Fred Gets Dressed


Peter Brown - 2021
    He romps around his house naked and wild and free. Until he romps into his parents' closet and is inspired to get dressed. First he tries on his dad's clothes, but they don't fit well. Then he tries on his mom's clothes, and wow! The boy looks great. He looks through his mom's jewelry and makeup and tries that on, too. When he's discovered by his mother and father, the whole family (including the dog!) get in on the fun, and they all get dressed together.This charming and humorous story was inspired by bestselling and award-winning author Peter Brown's own childhood, and highlights nontraditional gender roles and self-expression.

Hair Love


Matthew A. Cherry - 2019
    Cherry and New York Times bestseller Vashti Harrison.Zuri’s hair has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way. Zuri knows it’s beautiful. When mommy does Zuri’s hair, she feels like a superhero. But when mommy is away, it’s up to daddy to step in! And even though daddy has a lot to learn, he LOVES his Zuri. And he’ll do anything to make her—and her hair—happy.Tender and empowering, Hair Love is an ode to loving your natural hair—and a celebration of daddies and daughters everywhere.

My Forest Is Green


Darren Lebeuf - 2019
    The boy is a keen observer who uses poetic, rhythmic language to describe the diversity he finds through all four seasons. His forest is both “fluffy” and “prickly,” “dense” and “sparse,” “crispy” and “soft.” It's also “scattered and soggy, and spotted and foggy.” His forest is made up of many colors --- but he decides that “mostly it's green.” Each aspect of the forest inspires the boy to create a different kind of art: charcoal rubbing, rock art, photography, sponge painting, snow sculpture, cut-paper collage. To this artist, there's always something new to discover, and to capture! In this delightful picture book, Darren Lebeuf, an award-winning photographer, encourages small children to look closer at and appreciate the nature that surrounds them. And by providing such a broad range of ideas for artistic expression, it's sure to awaken the nature artist in every child. Bright, deeply textured illustrations by Ashley Barron bring the forest and the boy's artworks to vivid life. This story provides an excellent depiction of nature-based education in an outdoor classroom. The specificity of the concrete and abstract adjectives used in the text works as a perfect complement to primary science lessons on investigating, comparing and identifying the physical characteristics of plants and animals. This book also makes for an enjoyable, lyrical read-aloud.

Prudence Wants a Pet


Cathleen Daly - 2011
    Desperately. “No,” says Dad, “pets cost too much to keep.” “No,” says Mom, “pets make noise.” But Prudence is determined. She finds her own pet. It is a…branch. But Branch isn't exactly the pet of her dreams, and neither are Twig, Mr. Round (a car tire), or her baby brother Milo. Poor Prudence. Will she ever find the perfect pet?

Dad School


Rebecca Van Slyke - 2016
    With warm, silly illustrations and a fun role-reversal story in which dads act like kids, young readers will love imagining what would happen if their own dads went to Dad School. And don’t forget Mom: Look for the companion book, Mom School!

The Napping House


Audrey Wood - 1984
    Awards: ALA Notable Children’s Book, New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year, Golden Kite Award winner, California Young Reader Medal winner, Booklist Editors’ Choice

Phoebe Sounds It Out


Julie Zwillich - 2017
    Unfortunately, her name doesn’t look quite like it sounds. At school, her classmates practice writing their names, but Phoebe struggles. Her teacher tells her to “just sound it out.” Phoebe doubts herself and procrastinates before resolving to try.

Just in Case You Want to Fly


Julie Fogliano - 2019
    just in case you want to flyhere's some windand here's the skyA joyful, inclusive cast of children fly, sing, and wish their way across the pages, with everything they could ever need--a cherry if you need a snack, and if you get itchy here's a scratch on the back--to explore the world around them.

Truck Stop


Anne Rockwell - 2013
    . . and can tell when one is missing!Here is a story for very young truck lovers, worth stopping for again and again.

Harry and Walter


Kathy Stinson - 2016
    Harry loves to go next door to play games with Walter and draw pictures together. And when the snow falls, Walter clears a path to Harry’s house so that they can visit every day.But one day, a For Sale sign appears on Harry’s lawn. Harry is devastated that he and Walter will no longer be neighbors. Harry’s new house is bigger and better than his old one, but without Walter to share things with, nothing seems to be much fun…until one day, Harry hears a familiar voice. Walter, too, has moved--to a nearby seniors’ residence. Now, Harry and Walter can still be best friends.Acclaimed author Kathy Stinson has created a poignant, cross-generational story that will warm the hearts of children and adults alike. With charming illustrations by Qin Leng, Harry and Walter is a perfect book for children to share with grandparents.

I Love You, Stinky Face


Lisa McCourt - 1997
    Lisa McCourt and Cyd Moore beautifully weave a reassuring tale of the love and affection of a parent. The imaginative son turns himself into a meat-eating dinosaur, a swamp creature and much, much more before being satisfied with the fact that no matter how stinky he is or how slimy of a creature he could possibly be, he is loved and nothing will change that.

Pete the Cat and the Bedtime Blues


Kimberly Dean - 2015
    Pete has an idea—how about a sleepover? Groovy! As the night gets later, it's time for bed. This cool cat needs to catch some ZZZs, but Pete's friends aren't ready to go to sleep just yet. Then Pete has another idea. . . . Will it work?

Chicks Run Wild


Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen - 2011
    But those chicks...run...wild! They jump around and do cartwheels until Mama comes in and scolds them. But when she turns out the lights, the chicks start a pillow fight! Finally, Mama gets her chickies settled—but it turns out she’s not ready for bed, either…. Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen’s playful rhymes and spunky attitude pair with Ward Jenkins’s exuberant artwork to make a family favorite for each and every bedtime.

A Tale of Two Daddies


Vanita Oelschlager - 2010
    The boy says he heard that the girl has two dads. The girl says that is right--she has Daddy and Poppa. True to a child’s curiosity, practical questions follow: "Which dad helps when your team needs a coach? / Which dad cooks you eggs and toast?” To which she answers: "Daddy is my soccer coach. / Poppa cooks me eggs and toast.”Intended for 4- to 8-year-olds, this book introduces a type of family increasingly visible in modern society. Neither favoring nor condemning, it reflects a child’s practical and innocent look at the adults who nurture and love her. It becomes clear that the family bond is unburdened by any cultural discomforts.

Are We There Yet?


Dan Santat - 2016
    And when things get boring, time slows down. In this book, a boy feels time slowing down so much that it starts going backward--into the time of pirates! Of princesses! Of dinosaurs! The boy was just trying to get to his grandmother's birthday party, but instead he's traveling through Ancient Egypt and rubbing shoulders with Ben Franklin. When time flies, who knows where--or when--he'll end up.