2026 Caldecott

Amazon Summary

Amazon Summary:  From the creator of the beloved webcomic The Oxherd Boy, comes this dazzling, gorgeously illustrated picture book about a little boy who learns he is big enough to do big things. 

Little Ah-Fu has a big imagination, but he can’t imagine being the Oxherd Boy . . . yet.

When the day comes for Ah-Fu to bring the huge family ox home from the woods, he worries that he’s not big enough to do the job. 

Will fear and self-doubt drive Ah-Fu home empty-handed? Or can he rely on his wits and compassion to become the Oxherd Boy his family expects—and prove to himself that he is, indeed, big enough? 

Delightfully paired with exquisite illustrations, this empowering story inspired by traditional Chinese philosophy shows kids big and small how to trust themselves and embrace what they can be. 

Amazon Summary:  An affirming, heartfelt picture book about a Native American boy proudly growing out his hair and basking in the knowledge that braids are beautiful.

Each morning, Dad brushes the knots from his son’s long hair to braid it. The boy winces at the tugging, and at school he's teased for his braid. But he remembers the stories of how his father and grandpa were forced to cut their hair and forbidden from practicing their traditions when they were young, and how they fought to make it possible for him to wear his hair long. Although it can hurt, having long hair ultimately makes him feel brave and strong.

This powerful picture book by author-illustrator Weshoyot Alvitre examines the traumatic history of colonization and reclaims Native pride in long hair, delivering a tender father-son story that's perfect for fans of Hair Love and Love in the Library. 

Amazon Summary:  All-star authors Joanna Ho (Eyes That Kiss in the Corners) and Caroline Kusin Pritchard (The Keeper of Stories) team up with Caldecott Medalist and National Book Award Winner Dan Santat in this celebration of the freedom to read.

Arnold didn't mean for the books to disappear—not exactly. It all started because he liked his book about airplanes best. Why would anyone want to read about tomatoes or ostriches or submarines (ew, the worst!) when they could read about planes, instead?

When Arnold realizes—POOF!—he can make the other books vanish, he goes a little too far. Before he knows it, all the books are gone…including his. Can Arnold figure out how to bring them back before it’s too late?

This book about books celebrates themes of empathy, interconnectedness, and the value of diverse and differing perspectives.

Dedication:  "For all the educators and librarians fighting for the freedom to read.  We see you, we honor you, and we thank you."  JH, CKP, and DS

Amazon Summary:  Why, dear reader, must you NEVER EVER trust fish?

1) They spend all their time in the water where we can’t see them.

2) Some are as big as a bus—that is not okay.

3) We don't know what they're teaching in their "schools."

4) They are likely plotting our doom.

This nature-guide-gone-wrong is a hilarious, off-the-rails exploration of the seemingly innocent animals that live in the water. 

Amazon Summary:  In the mid-1800s, a wave of Chinese immigrants traveled to the West Coast of the United States. They were following rumors of Gold Mountain, a land rich with treasure for all who came. When gold proved elusive, they began to seek their fortunes in other ways―as doctors and launderers, as cooks and musicians.

A number of Chinese immigrants settled in Los Angeles, California. It was a rough, occasionally lawless city, and newspapers routinely published anti-Chinese articles, fueling sparks of hatred. On the night of October 24, 1871, the city exploded in violence. In the ensuing massacre, eighteen Chinese men were killed, their dreams turned to ashes.

New York Times bestselling author Livia Blackburne and illustrator Nicole Xu illuminate a tragic episode in our nation’s past in the hope that future generations can move toward a brighter tomorrow.

Amazon Summary

Amazon Summary:  Elsa carries her chessboard everywhere, always ready for a game. When World War II forces her from Europe, can chess help make America home?

Growing up in 1900s Vienna, Elsa’s brothers are always playing chess. “No girls!” they tell her when she first asks to learn; but she wears them down, and soon she’s such a pro that they give her a special chess set of her own.

Elsa plays chess whenever she can. When she grows up, she even meets her husband over games in the park. But when World War II grips Europe, the young Jewish family must emigrate to America, where they find themselves surrounded by unfamiliar languages.

Luckily, Elsa knows one language that can always bring people together: chess!

In the wake of COVID lockdowns and the hit show The Queen’s Gambit, millions of Americans are falling in love with chess, and young people are no exception. Based on the life of author Jenny Andrus’s grandmother, Elsa’s Chessboard is a gripping tale of resilience, human connection, and the boundless potential of women in male-dominated fields. 

