The start of a new year is a great time for making new friends! If your young one is developing into a wallflower instead of a social butterfly, check out the terrific books below. These spirited stories will inspire introverts of all ages to step outside their comfort zones and connect.

ADVENTURE AT SEA
A verbal mix-up leads to big fun in Kat Yeh’s The Friend Ship. Hedgehog spends her time alone, “curled up in a prickly little ball.” When she overhears the words “friendship is out there,” she’s inspired to hit the high seas to find what she thinks is an actual ship. She sets sail in her own boat, asking the animals she meets along the way if they’ve seen the Friend Ship. Nobody has, but everyone wants to, and Hedgehog is soon joined in her search by a beaver, a herd of deer, a mouse, a polar bear—even an elephant! The members of this menagerie are all looking for the same thing, and by story’s end, they’ve definitely found it. Chuck Groenink’s masterful spreads of the shipmates on the water have a classic feel. His critters are irresistible. Who wouldn’t want to befriend this winning bunch?

FRIENDS AGAINST ALL ODDS
Jessica Olien’s adorable Adrift: An Odd Couple of Polar Bears demonstrates the importance of keeping an open mind when it comes to making friends. Karl and Hazel don’t get along. Introverted Hazel savors solitude—she likes to read and daydream—while rowdy Karl enjoys showing off for his bear buddies. When these polar opposites (I couldn’t pass up the pun . . .) get stranded on an ice floe in the middle of the ocean, they realize they’re stuck with each other. But once the ice floe starts to melt, they begin to bond and discover they’re more alike than they ever imagined. Olien’s cute, comic illustrations feature seals, penguins and other cold-weather creatures, all vividly depicted in bold lines and bright colors (check out Hazel’s polka-dotted scarf!). Adrift is a delightful reminder that friendship can blossom where it’s least expected.

PERFECT PAIRINGS
In the clever, quirky Before You, Rebecca Doughty uses friendship and the sense of fulfillment it brings as the basis for a series of witty comparisons: “Before you . . . I was a bowl without a fish. A birthday cake without a wish.” Doughty explores the idea of “before”—pre-friendship—throughout the first half of the book; the latter half she devotes to the time when buddies finally find each other: “I had a cup, you brought the tea. I had a boat, you brought the sea.” In minimalist ink-and-paint drawings, she uses her trademark deadpan visual style to hilarious effect—there’s a frowning four-leaf clover in need of luck, and a droopy noodle who could use some soup—and the result is a book that will appeal to readers of all ages. This is a nifty little volume that celebrates the power of companionship.

If wintry temps have you dreaming of spring, then read on! The outdoor adventures featured below will tide you over till the milder months. Focusing on the marvels and mysteries of nature, they’re tailor-made for storytime in the classroom or at home. Who knew that science could be so much fun?

IN THE GARDEN
What Will Grow? (ages 3 to 6) by Jennifer Ward celebrates seeds in all their many forms, from acorns and flower pods to apple pips. In short rhymed stanzas, Ward nimbly addresses the idea of plant growth, tracking it from sprout to full flower: “Very tiny. / Then so viny! / What will grow? / Tomato.” Susie Ghahremani’s detailed scenes of neat garden rows showcase each seed along with a critter who’s hungry for the yield to come (watch out for the raccoon in the pumpkin patch!). Little readers will be impressed by the book’s fold-out spreads, which emphasize the miracle of buds and blossoms. Encapsulating the magic packed into seemingly simple seeds—and the surprises they produce—this beautifully rendered story is a great way to get kids interested in the great outdoors. Here’s to the green thumbs of the future!

IN THE WOODS
Tim McCanna’s Watersong (ages 4 to 8) offers a wonderful introduction to the connections that exist between animals and their native habitats. A little fox dodges raindrops, dashes through a stream and takes shelter beneath a tree as a storm crashes through the forest. McCanna uses simple lines of onomatopoeia to communicate the drama and power of the sudden squall: “Wash! Wham! / Lash! Whirl! / Bash! Swirl!” He depicts the storm from the perspectives of other animals—geese, snails and a wide-eyed owl—to show how the downpour disrupts the tranquility of their surroundings. By story’s end, the rain has passed, and the fox emerges from hiding to play with her pups beneath a sparkling rainbow. Capturing the clarity of a world washed in rain, Richard Smythe’s watercolor illustrations up the appeal of this delightful depiction of nature’s cycles and the unexpected gifts a storm can bring.

