aLEARNlab

'Snappsy The Alligator' is written by Julie Falatko, illustrated by Tim Miller and read by David Harbour. Snappsy the alligator is having a normal day when a pesky narrator steps in to spice up the story. Is Snappsy reading a book ... or is he making CRAFTY plans? Is Snappsy on his way to the grocery store ... or is he PROWLING the forest for defenseless birds and fuzzy bunnies? Is Snappsy innocently shopping for a party ...or is he OBSESSED with snack foods that start with the letter P? What’s the truth? View the activity guide here: https://bit.ly/snappsythealligator Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'When a Dragon Moves In' is written by Jodi Moore, illustrated by Howard McWilliam and read by Mark Duplass. If you build a perfect sandcastle, a dragon will move in. And that’s exactly what happens to one very lucky boy at the beach. Dad is busy sunbathing and Mom is busy with her book, so the boy and dragon roam the beach together, flying a kite, braving the waves, and roasting marshmallows. But no one believes him when he shares the news of his magnificent dragon: Mom only hears the roar of the ocean, Dad thinks the dragon feather is a seagull feather, and know-it-all sis claims there’s no such thing as a dragon. That’s when the sandwiches mysteriously disappear, claw prints are found in the brownies, and dragon-giggles erupt from the strangest of places. Heh-heh-heh. Is there truly a mischievous dragon running around on the beach or is someone’s imagination running wild? Decide for yourself When a Dragon Moves In. View the activity guide here: https://bit.ly/WhenaDragonMovesIn Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'The Empty Pot' is written and illustrated by Demi and read by Rami Malek. The Chinese Emperor announces an unusual test to choose an heir—the child who raises the best flowers from a seed given by the Emperor will be his successor. Ping, unaccountably, is unable to get his seed to sprout—but Ping’s empty pot is best of all. View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/TheEmptypot Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'Lotus & Feather' is written by Ji-li Jiang, illustrated by Julie Downing and read by Michelle Yeoh. A winter illness left Lotus, a little girl, without a voice and without friends. A hunter’s bullet left Feather, a crane, injured and unable to fly. As Lotus nurses Feather back to health, their bond grows. Soon Feather is following Lotus everywhere, even to school! The bird dances to the girl’s reed whistle, much to the delight of the other children. One day, when the village floods, Feather helps raise the alarm as Lotus and her grandfather urge their neighbors to get to high ground. Feather is a true friend to Lotus, but the time comes when Lotus must be a true friend to him--by encouraging him to migrate with the rest of the cranes. The next spring, Feather miraculously returns, and that’s not all . . . he has brought new life to the nearby lake. Inspired by the true story of a crane that rescued a Chinese village, and graced with sensitive watercolor illustrations, this lovely book about respecting nature offers deep emotion and delightful surprises. View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/LotusFeather Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'The Hula-Hoopin' Queen' is written by Thelma Lynne Godin, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton and read by Oprah Winfrey. Kameeka is confident that today she will finally beat her rival, Jamara, and become the Hula-Hoopin’ Queen of 139th Street. But then Mama reminds her that today is their neighbor Miz Adeline’s birthday, and Kameeka has a ton of chores to do to get ready for the party they are hosting. Kameeka’s disappointed to be stuck at home and can only think about the hoopin’ competition. Distracted, Kameeka accidentally ruins Miz Adeline’s birthday cake, and has to confess to her that there won’t be a cake for her special day. But then Miz Adeline’s confesses something too: she’s also got the itch—the hula-hoopin’ itch! Her fingers start snappin’. Her hips start swingin’. Soon everyone’s hips are swinging as the party spills out onto the street. The whole neighborhood’s got the itch—the hula-hoopin’ itch! With vibrant illustrations by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, 'The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen' is a charming celebration of family and community ties. View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/TheHulaHoopinQueen Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'The Elves and the Shoemaker' is retold from the Brothers Grimm, illustrated by Jim LaMarche and read by Chrissy Metz. The story is a simple one, of a poor shoemaker and his wife who suddenly find they are getting help from a mysterious source. They discover their helpers are little elves, whom are working long and hard to finish making shoes. When the man and woman become rich because of the elves, they decide they must give back to the elves in return. View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/ElvesandtheShoemaker Watch all of our videos at https://www.storylineonline.net/.

