On the Night You Were Born


Nancy Tillman - 2005
    The moon stayed up till morning. The geese flew home to celebrate. Polar bears danced.On the night you were born you brought wonder and magic to the world. Here is a book that celebrates you. It is meant to be carried wherever life takes you, over all the roads, through all the years.This debut picture book by Nancy Tillman has touched the hearts of readers of all ages, from the youngest readers, to new mothers, to grandparents. A New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling book, On the Night You Were Born is sure to be a beloved addition to family libraries.

Love Is


Diane Adams - 2017
    In this tenderly funny book, girl and duckling grow in their understanding of what it is to care for each other, discovering that love is as much about letting go as it is about holding tight. Children and parents together will adore this fond exploration of growing up while learning about the joys of love offered and love returned.

Luna's Yum Yum Dim Sum


Natasha Yim - 2021
    How can three people divide up five buns? Should some siblings get more than others? Or should they cut the buns into smaller and smaller pieces so everyone gets the same amount? A playful exploration of division and fractions, featuring Chinese American characters and a cultural note.Storytelling Math celebrates children using math in their daily adventures as they play, build, and discover the world around them. Joyful stories and hands-on activities make it easy for kids and their grown-ups to explore everyday math together. Developed in collaboration with math experts at STEM education nonprofit TERC, under a grant from the Heising-Simons Foundation.

The English Roses


Madonna - 2003
    Four little girls--Nicole, Amy, Charlotte, and Grace--are eleven years old and the very best of friends. They have sleepovers, picnics and ice-skating parties that exclude Binah, a beautiful girl whose seemingly perfect life makes them "green with envy." However, when a feisty, pumpernickel-loving fairy godmother takes them on a magical journey, they learn to their great surprise that Binah's life is not nearly as enviable as it had seemed. The English Roses is an inspiring story about the importance of compassion and the rewards of friendship.

Jabari Tries


Gaia Cornwall - 2020
    I don’t need any help,” he declares. But it doesn’t work! Jabari is frustrated. Good thing Dad is there for a pep talk and his little sister, Nika, is there to assist, fairy wings and all. With the endearing father-child dynamic of Jabari Jumps and engaging mixed-media illustrations, Gaia Cornwall’s tale shows that through perseverance and flexibility, an inventive thought can become a brilliant reality.

Amira's Picture Day


Reem Faruqi - 2021
    There's just one hiccup: it's also school picture day. How can Amira be in two places at once? Just the thought of Eid makes Amira warm and tingly inside. From wearing new clothes to handing out goody bags at the mosque, Amira can't wait for the festivities to begin. But when a flier on the fridge catches her eye, Amira's stomach goes cold. Not only is it Eid, it's also school picture day. If she's not in her class picture, how will her classmates remember her? Won't her teacher wonder where she is?Though the day's celebrations at the mosque are everything Amira was dreaming of, her absence at picture day weighs on her. A last-minute idea on the car ride home might just provide the solution to everything in this delightful story from acclaimed author Reem Faruqi, illustrated with vibrant color by Fahmida Azim.

The Hike


Alison Farrell - 2019
    Here is the best and worst of any hike: from picnics to puffing and panting, deer-sighting to detours. Featuring a glossary, a sketchbook by one of the characters, abundant labels throughout, and scientific backmatter.

Pie Is for Sharing


Stephanie Ledyard - 2018
    Pie Is for Sharing is a gorgeously illustrated ode to sharing by debut author Stephanie Ledyard and acclaimed artist Jason Chin.

How to Heal a Broken Wing


Bob Graham - 2008
    With the help of his sympathetic mother, he gently wraps the injured bird and takes it home. In classic Bob Graham style, the beauty is in the details: the careful ministrations with an eyedropper, the bedroom filled with animal memorabilia, the saving of the single feather as a good-luck charm for the bird's return to the sky. Wistful and uplifting, here is a tale of possibility -- and of the souls who never doubt its power.

The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota's Garden


Heather Smith - 2019
    . . and his voice. The entire village is silenced by grief, and the young child's anger at the ocean grows. Then one day his neighbor, Mr. Hirota, begins a mysterious project—building a phone booth in his garden. At first Makio is puzzled; the phone isn't connected to anything. It just sits there, unable to ring. But as more and more villagers are drawn to the phone booth, its purpose becomes clear to Makio: the disconnected phone is connecting people to their lost loved ones. Makio calls to the sea to return what it has taken from him and ultimately finds his voice and solace in a phone that carries words on the wind.The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota's Garden is inspired by the true story of the wind phone in Otsuchi, Japan, which was created by artist Itaru Sasaki. He built the phone booth so he could speak to his cousin who had passed, saying, "My thoughts couldn't be relayed over a regular phone line, I wanted them to be carried on the wind." The Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in 2011 destroyed the town of Otsuchi, claiming 10 percent of the population. Residents of Otsuchi and pilgrims from other affected communities have been traveling to the wind phone since the tsunami.

In a Garden


Tim McCanna - 2020
    Worms, ladybugs, millipedes, and more help a garden grow each season. Tim McCanna’s gorgeous, rhyming text, combined with Aimée Sicuro’s stunning illustrations make this charming picture book as informative as it is fun to read aloud. Bonus backmatter features tons of cool facts about ecosystems and the symbiosis between plants and bugs.

Flowers for Sarajevo


John McCutcheon - 2017
    Drasko helps his father sell flowers in Sarajevo, but when war threatens and his father is called to the battlefront, Drasko must take over the flower stall. One morning the boys familiar routine is shattered when a mortar shell hits the bakery, killing twenty-two people. The next day, a cellist from the Sarajevo Opera Orchestra goes to the crater and plays the most beautiful music that Drasko can imagine. Inspired, he looks for ways to ease the sorrow of those around him. Based on real events of the Bosnian War.

The Missing Mitten Mystery


Steven Kellogg - 1974
    Somehow Annie's red mitten has disappeared in all the fun. They look high and low. . . . It's not on the sledding hill, and it's not by the snow castles. Maybe an eagle carried it off to keep its baby's head warm. Or maybe a mouse is using it as a sleeping bag. When the sun goes down, Annie and Oscar have to give up their search and go inside. But when Annie looks out the window, something red catches her eye. . . .With entirely new full-color illustrations, this beautiful version of the beloved picture book The Mystery of the Missing Red Mitten retains all the charm of the original.

Fatima's Great Outdoors


Ambreen Tariq - 2021
    Her family is headed to a local state park for their first camping trip! The school week might not have gone as planned, but outdoors, Fatima can achieve anything. She sets up a tent with her father, builds a fire with her mother, and survives an eight-legged mutant spider (a daddy longlegs with an impressive shadow) with her sister. At the end of an adventurous day, the family snuggles inside one big tent, serenaded by the sounds of the forest. The thought of leaving the magic of the outdoors tugs at Fatima’s heart, but her sister reminds her that they can keep the memory alive through stories—and they can always daydream about what their next camping trip will look like.

Plenty of Hugs


Fran Manushkin - 2020
    There's a buzz for each bug, and a breeze for each tree, and plenty of hugs for you and me. The toddler and his mommies take a morning bike ride to a farm stand, they visit a zoo in the afternoon, and in the evening there's the bath and storybook routine before the child is tucked cozily into bed. The world is full of wonders. Just look around: It's true. There are seas for ships, and kisses for lips, so I can say that I love you. This is sure to become a preschool favorite, for bedtime and any time.