Monarch Award 2026

"Max isn't a typical cat, but his loving owner still sees the best in him"-- Provided by publisher.

"Sydney is a skunk and Taylor is a hedgehog, but no matter how odd the pairing may seem, their friendship comes naturally. They live happily in their cozy burrow . . . until the day Taylor gets his Big Idea to go see the Whole Wide World. From mountains taller than a hundred hedgehogs, valleys wider than a thousand skunks, to the dangers that lie in the human world, Sydney and Taylor wanted to see it all. With a map and a dream, they bravely set off,...

Finn is in a bad mood, so his grandfather takes him on a walk in the forest, and tells him about all the things that are beneath the surface of plants and animals--and even people.

"When three mysterious visitors from "Europe" crash-land in Mr. Li's field, he does what any good host would: he invites them back to his farmhouse and offers to help fix up their "car". No, there's nothing strange about these guests at all. Just like other humans, they "make business", "play sportsball" and "wear hat". As the townsfolk also come to the aid of the visitors and the gathering turns into a little party, interplanetary relations reach...

"Henry is desperate for a little peace and quiet from his extremely chatty roommate Marvin, and after Henry finally loses his cool, these hamsters must find ways to compromise and live together"-- Provided by publisher.

After planting a seed packet in the backyard, things don't go as expected for best friends Anna and Tess. They fall asleep in the sun and wake up to blooms as tall as buildings! Did the seeds really grow that fast? All is explained when Anna and Tess meet May, a little garden gnome whose magic is responsible for the transformation. The girls are May's size now, and they follow her through the flower garden and into May's underground gnome home--discovering...

"Move over, Jeopardy, Family Feud, and The Price Is Right - this book will be your new favorite laugh-until-your-stomach-hurts family game! In Butt or Face, weird animals are introduced with a close-up photo. Kids must guess: are they seeing seeing ... um ... err ... the bottom or the top? Readers will learn about animals like Cuban Dwarf Frogs, whose backsides look like a pair of eyes, and the Mary River Turtle, which not only has a unique face,...

Dad has posted a list of chores for the family to do before grandma comes, including bathing the cat; but the cat does not want a bath, so she mixes up the instructions, and soon the family is mowing the floor, vacuuming the lawn, mopping the baby--and the house is in chaos.

Nothing is as fun as snow, except maybe all the craziness happening right outside this little boy's window! Will he even notice? When the forecast calls for snow, one little boy is thrilled. He keeps peeking outside to see if it's snowing - but he only looks up! His single-minded focus on the sky makes him completely miss the increasingly comical chaos occurring outside his door, which includes a monster truck, a firetruck, escaped monkeys, and carousing...

"A class that is terribly disappointed in their lack of a class pet discovers that having a class plant is the best thing ever." -- Provided by publisher.