'Turkey Trouble' is written by Wendi Silvano, illustrated by Lee Harper and read by Marc Maron. Turkey is in trouble. Bad trouble. The kind of trouble where it’s almost Thanksgiving... and you’re the main course. But Turkey has an idea--what if he doesn’t look like a turkey? What if he looks like another animal instead? After many hilarious attempts, Turkey comes up with the perfect disguise to make this Thanksgiving the best ever! View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/Turkeytrouble Watch all of our videos at https://www.storylineonline.net/.

'Sylvester and the Magic Pebble' is written and illustrated by William Steig and read by Reid Scott. On a rainy day, Sylvester finds a magic pebble that can make wishes come true. But when a lion frightens him on his way home, Sylvester makes a wish that brings unexpected results. How Sylvester is eventually reunited with his loving family and restored to his true self makes a story that is beautifully tender and filled with magic. View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/SylvesterMagicPebble Watch all of our videos at https://www.storylineonline.net/.

'Arnie the Doughnut' is written and illustrated by Laurie Keller and read by Chris O'Dowd. At first glance, Arnie looks like an average doughnut - round, cakey, iced and sprinkled, with a hole in the middle. He was made by one of the best bakeries in town, and admittedly his sprinkles are candy-colored. Still, a doughnut is just a doughnut, right? WRONG! Not if Arnie has anything to say about it. And, for a doughnut, he sure seems to have an awful lot to say. Can Arnie change the fate of all doughnuts - or at least have a hand in his own future? View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/ArnietheDoughnut Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'A Tale of Two Beasts' is written and illustrated by Fiona Roberton and read by Sarah Silverman. There are two sides to every story. In Part One, a little girl finds a strange beast in the woods and takes it home as a pet. She feeds it, shows it off to her friends and gives it a hat. But that night it escapes. Then, in Part Two, the beast tells the story of being kidnapped by the girl, who force-fed it squirrel food, scared it with a group of beasts and wrapped it in wool. Can the two beasts resolve their differences? 'A Tale of Two Beasts' is an eye-opening story that makes you look at things from a different perspective. View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/ataleoftwobeasts Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'No More Noisy Nights' is written by Holly L. Niner, illustrated by Guy Wolek and read by Tony Hale. Who is making so much noise and how will Jackson ever get to sleep? Despite some silly, sleepy mistakes, genteel Jackson finds a fun and quiet activity for each of his noisy neighbors. He finally gets a great night’s sleep— and discovers three new friends in the morning. View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/NoMoreNoisyNights Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'Quackenstein Hatches a Family' is written by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, illustrated by Brian T. Jones and read by Kristen Bell. Crack open this tale of family and fright, as cute as it is creepy. All the animals in the zoo have friends and family to play with and love. All of them, that is, except Quackenstein. Lonely and bitter in his ramshackle corner, he decides to adopt an egg. He cares for it diligently, waiting until the moment when it will hatch a baby duck of his own. View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/Quackenstein Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'The Tale of Peter Rabbit' is written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter and read by Rose Byrne. The quintessential cautionary tale, 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit' warns naughty children about the grave consequences of misbehaving. When Mrs. Rabbit beseeches her four furry children not to go into Mr. McGregor’s garden, the impish Peter naturally takes this as an open invitation to create mischief. He quickly gets in over his head, when he is spotted by farmer McGregor himself. View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/TheTaleofPeterRabbit Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'The Case of the Missing Carrot Cake' is written by Robin Newman, illustrated by Deborah Zemke and read by Wanda Sykes. When crime happens, especially when food goes missing on Ed’s farm, Wilcox and Griswold, mouse crime fighters and food detectives, are the animals to call. When Miss Rabbit’s carrot cake goes missing, they do what it takes to track down the thieves. View the teacher activity guide here: http://bit.ly/tg_carrotcake View the parent activity guide here: