Book picks similar to
Miss Bridie Chose a Shovel by Leslie Connor


picture-books
picture-book
historical-fiction
children

Manuelo, the Playing Mantis


Don Freeman - 2004
    One warm summer evening, a lonely praying mantis named Manuelo listens to the music of an outdoor concert.  Manuelo wishes that he, too, could make music like the crickets and the katydids.  But the instruments he makes don't play.  Then Manuelo meets someone who shows him how to fashion a cello using a walnut shell, a stick, and a special ingredient.  Manuelo makes his first true friend and, together, they create the music they both love.

The Cat With Seven Names


Tony Johnston - 2013
    From a librarian to a homeless war veteran to a little girl who’s just moved in, this cat makes everyone’s world a little brighter, a little less lonely.Each neighbor is unaware of the cat’s visits with everyone else, so he goes by many different names: Stuart Little, Dove, Placido—the cat answers to them all. Only when a near-accident threatens the cat does everyone learn his true identity and owner. In learning about each other, the people in the neighborhood come together as a community.THE CAT WITH SEVEN NAMES is a heartfelt story that reflects the need and desire of all people to be a part of a community, to have a connection with someone or something—be it animal or human. Told from the perspective of each of the six neighbors, Tony Johnston introduces point of view to readers of all ages, while Christine Davenier’s loose watercolor illustrations beautifully depict the diversity of the world around us.

Henry & The Kite Dragon


Bruce Edward Hall - 2004
    They're rough, they're big, and they don't like Chinese kids. That's okay-Henry doesn't like them, either. But what Henry does like are kites. He loves them. Even more, he loves to help his friend Grandfather Chin make them, and fly them over Chinatown and the park. But when Tony Guglione and his friends from Little Italy keep throwing rocks and destroying their beautiful creations, Henry and his friends decide enough is enough!In this touching story based on true 1920's events, two rival groups of children representing two different cultures come face to face, and when they do, they find they share much more than just the same sky.

Teeny Tiny Toady


Jill Esbaum - 2016
    "Mama’s stuck inside a bucket! Help me get her out!” she begs her big, clumsy brothers. “Don’t you worry, kid. We’ll save her!” they promise, bumbling and stumbling and jumbling out the door. But as the boys rush headlong to the rescue, pushing their little sister aside, it becomes clear: brawn isn't always better than brains—and the smallest of the family may just be the smartest one of all.  Written in lilting verse.

The Day You Begin


Jacqueline Woodson - 2018
    There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you.There are many reasons to feel different. Maybe it's how you look or talk, or where you're from; maybe it's what you eat, or something just as random. It's not easy to take those first steps into a place where nobody really knows you yet, but somehow you do it.Jacqueline Woodson's lyrical text and Rafael Lopez's dazzling art reminds us that we all feel like outsiders sometimes-and how brave it is that we go forth anyway. And that sometimes, when we reach out and begin to share our stories, others will be happy to meet us halfway.Jacqueline Woodson is the 2018-2019 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature.

Baby Beluga


Raffi Cavoukian - 1983
    Raffi's signature song and the top seller in his Songs to Read series, Baby Beluga is now available in a quality board book edition perfect for his youngest fans.

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas


John Rox - 2005
    But will Santa Claus and her parents make her Christmas wish come true?Based on the popular Christmas song by John Rox, this edition also includes the sheet music and lyrics to “I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas.” With catchy refrains, classic artwork, and a heartwarming story, this timeless Christmas tale has been a favorite since 1953. Music and lyrics for the song included!* Through the Looking Glass Children’s Book Review

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.

Sophie's Squash


Pat Zietlow Miller - 2013
    From then on, Sophie brings Bernice everywhere, despite her parents' gentle warnings that Bernice will begin to rot. As winter nears, Sophie does start to notice changes.... What's a girl to do when the squash she loves is in trouble?

Sweetest Kulu


Celina Kalluk - 2013
    Lyrically and lovingly written, this visually stunning book is infused with the Inuit values of love and respect for the land and its animal inhabitants.

All the Way to America: The Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel


Dan Yaccarino - 2011
      It’s a story that will have kids asking their parents and grandparents: Where did we come from? How did our family make the journey all the way to America?   “A shovel is just a shovel, but in Dan Yaccarino’s hands it becomes a way to dig deep into the past and honor all those who helped make us who we are.” —Eric Rohmann, winner of the Caldecott Medal for My Friend Rabbit  “All the Way to America is a charmer. Yaccarino’s heartwarming story rings clearly with truth, good cheer, and love.” —Tomie dePaola, winner of a Caldecott Honor Award for Strega NonaFrom the Hardcover edition.

The Paper Boat: A Refugee Story


Thao Lam - 2020
    At her home in Vietnam, a girl rescues ants from the sugar water set out to trap them. Later, when the girl’s family flees war-torn Vietnam, ants lead them through the moonlit jungle to the boat that will take them to safety. Before boarding, the girl folds a paper boat from a bun wrapper and drops it into the water, and the ants climb on. Their perilous journey, besieged by punishing weather, predatory birds, and dehydration, before reaching a new beginning, mirrors the family’s own. Impressionistic collages and a moving, Own Voices narrative make this a one-of-a-kind tale of courage, resilience, and hope.

Eliza: The Story of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton


Margaret McNamara - 2018
    Eliza was expected to marry into a similarly powerful family . . . until she met and fell in love with the charismatic Hamilton. She stood by him throughout his tumultuous life, and after his death, she single-handedly collected his papers and preserved them for historians and musical-theater writers of the future. Eliza outlived Hamilton by fifty years; during that time she founded the first orphanage in New York State, raised funds for the Washington Monument, and kept the flame of her husband's memory and achievements alive. Featuring Esme Shapiro's exquisite, thoroughly researched art, which mirrors paintings from 18th-century America, this is a beautiful and informative biography with extensive back matter.

Book Fair Day


Lynn Plourde - 2006
    Dewey Booker can’t wait! He LOVES reading—more than bubblegum, baseball cards, and bike riding. In fact, when Dewey’s nose isn’t stuck in a book, he’s dreaming about adding new books to his collection. But Mrs. Shepherd’s class isn’t scheduled to go to the fair until the end of the day. Not wanting to miss all the good offerings, Dewey tries every which way to get into the fair early. Mrs. Shepherd always catches him, though. . . .Will he make it before all the best books are taken?

Freckleface Strawberry


Julianne Moore - 2007
    Unless scrubbing doesn't work.2) Cover them up. Unless your mom yells at you for using a marker.3) Disappear.Um, where'd you go?Oh, there you are.There's one other thing you can do:4) LIVE WITH THEM!Because after all, the things that make you different also make you YOU.From acclaimed actress Julianne Moore and award-winning illustrator LeUyen Pham comes a delightful story of a little girl who's different ... just like everybody else.