Amazon Summary:  From the creator of I’m Going to Build a Snowman comes a “enthusiastic, delightful” (BookPage, starred review) celebration of community helpers that captures the joy and wonder of being a kid, centering around a precocious girl whose favorite day of the week is Monday.

Every Monday, Mabel wakes up early and peeks out her window to make sure she didn’t miss the one thing she’s been looking forward to the whole week. She drags her chair down the hallway, past her big sister and Mom and Dad, out the door, and waits.

What is Mabel waiting for every Monday? According to Mabel, it’s the best thing in the world. But no one else in her family seems to understand…until they see what’s honking down the street! 

Amazon Summary:  Faith takes the train with her mother most days, and today she's eating one of Grandma's delicious sandwiches. Isaiah, who usually sings a song on their ride home, instead asks a question that quiets a busy train into awkward silence.

“Can anyone please spare some change? A bite to eat?”

When Faith sees his face, her heart goes thump-thump-thump. Will she have the courage to answer?

This sweet and relatable picture book from author Kesi Augustine and illustrator Mokshini is sure to spark conversations about the small ways we can show kindness and help people in need.

Amazon Summary:  Fireworks is a sparkling picture book from the award-winning team of Matthew Burgess and Cátia Chien, highlighting the simple delights of a steamy July day in the city as two siblings eagerly anticipate a spectacular fireworks display.

POP!

As a hot day sizzles into evening, everyone on stoops and sidewalks looks skyward on this special summer night—the Fourth of July! Words and art blossom into flowers of fire across the sky, making this a perfect read for firework enthusiasts in cities and suburbs everywhere.

Amazon Summary:  Ablaze with pattern and color, this ebullient picture book biography celebrates the intersection of art and science—through the life and lens of an extraordinary amateur mathematician.

When Marjorie Rice was a little girl in Roseburg, Oregon, in the 1930s, she saw patterns everywhere. Swimming in the river, her body was a shape in the water, the water a shape in the hills, the hills a shape in the sky. Some shapes, fitted into a rectangle or floor tilings, were so beautiful they made her long to be an artist. Marjorie dreamed of studying art and geometry, perhaps even solving the age-old “problem of five” (why pentagons don’t fit together the way shapes with three, four, or six sides do). But when college wasn’t possible, she pondered and explored all through secretarial school, marriage, and parenting five children, until one day, while reading her son’s copy of Scientific American, she learned that a subscriber had discovered a pentagon never seen before. If a reader could do it, couldn’t she? Marjorie studied all the known pentagons, drew a little five-sided house, and kept pondering. She’d done it! And she’d go on to discover more pentagonal tilings and whole new classes of tessellations. In this visually wondrous tribute, Anna Bron’s intricate art teems with patterns, including nods to M. C. Escher, and radiates the thrill of one woman’s discovery, playfully inviting readers to approach geometry through art—and art through geometry. Back matter offers more on the story of five and suggestions on how to discover a shape. 

Amazon Summary:  From United States Poet Laureate Joy Harjo and Pura Belpré Award–winning illustrator Adriana Garcia: a luminous benediction for a girl’s journey through life, and a celebration of our connections to the world around us.

A baby girl is welcomed to the breathing world by generations of her family and set on the magnificent journey of becoming. As she grows, she is reminded of her connections to the natural world; to her family, her ancestors, her neighbors; to the source of all magic and sorrow―and of her responsibility to uphold and honor those connections.

With US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo’s transcendent verse and Pura Belpré Award winner Adriana Garcia’s monumental illustrations, For a Girl Becoming acts as a blessing and a harbinger for a young girl’s life―and reminds those of us who still stand at the door of becoming that it is our relationships with nature and with each other that carry us through it.

full-color throughout 

Amazon Summary:  An impeccably researched, touching true story of the kindness of strangers around the world following World War II from a bestselling author and award-winning illustrator.

On one side of the ocean, a war had ended, leaving many in Europe without enough food.

On the other side of the ocean, Americans asked, How can we help?

The need was too great for any one person to fill-but what could people do if they joined together?

The answer was the Friendship Train, which ran from the West Coast to the East collecting good food for hungry bellies. Americans of all ages gave what they could. Especially children! They donated their allowances, sold newspapers, collected food from neighbors, loaded packages onto trucks and boxcars-all for strangers across the sea.

