Dizzy by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Sean Qualls

From chapters.ca:
This is the story of Dizzy Gillespie, a real cool cat who must have been born with a horn in his hands, judging from the way he played the trumpet. Jazz was his ticket on a train to better days, and he left his hard life in a small town for New York City and the hottest band around. But did Dizzy stand straight and play right? NO! He was a clown. He hit high notes, low notes, never-been-heard notes, and before he knew it, Dizzy created a whole new music: BEBOP. This is a story about a boy who breaks all the rules - and finds his own personal heaven along the way.

This book gets the tone of the words absolutely perfect for the subject.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

From chapters.ca:
Meet Skulduggery Pleasant. Ace Detective, Snappy Dresser, Razor–tongued Wit, Crackerjack Sorcerer, and Walking, Talking, Fire-throwing Skeleton — as well as ally, protector, and mentor of Stephanie Edgley, a very unusual and darkly talented twelve-year-old. These two alone must defeat an all-consuming ancient evil. The end of the world? Over his dead body.

I would recommend this to anyone who loved Artemis Fowl....or anyone, really. An hilarious page turner that kept me laughing out loud and flipping pages to find out what was going to happen next. My current favourite new book!

A sequel is coming out in June.

What do Wheels do All Day? by April Jones Prince, illustrated by Gilles Laroche

From chapters.ca:
Yeah, what do wheels do all day? Well...they push...race...stroll...fly...whiz...and spin...all day long! Simple, direct text, combined with brilliant cut-paper relief illustrations, captures kids' fascination with "things that go" and opens their minds to the wide variety of wheels and what they do.

Monster, Don't Eat Me! by Carl Norac, illustated by Carll Cneut

From amazon.ca:
Alex the pig loves to eat, even between meals. When his mother catches him snacking on new potatoes, she sends him off to wash his dirty hooves in the river. On the way, he can’t resist a bush full of luscious raspberries. But just as he is about to eat one, a huge shadow looms over him. It is a monster who also loves to eat and can’t resist a bite between meals. Beautifully illustrated, this amusing tale takes young readers through all the wild reasons Alex comes up with so that he doesn't become the monster's next snack.

A Truck Goes Rattley-Bumpa by Jonathan London, illustrated by Denis Roche

From chapters.ca:
Here come the mighty trucks to get the job done! Trucks can be big or small, red or blue. Trucks can make exciting noises. Trucks can haul and dig and stop and go. There are just so many things that trucks can do. But can they help to build a house? With teamwork anything is possible! Here is the perfect picture book for preschoolers who are fascinated with trucks of all kinds.

Owen by Kevin Henkes

From chapters.ca:
Owen loves his yellow blanket, Fuzzy, and he takes it everywhere. When he is about to start school, a neighbour offers advice to his parents about how to get rid of it, but Owen foils each attempt. Young children will certainly identify with Owen's fervent attachment to Fuzzy.

Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity by Mo Willems

From chapters.ca:
Trixie can't wait to bring her one-of-a-kind Knuffle Bunny to school and show him off to everyone. But when she gets there, she sees something awful: Sonja has the same bunny. Suddenly, Knuffle Bunny doesn't seem so one-of-a-kind anymore. Chaos ensues until the bunnies are taken away by Ms. Greengrove. After school, Trixie finally gets her beloved bunny back. But in the middle of the night, Trixie realizes something. She has the wrong bunny!

A sequel to Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale.

Cinder Edna by Ellen Jackson, illustrated by Kevin O'Malley

From chapters.ca:
The famous Cinderella and her neighbour Cinder Edna each worked sunup to sundown for their wicked stepmother and stepsisters. But while Cinderella had the good fortune to be rescued by her fairy godmother, Edna was strong, self-reliant, spunky - and she lived happier ever after!

Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

From chapters.ca:
The classic children's game book. Thousands of children have enjoyed the Ahlbergs' pictorial guessing game - not only because the game is fun, but also because the pages contain action and humour and a sense of beauty.

Whining and Dining: Mealtime Survival for Picky Eaters and the Families Who Love Them by Emma Waverman and Eshun Mott

From chapters.ca:
Part cookbook, part parenting manual, Whining & Dining – from two food lovers who are also mums of picky eaters – will bring sanity to every family’s table. Your kids are happily sitting at the table. As you deliver tonight’s meal, they all murmur their approval and dig right in. They reach eagerly for the vegetables and even agree to try your new kid-friendly dish of chicken curry. They ask for seconds and don’t even mention dessert until it arrives at the table. STOP THE MUSIC! If this is your house, then you don’t need this book. However, if your dinner experience is full of chaos and whining; if you are constantly worrying that your children are not getting the basic building blocks for a healthy life; if the path between the table and the fridge is worn from making separate meals for each child; if the word “YUCK!” is being used far too often, then Whining & Dining is for you.