http://bit.ly/pg_carrotcake Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'Here Comes the Garbage Barge!' is written by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Red Nose Studio and read by Justin Theroux. Before everyone recycled…there was a town that had 3,168 tons of garbage and nowhere to put it. What did they do? Enter the Garbage Barge! This mostly true and completely stinky story is sure to make you say “Pee-yew!” View the teacher activity guide here: http://bit.ly/tg_GarbageBarge View the parent activity guide here: http://bit.ly/pg_GarbageBarge Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'Mice Twice' is written and illustrated by Joseph Low and read by Ty Burrell. Cat and Miss Mouse become involved in a round of uneasy hospitality when Miss Mouse accepts Cat’s dinner invitation. While Cat expects her to walk right into his trap, Miss Mouse outsmarts him by asking her close friend Dog to join her. The animals perform a literal game of cat-and-mouse through dinner invitations, continuously amping up their efforts until a hilarious and fitting conclusion results. Mice Twice is a charming, funny and thoughtful fable about friendship, cleverness, irony, self-awareness and manners. View the teacher activity guide here: http://bit.ly/tg_micetwice View the parent activity guide here: http://bit.ly/pg_micetwice Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'Please Please the Bees' is written and illustrated by Gerald Kelley and read by Rashida Jones. Life is sweet for Benedict. Every morning he wakes up to find jars of fresh honey on his back porch. He makes honey toast for breakfast, bakes honey cake in the afternoon, and drinks honey tea before bed. But one day, the jars on Benedict’s porch are empty. The bees in his backyard have gone on strike! They are tired of doing all the work around the hive. What can Benedict do to make the bees happy and bring sweetness back to his days? View the teacher activity guide here: http://bit.ly/tg_pleaseplease View the parent activity guide here: http://bit.ly/pg_pleaseplease Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'Clark the Shark' is written by Bruce Hale, illustrated by Guy Francis and read by Chris Pine. Clark is a shark with zing, bang, and boom. Clark zooms into school, crashes through the classroom, and is rowdy at recess. Clark loves life – but when his enthusiasm is too much for his friends, Clark’s teacher, Mrs. Inkydink, helps him figure out a way to tone it down. 'Clark the Shark' celebrates boisterous enthusiasm – and knowing when it’s time for indoor voices. View the teacher activity guide here: http://bit.ly/tg_clarktheshark View the parent activity guide here: http://bit.ly/pg_clarktheshark Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'Rent Party Jazz' is written by William Miller, illustrated by Charlotte Riley-Webb and read by Viola Davis. This story is set in New Orleans in the 1930s. Sonny and his mother are scraping by to pay their rent. Mama works in a fish canning factory, and Sonny works for the coal man before school each morning. When Mama loses her job, they no longer have enough money for the rent and fear that the landlord will turn them out. One day Sonny meets Smilin’ Jack, a jazz musician who is playing his trumpet in Jackson Square. Smilin’ Jack offers to play at a party at Sonny’s house to help raise money for the rent. The neighbors all come to sing and dance and before they leave, drop some coins in a bucket. Sonny learns how people can help one another “if they put their minds and hearts to it.” View the teacher activity guide here: http://bit.ly/tg_rentpartyjazz View the parent activity guide here: http://bit.ly/pg_rentpartyjazz Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'The House that Jane Built' is written by Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Kathryn Brown and read by Kiernan Shipka. This is the story of Jane Addams, the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, who transformed a poor neighborhood in Chicago by opening up her house as a community center. View the teacher activity guide here: http://bit.ly/tg_thehouse View the parent activity guide here: http://bit.ly/pg_thehouse Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'As Fast As Words Could Fly' is written by Pamela M. Tuck, illustrated by Eric Velasquez and read by Dulé Hill. Young Mason Steele takes pride in turning his father’s excited ramblings about the latest civil rights incidents into handwritten business letters. One day Pa comes home with a gift from his civil rights group: a typewriter. Thrilled with the present, Mason spends all his spare time teaching himself to type. Soon he knows where every letter on the keyboard is located. When the civil rights group wins a school desegregation case, Mason learns that now he will be attending a