And in return, those strangers asked themselves How can we say "thank you"? Still recovering from the war, they didn't have a lot to give, but they found a way-their own train full of ways-to express their gratitude.

This heartwarming nonfiction picture book from Debbie Levy and Boris Kulikov shows how small acts of kindness can grow, healing lives and helping turn strangers into friends. 

Amazon Summary:  

This dust . . .

of what lived once

sustains what lives today

and what will be born . . .

tomorrow.

An ancient catfish becomes a fossil, and as the lake where it lived dries up, the fossil turns to dust--but this isn't ordinary dust. This dust begins in Chad, West Africa, but winds carry it across the continent, over the Atlantic ocean, to nourish and replenish the Amazon rain forest and beyond.

A Gift of Dust takes readers on a journey that shows just how interconnected our planet is, and how something so small can have such a huge impact. With lyrical, awe-inspiring verse based in fact, and stunning art from a Caldecott honoree, this is a story for our times. 

Amazon Summary:  From the bestselling and award-winning creator of They All Saw a Cat comes a bold and playful exploration of how the sun touches all life on earth—perfect for celebrating Earth Day!

Good golden sun, there is much we’d like to know! Are you happy? Are you lonely? Are you feeling well today? Does your belly ever ache? Won’t you come down to play?

From sunbeam, to flower, to insect, to animal, to plant, to soil, and the earth itself…the sun makes, moves, and transforms life all around us. Celebrate the mysteries of light from sunup to sundown as it weaves its way through creation inspiring change, hope, wonder, and curiosity.  

Using a bold, young collage-style art perfect for fans of Eric Carle, Brendan Wenzel's mastery of visual storytelling is on full display in this ebullient exploration of the life-giving power of our nearest star.

Amazon Summary:  The extraordinary story of Harriet Tubman’s life, leadership, spirituality, and relationship with nature, told through powerful poetry and collage.

Harriet Tubman, Force of Nature celebrates the life of the hero of the Underground Railroad with the power of hip-hop-style rhythm and rhyme accompanied by luminous, rough-edged collage.

When Harriet Tubman was born enslaved in Dorchester County, Maryland, in 1822, nobody knew this tiny Black girl-child would be so rooted in the natural world. Nobody knew she would find her way by the stars or move through the woods as silently as an owl or hear God speaking to her in trances. Nobody knew that, against all odds, she would use her oneness with the environment and spirit to escape the brutality that was slavery, rescue hundreds of others from the same fate, embrace the joys of freedom, and become a national hero.

Nobody knew she would become a force of nature.

Available September 2025

Amazon Summary:  A love letter to books, showing how many elements and people contribute to making something beautiful, from Caldecott honoree Elisha Cooper

Multiple starred reviews: "An immediate classic."* / "Special...bringing the parts of the book together into one unified message."** / "A steo-by-step representation of how a book comes into being."***

In this poetic and beautifully illustrated ode to creativity and the process of making books, Caldecott honoree Elisha Cooper takes readers on a journey showing how words and art move from one person to another.

From writer to reader, and everyone who contributes in between: Here is a book, made with love.

An artist’s studio overflows with sketches, drafts, a wastebasket, and wonder.

A publisher’s office hums with computers, layouts, coffee, and teamwork.

A printer makes a layout into a book using presses, ink, paper, and time.

And that book travels to a school, to a library, to a student, to a home. 

* Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books; **Booklist; ***Publishers Weekly 

Amazon Summary:  An awe-inspiring picture book about the origin and advancement of humans, from author and #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Nikkolas Smith.

Fossil records show that the first humans were born in Africa. Meaning, every person on Earth can trace their ancestry back to that continent. The History of We celebrates our shared ancestors' ingenuity and achievements and imagines what these firsts would have looked and felt like.

What was it like for the first person to paint, to make music, to dance, to discover medicine, to travel to unknown lands? It required courage, curiosity, and skill.

The History of We takes what we know about modern human civilization and, through magnificent paintings, creates a tale about our shared beginnings in a way that centers Black people in humankind's origin story. 

Amazon Summary:  A powerful story perfect for opening up conversations about loss.

