Book picks similar to
Night Wishes by Lee Bennett Hopkins


poetry
picture-books
picture-book
bedtime

Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems


Paul B. Janeczko - 2014
    Janeczko pairs with Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet for a collection of short poems to sample and savor. It only takes a few words, if they’re the right words, to create a strong image. Whether listened to in the comfort of a cozy lap or read independently, the thirty-six very short poems in this collection remind readers young and old that a few perfect words and pictures can make the world glow. Selected by acclaimed poet Paul B. Janeczko and gorgeously illustrated by Melissa Sweet, Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems invites children to sample poems throughout the four seasons.

Doctor Esperanto and the Language of Hope


Mara Rockliff - 2019
    Growing up Jewish in Bialystok, Poland, in the late 1800s, young Leyzer Zamenhof was surrounded by languages: Russian, Yiddish, German, Polish, and many others. But the multiethnic Bialystok was full of mistrust and suspicion, and Leyzer couldn't help but wonder: If everyone could understand each other, wouldn't they be able to live in peace? So Zamenhof set out to create a new language, one that would be easy to learn and could connect people around the world. He published a book of his new language and signed it Dr. Esperanto -- "one who hopes." Mara Rockliff uses her unique knack for forgotten history to tell the story of a young man who saw possibility where others saw only barriers, while Polish illustrator Zosia Dzierzawska infuses every scene with warmth and energy, bringing the story of Esperanto to life.

Water Sings Blue: Ocean Poems


Kate Coombs - 2012
    Come down to the shore with this rich and vivid celebration of the ocean! With watercolors gorgeous enough to wade in by award-winning artist Meilo So and playful, moving poems by Kate Coombs, Water Sings Blue evokes the beauty and power, the depth and mystery, and the endless resonance of the sea.

Words


Christoph Niemann - 2016
    Everything starts with a love of words! More than 300 words inspired by Dr. Edward Fry’s list of sight words are paired with striking and playful illustrations by internationally renowned designer and artist Christoph Niemann to deepen understanding, to enrich, and to enlighten those learning to read and write English, whether they be children or adults.This compilation of more than 300 words and pictures encourages reading, fuels the imagination, and offers hours of decoding fun. Christoph Niemann has illustrated each word with a picture that challenges readers to make connections and puzzle out meaning in a playful way. Homophones, basic punctuation, and an assortment of silly and unusual words are also included to delineate the eighteen sections of the book.Browse the pages to discover words you don’t know (or find a new facet of the ones you do)! Create your own stories or poems by combining words, images, and ideas. Can you think of other words to describe the images, or new drawings to interpret the words? Cover a word with your finger and ask a friend to guess it just by looking at the picture. Or pick a word and draw (or write) what you think happens next. . . . This is an excellent, original, and exuberant teaching tool for parents as well as elementary school teachers, and it will also be useful for ESL programs. Includes an introduction and an index.

Hey Black Child


Useni Eugene Perkins - 2017
     Hey black child,Do you know who you are?Who really are? Do you know you can beWhat you want to beIf you try to beWhat you can be? This lyrical, empowering poem celebrates black children and seeks to inspire all young people to dream big and achieve their goals.

What a Wonderful Word: A Collection of Untranslatable Words from Around the World


Nicola Edwards - 2018
    Have you ever wished there was a word for friends who are like family to you, or for the way you hesitate when you’ve forgotten someone’s name? Did you know there was a special word for the distance a reindeer can travel before needing the toilet? Or for when you search for something in the water using only your feet? This hand-picked collection of untranslatable worlds from all over the world celebrates the magic of language, with gorgeous original artwork and fascinating facts about each word and the culture it comes from.

Love Was Inside


Andrew Joyner - 2021
    She talked on the phone to her Nan inside. Her days and nights were all inside, and she would think about what she missed outside--the running, cheering, splashing, hugging and of course her Nan.Finally when the girl could go outside, she was happy to be there--to hug her Nan, see her friends and even climb a tree, but she had changed inside and she knew she would always remember the small things and the big things that made that time special.Here is a picture book that will help young children remember, process and resolve the feelings they had during the pandemic. Includes prompts to encourage readers to write their own inside stories.