formerly all-white high school. Despite his fears and injustice from the students and faculty, Mason perseveres. He does well in school—especially in his typing class. And when he competes in the county typing tournament, Mason decides to take a stand, using his skills to triumph over prejudice and break racial barriers. View the teacher activity guide here: http://bit.ly/tg_wordscouldfly View the parent activity guide here: http://bit.ly/pg_wordscouldfly Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'I Need My Monster' is written by Amanda Noll, illustrated by Howard McWilliam and read by Rita Moreno. When Ethan checks under the bed for his monster, he finds a note instead: "Gone fishing. Back in a week. —Gabe." What will Ethan do? He needs a monster under his bed. View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/iNeedMyMonster Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'Hey, That's My Monster!' is written by Amanda Noll, illustrated by Howard McWilliam and read by Lily Tomlin. When Ethan looks under the bed for his monster, he finds this note instead: “So long, kid. Gotta go. Someone needs me more than you do. –Gabe” How will Ethan ever get to sleep without his monster’s familiar, comforting snorts? And who could need Gabe more than Ethan does? Gabe must have gone to Ethan’s little sister’s room! She has been climbing out of bed every night to play, and obviously needs a monster to help her get to sleep – but not HIS monster! Ethan tries to help his sister find her own monster, but none are the perfect blend of cute and creepy. Just when it seems that Ethan will lose his monster forever, an uninvited, tutu-toting little monster full of frightening fun appears. View the teacher activity guide here: http://bit.ly/tg_mymonster View the parent activity guide here: http://bit.ly/pg_mymonster Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'Strega Nona' is written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola and read by Mary Steenburgen. Strega Nona–"Grandma Witch"–is the source for potions, cures, magic and comfort in her Calabrian town. Her magical ever-full pasta pot is especially intriguing to hungry Big Anthony. He is supposed to look after her house and tend her garden, but one day, when she goes over the mountain to visit Strega Amelia, Big Anthony recites the magic verse over the pasta pot, with disastrous results. View the teacher activity guide here: http://bit.ly/tg_streganona View the parent activity guide here: http://bit.ly/pg_streganona Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'The Coal Thief' is written by Alane Adams, illustrated by Lauren Gallegos and read by Christian Slater. Brrr! Georgie wakes up to a freezing morning in 1920s Pennsylvania and gets the bad news that there is no coal to heat the farmhouse―and he knows there is no money to buy more, either. Just after he finds this out, along comes his friend Harley, who drags him off on an adventure to find some mysterious “black gold.” Before Georgie can catch his breath, he’s in a pile of trouble―all the way up to his ears! Take a trip back in time and join Georgie in this heartwarming tale of mischief made and lessons learned in America’s storied past. View the teacher activity guide here: http://bit.ly/tg_thecoalthief View the parent activity guide here: http://bit.ly/pg_thecoalthief Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'Carla's Sandwich' is written by Debbie Herman, illustrated by Sheila Bailey and read by Allison Janney. When Carla brings weird sandwiches to school, her classmates have plenty to say about them. “That’s sick!” says Leslie. “That’s disgusting!” says Natie. But Carla thinks otherwise. “It’s unique. It’s creative.” —Just like Carla. View the teacher activity guide here: http://bit.ly/tg_carlassandwich View the parent activity guide here: http://bit.ly/pg_carlassandwich Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'The Kiss that Missed' is written and illustrated by David Melling and read by Karan Brar. One evening, when the King is in a hurry, his goodnight kiss to the Little Prince goes astray. After rattling around the Prince's bedroom, it flies out the window and floats into the dark forest, where it has no business to be. The King decides to do something about it. He orders the Knight to climb on his horse, ride into the forest, and bring back the kiss. But the forest is filled with spooky things that frighten both the Knight and his horse. How will they ever succeed in bringing the kiss back to the castle? View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/theKissthatMissed Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'Library Lion' is written by Michelle Knudsen, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes and read by Mindy Sterling. Miss Merriweather, the head librarian, is very particular