Love Is Love


Michael Genhart - 2018
    In their conversation, his friend helps him see how her family (with a mom and a dad) isn’t all that different from his: they both have parents who love them, and they both love their parents. And it’s love that makes a family. In Yes We Are!, Michael Genhart, Ph.D., shows that gay families are simply another kind of normal, and that all children value the love of family. This heartfelt dialogue provides a gentle way to discuss discrimination.

What's My Superpower? (English)


Aviaq Johnston - 2017
    She has friends with super speed (who always beat her in races), friends with super strength (who can dangle from the monkey bars for hours), and friends who are better than her at a million other things. Nalvana thinks she must be the only kid in town without a superpower. But then her mom shows Nalvana that she is unique and special—and that her superpower was right in front of her all along.

One Leaf Rides the Wind


Celeste Davidson Mannis - 2002
    This counting book introduces the youngest readers to the beauty and hidden secrets of a Japanese garden. It also introduces haiku, with ten poems that are simple and straightforward. The rhythmic haiku appear in a context that will make perfect sense to young readers. Each page contains additional information about the scene shown, and with lush illustrations, the loveliness of the garden can't be ignored. This is a picture book that works on many levels.

Fall in Line, Holden!


Daniel W. Vandever - 2017
    Although Holden is required to conform to a rigid schedule and strict standards of behavior, his internal life is led with imagination and wonder. Whether he is in art class, the computer lab, or walking the hall to lunch, Holden’s vivid imagination transforms his commonplace surroundings into a world of discovery and delight.Explore the world through Holden’s eyes. Join him for the day, and celebrate the strong spirit of a boy who rises above the rules surrounding him.

Dumplings for Lili


Melissa Iwai - 2021
    But when Nai Nai realizes that they are out of cabbage (Secret #8: line the basket with cabbage leaves!), she sends Lili up to Babcia’s apartment on the sixth floor to get some. Babcia is happy to share her cabbage, but she needs some potatoes for her pierogi. . . .What follows is a race up and down the stairs as Lili helps all the grandmothers in her building borrow ingredients for different dumplings: Jamaican beef patties, Italian ravioli, Lebanese fatayer, and more.

What to Do When You're Sent to Your Room


Ann Stott - 2014
    Ben is nothing if not prepared. So when he gets caught feeding his dinner to the dog (again) and is sent his room (again), he’s up to the challenge of solitary confinement. And he’s more than happy to share strategies with readers, from unearthing his cache of hidden snacks to liberating his caged pets, honing his slingshot skills — and of course drafting his birthday list. There’s so much to do! Will there be time to do it all before his time is up? That just may depend on Ben’s older brother. . .

One Gorilla


Anthony Browne - 2012
    With his striking palette, exquisite attention to detail, and quirky flair for facial expressions, Anthony Browne slyly extends the basic number concept into a look at similarities and differences — portraying an extended family we can count ourselves part of.

The Emotions Book : A Little Story About BIG Feelings (Brave Kids Press)


Liz Fletcher - 2021
    

Pirate Stew


Neil Gaiman - 2020
    It's time to make some PIRATE STEW.Marvellously silly and gloriously entertaining, this tale of pirates, flying ships, donut feasts and some rather magical stew is perfect for all pirates, both young and old. With a deliciously rhyming text from master storyteller Neil Gaiman, and spellbinding illustrations by the supremely talented Chris Riddell, three-times-winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal, this is the picture book of the year! Joyful, quirky and action-packed, it makes a spectacular and magical gift.

A History of Me


Adrea Theodore - 2022
    When the teacher talks about slavery, she can feel all of her classmates staring at her. When they talk about civil rights, she is the one that other kids whisper about on the playground. In those moments, she wants to slip away or seep into the ground; and she wonders, is that all you see when you look at me?What really matters is what she sees when she looks at herself. She is a reflection of the courage, strength, intelligence and creativity that's been passed down from generation to generation through her ancestors.Inspired by the author's daughter's experience in school as well as her own.

The World Needs Who You Were Made to Be


Joanna Gaines - 2020
    As the kids work together, leaning into their own skills and processes, to fill the sky with beautiful colors, we discover that the same is true for life—it's more beautiful and vibrant when our differences are celebrated.Together with Joanna, you and your kids will take a journey of growth and imagination as you learn in full color that:• We should celebrate every child's one-of-a-kind strengths as well as teamwork and acceptance of differences• Everything can be made more beautiful when we share our talents and abilities• We should lend a helping hand and do our best to take care of one anotherThe World Needs Who You Were Made to Be is a vibrant picture book perfect for:• Ages 4-8• Parents, libraries, classroom story times, and discussions about diversity and being a good human being• Households that enjoy watching Chip and Joanna on Magnolia Network and HGTV's Fixer UpperWith plenty of pink, a bounty of blue, orange and green and yellow too, this vibrant hot-air balloon adventure celebrates every child and teaches kids that we are in this together. "You're one of a kind, and it's so clear to see: The world needs who you were made to be."

Swift Fox All Along


Rebecca Thomas - 2020
    And when he tells her that today is the day that she’ll learn how to be Mi’kmaq, the butterflies grow even bigger. Though her father reassures her that Mi’kmaq is who she is from her eyes to her toes, Swift Fox doesn’t understand what that means. Her family welcomes her with smiles and hugs, but when it’s time to smudge and everyone else knows how, Swift Fox feels even more like she doesn’t belong. Then she meets her cousin Sully and realizes that she’s not the only one who’s unsure—and she may even be the one to teach him something about what being Mi’kmaq means.

When the Cousins Came


Katie Yamasaki - 2018
    They're going to ride bikes, paint, and camp together! But when the cousins arrive, everything's wrong: Rosie and Takeo are better painters than Lila, have skateboards instead of bikes, and don't want to camp outside.Lila is terribly disappointed until the cousins make her a surprise: a big banner for their best cousin Lila!Inspired by the author's own large, diverse family, When the Cousins Came is a sensitive story about insecurity, hosting, and friendship. Katie Yamasaki's tale, paired with bright mixed-media art, reminds children that negative thoughts and anxiety over exclusion don't always translate to reality, and that even when plans go wrong you can still have a good time together.

Nibi's Water Song


Sunshine Tenasco - 2019
    In Nibi's Water Song, Nibi is an Indigenous girl on the search for clean water to drink. Though she is faced with repeated obstacles, Nibi's joyful and determined energy become a catalyst for change and action as her community and, in widening circles, the country and government, rally around her to make clean drinking water available for all. There is a strong underlying message that even when a problem seems too large to face, every bit that everyone does helps. And inaction is not an option.Sunshine Tenasco, an Anishinabeg activist for clean water, has an amazing optimistic spirit that shines through her writing. The hopeful tone and lyrical read-aloud quality of this gentle allegorical tale open the door to conversations and action aimed at young children, whether they are on a reserve that does not have clean water or they are living with access to clean water. Chief Lady Bird's stunning, original artwork carries through the themes of strength, hope, and resilience in an incredible collaboration of talent.

My Granny Went to Market: A Round-The-World Counting Rhyme


Stella Blackstone - 1995
    Fly away with Granny as she takes a magic carpet ride around the world, collecting a steadily increasing number of souvenirs from each exotic location! This rhyming story will take young readers on an adventure to different countries while teaching them to count along the way.