Bravo!: Poems About Amazing Hispanics


Margarita Engle - 2017
    Celebrate their accomplishments and their contributions to a collective history and a community that continues to evolve and thrive today!Biographical poems include: Aida de Acosta, Arnold Rojas, Baruj Benacerraf, César Chávez, Fabiola Cabeza de Baca, Félix Varela, George Meléndez, José Martí, Juan de Miralles, Juana Briones, Julia de Burgos, Louis Agassiz Fuertes, Paulina Pedroso, Pura Belpré, Roberto Clemente, Tito Puente, Ynes Mexia, Tomás Rivera

Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph


Roxane Orgill - 2016
    Could he pull it off? In a captivating collection of poems, Roxane Orgill steps into the frame of Harlem 1958, bringing to life the musicians’ mischief and quirks, their memorable style, and the vivacious atmosphere of a Harlem block full of kids on a hot summer’s day. Francis Vallejo’s vibrant, detailed, and wonderfully expressive paintings do loving justice to the larger-than-life quality of jazz musicians of the era. Includes bios of several of the fifty-seven musicians, an author’s note, sources, a bibliography, and a foldout of Art Kane’s famous photograph.

Feel the Beat: Dance Poems That Zing from Salsa to Swing


Marilyn Singer - 2017
    The rhythm of each poem mimics the beat of the dances' steps. Together with Kristi Valiant's dynamic illustrations, the poems create a window to all the ways dance enters our lives and exists throughout many cultures. This ingenious collection will inspire readers to get up and move!Included with the book is an audio CD of the author reading each poem accompanied by original music from composer Jonathon Roberts.

Shaped by Her Hands: Potter Maria Martinez


Anna Harber Freeman - 2021
    She grew up to discover a new firing technique that turned her pots black and shiny, and made them--and Maria--famous. This inspiring story of family and creativity illuminates how Maria's belief in sharing her love of clay brought success and joy from her New Mexico Pueblo to people all across the country.

Three Lines in a Circle : The Exciting Life of the Peace Symbol


Michael G. Long - 2021
    One line to the right. One line to the left, then a circle. That was all—just three lines in a circle.This bold picture book tells the story of the peace symbol—designed in 1958 by a London activist protesting nuclear weapons—and how it inspired people all over the world. Depicting the symbol's travels from peace marches and liberation movements to the end of apartheid and the fall of the Berlin Wall, Three Lines in a Circle offers a message of inspiration to today's children and adults who are working to create social change. An author’s note provides historical background and a time line of late twentieth-century peace movements.One line straight down. One line to the right. One line to the left, then a circle. That was all—just three lines in a circle.This bold picture book tells the story of the peace symbol—designed in 1958 by a London activist protesting nuclear weapons—and how it inspired people all over the world. Depicting the symbol's travels from peace marches and liberation movements to the end of apartheid and the fall of the Berlin Wall, Three Lines in a Circle offers a message of inspiration to today's children and adults who are working to create social change. An author’s note provides historical background and a time line of late twentieth-century peace movements.

Dark Was the Night: Blind Willie Johnson's Journey to the Stars


Gary Golio - 2020
    But his childhood was interrupted when he lost his mother and his sight. How does a blind boy make his way in the world? Fortunately for Willie, the music saved him and brought him back into the light. His powerful voice, combined with the wailing of his slide guitar, moved people. Willie made a name for himself performing on street corners all over Texas. And one day he hit it big when he got a record deal and his songs were played on the radio. Then in 1977, his song--Dark Was the Night--was chosen to light up the darkness when it was launched into space on the Voyager I space probe's famous Golden Record. His immortal song was selected for the way it expresses the loneliness humans all feel, while reminding us we're not alone.

I'll Meet You in Your Dreams


Jessica Young - 2021
    Each evening when the sun has set, as nighttime casts a starry net, I'll hitch a ride on moonbeams, and meet you in your dreams. This poetic and tender story celebrates the parent-and-child bond in its many forms and offers gentle assurance of love across a lifetime. Two parents' dreams of the future with their children—from early dependence for nourishment and basic needs, to the parent as home base for a child in later life—mirror an always-changing but unbreakable relationship. Written in lyrical rhyme and accompanied by breathtaking art by the incomparable Rafael López, I'll Meet You in Your Dreams affirms that parental love is a constant force, transcending boundaries of space and time.

Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building


Christy Hale - 1996
    A collection of illustrations, concrete poetry, and photographs that shows how young children's constructions, created as they play, are reflected in notable works of architecture from around the world.