Berlioz the bear by Jan Brett - Berlioz the bear and his fellow musicians are due to play for the town ball when the mule pulling their bandwagon refuses to move. A strange buzzing in Berlioz's double bass turns into a surprise that saves the day

The legend of rock paper scissors by Drew Daywalt - From the Kingdom of the Backyard, Rock searches for an adversary that might best him, meanwhile Paper and Scissors set off on their own quests for competitors

Strega Nona : an original tale by Tomie de Paola - When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works

Mapping Sam by Joyce Hesselberth - An adventurous cat named Sam explores her neighborhood at night, and maps of all types reveal her journey, illuminating different points of view and the various spots Sam visits

Sam and the tigers : a new telling of Little Black Sambo by Julius Lester - Relates what happens when a little boy named Sam matches wits with several tigers that want to eat him

The junkyard wonders by Patricia Polacco - Inspired by a teacher who believes each of them is a genius, a class of special-needs students invents something that could convince the whole school they are justifiably proud to be "Junkyard Wonders"

Exclamation mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal - A punctuation mark feels bad that he doesn't fit in with the others until a friend reveals the possibilities that exist when differences are accepted

Grandfather's journey by Allen Say - The author recounts his grandfather's journey to America which he later also undertakes

Ninja Red Riding Hood by Corey Rosen Schwartz - In this twist on "Little Red Riding Hood," a certain wolf trains to be a ninja in order to catch his prey, but he is not the only one mastering a martial art

Memoirs of a hamster by Devin Scillian - A pet hamster is enticed by the family cat to venture outside his well-equipped cage to the sunroom only to very quickly discover life outside his cage is not the best for him

Too many tamales by Gary Soto - Maria tries on her mother's wedding ring while helping make tamales for a Christmas family get-together. Panic ensues when, hours later, she realizes the ring is missing

Sylvester and the magic pebble by William Steig - In a moment of fright, Sylvester the donkey asks his magic pebble to turn him into a rock but then cannot hold the pebble to wish himself back to normal again

Because by Mo Willems - A series of events, some seemingly very insignificant, lead to a young girl attending a life-changing concert

Jalapeño bagels by Natasha Wing - For International Day at school, Pablo wants to bring something that reflects the cultures of both his parents

Heckedy Peg by Audrey Wood - A mother saves her seven children from Heckedy Peg, a witch who has changed them into different kinds of food