Book picks similar to
St. Patrick's Day by Gail Gibbons


picture-books
holidays
st-patrick-s-day
nonfiction

The Cat Man of Aleppo


Irene Latham - 2020
    His neighborhood is empty--except for the many cats left behind.Alaa loves Aleppo, but when war comes his neighbors flee to safety, leaving their many pets behind. Alaa decides to stay--he can make a difference by driving an ambulance, carrying the sick and wounded to safety. One day he hears hungry cats calling out to him on his way home. They are lonely and scared, just like him. He feeds and pets them to let them know they are loved. The next day more cats come, and then even more! There are too many for Alaa to take care of on his own. Alaa has a big heart, but he will need help from others if he wants to keep all of his new friends safe.

The Winter Solstice


Ellen Jackson - 1994
    This book presents some of the beliefs associated with the shortest day of the year, explains the scientific basis of the solstice, and shows how ancient customs have influenced the way we celebrate holidays.

Bravest Dog Ever: Story of Balto


Natalie Standiford - 1989
    Dozens of children in Nome become sick with diphtheria. Without antitoxin serum, they will perish - and the closest supply is 650 miles away! The only way to get the serum to Nome is by sled, but can the dogs deliver it in time? Heading bravely into a brutal blizzard, Balto leads the race for life.Illus. in full color.

When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop


Laban Carrick Hill - 2013
    Her brother, Clive Campbell, spun the records. He had a new way of playing the music to make the breaks—the musical interludes between verses—longer for dancing. He called himself DJ Kool Herc and this is When the Beat Was Born. From his childhood in Jamaica to his youth in the Bronx, here's how Kool Herc came to be a DJ, how kids in gangs stopped fighting in order to breakdance, and how the music he invented went on to define a culture and transform the world.

Home for Christmas


Jan Brett - 2011
    Rollo tries living with various woodland animals, but he finds out that there is no place like home, and returns to his family just in time for "the best Christmas ever."Among the animals who take him in are an owl family, a mother bear and two rambunctious cubs, some playful river otters, a hungry lynx and a friendly moose family.Jan Brett creates an irresistible, mischievous character that kids will recognize in themselves. Jan transports us to a glorious Scandinavian landscape where a beautiful fall turns into a magnificent snowy winter. Her signature borders depict the troll family missing Rollo, and animals as appealing as those found in The Mitten.A warm, fun-loving Christmas picture book for families to share and love and laugh over together.

Blue Sky White Stars


Sarvinder Naberhaus - 2017
    Each spread, sumptuously illustrated by award-winning artist Kadir Nelson, depicts a stirring tableau, from the view of the Statue of Library at Ellis Island to civil rights marchers shoulder to shoulder, to a spacecraft at Cape Canaveral blasting off. This book is an ode to America then and now, from sea to shining sea.

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf


Lois Ehlert - 1991
    Ehlert blends bold graphics, vibrant colors, and precise details in her watercolor collage alongside found objects like seeds, fabric, wire, and roots in this innovative work of early nonfiction. A special glossary explains how roots absorb nutrients, what photosynthesis is, how sap circulates, how to make a bird treat, and other facts about trees. Children and adults will feel inspired to take a closer look at the nature in their own backyards.

Martin Mahalia: His Words, Her Song


Andrea Davis Pinkney - 2013
    Mahalia's voice was brass-and-butter - strong and smooth at the same time.With Martin's sermons and Mahalia's songs, folks were free to shout, to sing their joy.On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and his strong voice and powerful message were joined and lifted in song by world-renowned gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. It was a moment that changed the course of history and is imprinted in minds forever. Told through Andrea Davis Pinkney's poetic prose and Brian Pinkney's evocative illustration, the stories of these two powerful voices and lives are told side-by-side -- as they would one day walk -- following the journey from their youth to a culmination at this historical event when they united as one and inspiring kids to find their own voices and speak up for what is right.

Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree


Robert E. Barry - 1963
    Christmas is here and Mr. Willowby's tree has arrived. There's just one big problem: The tree is too tall for his parlor. He cuts off the top so it will fit, and soon the top of that tree is passed along again and again to bring holiday cheer to all the animals in the forest.Kids will love watching the tree move from home to home, and families will appreciate the subtle message of conservation and recycling, as the tree top spreads joy to so many of the forest dwellers.This heartwarming story is the perfect way to start your yuletide season, and a warm addition to your family's festive holiday traditions.

Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag


Rob Sanders - 2018
    Award-winning author Rob Sanders’s stirring text, and acclaimed illustrator Steven Salerno’s evocative images, combine to tell this remarkable—and undertold—story. A story of love, hope, equality, and pride.

Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein


Don Brown - 2004
    When he was older, he hit his sister, frustrated his teachers, and had few friends. But Albert’s strange childhood also included his brilliant capacity for puzzles and problem solving: the mystery of a compass’s swirling needle, the intricacies of Mozart’s music, the secrets of geometry — set his mind spinning with ideas. In fact, Albert Einstein’s ideas were destined to change the way we know and understand the world and our place in the universe. In spare, precise text filled with graceful detail and accompanied by sometimes humorous, sometimes lonely portraits, Don Brown introduces us to the less than magnificent beginnings of an odd boy out. The result is a tender rendering of the adventures of growing up for one of the most important thinkers of the twentieth century.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown


Charles M. Schulz - 1966
    Full-color illustrations. 50,000

I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark


Debbie Levy - 2016
    This biographical picture book about the Notorious RBG, tells the justice’s story through the lens of her many famous dissents, or disagreements.

Talkin' About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman


Nikki Grimes - 1998
    In an era when Jim Crow laws and segregation were a way of life, it was not easy to survive. Bessie didn't let that stop her. Although she was only 11 when the Wright brothers took their historic flight, she vowed to become the first African -American female pilot. Her sturdy faith and determination helped her overcome obstacles of poverty, racism, and gender discrimination. Innovatively told through a series of monologues.

Haunted House, Haunted Mouse


Judy Cox - 2011
    He hears a rattle. A skeleton? He sees a shape float by. A ghost? But brave Mouse is not afraid. "Boo!" he cries. The house is not so scary after all. Lucky for Mouse, a trail of candy guides him safely home to his hidey-hole.