Book picks similar to
Why Am I Here? by Constance Ørbeck-Nilssen


picture-books
picture-book
children-s-books
childrens

I Am a Cat


Galia Bernstein - 2018
    Each of the big cats has something to say about Simon not being “cat” enough. According to them, he just doesn’t measure up. He doesn’t have Lion’s mane or Cheetah’s spots. He doesn’t sleep in trees like Panther or climb mountains like Puma. He’s small and fuzzy, not big and strong. But ultimately, Simon shows the big cats that he’s just like them . . . only smaller.   A celebration of both individuality and community, I Am a Cat is a strong debut that shows we’re all more alike than we think . . . if we look closely enough.

Max the Brave


Ed Vere - 2014
    Max the Brave, Max the Fearless, Max the Mouse-catcher...But, in order to be a Mouse-catcher, Max needs to know what a mouse is, so off he goes to find out.

Strictly No Elephants


Lisa Mantchev - 2015
    There will be cats and dogs and fish, but strictly no elephants are allowed. The Pet Club doesn’t understand that pets come in all shapes and sizes, just like friends. Now it is time for a boy and his tiny pet elephant to show them what it means to be a true friend.Imaginative and lyrical, this sweet story captures the magic of friendship and the joy of having a pet.

Barnacle Is Bored


Jonathan Fenske - 2016
    Bored. Bored. Bored.Barnacle is stuck on the underside of a pier, wishing he had something to do. Every day is exactly the same. The tide comes in and Barnacle gets wet. The tide goes out and Barnacle dries off. Boring! Barnacle wants something EXCITING to happen. Then a colorful fish swims by. Barnacle bets the fish doesn't have a boring life. In the end, it turns out exciting isn't always better. . . This picture book is an irreverent and playful answer to any child's declaration of boredom!

A House That Once Was


Julie Fogliano - 2018
    

Two White Rabbits


Jairo Buitrago - 2015
    She counts the animals by the road, the clouds in the sky, the stars. Sometimes she sees soldiers. She sleeps, dreaming that she is always on the move, although sometimes they are forced to stop and her father has to earn more money before they can continue their journey.As many thousands of people, especially children, in Mexico and Central America continue to make the arduous journey to the US border in search of a better life, this is an important book that shows a young migrant’s perspective.

That Book Woman


Heather Henson - 2008
    Living way high up in the Appalachian Mountains, he'd rather help Pap plow or go out after wandering sheep than try some book learning. Nope. Cal does not want to sit stoney-still reading some chicken scratch. But that Book Woman keeps coming just the same. She comes in the rain. She comes in the snow. She comes right up the side of the mountain, and Cal knows that's not easy riding. And all just to lend his sister some books. Why, that woman must be plain foolish; or is she braver than he ever thought? That Book Woman is a rare and moving tale that honors a special part of American history; the Pack Horse Librarians, who helped untold numbers of children see the stories amid the chicken scratch, and thus made them into lifetime readers.

Whale in a Fishbowl


Troy Howell - 2018
    . . because whales don’t belong in fishbowls, do they?Wednesday is a whale who lives in a fishbowl smack dab in the middle of a city–it’s the only home she’s ever known. Cars whizz around her and people hurry past; even the sun and moon circle above. But if she leaps high enough out of her bowl, Wednesday can see it: a calm bit of blue off in the distance. When a girl in a paisley dress tells Wednesday “You belong in the sea,” the whale starts to wonder, what is the sea? Readers will cheer–and get all choked up– when, one day, Wednesday leaps higher than ever before and sets in motion a breathtaking chain of events that will carry her to her rightful home. Touching, and ultimately uplifting, here is a story about a lonely creature longing to be free–and longing to find someone just like her.

The Midnight Library


Kazuno Kohara - 2013
    When we are fast asleep in bed, the Midnight Library opens its doors to all the night-time animals. Inside the library the little librarian and her three assistant owls help each and every animal find the perfect book. But tonight is a very busy one...

Yard Sale


Eve Bunting - 2015
    They can’t stay in this house, so they’re moving to an apartment in the city. The new place is "small but nice," Mom says, and most of their things won’t fit, so today they are having a yard sale. But it’s kind of hard to watch people buy your stuff, even if you understand why it has to happen. With sensitivity and grace, Eve Bunting and Lauren Castillo portray an event at once familiar and difficult, making clear that a home isn’t about what you have, but whom you hold close.

Pearl


Molly Idle - 2018
    Sometimes the tiniest light can shine the brightest! Like the other mermaids of the deep, Pearl longs to care for the endless beaches, coral reefs, and towering kelp forests of her vast ocean world. So when her mother asks her to tend to a mere grain of sand, Pearl is heartbroken. It takes all her patience and determination to discover how even the littlest mermaid can transform the world. Caldecott Honor-winning author and artist Molly Idle has masterfully crafted a modern classic in this mesmerizing tale about the immense power of small actions.

My Teacher Is a Monster! (No, I Am Not.)


Peter Brown - 2014
    You see, his teacher is a monster.But when Bobby runs into his teacher outside of school, he learns there is more to her than meets the eye.

Chu's Day


Neil Gaiman - 2013
    Chu is a little panda with a big sneeze.When Chu sneezes, bad things happen.In dusty library, diner pepper, circus tent, Will Chu sneeze today?

The Wall in the Middle of the Book


Jon Agee - 2018
    When he's almost over his head and calling for help, who will come to his rescue? An individual who isn't as dangerous as the knight thought—from a side of the book that might just have some positive things to offer after all!

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.