What does it feel like to lose someone you love? For one little boy, it’s like he has a hole in his life. It’s in the bottom bunk, where his little brother, Matty, used to sleep, and it’s on his brother’s chair at dinner. It follows him everywhere until the day he decides to really explore it. Inside the hole he confronts his grief—the sadness, the anger, and the truth of how much he misses Matty. His friend is waiting when he climbs out, and when she asks, “Do you want to tell me about your brother?” he’s surprised to find that talking about Matty is a comfort—and helps fill his hole with good memories. 

Amazon Summary:  A deeply moving, gorgeously illustrated picture book about leaving home and finding a new place to fit in, for anyone dealing with a move, to another town or to a new country.

Sometimes we leave home in the mornings, in the evenings, or for much longer. But we always come back.

Home becomes a wish when we move, when the new place isn’t the same. Everything might be different: the sounds, the smell, the people, the weather.

But home isn’t just a place. We carry home in our hearts, and it can grow and change as we do in our lives. With time, new faces become friends, and what is different becomes familiar.

Home can be a wish that comes true.

Like Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away and The Day You Begin, this beautiful exploration of what it’s like to deal with a big change is personal, emotionally resonant, and relatable. With page after lovely page of captivating art, New York Times bestselling illustrator Julia Kuo has created a lasting story about how time, patience, and an open heart can help someone feel at home anywhere in the world. 

Amazon Summary

Amazon Summary:  In this companion to the acclaimed and bestselling picture books In a Jar and Out of a Jar, a little bunny and his friends collect their hopes and dreams for the future in jars.

Llewellyn the bunny and his friends dream of many things. Some of their dreams are small, like learning to ice skate, visiting a friend, or acting in the school play. And some of their dreams are big, like going to the moon, or becoming a ballet dancer or a wildlife photographer. Their dreams feel so precious that the bunnies place them in jars for safekeeping. But when a storm comes and destroys their collection of jars, Llewellyn and his friends wonder: what's the point of dreaming if everything could be lost?

This timely, powerful, and beautifully illustrated story of perseverance and resilience explores setbacks, loss, and grief, and shows how—with the help of friends and loved ones—to find the strength to start again. 

Amazon Summary:  Featuring artists ranging from Miles Davis to Kendrick Lamar, dive into this stunningly illustrated celebration of the history of Black music in America by the award-winning author of The Undefeated.

Listen to the sound of survival, courage, and democracy—the soundtrack of America. Hear Billie Holiday's raspy, mournful voice, and tap your foot to Louis Armstrong's trumpet. Scream with James Brown and bop your head to Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Can you spot the 80+ references to artists like Robert Johnson, Ella Fitzgerald, Jimi Hendrix, Whitney Houston, Lauryn Hill, and Beyonce? 

Come dance to Kwame Alexander’s melodious narrative of the history of Black music in America, accompanied by the vibrant illustrations of Charly Palmer. 

The book includes extensive back matter, providing even more context and history about the music and musicians. 

Amazon Summary:  Caldecott and Sibert Medalist Jason Chin charts the thrilling saga of an island community’s brush with a category three hurricane, and the cutting-edge science that helps them prepare.

It’s a beautiful day on Hatteras Island, North Carolina. But while all seems calm now, a hurricane is barreling across the Atlantic, and everyone is wondering when it will hit the U.S. coast. And where.

Night and day, meteorologists use satellites to monitor the storm. Brave pilots fly directly into the tempest, dodging lightning bolts to gather crucial data. Back on the island, families board up windows, drag furniture upstairs, and stock survival kits to prepare for what may come. 

From its dramatic opening, Hurricane alternates between striking maps charting the hurricane’s progress and daily life on the island.  

Hurricane is at once a fascinating view into a natural disaster and a reassuring survey of the tools we use to mitigate the damage. As climate change makes hurricanes ever more destructive, this engaging and rigorous book is perfect for classrooms, and for families making their own safety plans.

Jason Chin, winner of the Caldecott Medal for Watercress (written by Andrea Wang) and the Sibert Medal for Life After Whale (written by Lynn Brunelle) combines breathtaking artwork and clear, compelling text to make Hurricane a gripping read for all ages. At the end, find even more information about hurricanes, with visual aids for deeper understanding. 

Amazon Summary:  Can you tell when a storm is coming? Can you feel the wind coming and growing? Do you hear the branches bouncing together, hear the whispers of the wind through the leaves?

Join in the journey as two siblings bear witness to the steady start, thrilling apex, and gentle end of this island storm. They’ll shelter soon, but first they want to feel it all.