IN THE WATER
Rivers of Sunlight: How the Sun Moves Water Around the Earth (ages 4 to 8) is the latest entry in the popular, science-inspired Sunlight Series from author Molly Bang and artist Penny Chisholm. This informative yet accessible book is filled with fun facts about H20 and the role it plays with the sun in earth’s life-sustaining cycles. The sun itself serves as narrator: “Together, water and I give LIFE to your blue planet, and to YOU.” Presenting sophisticated information in a clear and engaging style, the book delves into concepts like evaporation and photosynthesis. Chisholm’s dazzling illustrations of the sea, the stars and the sun capture the magnitude of our ecosystem while creating a sense of intimacy readers can relate to. A bold typeface and short chunks of text make the book’s big ideas easy to process. Youngsters will see the world in a new way once they spend some time with this appealing primer.

It's time again for new pencils, paper and folders, and the excitement that rolls around for kids as the school season returns. A fresh crop of books out this fall will help students face the year with confidence and, most importantly, a sense of humor.

Laura Numeroff's If You Take a Mouse to School continues her popular mouse series. With the comforting, familiar story line that has made her previous books such a hit with the preschool set, the newest installment in the adventures of Numeroff's jolly little critter finds him following his boy-owner to school. The mouse is packed and ready to go, starting with a lunchbox, which leads to a sandwich, then notebooks and pencils and a cozy spot in the boy's backpack. You get the picture. Or do you? Look closely at the illustrations and the fun really begins. As the children are solving basic addition problems, the mouse is blithely sailing through calculus. Look inside the children's house of blocks, and you will see the mouse lounging in a tidy mouse-made house. Because this is certainly a book that readers will want to return to again and again, they'll enjoy discovering new details in the illustrations each time.

Further hilarity is in store with Lynn Plourde's School Picture Day. Thor Wickstrom's cartoony illustrations are the perfect complement to Plourde's exaggerated situations. It seems that Josephina Caroleena Wattasheena the First does not know that it's picture day at school. Everyone else starts the morning dressed in their best outfits, but our heroine marches onto the school bus in overalls, with a jaunty hat over her multiple pigtails, carrying her trusty toolbox. She's not thinking about the photograph; she's just wondering how things work. When the bus' gearshift makes an odd sound, Josephina rushes to the rescue. After some highfalutin "fidgeting, fiddling, fuddling, and foopling," she solves the problem, but her oilcan sprays grease on all the well-dressed kids on the bus! Josephina's "help" with the pencil sharpener, school sprinkler system, heating vent and a wind-up chicken culminates in a rather odd class picture. The photographer is hilariously goofy, asking the children to show their "teethy weethies" and to say "cheesy weezy if you pleasy." And what about the fidgeting, curious Josephina Caroleena Wattasheena the First? She is off to bigger and better projects even a rocket that looks ready for the moon.

Hunter's Best Friend at School is Laura Malone Elliott's delightful tale of the pleasures and perils of friendship in the classroom. Lynn Munsinger's wonderful signature watercolors illustrate this story of peer pressure. Hunter and Stripe, two raccoons, like the same things: striped sweaters, Goldilocks and the Three Raccoons and cartwheels. However, sometimes their friendship can be a problem. "When Stripe comes to school one day in a mischief-making mood," he distracts Hunter at reading time, uses poor table manners at lunch and misbehaves during painting time. Hunter ends up following his friend's lead, but he's disappointed in the results. After a loving talk with his mother, he figures out a way to follow her advice: "Being a best friend doesn't mean always following along," she says. "Sometimes being a best friend means you have to help your friend be his best self." Good advice for any student!

Swim season is here! If fear is keeping your little one out of the water, check out the books below. These inspiring stories will motivate youngsters to ride the tide.

