Fred Gets Dressed


Peter Brown - 2021
    He romps around his house naked and wild and free. Until he romps into his parents' closet and is inspired to get dressed. First he tries on his dad's clothes, but they don't fit well. Then he tries on his mom's clothes, and wow! The boy looks great. He looks through his mom's jewelry and makeup and tries that on, too. When he's discovered by his mother and father, the whole family (including the dog!) get in on the fun, and they all get dressed together.This charming and humorous story was inspired by bestselling and award-winning author Peter Brown's own childhood, and highlights nontraditional gender roles and self-expression.

Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea


Meena Harris - 2020
    A big idea: they would turn their empty apartment courtyard into a playground!This is the uplifting tale of how the author’s aunt and mother first learned to persevere in the face of disappointment and turned a dream into reality. This is a story of children’s ability to make a difference and of a community coming together to transform their neighborhood.

Green Pants


Kenneth Kraegel - 2017
    Jameson only ever wears green pants. When he wears green pants, he can do anything. But if he wants to be in his cousin's wedding, he's going to have to wear a tuxedo, and that means black pants. It s an impossible decision: Jameson would love nothing more than to be in his cousin's wedding, but how can he not wear green pants? Will Jameson turn down this big honor, or will he find a way to make everyone happy, including himself? In this pitch-perfect ode to individualism, acclaimed author-illustrator Kenneth Kraegel creates a character readers of all ages can barrack for, whatever color pants they wear.

The Missing Pairs


Yvonne Ivinson - 2021
    Luckily, their friend Bear is there to solve the mystery. This silly and suspenseful picture book from Yvonne Ivinson, creator of Fox and the Box, will engage readers with its rhythm, repetition, wordplay, homophones, and surprise ending. An excellent choice for story times and a must-have for emergent readers.Two socks are a pair of socks. Two mittens are a pair of mittens. Two boots are a pair of boots. Fox, Hare, and Badger are missing a sock, mitten, and boot respectively. Luckily, Bear knows where they are. Or does he? Because, honestly, Bear seems more concerned with pears than pairs.The Missing Pairs is illustrated with winsome paintings, and observant readers will spot the thief and cheer for the friends as they try to figure out the mystery of the missing pairs. A terrific choice for family and story time sharing, this winning pick is for readers of What This Story Needs Is a Pig in a Wig and Not a Box.

Maria the Matador


Anne Lambelet - 2019
    To win, she must outsmart the other matadors who don’t think she’s big enough, fast enough, or strong enough. Can Maria find her own path to victory and churros?With determination and creativity, spunky Maria discovers you don’t have to fight to win, and you might even end up with more than you were hoping for.

Teddy's Favorite Toy


Christian Trimmer - 2018
    But his very favorite doll has the best manners, the sickest fighting skills, and a fierce sense of style. Then one morning, something truly awful happens. And there’s only one woman fierce enough to save the day. Can Teddy’s mom reunite Teddy with his favorite toy?

What Are You Doing, Benny?


Cary Fagan - 2019
    But whenever he tries to join in Benny's activities, all Benny ever says is "No." Maybe his little brother can watch him do cool stuff, if he's lucky. What is a little fox to do, except give Benny a taste of his own medicine? Totally familiar yet fresh and original, tenderly told and consistently funny, this story perfectly captures the joys (and annoyances!) of sibling relationships.

The Second Sky


Patrick Guest - 2017
    It is love at first sight and from that moment on Gilbert longs to fly like other birds. But Penguins don’t fly, they waddle, and so begins Gilbert's quest to find his place in the world. Great things happen when you reach for the sky.

Our Table


Peter H. Reynolds - 2021
    Reynolds creates a tender, lyrical story of multigenerational love, tradition, and family coming together with gratitude and thanks.Celebrated, bestselling creator Peter H. Reynolds brings his signature touch of love and kindness to this special, timely picture book, as families now, more than ever, are rediscovering and reevaluating what means the most: time together with one another.Violet longs for the time when her family was connected: before life, distractions, and technology pulled them all away from each other. They used to gather at the table, with food and love, to make memories, share their lives, and revel in time spent together. But now her family has been drifting apart, and with nobody to gather around it, the table grows smaller and smaller.Can Violet remind her family of the warmth of time spent together, and gather around the table once more?A mystical fable that feels at once timeless and utterly of the present moment, The Table Fable is renowned, bestselling creator Peter H. Reynolds at his best. Exquisite, expressive watercolor tells a tender story, growing from monochrome into luscious, joyful color as Violet's family is reunited around the beloved table. An ode to traditions that unite families, The Table Fable brings readers together with a universal message of gratitude.

Zuri Ray Tries Ballet


Tami Charles - 2021
    At least, that was before her BFFD (best friend from diapers), Jessie, asked her to join a ballet camp.Now Zuri isn’t sure if she’s up for everything. Ballet calls for pointed toes, tight hair buns, and frilly tutus. And while Jessie can’t wait to chassé and plié on the dance floor, that doesn’t sound like Zuri at all! But she can’t let her friend down. Maybe classical ballet just needs a new spin . . .

Papa's Mechanical Fish


Candace Fleming - 2013
    Although he is an inventor, he has never made anything that works perfectly, and that's because he hasn't yet found a truly fantastic idea. But when he takes his family fishing on Lake Michigan, his daughter Virena asks, "Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a fish?"—and Papa is off to his workshop. With a lot of persistence and a little bit of help, Papa—who is based on the real-life inventor Lodner Phillips—creates a submarine that can take his family for a trip to the bottom of Lake Michigan.

How to Wear a Sari


Darshana Khiani - 2020
    Sometimes, it’s downright annoying. When a little girl tires of being treated like she’s TOO little, she sets out to prove to her family that she can do ANYTHING she puts her mind to . . . . . . including putting on a colorful, twinkly, silky sari. Sure, they’re long and unwieldy—but that only means her family will be even more impressed when she puts it on all by herself. Naturally, there are some hiccups along the way, but she discovers that she’s not the only one in her family who has set out with something to prove, with hilariously chaotic results. That’s what photo albums are for!

This Is It


Daria Peoples-Riley - 2018
    Soon enough, the young girl finds confidence in her skills, her body, and her ability to shine.The future is in your footsteps.Freedom is in your feet.Put one foot in front of the other,and greet your destiny.

Who Will You Be?


Andrea Pippins - 2020
    Will her little one be curious like Grandpa and adventurous like Auntie Amina? Compassionate like Amy and joyful like cousin Curlena? Moving from family members and then into the wider community, she muses about which attributes her child will possess. A perfect gift for a baby shower, birthday, or graduation. Who Will You Be? features gorgeous artwork and gentle words that celebrate childhood and is an ode to the power of our village--and a reminder that every child is uniquely wonderful.

Ergo


Alexis Deacon - 2021
    The first things she discovers are her toes. Wiggle, wiggle. Then she finds her wings. Flap, flap. Then her beak. And her legs. She has discovered everything! I am the world and the world is me, she thinks. Until she considers the wall around her. Is that part of her, too? And is that noise from beyond the wall . . . something else? At once humorous and inspirational, this lighthearted foray by Alexis Deacon and Viviane Schwarz is for dreamers and philosophers, the foolish and the enlightened--a picture book experience told with simplicity and style.