Book picks similar to
Nia and the New Free Library by Ian Lendler


picture-books
picture-book
childrens
libraries

Duck on a Tractor


David Shannon - 2016
    Now Duck is back and turning the farm upside down! Flushed with the success of his trailblazing bike ride around the farm, Duck decides he's ready to drive the tractor. As in the bestselling Duck on a Bike, all the barnyard animals share their humorous comments as they watch Duck do the unthinkable. Then, one by one, they join him on the tractor for a ride! But what happens when Duck drives the big red tractor through town, past the popular diner where all the locals are having lunch? What will those folks really think when they see Duck and all the other animals riding around on Farmer O'Dell's tractor? Filled with entertaining detail and sly jokes, readers will pore over each picture again and again. Perfect for reading aloud!

Wallpaper


Thao Lam - 2018
    It tells the story of a young girl whose family moves into a new house. Outside, she can hear other kids playing, but she’s too shy to say hello. So she picks at the old wallpaper in her room―revealing an entryway to a fantastic imaginary adventure world behind the walls.

Laundry Day


Maurie J. Manning - 2012
    Trying to find its owner, he ventures up and down fire escapes, back and forth across clotheslines, and into the company of the colorfully diverse people who live in the tenement. Lively pages laid out in multiple panels, with a few words of text in dialogue balloons, capture the exhilarating action, and foreign language phrases are translated on the endpapers. There is a cheerful side to a neighborhood packed with people of different origins—the opportunity to make friends across race lines, culture lines, and clotheslines!

I Don't Want to Read This Book


Max Greenfield - 2021
    Ugh! So what's a reluctant reader to do? Actor Max Greenfield (New Girl) and New York Times bestselling illustrator Mike Lowery bring the energy and laugh-out-loud fun out for every child (and parent) who thinks they don't want to read a book. Joining the ranks of favorites like The Book With No Pictures and The Serious Goose, this clever and playful read-aloud breaks the fourth wall and will have all readers coming back for laughs again and again!

Bunny Cakes


Rosemary Wells - 1997
    But Ruby says, "No, Max. We are going to make Grandma an angel surprise cake, with raspberry-fluff icing." Will Max let his bossy older sister keep him out of the kitchen? Or will they both become bunnies who bake?

The Book No One Ever Read


Cornelia Funke - 2017
    Morry, a young book, is tired of standing still on a shelf amid dignified first editions, and yearns for the excitement of sharing his story with a child.The books and illustrations within The Book No One Ever Read pay homage to some of Cornelia Funke's favorite authors, whose books crowd the shelves of the library the story is set in. Some of the writers included are Toni Morrison, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jane Austen, Victor Hugo, Shel Silverstein, Frank L. Baum, and many others. The inspiration for Morry is Maurice Sendak, author of Where The Wild Things Are.

When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree


Jamie L.B. Deenihan - 2019
       “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” In this imaginative take on that popular saying, a child is surprised (and disappointed) to receive a lemon tree from Grandma for her birthday. After all, she DID ask for a new gadget! But when she follows the narrator’s careful—and funny—instructions, she discovers that the tree might be exactly what she wanted after all. This clever story, complete with a recipe for lemonade, celebrates the pleasures of patience, hard work, nature, community . . . and putting down the electronic devices just for a while.

The Library Bus


Bahram Rahman - 2020
    There are no bus seats--instead there are chairs and tables and shelves of books. And there are no passengers--instead there is Pari, who is nervously starting her first day as Mama's library helper. Pari stands tall to hand out notebooks and pencils at the villages and the refugee camp, but she feels intimidated. The girls they visit are learning to write English from Mama. Pari can't even read or write in Farsi yet. But next year she will go to school and learn all there is to know. And that is a wonderful thing. Not long ago, Mama tells her, girls were not allowed to read at all.

No Boring Stories


Julie Falatko - 2018
    What could she possibly offer to their group? Surely she only wants to write about sharing and mommies and cuddling! A story about finding your people and following your heart, even if your heart is telling you to write about evil attacking grapes from outer space.

How to Read a Story


Kate Messner - 2015
    (A good one.)Step Two: Find a reading buddy. (Someone nice.)Step Three: Find a reading spot. (Couches are cozy.)Now: Begin.Accomplished storytellers Kate Messner and Mark Siegel chronicle the process of becoming a reader: from pulling a book off the shelf and finding someone with whom to share a story, to reading aloud, predicting what will happen, and—finally—coming to The End. This picture book playfully and movingly illustrates the idea that the reader who discovers the love of reading finds, at the end, the beginning.

Odd Dog Out


Rob Biddulph - 2016
    It’s lonely being the odd dog out, when all she wants to do is find her place in the world. She’s willing to go to the other side of the world to look for it but it might take a different kind of journey for her to discover that maybe where she’s meant to be is right back where she started.A gloriously illustrated story about leaving home and finding yourself, from the bestselling and award-winning Rob Biddulph, author of Blown Away and GRRRRR!

We're All Wonders


R.J. Palacio - 2017
    Now parents and educators can introduce the importance of choosing kind to younger readers with this gorgeous picture book, featuring Auggie and Daisy on an original adventure, written and illustrated by R. J. Palacio. Over 5 million people have fallen in love with Wonder and have joined the movement to Choose Kind. Now younger readers can meet Auggie Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face, and his beloved dog, Daisy. Countless fans have asked R. J. Palacio to write a book for younger readers. With We’re All Wonders, she makes her picture-book debut as both author and artist, with a spare, powerful text and striking, richly imagined illustrations. Palacio shows readers what it’s like to live in Auggie’s world—a world in which he feels like any other kid, but he’s not always seen that way. We’re All Wonders may be Auggie’s story, but it taps into every child’s longing to belong, and to be seen for who they truly are. It’s the perfect way for families and educators to talk about empathy and kindness with young children.

Maybe Tomorrow?


Charlotte Agell - 2019
    She's been dragging it around for a long time. Norris dances everywhere he goes, even uphill. He is always surrounded by a happy cloud of butterflies. Can Norris and his butterflies help ease Elba's sadness and convince her to join them on a trip to the ocean? This tender exploration of loss illuminates how kindness, empathy, and friendship can lift our spirits and see us through many tomorrows. It will resonate with anyone who has experienced hardship or grief, from the death of a loved one or a pet, to a friend moving away, or the transition to a new home or family situation.

Tiger in My Soup


Kashmira Sheth - 2013
    --** Starred Review ** Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 2013"... abundant visual hyperbole, and unexpected delights on nearly every page." --** Starred Review ** Publishers Weekly, February 25, 2013When a boy is left in the care of his older sister, he begs her to read him his favorite book, but she is too absorbed in her own reading to pay him any attention. She won't be distracted, even when the boy finds a ravenous tiger hiding in his soup! His sister misses all the action; only after the steamy beast is slain does she return to the table with her brother and finally agree to read to him. But is the tiger really gone?

A Walk in the Words


Hudson Talbott - 2021
    But reading? No way! One at a time, words weren't a problem, but long sentences were a struggle. As his friends moved on to thicker books, he kept his slow reading a secret. But that got harder every year. He felt alone, lost, and afraid in a world of too many words. Fortunately, his love of stories wouldn't let him give up. He started giving himself permission to read at his own pace, using the words he knew as stepping-stones to help draw him into a story. And he found he wasn't so alone--in fact, lots of brilliant people were slow readers, too. Learning to accept the fact that everyone does things in their own unique way, and that was okay, freed him up and ultimately helped Hudson thrive and become the fabulous storyteller he is today.