RESCUE AT SEA
In Carolyn Crimi’s There Might Be Lobsters, Eleanor and her pint-size pooch, Sukie, hit the beach for a day of fun and sun. But the steep, sandy stairs that lead to the shore and the big beach ball scare Sukie. Most of all, she’s afraid of lobsters! Spunky Eleanor tries to coax her into the water—to no avail. But when their beloved toy gets swept up in a wave, Sukie is forced to be brave and forget her fear. In the end she saves the day, earning dog biscuits and a prime spot on the beach blanket. Laurel Molk depicts Sukie’s switch from downcast canine to tail-wagging champ in winning illustrations that bring a transformative day at the shore to vivid life. This is an appealing story with an important upshot for readers: Never underestimate yourself!

A PERFECT PARTNERSHIP
In Aaron Reynolds’ delightful aquatic adventure, Sea Monkey & Bob, two pals conquer their ocean-based phobias. Puffer fish Bob and his friend Sea Monkey can’t figure out how to navigate their watery world. Surely Bob will float in the ocean, rise to the surface and get carried away! As for tiny little Sea Monkey—won’t he drift right down to the ocean floor? The two buddies struggle in the water until they find the key. Solving this dilemma requires teamwork! In the end, friendship keeps the critters afloat, as they join hands and help one another stay safe in the water. At last, they’re at home in their element. The story’s standout text and Debbie Ridpath Ohi’s inviting illustrations of the two pals and their fish friends will inspire timid swimmers to take a dip.

DARING TO DIVE
Jabari has aced his swimming lessons and listened to a pep talk from his pop. Is he ready to make the leap from the giant diving board? In Jabari Jumps, Gaia Cornwall tells the story of his progression from self-doubt to (big splash!) celebration. Jabari, his father and little sister have settled in at the pool. This is it—the day Jabari will make his big dive: “I’m a great jumper,” he says, “so I’m not scared at all.” Watching the other kids ascend the ladder, looking like “tiny bugs,” he hesitates. Maybe he should rest first. And stretch. With more encouragement from his father, Jabari finally embraces the moment—and finds that he really is a great jumper. Cornwall creates a vivid poolside setting through innovative collage and watercolor illustrations, and Jabari’s joy is infectious. His story proves that preparation combined with courage can bring a big payoff.

Prepping for a new school year (and saying goodbye to summer) is never easy! If you’re looking for a way to get your little ones excited about academic life, check out the picture books below. As these titles prove, school definitely rules.

FROM A STUDENT’S PERSPECTIVE
In the original and inspiring first-person poems that comprise Sally Derby’s A New School Year: Stories in Six Voices (ages 5 to 9), youngsters of different backgrounds express their uncertainties about life in the classroom. On the night before and throughout the first day of school, Derby’s delightful characters share varying viewpoints. In “Feeling Lucky,” fourth-grader Carlos is excited about his new school shoes—“black with a silver stripe”—and starts the morning on a positive note: “I bet I find a new friend quick.” A poem called “Seven O’Clock Butterflies” finds Katie, a second-grader, fighting off nerves: “Maybe tomorrow / would be better than today / for starting back to school,” she thinks. (We’ve all been there!) In soft, colorful watercolor illustrations, Mika Song imbues each student with a distinct personality. These appealing poems will put anxious pupils-to-be at ease.

CREATURE IN THE CLASSROOM
Wonderful and whimsical, The Teacher’s Pet (ages 4 to 7) by Anica Mrose Rissi is the story of a class experiment gone awry. Softhearted Mr. Stricter and his students are excited about the pet tadpoles they’ve been caring for as a science project. But they can only keep one, Bruno—a critter who surprises them all by maturing into an enormous hippo instead of a frog. Bruno has a monster appetite (he eats scissors, books—even desks!), takes up half the room and proves to be generally unmanageable. Mr. Stricter lets Bruno have his way until the students are forced to take matters into their own hands. Irresistible illustrations by Zachariah Ohora, who favors strong swaths of color and bold black lines, add to the appeal of Rissi’s out-of-the ordinary story. There’s nothing average about this madcap classroom adventure.