about rules in the library. No running allowed. And you must be quiet. But when a lion comes to the library one day, no one is sure what to do. There aren't any rules about lions in the library. And, as it turns out, this lion seems very well suited to library visiting. His big feet are quiet on the library floor. He makes a comfy backrest for the children at story hour. And he never roars in the library, at least not anymore. But when something terrible happens, the lion quickly comes to the rescue in the only way he knows how. View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/libraryLion Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'The Tooth' is written by Avi Slodovnick, illustrated by Manon Gauthier and read by Annette Bening. Marissa loves candy—maybe too much. When she wakes up with a toothache, her mother takes her to the dentist, and on the way, Marissa notices a man sitting on a grate on the sidewalk to keep warm. So begins a day that Marissa will never forget. View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/theTooth Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'Enemy Pie' is written by Derek Munson, illustrated by Tara Calahan King and read by Camryn Manheim. It was the perfect summer. That is, until Jeremy Ross moved into the house down the street and became Enemy Number One. Luckily, Dad has a surefire way to get rid of enemies - Enemy Pie. View the activity guide here: https://bit.ly/EnemyPieGuide Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'The Rainbow Fish' is written and illustrated by Marcus Pfister and read by Ernest Borgnine. 'The Rainbow Fish' is an award-winning book about a beautiful fish who finds friendship and happiness when he learns to share. The book is best known for its morals about the value of being an individual and for the distinctive shiny foil scales of the Rainbow Fish. View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/theRainbowFish Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'Sebastian's Roller Skates' is written by Joan de Déu Prats Pijoan, illustrated by Francesc Rovira and read by Caitlin Wachs. Sebastian didn't talk very much, even though he had a lot to say. Sebastian was shy. He was very shy. But when he finds a pair of old roller skates in the park, he learns how to do much more than skate... View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/sebastiansrollerskates Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'Sophie's Masterpiece' is written by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Jane Dyer and read by CCH Pounder. Sophie's no ordinary house spider. She's an artist; and every web she spins is more wondrous than before. But don't mention that to the guests at Beekman's Boardinghouse, because they don't like spiders... View the activity guide here: https://bit.ly/Sophiesmasterpiece Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'Stellaluna' is written and illustrated by Janell Cannon and read by Pamela Reed. When Stellaluna is separated from her mother before she is old enough to fly, she finds out that not all winged creatures eat fruit. Swallowing food that crawls is just one of the amazing things this little bat must learn to do. View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/ag_stellaluna Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'A Bad Case of Stripes' is written and illustrated by David Shannon and read by Sean Astin. Camilla Cream loves lima beans, but she never eats them. Why? Because the other kids at her school don't like them. And Camilla is very, very worried about what other people think of her. In fact, she is so worried that she is about to break out in... A Bad Case of Stripes. View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/BadCaseofStripes Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'Thank you, Mr. Falker' is written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco and read by Jane Kaczmarek. Little Trisha is overjoyed at the thought of starting school and learning how to read. But right from the start, when she tries to read, all the letters and numbers just get jumbled up. Her classmates make matters worse by calling her "dummy" and "toad." View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/mrfalker Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.

'Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge' is written by Mem Fox, illustrated by Julie Vivas and read by Bradley Whitford. Wilfrid lives next to a retirement home, and his favorite old person is 96-year-old Miss Nancy. Everyone says Miss Nancy has lost her memory, and despite the fact that Wilfrid doesn't even know what a memory is, by accident he helps her find it. View the activity guide here: http://bit.ly/WilfridGordonMcDonaldPartridge Watch all of our videos at http://www.storylineonline.net/.