As Warm as the Sun


Kate McMullan - 2019
    What Toby wants more than anything is to find something as warm as the sun that never fades or fizzles.Then one day, Pinkie comes along, and she starts hogging all of Toby's favorite places. Toby feels alone and forgotten, and slinks away. . . but Pinkie follows him, determined to prove that she is the something as warm as the sun Toby has been looking for all along.From the acclaimed duo of Kate and Jim McMullan, creators of I Stink! and I'm Dirty!, comes this story about two unforgettable French bulldogs--the perfect story for parents bringing home a new sibling.

The Silver Button


Bob Graham - 2000
    As her pen hovers in the air, ready to add a silver button to the duck’s boot, her little brother Jonathan pushes to his feet, sways, and takes his first step. At the exact same moment, their mom plays a pennywhistle in the kitchen, a man buys fresh bread at the bakery, a baby is born, a soldier says good-bye to his mom, a granddad and granddaughter play with leaves in the park, a blackbird finds a worm. . . . From an ordinary scene of an apartment strewn with child’s artwork and toys to a bird’s-eye view of a city morning pulsing with life, Bob Graham celebrates a whole world-vision in a single moment, encouraging readers to stop, observe, and savor the world around them.

One Family


George Shannon - 2015
    From veteran picture book author George Shannon and up-and-coming artist Blanca Gomez comes a playful, interactive counting book that shows how a family can be big or small and comprised of people of a range of ages, genders and races.

Salma the Syrian Chef


Danny Ramadan - 2020
    Between English classes, job interviews, and missing Papa back in Syria, Mama always seems busy or sad. A homemade Syrian meal might cheer her up, but Salma doesn’t know the recipe, or what to call the vegetables in English, or where to find the right spices! Luckily, the staff and other newcomers at the Welcome Center are happy to lend a hand—and a sprinkle of sumac. With creativity, determination, and charm, Salma brings her new friends together to show Mama that even though things aren’t perfect, there is cause for hope and celebration. Syrian culture is beautifully represented through the meal Salma prepares and Anna Bron’s vibrant illustrations, while the diverse cast of characters speaks to the power of cultivating community in challenging circumstances.

Great Big Things


Kate Hoefler - 2017
    Chronicling the quiet heroism of one small mouse on an arduous journey to bring another mouse the smallest of gifts, GREAT BIG THINGS serves as a sweet reminder that it's not our size, but what we're doing in this world that makes us small or big.

Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You


Sonia Sotomayor - 2019
    But in the same way that different types of plants and flowers make a garden more beautiful and enjoyable, different types of people make our world more vibrant and wonderful.In Just Ask, United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor celebrates the different abilities kids (and people of all ages) have. Using her own experience as a child who was diagnosed with diabetes, Justice Sotomayor writes about children with all sorts of challenges—and looks at the special powers those kids have as well. As the kids work together to build a community garden, asking questions of each other along the way, this book encourages readers to do the same: When we come across someone who is different from us but we're not sure why, all we have to do is Just Ask.

I Got a Chicken for My Birthday


Laura Gehl - 2018
    Instead she gets a chicken. But this chicken is no ordinary chicken; it has plans! With a lot of hard work, and help from lots of other animals, this chicken may just end up building the girl the best birthday gift ever!

Llama Llama Nighty-Night


Anna Dewdney - 2012
    Toddlers will love this perfect read-aloud.

A Cat Named Swan


Holly Hobbie - 2017
    Holly Hobbie's intricate watercolors evoke the small kitten's hardscrabble life as powerfully as they do his blissful one. This story tugs the heartstrings and is a testament to the importance of pet adoption and the powerful ways that pets connect with their people.

Quackers


Liz Wong - 2016
    Sure, he may have paws and whiskers. And his quacks might sound more like…well, meows, but he lives among ducks, everyone he knows is a duck, and he’s happy.Then Quackers meets another duck who looks like him (& talks like him, too!)—but he calls himself a cat. So silly!Quackers loves being among his new friends the cats, but he also misses his duck friends, and so he finds a way to combine the best of both worlds. Part cat, part duck, all Quackers!

Princess Puffybottom . . . and Darryl


Susin Nielsen - 2019
    All is well...until an intruder arrives in her kingdom. Surely he will be banished soon. Or could he be here to stay? Princess Puffybottom is not amused.

A Boy Like You


Frank Murphy - 2019
    A Boy Like You encourages every boy to embrace all the things that make him unique, to be brave and ask for help, to tell his own story and listen to the stories of those around him. In an age when boys are expected to fit into a particular mold, this book celebrates all the wonderful ways to be a boy.

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.

Tiptoe Tapirs


Hanmin Kim - 2013
    The elephants BOOM, the rhinos BAM-BAM, the hornbills CAW-CAW and the apes HOO-HAA. But Tapir and Little Tapir don't make a sound. They tiptoe through their days—until the morning a hungry leopard forces them to run for their lives. Leopard is just about to pounce when BANG! The sound of a hunter's gun stops all three animals in their tracks. Now Leopard must flee—very quietly, with help from the tapirs. From that day on, Leopard moves with a very soft step as do the rest of the jungle beasts.

The Ninth Night of Hanukkah


Erica S. Perl - 2020
    But, unfortunately, their Hanukkah box is missing. So now they have no menorah, candles, dreidels, or, well, anything! Luckily, their neighbors are happy to help, offering thoughtful and often humorous stand-in items each night. And then, just as Hanukkah is about to end, Max and Rachel, inspired by the shamash (“helper”) candle, have a brilliant idea: they’re going to celebrate the Ninth Night of Hanukkah as a way to say thanks to everyone who’s helped them! This book is not only a heartwarming and fun story, it’s also an invitation to join in a beautiful new Hanukkah tradition!