Sydney Smith is the winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international distinction given to authors and illustrators of children's books, and his illustrations are fantastically textured and visually spectacular. Paired with Brian Floca’s eloquent, rhythmic text, Island Storm is a multi-sensory experience that will amaze and delight readers. Children who fear thunder can take comfort in seeing it captured in the pages, while those who relish watching the sky crack open can enjoy battling this storm from the comfort of their homes. 

Amazon Summary:  A sweeping picture book biography about influential Japanese-American sculptor Aiko Ruth Asawa and her childhood spent in an incarceration camp, by award-winning author Caroline McAlister and rising star artist Jamie Green.

Growing up on a dusty farm in Southern California, Ruth Aiko Asawa lived between two worlds. She was Aiko to some and Ruth to others, an invisible line she balanced on every day.

But when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, suddenly she was only Aiko, no matter how much her family tried to cut the lines that connected them to Japan. Like many other Japanese Americans, Ruth and her family were sent to incarceration camps.

At the Santa Anita racetrack, Ruth ran her fingers over the lines of horsehair in the stable stalls the family had moved into. At the Rohwer Relocation Center in Arkansas, she drew what she saw―bayous, guard towers, and the barbed wire that separated her from her old life. 

Amazon Summary:  At a young age, Yo-Yo Ma discovered a remarkable gift for the cello, playing Bach from memory by age four. His technique was far beyond his years, but even as he grew and became a world-class musician—studying at Juilliard, performing at Carnegie Hall at a young age, even playing on television before the president of the United States—he wanted to use his gift for something deeper, something bigger.

As he asked question after question, trying to understand his place in the world, he discovered something that every culture has in common: music.

Ma decided that he would spend his life not only performing for others, but learning from other cultures’ musical traditions and finding ways to unite people. Even as he dedicated himself to humanitarian work around the world, Ma also dedicated himself to teaching a new generation of young cellists to play with their whole hearts, bodies, and souls, like he does—how to find the music inside themselves.

From James Howe, bestselling author of Bunnicula, and Jack Wong, award-winning author/illustrator of When You Can Swim, comes the story of legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who is special not only because of his unmatched talent but also his curious mind and compassionate heart. Powerfully told and stunningly illustrated, this biography will inspire readers to discover the gifts inside us all.

Back matter includes an author’s and an illustrator’s note, a timeline of Ma’s life, and resources to learn more about his life and work. 

Amazon Summary

Amazon Summary:  Poetic and heartwarming, Geisel Honor–winning and #1 New York Times bestselling creator Niña Mata’s first authored picture book stars a young Filipina on her first day of school as she discovers the true and layered meaning of “new.”

In the big city, everything feels new.

School is new. The people are new. And the glares and stares you get for being different are new.

But new can also mean new beginnings . . .

A child's-eye view of the common immigrant experience of adjusting to an unfamiliar place, Mata’s picture book debut is a delightfully illustrated masterpiece that will resonate with any child who embarks on a new adventure.

Amazon Summary:  Why does Mr. Gill keep an empty chair in the front of his classroom? Find out in this poignant picture book based on a true story that celebrates a beloved teacher and his commitment to making sure all kids feel welcome.

From art to science, history to math, there are so many things to learn at school! But Mr. Gill’s students are most interested in learning about the empty chair that sits in the front of their classroom. He tells them a story from his childhood about his Black best friend, Archie, the racism they experienced at a classmate's birthday party, when Archie was told there wasn't a chair for him, and how it inspired Mr. Gill to prioritize inclusivity and love. 

In this true story of bravery and belonging from longtime elementary school teacher Dan Gill and gorgeously illustrated by Susan Gal, readers will learn to always keep an extra chair in their home and in their hearts.  

Amazon Summary:  “Brimming with heart, Old Blue Is My Home is a tender reminder that there are as many definitions of ‘home’ as there are of ‘love.'" (Newbery Medal–winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author Katherine Applegate)

This poignant yet reassuring picture book follows a family and the van that provides them with safety, warmth, and togetherness amid economic and housing insecurity.

Multiple starred reviews! "A family who lives in their van has everything they need in an important and seldom discussed topic done extremely well. A must-have." (School Library Journal starred review)

An old blue van may not look like much, but it holds everything this family needs—shelter, a place to sleep, and each other. They can cook outdoors and sleep under the stars, but sometimes living in Old Blue makes our narrator feel like she’s from everywhere and nowhere all at once. 

