Books like Pouch!
By David Ezra Stein
For the toddler who dashes ahead on walks and then races back to grab your leg, Pouch! turns that exact push-and-pull into a story. Tender, bouncy, and reassuring, with a rhythm that mirrors a toddler's own back-and-forth bravery.
A boy who's passed his swim test insists he's ready to jump off the diving board, then finds himself stalling with stretches and stories while working up the nerve to actually do it.
A curious little monkey swallows a puzzle piece and ends up with a bad tummy ache, so his doctor sends him to the hospital for an operation and a recovery full of new friends.
A little bear finds a little box one morning and carries it around to friends like red fox and gray elephant, each guessing what might be inside.
A curious young bunny defies his sister Ruby's warnings and stays awake on Christmas Eve, determined to catch Santa Claus in the act of coming down the chimney.
A young hare tries to show his father just how much he loves him, stretching his arms wide and reaching as high as he can — but Big Nutbrown Hare always finds a way to love him back more.
A parade of baby animals learns words for everyday things — a ball, a dog, a moon — but every single one insists on calling it all MAMA instead.
A fiercely protective squirrel guards her babies with a determined chook-chook-chook, scaring off trouble again and again — until something much bigger wanders right onto her tree.
Three children and their pets meet up, becoming fast friends who play, squabble, laugh, and make up again, the way real friendships actually go.
A little girl can't join her mom on a trip, so she sends her toy dog Charlie the Cavalier in her suitcase instead, trusting him to keep her mom safe and close.
A gentle, repeating question moves through the animal world — from kangaroos to lions to dolphins — showing every baby, a joey, a cub, a calf, has a mother who loves it.
A young bear and his father head home through the snowy woods after a long walk, but strange sounds along the way make Little Bear afraid until Big Bear helps him feel safe again.
