The beloved Halloween story about a stemless pumpkin who dreams of becoming a jack-o-lantern, from the critically acclaimed author and illustrator of A Hungry Lion, is now available in board book format! Stumpkin is the most handsome pumpkin on the block. He’s as orange as a traffic cone! Twice as round as a basketball! He has no bad side! He’s the perfect choice for a Halloween jack-o-lantern. There’s just one problem—Stumpkin has a stump, not a stem. And no one seems to want a stemless jack-o-lantern for their window. As Halloween night approaches, more and more of his fellow pumpkins leave, but poor Stumpkin remains. Will anyone give Stumpkin his chance to shine?

An NPR Favorite Book of 2019 A New York Times Best Children’s book of 2019 A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2019 A School Library Journal Best Picture Book of 2019 "An enchanting tale of bravery, heroism, and undying devotion." —The New York Times Book Review After his best friend Sarah leaves for her first day of school, a tortoise named Truman goes on an adventure across the living room and learns to be brave in this thoughtful and heartwarming twist on a first experience story. Truman the tortoise lives with his Sarah, high above the taxis and the trash trucks and the number eleven bus, which travels south. He never worries about the world below…until one day, when Sarah straps on a big backpack and does something Truman has never seen before. She boards the bus! Truman waits for her to return. He waits. And waits. And waits. And when he can wait no longer, he knows what he must do. Even if it seems…impossible!

Members of a large group of animals, including a penguin, two rabbits, and a koala, disappear at an alarming rate--but a hungry lion remains.

Little Red sets off to visit her auntie who is poorly. A Very Hungry Lion approaches Little Red, wanting to gobble her up. But despite all the cunning plans by Lion, Little Red outsmarts him and soon has him saying sorry and eating doughnuts instead. A classic fairy tale with a twist by the bestselling Alex T. Smith.

When he runs out of toilet paper, Leon must find something else to use. With that, his troubles begin.

Lift the flaps to set the animals free! But whatever you do, stay away from the brown box, please. Look at that little hamster in a cage, and the other animals, too—a bunny, a squirrel, a bird, a frog, and even a porcupine. All of these little animals want to play outside! Luckily, you, the reader, are in charge of the keys and have only to open the cages to make these critters happy. But wait—what’s in that box that you’re not supposed to touch? Uh-oh.

What if each page of a picture book was guaranteed to enhance a child’s reading and writing tenfold? Would you ramp up your read alouds? In this remarkable resource, Maria Walther shares two-page read aloud experiences for 101 picture books that tune you into what to notice, say, and wonder in order to bolster students’ literacy exponentially. The read alouds in this book will help teachers: Foster a strong sense of community Celebrate the written (and illustrated) word Build a foundation for future reading and learning Expand vocabulary (with a focus on Tier 2 words) Support budding writers Spark collaborative conversations Encourage perspective-taking, empathy, and a growth mindset A first grade teacher for decades, Maria is a master of "strategic savoring." Her lesson design efficiently sparks instructional conversations around the cover illustration, enriching vocabulary words, literary language, and the ideas and themes vital to young learners. Maria arranges the rich fiction and nonfiction titles into chapters that mirror the way primary teachers plan curriculum. Need books tailor made for building community? Teaching literary elements? Comprehension strategies? Foundational and language skills? Inspiring writers? It’s all here and at the ready. Coaching tips on expressive oral reading, strategic seating, uncovering language nuances for EL students, effective questioning and more make the art of sharing books and learning with children do-able for everyone. Teachers, schools, and districts looking to energize your core reading and writing program, search no further: The Ramped-Up Read Aloud delivers a formula for literacy development and joy in equal parts.