CLEL Bell Award

When his neighbors give a variety of answers to the question "What is a good day?" Daniel writes a poem about the everyday activities that give them joy.

"A beloved lullaby comes to new life when Baby falls out of the treetop and into a rollicking adventure!"--Back cover

A celebration of the many ways children interact with books.

"When Grandma Mimi comes to visit, her granddaughter cannot wait to see what treasures she has hidden in her purse" --Publisher description.

Grace's thank-you notes for her birthday presents appear all over town, bringing love and happiness into everyone's lives.

Using the lyrics to Tom Chapin and Michael Mark's "The Library Song," this picture book celebrates the magic of reading and of libraries.

A collection of nursery rhymes with vehicular themes, such as "Tow, Tow, Tow the Car" and "Twinkle, Twinkle, UFO".

"Laila's birthday party, perfectly planned with her autism in mind, goes awry due to a change in weather and an accident with her cake, but with the help of her mom and her service dog, Laila knows she can handle this"-- Provided by publisher.

A dog looking for a home sends letters to prospective owners on Butternut Street, with surprising results.

"Sometimes, the moments that Sona spends with her Sinhalese grandfather, her seeya, are quiet. They speak different languages and don't always use words. But they do communicate in other ways. Sometimes, they're loud. They play dress-up, stomp in puddles, and pretend to be puppies. They cook pittu, tease each other when they're messy, and read to each other, even though they might not understand what the other is saying. Any time that Sona and Seeya share is special, whether quiet or loud, because they get to spend it together. Dinalie Dabarera's debut picture book is an achingly tender meditation on the unconditional love that can transcend all languages."--Publisher marketing.

Throughout the school day, the teacher helps Llama Llama and the other children practice their letters, shows word cards, reads stories, and brings them to the library where they can all choose a favorite book. By the end of the day, Llama Llama is recognizing words and can't wait to show Mama Llama that he's becoming a reader!

"Leo receives a pen for his birthday, and he asks the other animals for help discovering all the wonders inside the tiny tool"-- Provided by publisher.

"A shy bear wants to sing for others"-- Provided by publishers.

"En este dulce cuento en rima, el amor por la lectura comienza con un humilde librero casero. 'Te haré tu propio librero' celebra lo maravilloso que es leer con nuestros seres queridos y nos recuerda que la magia de la lectura ninca envejecerá." --contraportada.

On a gray and rainy day, a lonely kitten feels better after writing a song, and as she sings the "magic" song around her neighborhood, her animal friends cheer up, as well.

"A must-read that belongs in every home and classroom, A Day With No Words invites readers into the life of an Autism Family who communicates just as the child does, without spoken language."-- Provided by publisher.

"Build, balance, count - question, estimate, measure - predict, crash, and build again with Elephant and a bucket full of blocks. Follow along as Elephant goes through the ups and downs of creating something new and finally celebrates the job of pride and success" --Publisher description.

Monster Natalie gets angry with her little brother Alphonse when he starts eating her favorite book, but she doesn't stay mad for long.

"Nikosis grew up going to powwows with his family, happily immersed in music, dance, and the sounds of the drum. But when he starts going to daycare, he doesn't feel like he belongs. Nikosis cries every time his mother leaves him in the unfamiliar environment until, one day, she and the teachers use drums to help Nikosis find connection and comfort. Inspired by her son's experience--and her family's love of powwow music and dance--Indigenous educator and champion hoop dancer Sandra Lamouche shares this uplifting true story of the transformative effects of culturally safe and inclusive early childhood education.

"Young paleontologists are invited on a fossil dig, set to the tune of Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush. Hike the trail, scan the ground, and make a find--then discover how to build a dinosaur from its bones. Includes song motions and bite-size science sidebars. This is a fun and distinctive young dinosaur book."-- Provided by publisher.

"After learning how to draw Chinese characters, Lulu and her dog Dumpling step into a magical world where the characters come to lifee."-- Provided by publisher.

When Nick decides to teach his cats to read, Verne is very much interested, especially in books about mice and fish, but Stevenson wants nothing to do with the project--or does he?

Dad has posted a list of chores for the family to do before grandma comes, including bathing the cat; but the cat does not want a bath, so she mixes up the instructions, and soon the family is mowing the floor, vacuuming the lawn, mopping the baby--and the house is in chaos.

"The beautiful simplicity of a garden is depicted through digital woodcut illustrations and engaging nonfiction text presented as a series of sweet questions and gentle replies. Less of a traditional how-to and more of a how-to-appreciate, this soothingly sparse text paints an inviting and accessible picture of what a garden offers. And with an all-child cast, the absence of an adult presence empowers readers to view the garden and its creatures through their own eyes, driven by curiosity and wonder"-- Provided by publisher.

