food and giving up his veggies. As he questions his own zombie identity, Mo tries his best to convince his parents to give peas a chance.
FRIDAY, JUNE 20
World Refugee 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.
FRIDAY, JUNE 20
Summer Solstice
When a Dragon Moves In read by Mark Duplass
If you build a perfect sandcastle, a dragon will move in. And that’s exactly what happens to one very lucky boy at the beach. Dad is busy sunbathing and Mom is busy with her book, so the boy and dragon roam the beach together, flying a kite, braving the waves, and roasting marshmallows. But no one believes him when he shares the news of his magnificent dragon: Mom only hears the roar of the ocean, Dad thinks the dragon feather is a seagull feather, and know-it-all sis claims there’s no such thing as a dragon. That’s when the sandwiches mysteriously disappear, claw prints are found in the brownies, and dragon-giggles erupt from the strangest of places. Heh-heh-heh. Is there truly a mischievous dragon running around in the beach or is someone’s imagination running wild? Decide for yourself When a Dragon Moves In.
SATURDAY, JUNE 21
World Music Day
Trombone Shorty read by Angela Bassett
Hailing from the Tremé neighborhood in New Orleans, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews got his nickname by wielding a trombone twice as long as he was high. A prodigy, he was leading his own band by age six, and today this Grammy-nominated artist headlines the legendary New Orleans Jazz Fest.
Along with esteemed illustrator Bryan Collier, Andrews has created a lively picture book autobiography about how he followed his dream of becoming a musician, despite the odds, until he reached international stardom. Trombone Shorty is a celebration of the rich cultural history of New Orleans and the power of music.
Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo read by John Lithgow
A concert gets out of hand when the animals at the neighboring zoo storm the stage and play the instruments themselves in this hilarious picture book based on one of John Lithgow’s best-loved tunes.
Rent Party Jazz read by Viola Davis
This story is set in New Orleans in the 1930s. Sonny and his mother are scraping by to pay their rent. Mama works in a fish canning factory, and Sonny works for the coal man before school each morning. When Mama loses her job, they no longer have enough money for the rent and fear that the landlord will turn them out. One day Sonny meets Smilin’ Jack, a jazz musician who is playing his trumpet in Jackson Square. Smilin’ Jack offers to play at a party at Sonny’s house to help raise money for the rent. The neighbors all come to sing and dance and before they leave, drop some coins in a bucket. Sonny learns how people can help one another “if they put their minds and hearts to it.”
TUESDAY, JUNE 24
International Fairy Day
No More Noisy Nights read by Tony Hale
Who is making so much noise and how will Jackson ever get to sleep? Despite some silly, sleepy mistakes, genteel Jackson finds a fun and quiet activity for each of his noisy neighbors. He finally gets a great night’s sleep — and discovers three new friends in the morning.
