Family Play Festival Five Practices: TALK

Young children will learn what life can look like for an autistic child who uses nonverbal communication by following a mother and child on a day where they use a tablet to communicate with others.

¿Quien dijo que la paloma no podría ser un excelente conductor de autobús? When a bus driver takes a break from his route, a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take his place.

"Tell me a story-a new one-and make it about a ______! In this picture book, a child asks their father to tell them a story. But not just any old story, a new story. "And make it about a lion!" The dad begins, but the child interrupts again and again: "The lion doesn't have to be SOOO BIG." "Why is the lion so small? Doesn't he eat dinner?" "Fred? I can think of a hundred zillion better names to give a lion!" Finally, Dad suggests telling the lion...

"A cast of animal characters are formed one by one, piece by piece in this visual play on the interaction between shapes. If just three simple shapes can combine to create a fish, then four shapes make a...? Young readers are invited to guess before turning the page to reveal the latest animal added to the pack. Part guessing game, part visual narrative, young readers will follow along as shapes are added to build new characters, and laugh along as...

A gorgeous rumination on belief and imagination featuring Henrietta (Etty) Darwin and her famous father, Charles. Etty loves make-believe. Her dad loves science. Etty believes in fairies. Her dad would need to see some proof that they exist. But they both love nature, conversation and each other. Etty went on to become a valued and keen editor of Charles's work and a thoughtful and intellectual being in her own right. This imagined conversation between...

"When the babysitter is unable to come, Daniel is woken out of bed and joins his parents as they head downtown for their jobs as nighttime office cleaners. But the story is about more than brooms, mops, and vacuums. Mama and Papa turn the deserted office building into a magnificent kingdom filled with paper. Then they weave a fantasy of dragons and kings to further engage their reluctant companion - and even encourage him to one day be the king of...

"Mama and Baby clap and play hide-and-seek and pat-a-cake. Mama and Baby... Mama? Where did Mama go? In a series of spreads, simple, bold illustrations show a mother on one side and a baby on the other, interacting in universally familiar ways -- until Mama dips out briefly, then returns to her crying child to offer comfort again. With his usual flair, the redoubtable Chris Raschka offers a reassuring moment that will resonate with mamas and babies...

Illustrations and simple text reveal that, even when a pesky rabbit annoys his bear friend with too many questions, their friendship remains strong.

Lizzie meets an elderly man and his companion, Cecile, at the park, but Lizzie is afraid of dogs, so she relies on her new friend to help her take things one step at a time.

All Sophia wants for her birthday is a pet giraffe, but as she tries to convince different members of her rather complicated family to support her cause, each tells her she is using too many words until she finally hits on the perfect one. Includes glossary.