Amazon Summary:  In this love letter to the magic of storytelling and connection, a lonely old bird tells stories to a seed, which eventually grows into a tree where animals gather to listen.

A cranky old bird named Otto lives in a dirty and dark house. He could dust, but, ack! Who can be bothered? One day, while making his evening meal, he drops a seed on the floor. He could pick it up, but, ack!, who could be bothered? And so he settles into his armchair and starts to tell a story about being caught in a fierce storm while riding in a hot air balloon. When he wakes up the next morning, the seed has sprouted. And so, at the end of the day, he settles in to spin another yarn. Finally, the sprout is a full-grown tree, which grows right through the top of the house, and animals gather in its top branches every night to listen to one of Otto’s marvelous stories.

Here is a picture book that celebrates the power of imagination and the connections that are made through storytelling. 

Amazon Summary:  A tender and vulnerable exploration of love and loss that follows two boys as they take their first trip back to the lake without their father, from debut author-illustrator Angie Kang.

Today, Brother is taking me up to swim in the lake like Father used to.

I want to thank him for bringing us here, but I can’t find the words.

Instead, I loop my arms around his torso, and he does the same back.

Here, in our lake, the water holds us close.

On a sweltering hot day, a little boy mirrors his brother as he takes off his shirt, stretches, and walks toward the edge of the tall rock, ready to dive into the cool lake waters glistening below. Only this time, Father is not here. And the water looks so far away. How can he take the plunge?

With a gorgeous, deft touch in her exquisitely soft illustrations and words, Angie Kang conveys vulnerability, longing, and connection as these two boys hear Father’s laugh and see his memory all around them, uniting them in a bittersweet moment. 

Amazon Summary:  A tale told in three parts by three friends! Powerhouse creators, Ben Clanton, Corey R. Tabor, and Andy Chou Musser, have come together to create a wholly inventive picture book that is perfect for fans of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Introducing Papilio Polyxenes, the Black Swallowtail Butterfly! She’s an adorable and hilarious caterpillar who is ready to join the world and become a butterfly! But growing up is a complicated work in progress, and Papilio encounters some hiccups as she learns to fly, fall, and feed. While avoiding foes and making friends, she transforms from caterpillar, to chrysalis, to butterfly...and most importantly, learns to believe in herself along the way.

Told in three parts and complete with backmatter about butterflies, mega-bestselling author-illustrator Ben Clanton (Narwhal and Jelly), Caldecott Honoree Corey R. Tabor (Mel Fell) and rising star Andy Chou Musser (Ploof) have come together to create an expressive character who exudes all of the emotions that accompany life's big firsts and the experiences that help us to discover our inner strength. 

Amazon Summary:  A beautiful new book by Beth Ferry and Tom Lichtenheld, the bestselling creators of Stick and Stone!

Here's a heart-expanding storyabout an on-the-go inventor who makes homes for others before realizing the rewards of putting down his own roots. The Peddler of Puddles is a friendship-forward tale, perfect for fans of Bear Came Along and Strictly No Elephants.

The Peddler travels the countryside making perfect puddles for all his forest friends. Puddles that delight ducks, refresh frogs, and satisfy even the thirstiest hummingbird. But being constantly on the go can be lonely, and it's not until his friends step in that the Peddler discovers the joys of a home sweet home of his own.

Filled with whimsy and adorable detail, this tale is a tribute to finding a place to hang your hat.

Amazon Summary:  A sweet and soulful celebration of how a child's imagination can transform ordinary objects into extraordinary treasures.

You can do a lot with a pocket full of rocks...

Rocks make excellent chairs for fairies, they are perfect for writing your name on the sidewalk, or just to hold in your hand when you need reassurance. And so the rocks pile up... Until the season turns and you need to make room for pockets full of petals. And shells. And acorns! Each season's treasure is kept and curated and loved, until it's time to give the treasures away and make room for new things to come.

A Pocket Full of Rocks showcases how a creative child can see big possibilities in the smallest things. It's about noticing, collecting, appreciating, and sharing the wonders around us every day. 

Amazon Summary:  In this laugh-out-loud spin on a classic nursery rhyme collection, a feisty weasel continuously interrupts the narrator’s carefully prepared recitation—adding exuberant mischief to the timeless rhymes we all know and love.

