Book picks similar to
The Christmas Mitzvah by Jeff Gottesfeld


picture-books
christmas
picture-book
holiday

For the Right to Learn: Malala Yousafzai's Story


Rebecca Langston-George - 2015
    But Malala Yousafzai refused to be silent. She defied the Taliban's rules, spoke out for education for every girl, and was almost killed for her beliefs. This powerful true story of how one brave girl named Malala changed the world proves that one person really can make a difference.

The Whispering Town


Jennifer Riesmeyer Elvgren - 2014
     It is 1943 in Nazi-occupied Denmark. Anett and her parents are hiding a Jewish woman and her son, Carl, in their cellar until a fishing boat can take them across the sound to neutral Sweden. The soldiers patrolling their street are growing suspicious, so Carl and his mama must make their way to the harbor despite a cloudy sky with no moon to guide them. Worried about their safety, Anett devises a clever and unusual plan for their safe passage to the harbor. Based on a true story.

Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights


Rob Sanders - 2018
    Protesting. Standing up for what’s right. Uniting around the common good—kids have questions about all of these things they see and hear about each day. Through sparse and lyrical writing, Rob Sanders introduces abstract concepts like “fighting for what you believe in” and turns them into something actionable. Jared Schorr’s bold, bright illustrations brings the resistance to life making it clear that one person can make a difference. And together, we can accomplish anything.

Little Libraries, Big Heroes


Miranda Paul - 2019
    From an award-winning author and illustrator, the inspiring story of how the Little Free Library organization brings communities together through books, from founder Todd Bol's first installation to the creation of more than 75,000 mini-libraries around the world.

Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln


Margarita Engle - 2019
    If she felt sad, music cheered her up, and when she was happy, the piano helped her share that joy. Soon she was writing her own songs and performing in grand cathedrals. Then a revolution in Venezuela forced her family to flee to the United States. Teresa felt lonely in this unfamiliar place, where few of the people she met spoke Spanish. Worst of all, there was fighting in her new home, too—the Civil War. Still, Teresa kept playing, and soon she grew famous as the talented Piano Girl who could play anything from a folk song to a sonata. So famous, in fact, that President Abraham Lincoln wanted her to play at the White House! Yet with the country torn apart by war, could Teresa’s music bring comfort to those who needed it most?

A Christmas Tree for Pyn


Olivier Dunrea - 2011
    In the craggy rocks on the snowy mountainside, tiny Pyn has her heart set on decorating her very first Christmas tree. But, "No Christmas tree," Papa says. Still, Pyn won't take no for an answer. She knows that a Christmas tree is just the thing their cottage needs to make the season festive and cheery. Pyn is determined to find the perfect Christmas tree - no matter what.With this story of the love between a father and daughter, Olivier Dunrea captures the true spirit of Christmas.

Pies from Nowhere: How Georgia Gilmore Sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott


Dee Romito - 2018
    When the bus boycotts broke out in Montgomery after Rosa Parks was arrested, Georgia knew just what to do. She organized a group of women who cooked and baked to fund-raise for gas and cars to help sustain the boycott. Called the Club from Nowhere, Georgia was the only person who knew who baked and bought the food, and she said the money came from "nowhere" to anyone who asked. When Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested for his role in the boycott, Georgia testified on his behalf, and her home became a meeting place for civil rights leaders. This picture book highlights a hidden figure of the civil rights movement who fueled the bus boycotts and demonstrated that one person can make a real change in her community and beyond.

Ron's Big Mission


Rose Blue - 2009
    Today, Ron is ready to take out books by "himself." But in the segregated world of South Carolina in the 1950s, Ron's obtaining his own library card is not just a small rite of passage - it is a young man's first courageous mission. Here is an inspiring story, based on Ron McNair's life, of how a little boy, future scientist, and Challenger astronaut desegregated his library through peaceful resistance.

Sometimes People March


Tessa Allen - 2020
    This hardcover picture book is perfect for sharing and for gifting.Sometimes people march to resist injustice, to stand in solidarity, to inspire hope.Throughout American history, one thing remains true: no matter how or why people march, they are powerful because they march together.

Grace Goes to Washington


Kelly DiPucchio - 2019
    The arguments continue as they travel to Washington, DC, for a field trip. Grace feels closer than ever to her dream of becoming president someday, but she and her classmates have a lot to learn about what it means to serve the needs of the people, especially when the people want such different things!This follow-up to bestseller Grace for President teaches how the U.S. government makes decisions and also what it takes to be a true public servant.

The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney


Alice B. McGinty - 2019
    She is studying the planets in school and loves Roman mythology. "It might be called Pluto," she says, thinking of the dark underworld. Grandfather loves the idea and contacts his friend at London's Royal Astronomical Society, who writes to scientists at the Lowell Observatory in Massachusetts, where Pluto was discovered. After a vote, the scientists agree unanimously: Pluto is the perfect name for the dark, cold planet. Here is a picture book perfect for STEM units and for all children--particularly girls--who have ever dreamed of becoming a scientist.

Thirty Minutes Over Oregon: A Japanese Pilot's World War II Story


Marc Tyler Nobleman - 2018
    during WWII—the only enemy ever to do so—and comes back 20 years later to apologize. The devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, drew the United States into World War II in 1941. But few are aware that several months later, the Japanese pilot Nobuo Fujita dropped bombs in the woods outside a small town in coastal Oregon. This is the story of those bombings, and what came after, when Fujita returned to Oregon twenty years later, this time to apologize.      This remarkable true story, beautifully illustrated in watercolor, is an important and moving account of reconciliation after war.

The Key from Spain


Debbie Levy - 2019
    When Flory flees Europe during World War II to begin a new life in the United States, she carries Ladino with her, along with her other precious possessions--her harmoniku and her music. But what of the key? The story of Ladino singer, Flory Jagoda.

My Name Is Bana


Bana Alabed - 2021
    Written in Bana’s own words, this picture book offers a uniquely intimate child’s perspective on one of the biggest humanitarian crises in history. Bana has lost her best friend, her school, her home, and her homeland. But she has not lost her hope—for herself and for other children around the world who are victims and refugees of war and deserve better lives.

The Christmas Quiet Book


Deborah Underwood - 2012
    But Christmas is sometimes wrapped in quiet: “Searching for presents quiet,” “Getting caught quiet,” and “Hoping for a snow day quiet.” Irresistibly cute, soft colored pencil illustrations of bunnies, bears, and more paint a magical holiday picture indeed.