Book picks similar to
I Told You I Can Play! by Brian Jordan
picture-books
sports
siblings
african-american
Nerdy Birdy
Aaron Reynolds - 2015
He has friends and discovers that there are far more nerdy birdies than cool birdies in the sky. And then another bird moves in....
Reading Beauty
Deborah Underwood - 2019
Set in the universe of the acclaimed Interstellar Cinderella, this irrepressible fairytale retelling will charm young readers with its brave heroine, its star-studded setting, and its hilarious, heartwarming happy ending.
Boxitects
Kim Smith - 2020
A STEAM-centered, adorably illustrated picture book about Meg, a brilliant and creative boxitect who creates extraordinary things out of ordinary cardboard boxes.
Hair Story
NoNieqa Ramos - 2021
Written in rhythmic verse, this picture book follows two friends, a non-Black Boricua girl and a Black girl, as others first try to tame their tresses and eventually celebrate their gorgeous, natural hair.
Quiet!
Kate Alizadeh - 2017
Sssh! Listen, what's that noise? Each room in a house has different noises and in this book the text and visual clues help a child experience the home through sound, which will be familiar to those children who are blind or partially sighted.
When Sophie Thinks She Can't...: . . . Really, Really Smart
Molly Bang - 2018
yet."When Sophie can't solve a math puzzle, she feels upset and inadequate. "I CAN'T DO IT!" she shouts, expressing the frustration all of us feel when we try and fail. Will she ever be "smart" like her sister? Maybe she isn't smart at all.Luckily Sophie's teacher steps in. What does it mean to be smart? Using current, popular "mindset" techniques, Sophie's class is taught that we get smarter when we exercise our brains, such as when we work harder at solving a puzzle. Struggling to solve a problem doesn't mean "I can't do it!" Sophie and her classmates just can't do it... yet! Readers will cheer when Sophie finally prevails, and at the end of the day, she's confident and optimistic. At home, Sophie uses her new technique to help her dad solve a carpentry puzzle.In this third book about Sophie, Molly Bang again helps children deal with a challenging everyday issue, providing an opening to ask: What do you do when you think, "I can't!"?
Spencer and Vincent, the Jellyfish Brothers
Tony Johnston - 2019
They invented a little song which went like this: My brother, my brother, he’s sweet, not smelly. I love him from down in my jelly belly. One day a wave of superior magnitude separates them! The brothers know they have to do whatever it takes to find each other again. And they’ll need some help along the way… Sometimes friends can really make a the difference. Spencer and Vincent is a story of adventures and the bond of family.
Hank's Big Day: The Story of a Bug
Evan Kuhlman - 2016
Hank is a pill bug with a busy life—for a pill bug, that is. His daily routine involves nibbling a dead leaf, climbing up a long stick, avoiding a skateboarder, and playing pretend with his best friend, a human girl named Amelia, in her backyard. And when day is done, Hank likes nothing better than returning home to his cozy rock.
The Princess and the Pit Stop
Tom Angleberger - 2018
. .. . . who made a pit stop.While the Birds and Beasts changed her tires, her Fairy Godmother told her she was in last place! With just one lap left! She might as well give up!Give up? Not THIS princess! Instead, she hit the gas! Join Her Royal Highness in the driver’s seat for a mad dash to the finish in this exciting ode to auto racing. With appearances by fairy tale favorites including the Tortoise and the Hare, the Frog Prince, and ALL of the Wicked Witches, this rollicking mash-up of race cars and royalty is a true celebration of both girl power and horsepower.
The Very Last Castle
Travis Jonker - 2018
Every time she passes by him, she tries to catch his eye. While the other townspeople fear what may be locked up inside the mysterious castle, the girl finally gets up the courage to knock on the door and find out what’s really behind the gate. A story about overcoming fear of the unknown, trying new things, and reaching out to make new friends, The Very Last Castle shows that bravery comes in packages both big and small.
Bad Guy
Hannah Barnaby - 2017
You can trap all of the superheroes in a cage with hungry lions or sail the ocean and keep all the treasure for yourself. You can even eat your little sister’s brain… But this little bad guy is about to learn a valuable lesson from an unlikely culprit. Hannah Barnaby’s humor and spare text are brought to life by Mike Yamada’s bold illustrations in this charming picture book about the special bond between brothers and sisters.
RG3: The Promise
Dave Sheinin - 2013
He seemed pointed toward stardom, but would it be in basketball, his true favorite, or maybe in track, where he qualified for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials as a hurdler? As for playing football, the only sport that really mattered in Griffin’s small Texas town, first he had to overcome his mother’s objections to the violence and danger—which he did by making a “Pinkie Promise” with her that no one would catch him. Eventually, he began to realize that all of his remarkable talents—unrivaled speed, pinpoint accuracy, exceptional intelligence, single-minded drive—combined into a potent force that few quarterbacks could rival. What followed seemed almost destined: a football scholarship to Baylor University, three exceptional seasons capped by winning the Heisman Trophy, and the 2012 draft—where Griffin, as the second overall pick, became the franchise quarterback for one of the oldest and most storied football teams in the country.In RG3: The Promise, Washington Post reporter Dave Sheinin provides an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at Griffin’s first year in the NFL, from his record-breaking first game to the frightening knee injury that ended the Redskins’ playoff hopes. An award-winning journalist himself, Sheinin has reported on Griffin’s rookie season every step of the way, and now has written a unique, intimate look inside the transformation of one of the NFL’s brightest young stars.
The Most Magnificent Thing
Ashley Spires - 2013
She is going to make the most MAGNIFICENT thing! She knows just how it will look. She knows just how it will work. All she has to do is make it, and she makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!? But making her magnificent thing is anything but easy, and the girl tries and fails, repeatedly. Eventually, the girl gets really, really mad. She is so mad, in fact, that she quits. But after her dog convinces her to take a walk, she comes back to her project with renewed enthusiasm and manages to get it just right.
Bunheads
Misty Copeland - 2020
But she's never danced ballet before; in fact, this is the very first day of her very first dance class!Though Misty is excited, she's also nervous. But as she learns from her fellow bunheads; she makes wonderful friends who encourage her to do her very best. Misty's nerves quickly fall away, and with a little teamwork, the bunheads put on a show to remember.
Not Norman: A Goldfish Story
Kelly Bennett - 2005
He wanted a different kind of pet — one that could run and catch, or chase string and climb trees, a soft furry pet to sleep on his bed at night. Definitely not Norman. But when he tries to trade Norman for a "good pet," things don’t go as he planned. Could it be that Norman is a better pet than he thought? With wry humor and lighthearted affection, author Kelly Bennett and illustrator Noah Z. Jones tell an unexpected — and positively fishy — tale about finding the good in something you didn’t knowyou wanted.