The sensible Secretary Bird wants nothing more than to get on with their job of properly narrating a classic nursery rhyme book. But something is afoot in the orderly land of nursery rhymes . . . a zippy little Weasel has entered the scene! As the Secretary Bird tries to get through the rhymes—from Little Miss Muffet to Jack and Jill—the Weasel bursts in, throwing everything into a comical tailspin. Can the Secretary Bird put an end to the chaos?

In POP! Goes the Nursery Rhyme, influential children’s librarian Betsy Bird and acclaimed illustrator Andrea Tsurumi remix beloved nursery rhymes, serving up a classic-in-the-making packed with hilarious surprises that will have little listeners riveted. 

Amazon Summary

Amazon Summary:  Bestselling and award-winning creator Lane Smith presents an interactive read-aLOUD that invites readers to take a break, run wild with their imaginations, and join in on some good-natured, school-sanctioned shenanigans.

School is where you go to learn. It is fun.

But sometimes you need a little break from all the fun.

That is why there is recess.

But what if it’s not recess time?

No problem!

You can have a Now Recess, a Really-Need-a-Break Recess, a Wherever-You-Are Recess.

It doesn’t matter what you call it. Just make sure you shout it:

RECESS! 

Amazon Summary:  How does an amphibian cross the road? With the help of the Amphibian Migration Team! Learn all about a citizen scientist who acts as a crossing guard for migrating amphibians and helps build them a tunnel to safety in this delightful nonfiction picture book!

From Kari Percival, Ezra Jack Keats Award-winning author of How to Say Hello to a Worm, comes an entertaining and informative children’s book perfect for curious, nature-loving young readers.

Every spring, frogs and salamanders must travel from wooded uplands where they were born to vernal pools where they will mate. Unfortunately, roads constructed through their habitats have made the journey dangerous for these slow-moving animals. Many never reach their destinations. But with the help of the Amphibian Migration Team, there is hope for a safe crossing!

Readers will learn so much about amphibians and their habitats and get a great introduction to civic participation, too. The citizen scientist at the heart of this story presents her proposal for a wildlife tunnel to her local City Council and coordinates with stakeholders in the process like a wildlife biologist, a herpetologist, a roadway engineer, a surveyor, the Conservation Commission, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Department of Transportation, contractors, and reporters. It’s a fascinating way to find out how local government works and how kids can actively create social change. 

Playful and educational, Safe Crossing offers an empowering example of how even the youngest citizens can raise awareness about a meaningful cause, drive change, and unite people locally and globally. 

Amazon Summary:  From the creator of While You’re Asleep comes a hilarious pourquoi story about a burrowing tortoise and her mouse best friend—as well as mishaps, misunderstandings, and the friendships you make along the way.

Tortoise and Mouse are more than just friends and burrowmates. They are best friends and best burrowmates. When their home gets flooded, however, it’s up to Tortoise to dig them a new place to live. And so she digs a room of her own and a room for Mouse. But where is Mouse?

Noticing the fresh burrow, Bunny asks Tortoise if she could dig a room for her as well. Then the Spotted Skunk. The Mole Skinks. And the Wolf Spider, the Frog, and those moths…So Tortoise digs. Seemingly everyone else wants to be her burrowmate except for Mouse—where did she go? 

Amazon Summary:  A joyful picture book for kids and foodies of all ages (with real soy sauce as paint!) that celebrates the iconic kitchen staple and the magical way food connects family and friends across the world.

Salty, savory, rich, and even sweet, soy sauce is as fascinating to make as it is delicious to eat!

Luan makes a classic Chinese soy sauce. Haru uses his own recipe at his family’s traditional Japanese brewery. And Yoo-mi’s Korean soy sauce features special ingredients to make it spicy and sweet.

With unique ingredients that reflect different Asian cultures, and a brewing process that can take years, even decades, soy sauce holds deep meaning and flavorful history in every drop. 

Amazon Summary:  “Both gloriously expansive and goofy—in short, everything young readers could ask for.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

A hilarious and thought-provoking picture book about two little cave rock formations who witness the entire history of the world, perfect for fans of Oliver Jeffers, Jon Klassen, and Mac Barnett.

DRIP. DRIP. DRIP.

Time flies for two charming little cave nubs, Stalactite and Stalagmite. Over millions of years, creatures and things pass in and out of their cave, everything from a trilobite, an ichthyostega, and a triceratops, to a ground sloth and a bat.