A frog who yearns to be any animal that is cute and warm discovers that being wet, slimy, and full of bugs has its advantages.

The Book Hog loves books and has a large collection, although he never learned to read.

One day, amidst the usual chirps, tweets, and caws, a little brown bird decides to try singing a new song and sets off an interesting reaction.

When three children find a mysterious creature sleeping in a tree in their backyard, they search through books and use their imagination to find out what it is.

Accompanying his parents to their night-shift jobs as office cleaners, young Daniel reluctantly joins in as they use their imaginations to transform the deserted building into a magnificent paper kingdom where he might one day rule.

This is a story about a red crayon and blue crayon, and sharing.

"A love letter to Indigenous communities everywhere, this picture book gorgeously illustrated by Julie Flett celebrates seasons, nature, and community. Based on Academy Award-winning Cree icon Buffy Sainte-Marie's song of the same name, Still This Love Goes On is a stunning celebration of Indigenous experience. Breathtaking illustrations from celebrated Cree-Métis artist Julie Flett combine with Sainte-Marie's vivid lyrics to craft a remarkable piece of art. Destined to be read and sung for generations, this gem of a picture book is accompanied by: Sheet music so that readers can play along A note from Sainte-Marie about her much-admired song Sat beside a beaver dam and watched the winter grow Ice was hard with little tracks appearing in the snow Fog is in the valley now and all the geese are gone Cross the moon I saw them go and Still this love goes on and on."-- Provided by publisher.

Given blank books by their mother, Seymour, Fiona, and Wilbur let their imaginations fly, then put their stories, poems, and pictures together in a single, shared book.

No matter how far apart they are, a little girl and her grandfather share a cup of tea every day at half past three.

Little Plane learns to write by practicing his skywriting.

On a trip to the park with her mother, a young girl hears a rhythm coming from the world around her and begins to move to the beat, finally beginning an impromptu dance in which other childen join her.

"Children's literacy advocate John Schu and Caldecott Honor recipient Lauren Castillo celebrate the power of finding the perfect book--in a story that's more relevant than ever. With a sea-horse kite in hand, a child heads out with Dad to the library. On the way they stop at a park, joining lots of people, some of whom are flying kites, too. At the library, a person toting a big pile of books hands over a story on a favorite subject: the sea horse. All around, there are readers poring over books, each with their own questions, ideas to explore, hopes for the future, and imaginations ready to spark. With a warm, lyrical text and tenderly expressive illustrations, John Schu and Lauren Castillo invite us to imagine the myriad ways that books can foster connection and understanding -- and how they can empower children, through their own passions, to transform the world."--Publisher marketing.

Told in rhyming text, a young African American boy, stuck inside on a rainy day, uses his imagination to create a rocket ship out of a rocking chair and takes off on an trip to a distant planet.

"Children are invited to move their bodies in this interactive, call-and-response story"-- provided by publisher.

"The jungle animals are having a musical celebration! Mouse squeaks, Bird tweets, and Centipede taps his feet. Then more animals hear the music and want to join in, as Monkey, Warthog, and Crocodile bring their own music-making talents to the group. But what is that silly Hippo doing?"--Provided by publisher.

Shailey loves bedtime until her father gets distracted by a new job, so she advertises for a replacement "Bedtime Storyteller" and finds herself interviewing her favorite fairytale characters.

A little boy and his Mom draw different shapes and turn them into animals, a bug and even a picture of them.

Line goes straight on her way, while Scribble wanders and zigzags, but they are still best friends and can work together with their individual perspectives to make art.

"For every child who has ever felt that grown-ups have all the fun here is a vicarious chance to slip behind the office door--and play ith all the tempting things that are off-limits. Dads office is off-limits which only makes it more intriguing to his curious young daughter. As soon as she sees an opening, she sneaks in to have a look around. After all, theres no harm in just looking, right? What she discovers is a magical wonderland of sticky tape, paper clips that make glorious strands, and a kaleidoscopic array of sticky notes. Who could possibly resist playing with those? In a joyful ode to office supplies, Helen Yoon leads a celebration of just-for-once breaking the rulesand offers a final, funny nod to adults who harbor a similar urge."-- Publisher's description.

Rhyming text and sweet illustrations for little ones who love babies or are welcoming a new sibling themselves.

"A mother and son use their imagination to have fun on a rainy day"-- Provided by publisher.

When a little boy see a long list of chores on the refrigerator, he utilize his creative energy with a green crayon to transform time spent with his dad into a celebration of fun.