PET PUPIL
A furry friend comes to class in Maria Gianferrari’s Hello Goodbye Dog (ages 4 to 6). Zara, the story’s wheelchair-bound main character, adores her brown mutt, Moose. As she heads to school, he wants to tag along, but dogs aren’t allowed in class! There’s no stopping Moose—again and again, he manages to escape from home and make his way to school, where he eventually causes chaos in the cafeteria. Zara soon has a brilliant idea: enroll Moose in dog-therapy class. Thanks to his gentle nature, Moose aces his tests and gets to join Zara at school as a reading dog. At last, students and staff can give the tail-wagging pooch a warm welcome. Antics-filled mixed-media illustrations by Patrice Barton bring extra liveliness to the proceedings. This heart-warming, hilarious story is sure to stir up back-to-school excitement.

The start of the school year brings big changes for little students: a new teacher, different stuff to study and—yikes!—a classroom filled with unfamiliar faces. If your youngsters are feeling shy about finding new buddies at school or on the playground, then take a peek at the titles below. Each one celebrates the specialness of friendship and proves that bonds can blossom where least expected.

FROM FOES TO FRIENDS
David Elliott’s ever-so-clever tale of two sheep, Baabwaa & Wooliam (ages 4 to 8), has the makings of a classic. Baabwaa and Wooliam are homebodies (she’s a knitter; he’s a bookworm), but when Wooliam gets the adventure itch, they decide to hit the road. All too soon, they encounter a suspicious-looking sheep with an oversize snout, dirty coat and terrible teeth—the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing! The two friends run from the trickster (“If this is an adventure,” Baabwaa says, “I’m not a fan!”), but the chase ends—and friendship ensues—when the wolf asks for help with an unusual undertaking. The story’s droll humor is underscored by Melissa Sweet’s illustrations, which have bold touches of color and smart details (check out the nifty trailer the sheep call home). Here’s hoping Elliott continues the adventures of this wonderful, woolly pair.

OPPOSITES ATTRACT
Vibrant colors, lively mixed-media illustrations and a dynamic storytelling style make Ed Vere’s Max and Bird (ages 3 and up) extra special. The friendship of Max, a black kitten, and tiny Bird starts off swimmingly. But Max’s observation that his new pal “looks like a tasty snack” is a red flag for Bird. He knows that true friends help each other, and when he asks Max to assist him in learning how to fly, the two embark on an unexpected adventure that teaches them all about the pleasures of partnership. “I don’t want to eat you up,” Max determines in the end. “It’s not what friends do.” The third title from Vere to feature Max—a wide-eyed protagonist with plenty of kittenish appeal—this tale of an unexpected alliance between two contrary creatures definitely soars.

QUEST FOR COMPANIONSHIP
A curious fox named Marco sets out on an unforgettable voyage in Dashka Slater’s The Antlered Ship (ages 4 to 8). Marco is filled with wonder about the world. “Why don’t trees ever talk? How deep does the sun go when it sinks into the sea?” he asks himself. When an unusual ship commanded by a deer arrives at the dock, Marco joins the crew with the hope of finding a likeminded fox who will be his friend. The seafarers meet with nasty weather—and an even nastier gang of pirates—but by working as a team, they manage to sail to a marvelous island. In the end, Marco learns that true friendship is closer than he imagined. Terry and Eric Fan’s breathtaking illustrations have an old-fashioned realism that suits the book’s timeless storyline. Little readers will want to follow Marco on this amazing journey.

It’s been a big year for the moon, thanks to the spectacle that was the Great American Eclipse. No doubt about it, when it comes to magic and mystery, the moon puts its cosmic competition in the shade! If you haven’t already introduced your young ones to the wonders of moon, our roundup of lunar-inspired titles is a great place to start.

MOON WALK
Rachael Cole’s sweet, simple City Moon (ages 3 to 7) takes place on a crisp autumn evening. After darkness has fallen, “after tooth-brushing time,” a boy and his mother head out for a stroll, hand in hand, to find the moon. “We crane our necks up to the sky, but it’s hiding,” the boy says. “Where is it?” The city streets hum with after-dark activities. There are shoppers and dog-walkers, cyclists and joggers, colorful taxicabs and a fierce-looking fire engine. When mother and son finally come upon the moon, full and beaming above the dark cityscape, the reader shares their sense of surprise. Blanca Gómez’s collage-like, urban-inspired illustrations are a feast for the eyes. The book’s closing image of the boy asleep in bed, his room illuminated by the moon, sums up the enchantment of this tranquil little tale.

