2X2 Reading List

Snap your fingers to the beat as a boy introduces us to his beloved (and oh-so-recognizably feline) cat. Whether Atticus is lying in the sun or stealing a sip from a water glass, sharpening his nails on a favorite chair or settling in for the night on his boy's head, this cat will win your heart--and maybe inspire you to improvise a few riffs of poetry about your own animal friends.

Illustrations and easy-to-read, rhyming text celebrate bodies of all shapes, sizes, ages, and colors, with different kinds of hair, eyes, spots, scars, and more.

Brains. 78% water, 100% delicious. A zombie chef who has sworn off eating brains salivates over this super powerful organ in this . . . picture book. From learning about how the brain processes messages from our five senses, to learning why wrinkly human brains are so much more powerful than smooth mouse brains, this is an introduction to the organ that does it all.

Some bugs have super-power like abilities. And then there's Burt the beetle. He's not strong and he can't run fast. He doesn't even bite. He's more of a hugger, really. But Burt wants more. He wants a SUPERPOWER. There's just one tiny problem: what kind of special abilities do June beetles have?

Butterflies are not just the gentle, lovely creatures you think they are. Be prepared-- the truth will gross you out!

A lazy alligator comes up with a plan to lure his prey by opening up a restaurant for birds--until he realizes that birds are even better as friends.

It's a puzzle. It's a read-aloud. It's a Rubik's cube on paper. This striking, delightfully different exploration of shape, color, and patterns redefines what a picture book can be. Read it once, read it ten times; see something new every time. An elegant and simple approach to explorations of profound depth, this enigmatic, thought-provoking concept book shows young readers that everything in the world can be seen from infinite perspectives.

Doug prefers not to be hugged, but there are a variety of other ways his loved ones can show him affection.

A playful take on "seek and find" books stars Gordon, a purple tapir who is happy to be found, and Jane, a shy rhinoceros.

Told in rhyming text, Inside Cat views the world through many windows, watching the birds, squirrels, and people go by--but when the door opens it discovers a whole new view.

Readers will delight in turning their book sideways and upside down to follow Mel on her journey from downward fall to triumphant flight in this tale of self-confidence and taking a leap of faith. An especially enjoyable and satisfying read-aloud! Sometimes, you might fall down, down, down, before you learn to fly up, up, up...

A fairground in the evening is a glowing beacon of treats and delights. Bright lights paint the midway in cotton-candy pink, lemon yellow, and candy-apple red. Alluring prizes invite folks to try a game of skill or chance. The aromas of spun sugar, warm popcorn, and baking pretzels fill the air. It is any wonder, then, that after the lights go out and the people go home, the creatures in the nearby forest want to take their turn in this color-soaked fantasyland? Join them as they take a wild joyride through the magical, marvelous midnight fair!

This is no ordinary first journey. The rainy season has come to the Mekong Delta, and An, a young Vietnamese boy, sets out alone in a wooden boat wearing a little backpack and armed only with a single oar. On the way, he is confronted by giant crested waves, heavy rainfall and eerie forests where fear takes hold of him. Although daunted by the dark unknown, An realizes that he is not alone and continues to paddle. He knows it will all be worth it when he reaches his destination.

Norman, a porcupine whose best friend is a tree named Mildred, begins to feel jealous when another tree grows close to Mildred and acts out against the new tree.

The farm animals are ready when the seasons change--except for Cow, who's always wearing the wrong outfit.

One-osaurus, two-Osaurus, three-Osaurus, four! Look there, in a child's bedroom, where some prehistoric pals are gathered in a counting game. Nine dinosaurs are playing a sing-song rendition of hide-and-seek--but something isn't adding up. Where is number ten? Stomp, stomp, stomp! CHOMP, CHOMP, CHOMP! Ready or not, here he comes, and he sounds...big! With big, bold numerals, an array of dinosaurs in comical poses, and a humorous twist at the end, this tribute to a child's imagination makes learning numbers a gigantic treat

In this fanciful tale depicting the ups and downs of a writer's journey, a child is horrified to discover that all the words from a most carefully written poem have escaped through a ripped pocket. The young writer tries to capture all the escaped words, but they whirl and swirl in the wind -- mingling in mid-air to make fun puns and rhymes and comically mixing up with the signs and activities of a busy city street. Finally managing to gather all the words, the child tries to put the pieces of the poem back together, only for the wind to blow the words away once again. Tired and spent, and caught in a rainstorm, the despairing writer thinks all is lost ... only to discover that the whole arduous process has ended up with the poem growing into something even better than first imagined. The clouds part, and the sun shines down on a new creation: a Poet-Tree.

A child, a doll, and an adult go for a walk on the beach one late afternoon of a cold winter day, before heading home to dinner and a bedtime story.

Celebrates the skilled women and men who work to see the plans of architects, engineers, and designers brought to life.

Two curious children go for a walk, asking imaginative questions about the natural beauty that surrounds them.