The Great Dinosaur Sleepover (Linda Bailey)

 

6, no 7 dinosaurs show up in the middle of the night to have a birthday party with Jake. (did the author do that 6-7 bit on purpose?)

What's sadder than a cancelled birthday party? And what would be more exciting than playing with actual dinosaurs? Kids will love this book.

This author is Canadian! She is from Winnipeg. I love finding Canadian authors.

Re-read January 9, 2026 Another lesson in why reading with kids is better. I hadn't noticed the t-rex lurking in the background until reading it with them. So cute! 

Goodreads says:

A young boy's disappointing birthday party gets turned upside down with a blast from the prehistoric past in this hilarious, dino-mite picture book adventure.

Jake loves dinosaurs, so with his birthday coming up, he knows just what kind of party he wants — a dinosaur sleepover! Dino games, dino balloons, dino cake. Dino everything! But when the big day arrives, his friends all come down with the flu, and the party seems to be on the edge of extinction.

Then, in the middle of the night, Jake hears a strange noise and goes to investigate. To his surprise, he finds some prehistoric party guests right there in his living room! They've invited themselves in to make sure Jake has a birthday he'll never forget —just don't tell the T-Rex!

An unforgettable birthday tale with huge laughs and heart, this newest picture book from acclaimed author Linda Bailey celebrates friendship, inclusion and fun – and is brought to life with magnificent, cinematic artwork from award-winning animation director and illustrator Joe Bluhm.

Marsha is Magnetic (Beth Ferry)

 

Fun way to introduce scientific method! 
Marsha's mom is getting ready for a party. Marsha, who seems to be a little bit like Amelia Bedelia who takes things very literally, has her own way of getting ready and it involves science!

Goodreads says:

It turns out that the best way to draw others to you is by being yourself. 

Marsha is a scientist who has never met a problem she couldn't solve. But when it comes to making friends to invite to her birthday party, she is stumped.

Luckily, Marsha knows the solution to being stumped: the scientific method.

With creativity, determination, and humor, Marsha sets out to attract as many friends as she can—what could possibly go wrong?

My Think-A-Ma-Jink

Great story for those hard to please kids that are all too often bored. Imagination!

Goodreads says:

It’s Jack’s sixth birthday, and he’s bored. Bored! Model airplanes, stuffed dinosaurs, not even a talking robot can free him of his festering funk. Then, a mysterious box arrives. Within is a think-a-ma-jink, a bizarre contraption that bends the very laws of time and space, with which no idea is too fantastic to be realized. A wild new universe of possibilities beckons. Cotton-candy-breathing dragons! Caramel rivers! Space-traveling hot-air balloons! But as he and his sister Marie engage in a boisterous, shape-shifting struggle, the future of the think-a-ma-jink hangs in the balance. Is Jack doomed to boredom . . . or is he on the verge of an amazing discovery?

I'm Not Invited? (Diana Cain Bluthenthal)

This book broke my heart!!  This one at least has a fun ending - but in real life, that isn't always the case. It's a hard thing for kids to go through. It's hard for adults too.

I wondered if the author made Minnie's hair like he did for a reason. It's super duper white and an unusual style. Her mother's hair is really white too so she apparently came by it naturally - but it is quite unusual. Only Minnie and her mother have super white hair.

Goodreads says:

Minnie's good friend Charles names his mealworm Minnie. So why doesn't he invite her to the party at his house this coming Saturday?

Hopeful at first, Minnie, by week's end, is a wreck. "No invitation, no party, no nothing," she moans, feeling as everyone feels at one time or another: unhappily left out.

Diana Cain Bluthenthal knows how to be a comfort -- to Minnie or anybody -- with a story and pictures that are funny as well as true to life.

What a Party! (Ana Maria Machado, Hélène Moreau)

You have to be careful how you say things to kids....or you might end up with the party of the century!

There were a few kids in my class that were pretty adamant that they've had a party just like this :)

This was a good introduction to a number of Spanish cultural words and activities as well. Getting ready for Spanish in grade 4!


Goodreads Summary:

If it is just a few days until your birthday, and your mother says you can invite anyone you like to come over to play, be careful! If you don’t watch out, you might soon be having the craziest party ever. Before you know it, night could come and go and a new day could begin, and the dancing might still be going strong. In a celebration of neighbors and diversity, an open-ended party invitation results in a raucous gathering of children, pets, and parents (plus salsa dancers and a reggae band!), all feasting on food from all over the world. This is a humorous and irresistibly joyful cautionary tale.

The Crocodile Under the Bed (Judith Kerr)

Another Judith Kerr win! Judith Kerr's ability to tap into children's imagination is delightful. As we were reading this book, my students were horrified at first that the boy couldn't go to a birthday party. Truly unfair! They felt sad for him and you could see it in their faces. Then when the crocodile was under his bed they were a little bit scared. Those are dangerous animals. Then the crocodile took him to an even better party - of course! They loved the fun things that happened at the party. It seemed totally logical that a kid would end up at the King's party! In the end they all agreed that even though crocodiles are dangerous, they'd definitely keep this one!

Good reads summary:

A magical new classic in the making from the creator of the beloved favourite, The Tiger Who Came to Tea.

Once there was a little boy called Matty, and he was very sad…

From the creator of the iconic picture books The Tiger Who Came to Tea and Mog the Forgetful Cat, comes a brand new story about joy, parties… and crocodiles!

Matty is sick, and very sad because he’s too sick to go to the Queen’s birthday party! But when he gets an unexpected visitor, it seems that Matty might not miss out after all…

Two Speckled Eggs (Jennifer K Mann)

GoodReads summary:

It’s Ginger’s birthday, and she has to invite all the girls in her class to her party, including Lyla Browning. Lyla isn’t like the other girls: she smells like old leaves, doesn’t talk much, and once brought a tarantula to school for show-and-tell. On the day of the party, Lyla is much earlier than everyone else. But even after the others arrive, Ginger’s party doesn’t go quite the way she’d hoped: some of the girls change the rules to the games, and no one likes her silver and gold birthday cake — except Lyla. By the time Lyla gives Ginger her present — a tiny homemade nest with two delicious malted-milk eggs — Ginger begins to wonder: is being different really such a bad thing?

This story was read as a part of our character lessons on influence. The children in our classroom loved how Lyla wasn't influenced by what other kids did and liked. She knew exactly what she liked and study with it. They also liked how Ginger saw the good in Lyla. Lovely story!

Happy Birthday Baby Mouse (Jennifer Holm)

The Holms did it again. I can see why kids love these books. They talk about issues kids have (what if no one wants to come to your birthday party.....your main event of the year!) and they do it with great humor. This one is a keeper, for sure.