AN UNFORGETTABLE GAME
When the Moon Comes (ages 4 to 8) by Paul Harbridge is a luminous story of friendship and full-moon magic. As December sets in with a hard freeze and snow, a group of kids gets set to play a nighttime game of hockey. Only one thing is missing: the moon. They wait for it to get full (“This week the moon is growing”), their excitement increasing. When the big night finally arrives, the kids bundle up and trek down to the frozen water. As the full moon rises above the trees, the book’s narrator—a young boy—stops midgame to take in the sight. With his friends, he shares a night on the ice that’s truly special. Artist Matt James creates a winter wonderland in breathtaking illustrations that have texture and a sense of mystery. This one-of-a-kind moonlit adventure is sure to capture young imaginations.

NIGHT SPRITE
The captivating story of a solitary forest urchin, Wee Sister Strange (ages 4 to 8) by Holly Grant will leave little readers mesmerized. Grant tells the tale of her heroine—a pale slip of a girl with red hair and a crown of leaves—through rhymed stanzas. At home in the woods, Wee Sister Strange goes exploring after sundown: “She drinks up the moon / Like a cat drinking cream. / She drinks up the dark / Like it’s tea with the queen.” Wee Sister Strange is brave enough to climb a tree, dive into a bog and befriend a bear. She’s clearly looking for something on her way through the woods, but the reader doesn’t find out what it is until the book’s final heartwarming scenes. Artist K.G. Campbell’s marvelous illustrations transport the reader to an intriguing otherworld. This fantastical tale has all the makings of a classic.

Weird and wonderful, mysterious and magical—shadows bring a bit of whimsy to the everyday world. This month, we’ve rounded up a trio of inventive titles inspired by these slippery, shifting showpieces of nature. Get ready for some shadow play!

DOUBLE TROUBLE
In Michelle Cuevas’ wonderfully imaginative Smoot: A Rebellious Shadow (ages 4 to 8), Smoot is tired of the life he leads with the boy he’s attached to: “Every day they brushed the same teeth, frowned the same frown, and drew the same pictures.” When Smoot comes “unstuck” from the boy, he savors his freedom, joining kids on the playground and climbing a tree, and he soon attracts the attention of other shadows, who are inspired to follow his lead. The dragonfly’s shadow turns into a giant winged beast, while the frog’s shadow becomes a prince. Smoot quickly realizes he must find a way to stop what he started before shadows everywhere break free. Artist Sydney Smith depicts the impish Smoot and his fellow shadows against a white backdrop that’s offset by a bustling world of color and activity. This delightful story puts a fresh, phenomenal spin on a familiar, Peter Pan-like premise.

IN GOOD COMPANY
Mixing intelligence and wit with just a smidgen of silliness, Davide Cali’s George and His Shadow (ages 4 to 8) is a story of unforeseen friendship. Smartly attired in a green plaid hat and spectacles, George kicks off his day with coffee in the kitchen, where a dark figure awaits him at the dining table—his shadow! “Shouldn’t you be on the floor?” George asks. “I was hungry,” the shadow replies. Sticking close to George for the rest of the day, the shadow accompanies him as he walks his dog and visits the fishing pier. Tired of being tailed, George tries various methods (scissors, vacuum cleaner, even garlic) but can’t get rid of his counterpart. As darkness falls and the shadow vanishes, George realizes that he may have lost a friend. Serge Bloch’s spare, ingenious illustrations bring extra appeal to this singular story.

TWO OF A KIND
Hortense and the Shadow (ages 4 to 8), from sisters Natalia and Lauren O’Hara, is a beautifully executed story that has the staying power of a classic. Hortense is tired of her shadow. As her constant—unwanted—companion, it copies her every move. She tries hiding it “behind columns . . . under sofas . . . and in holes,” but nothing works until the day she runs inside and slams the window shut. At last, she’s free of her bothersome twin! When Hortense finds herself alone in the forest, faced with danger, she learns that her shadow is more valuable than she ever imagined. Lauren O’Hara’s delicate yet expressive illustrations, created in an understated palette of grays and pinks, will enchant readers of all ages. Radiating the timelessness of an old-fashioned fairy tale, this is a story to be treasured.