Kindness is on the menu! Pizza Pig's pizza parlor is the place to be, where animals can order whatever their taste buds desire in this entertaining Step 2 beginning reader.

WINNER of the 2019 Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award for Beginning Fiction!

Penguins like their pizza cold. Rats want cheese with extra mold!

Customers at Pizza Pig's get whatever they want on their pizzas! But why isn't Turtle eating? It turns out that one is the loneliest number when it comes to a bustling pizza joint filled with groups of animals. All Turtle needs is a friend to whet her appetite! This rhyming story about pizza, compassion, and friendship is sure to tickle young readers.

Step 2 Readers use basic vocabulary and short sentences to tell simple stories, for children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help. Rhyme and rhythmic text paired with picture clues help children decode the story.
© Jesse Rinka
DIANA MURRAY is the author of many picture books for kids and her poems have appeared in children's magazines such as Highlights, High Five, Spider, and Ladybug. She grew up in New York City and still lives nearby with her husband, two very messy children, and a goldfish named Pickle. Her favorite pizza toppings are mushrooms and olives.

MARIA KARIPIDOU is an illustrator based in Germany. Her work has appeared in many children's books and magazine as well as commercial advertisements for international clients. View titles by Diana Murray

About

Kindness is on the menu! Pizza Pig's pizza parlor is the place to be, where animals can order whatever their taste buds desire in this entertaining Step 2 beginning reader.

WINNER of the 2019 Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award for Beginning Fiction!

Penguins like their pizza cold. Rats want cheese with extra mold!

Customers at Pizza Pig's get whatever they want on their pizzas! But why isn't Turtle eating? It turns out that one is the loneliest number when it comes to a bustling pizza joint filled with groups of animals. All Turtle needs is a friend to whet her appetite! This rhyming story about pizza, compassion, and friendship is sure to tickle young readers.

Step 2 Readers use basic vocabulary and short sentences to tell simple stories, for children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help. Rhyme and rhythmic text paired with picture clues help children decode the story.

Author

© Jesse Rinka
DIANA MURRAY is the author of many picture books for kids and her poems have appeared in children's magazines such as Highlights, High Five, Spider, and Ladybug. She grew up in New York City and still lives nearby with her husband, two very messy children, and a goldfish named Pickle. Her favorite pizza toppings are mushrooms and olives.

MARIA KARIPIDOU is an illustrator based in Germany. Her work has appeared in many children's books and magazine as well as commercial advertisements for international clients. View titles by Diana Murray

Books for National Depression Education and Awareness Month

For National Depression Education and Awareness Month in October, we are sharing a collection of titles that educates and informs on depression, including personal stories from those who have experienced depression and topics that range from causes and symptoms of depression to how to develop coping mechanisms to battle depression.

Read more

Horror Titles for the Halloween Season

In celebration of the Halloween season, we are sharing horror books that are aligned with the themes of the holiday: the sometimes unknown and scary creatures and witches. From classic ghost stories and popular novels that are celebrated today, in literature courses and beyond, to contemporary stories about the monsters that hide in the dark, our list

Read more

Books for LGBTQIA+ History Month

For LGBTQIA+ History Month in October, we’re celebrating the shared history of individuals within the community and the importance of the activists who have fought for their rights and the rights of others. We acknowledge the varying and diverse experiences within the LGBTQIA+ community that have shaped history and have led the way for those

Read more