Books like Chanticleer and the Fox
By Barbara Cooney
For the kid who loves a good comeuppance story, watching a boastful hero get outfoxed — then outsmart the fox right back — hits every time. Medieval, stately, and sly, with a dash of barnyard drama.
A small green inchworm proves his worth by measuring the tails, necks, and beaks of birds who'd otherwise eat him — until a nightingale demands he measure something no ruler ever could: her song.
A baby unicorn named Star, one of the last eight unicorns left in the world, must find a way to save her friends from dragons determined to destroy them.
A shy hippopotamus watches from the sidelines as other animals romp in a bog, try on hats, and go jogging together, until she must decide whether to finally say yes and join in.
Three hungry billy goats try to cross a troll's bridge to reach a lush meadow, and each one — smallest to biggest — must face the mean, ugly troll waiting underneath.
A young penguin named Pip-Pip longs to swim in the sea with his friends, but fear of the water holds him back until he finds the courage to take the plunge.
A restless chicken named Louise leaves the henhouse craving adventure, facing pirates on the high seas, a lion under the big top, and a mysterious stranger in a bustling bazaar.
A brave girl climbs Mount Baldy with her dog, Tuffi, and must outwit troll after troll — all of whom want to steal her dog for themselves.
A man and his little dog head out early one winter morning to learn how to ski, but a run-in with a curious moose sends them flying through the air and hanging above a snowy abyss.
An anxious squirrel refuses to leave his nut tree, keeping an emergency kit ready for tarantulas, sharks and killer bees — until an accident finally knocks him right out of it.
An engineer and an explorer climb into a hollow metal ball they invented called the Bathysphere, risking leaks and explosions to dive deeper into the ocean than anyone has gone before.
Warned to fear the Big Bad Mouse, the Gruffalo's curious child sneaks into the deep dark wood to hunt him down — only to spot the mouse and a mysterious giant shadow looming close behind.
A small black fish is the lone survivor of his school after a larger fish attacks — until he finds a new school of little red fish and teaches them to swim together as one giant shape to scare off enemies.