Glass Slipper Gold Sandal by Paul Fleischman, illustrated by Julie Paschkis

From chapters.ca:
Once upon a time, in Mexico...in Ireland...in Zimbabwe...there lived a girl who worked all day in the rice fields...then spent the night by the hearth, sleeping among the cinders. Her name is Ashpet, Sootface, Cendrillon...Cinderella. Her story has been passed down the centuries and across continents. Now Paul Fleischman and Julie Paschkis craft its many versions into one hymn to the rich variety and the enduring constants of our cultures.

Most Perfect Spot by Diane Goode

From chapters.ca:
It’s a sunny morning, and Jack knows the perfect spot to take Mama for a picnic - the park, of course! But things don’t work out as Jack planned! There are lots of lively surprises before he and Mama find their picnic spot - one as unexpected and familiar as it is perfect. The friendly, funny story of their day unfolds in breezy, energetic pictures filled with quacking ducks, high-stepping horses, frisky dogs, and yakety-yaking people. When mishaps happen, children will especially enjoy the refrain "who knows why" because they’ll know why! And they’ll welcome the biggest and best surprise that’s been saved for last.

Six-Dinner Sid by Inga Moore

From chapters.ca:
Sid the cat lived at number one Aristotle Street. He also lived at number two, number three, number four, number five, and number six. Sid liked having six homes - he could eat six dinners a day and be petted by six different owners. Until he was taken to the vet not once...not twice, but six different times!

How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen illustrated by Mark Teague

From chapters.ca:
Kids are kids no matter what their species, as Jane Yolen proves in this bedtime story to end all bedtime stories. Children will giggle in recognition at the dinosaurs that thump their tails in displeasure at having to go to sleep and smile at the ones that like to end the night with a hug and kiss. Ideal for children who love dinosaurs but are ambivalent about sleepy time.

Traction Man is Here! by Mini Grey

From chapters.ca:
Traction Man — wearing combat boots, battle pants, and his warfare shirt — comes in a box, but very quickly finds the way into the imagination of his lucky boy owner. This superhero searches for the Lost Wreck of the Sieve as the boy makes a game of doing the dishes, and later in the bathtub, he conquers the Mysterious Toes that are stealing his pet, the brave little Scrubbing Brush. These are just a few of the action-packed adventures played out by the boy and his new toy that may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but can vanquish all manner of villains lurking around the house.

Born Smart? Why Animals do What They Do by Peter Cook and Laura Suzuki

A comic book like book about animal instincts that is entertaining and interesting.

Comets, Sars, the Moon, and Mars

Poetry and art about space.

If You Decide to go to the Moon by Faith McNulty, illustrated by Steven Kellogg

From the back of the book:
Take an imaginary journey and discover the breathtaking beauty of the moon, which "glows like a pearl in the black, black night." After your return, you will never see the moon - or Earth - in quite the same way.

Space Leftovers: A Book About Comets, Asteroids, and Meteroids by Dana Meachen Rau, illustrated by Denise Shea

From the back of the book:
Did you know that a piece of rock, dust, and ice are floating in space? These pieces are comets, asteroids, and meteoroids. They orbit the sun just like the planets do. Discover what happens when these objects stop orbiting in this book about space leftovers.

King: A Comics Biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Ho Che Anderson

From chapters.ca:
Ho Che Anderson's interpretive biography of the Reverend Martin Luther King documents the life of the most compelling civil rights leader during the most violent and tumultuous period of struggle for basic human rights in 20th century America.

A Good Night Walk by Eisha Cooper

From the back of the book:
A child and parent take a walk down their street - watching, smelling, talking, and listening. What do they find?

Well-Schooled Fish and Feathered Bandits: The Wondrous Ways Animals Learn from Animals by Peter Christie

From the back of the book:
We know that people learn from other people, but what about animals? Scientists now believe that animals are better students than we realize. In Well-Schooled Fish and Feathered Bandits, peter Christie offers stunning examples of animals that learn from each other, including clean-freak monkeys who wash sand-covered sweet potatoes and well-mannered whales who form "greeting lines" when they meet.

Dinosaur Bones by Bob Barner

From the back of the book:
Did you know that millions of years ago dinosaurs may have lived in your neighbourhood? With a lively rhyming text and vibrant paper collage illustrations, author-artist Bob Barner shakes the dust off the dinosaur bones found in museums and reminds us that they once belonged to living, breathing creatures. Filled with fun dinosaur facts and an informational "Dinometer," Dinosaur Bones is sure to make young dinosaur enthusiasts roar with delight.

Clever Tom and the Leprechaun by Linda Shute

Tom catches a leprechaun and tries to make it tell him where its gold is, but who is smarter, Tom or the leprechaun?

Have Space Suite Will Travel by Robert A.. Heinlein

From chapters.ca:
A classic novel from the mind of the storyteller who captures the imagination of readers from around the world, and across two generations. First prize in the Skyway Soap slogan contest was an all-expenses-paid trip to the Moon. The consolation prize was an authentic space suit, and when scientifically minded high school senior Kip Russell won it, he knew for certain he would use it one day to make a sojourn of his own to the stars. But "one day" comes sooner than he thinks when he tries on the suit in his backyard -- and finds himself worlds away, a prisoner aboard a space pirate's ship, and heading straight for what could be his final destination....