2022 Texas 2×2 Reading List

Check out the 2022 Texas 2×2 reading list, developed by the Texas Library Association to encourage voluntary reading children age two to grade two.

Plano Public Library has all 20 2×2 titles available for checkout, and you can visit a library location for information on Texas Library Association reading lists and to browse our Texas 2×2’s, Lone Star, and Bluebonnet titles.

Atticus Caticus by Sarah Maizes, illustrated by Kara Kramer. A rhythmic read-aloud tale for cool cats of any species depicts a young boy and his relatably mischievous feline, whose days are marked by clawed furniture, sun patches, and stolen sips of water, before the cat curls up on the boy’s head to sleep at bedtime. Print.

Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Feder. 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. Print / eAudiobook.

Brains! Not Just a Zombie Snack by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Matthew Rivera. Brains. 78% water, 100% delicious. A zombie chef who has sworn off eating brains salivates over this super powerful organ in this funny and fact-filled picture book. Print / eAudiobook / eBook.

Burt the Beetle Doesn’t Bite by Ashley Spires. 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? Print / eBook.

Butterflies Are Pretty…Gross by Rosemary Mosco, illustrated by Jacob Souva. Butterflies are not just the gentle, lovely creatures you think they are. Be prepared– the truth will gross you out! Print.

Chez Bob by Bob Shea. 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. Print.

Circle Under Berry by Carter Higgins. 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 shows young readers that everything in the world can be seen from infinite perspectives. Print.

Don’t Hug Doug (He Doesn’t Like It) by Carrie Finison, illustrated by Daniel Wiseman. Doug prefers not to be hugged, but there are a variety of other ways his loved ones can show him affection. Print / eAudiobook.

Have You Seen Gordon? by Adam Jay Epstein, illustrated by Ruth Chan. A purple tapir named Gordon refuses to remain hidden and decides to stand out. Print / eBook.

Inside Cat by Brandan Wenzel. 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. Print / eBook.

Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor. Follow Mel on her journey from downward fall to triumphant flight in this tale of self-confidence and taking a leap of faith. Print.

My First Day by Phung Nguyen Quang and Huynh Kim Lien. 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. Print.

Norman Didn’t Do It! (Yes, He Did) by Ryan T. Higgins. 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. Print / eBook.

Not Now, Cow by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Troy Cummings. The farm animals are ready when the seasons change–except for Cow, who’s always wearing the wrong outfit. Print / eBook.

One-osaurus, Two-osaurus by Kim Norman, illustrated by Pierre Collet-Derby. 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? Print.

Poem in My Pocket by Chris Tougas, illustrated by Josee Bisaillon. 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.  Print / eBook.

Seaside Stroll by Charles Trevino, illustrated by Maribel Lechuga. 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. Print / eBook.

Someone Builds the Dream by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Loren Long. Celebrates the skilled women and men who work to see the plans of architects, engineers, and designers brought to life. Print.

The Midnight Fair by Gideon Sterer, illustrated by Mariachiaira Di Giorgio. A fairground in the evening is a glowing beacon of treats and delights. 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! Print.

Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer. Two curious children go for a walk, asking imaginative questions about the natural beauty that surrounds them. Print.