When you are an ageless rock formation, it’s nice to have a friend who’s always there. But what will happen when the two nubs grow enough to finally touch? 

Amazon Summary:  Following a blazing trail of sundust, two curious siblings hop the wall into a place that’s endless and free. Here, prickly old nopal trees beg to be climbed, empty turtle shells invite a closer look, enormous rocks model how to sit still and listen, and a colibrí offers an unexpected ride. In the desert, where life revolves around the Sun, brother and sister explore, imagine, and wonder, What if Sun’s power was inside me? until their mom’s whistle calls them back home again.

With spare, lyrical text, Pura Belpré Honor and Ezra Jack Keats Honor recipient Zeke Peña has created a fantastical tale that suspends moments in time with his radiant art and celebrates the bonds between the sun, the desert, and its people. 

Amazon Summary

Amazon Summary:  An endearing story about a girl’s efforts to spot an owl from the Caldecott Medal winning creator of Wolf in the Snow. This gorgeous picture book that encourages patience and perseverance will resonate with readers of all ages who have longed to see one of these elusive creatures in the natural world.

When will I find you?

Where could you be?

What will it take?

To see an owl.

Silent and wide-eyed, owls are hidden creatures of the night. Janie has always dreamed of finding one. She searches everywhere for signs of an owl – on the open prairie for short-eared owls, on the beach for snowy owls, and for great horned owls in the woods near her home. But months go by, and she sees no owls. She wonders, what will it take to see an owl?

Her teacher, Mr. Koji, a fellow bird-lover, shares that he, too, waited a long time to see an owl. He assures her, “If you are very quiet and very patient, and if you look very close, you might just find them.”

When the snow begins to fall, Janie and her mother head into the woods again, and as she looks carefully, hidden high up in the trees, what she sees is pure magic.

From Matthew Cordell, the creator of Wolf in the Snow that was awarded the Caldecott Medal, comes this beautiful story about quiet perseverance that will resonate with anyone who has experienced the anticipation of discovering a rare treasure in the wild. 

Amazon Summary

Amazon Summary:  Whales in the City features sound design and special effects to enhance your listening enjoyment. Listen out for the sounds of New York City and the songs of whales!

For fans of If Sharks Disappeared, this kid-friendly audiobook is a true story about how community action saved the whales of New York Harbor and reversed the effects of climate change.

Spanning from pre-colonization to today, learn how the industrial revolution, overfishing, and pollution drove whales away from New York Harbor and the Hudson River by the early 20th Century.

But the story doesn’t end there.

Passionate citizens were able to band together and clean up the harbor through activism and legislation. The first whales were spotted in the Hudson after over 100 years in 2019!

Here is an uplifting environmental success story full of towering skyscrapers and underwater dramatics that highlights the power of community—voicing to listeners of all ages that each of us can make a difference. Also includes information on whales and water pollution around the country.

Amazon Summary:  Did you know that fish grunt, shellfish crackle, and some sea creatures even burp and boop to communicate? Dive into a fascinating underwater adventure as one little shellfish guides readers through the surprisingly loud world beneath the waves!

"This will be a popular read-aloud; there's so much to learn about underwater sounds, and readers will appreciate such a terrific introduction to the topic... start recommending it ASAP." ― School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

This upbeat, rhyming nonfiction picture book features:

• STEM Connections – Introduces young readers to the science of bioacoustics in an engaging, age-appropriate way

• Educational Fun – Supports early science learning with fascinating facts and real ocean sounds

• Lively Rhyming Text – Keeps kids engaged and entertained while they learn

• Vibrant Illustrations – Brings the noisy ocean world to life with colorful, playful art

Perfect for Classrooms & Home Libraries – Great for read-alouds, science units, and nature-themed storytime

Whether you're a parent looking to nurture a love of science, a caregiver encouraging curiosity, or a teacher adding ocean-themed nonfiction to your shelves, What Fish Are Saying is a must-have addition to your collection.

Amazon Summary:  This touching story about love, loss, and remembrance in the wake of losing a beloved pet is the final completed book written by beloved creator Tomie dePaola, with art by award-winning illustrator Barbara McClintock.

Where are you, Brontë?

The day you left me, I knew I would miss you.

And I did. Every day, every night.

But then, I knew you were right here, still with me, in my heart forever.

Children’s book legend Tomie dePaola tells the emotional and deeply personal story about overcoming his grief after the loss of his beloved dog, Brönte. 

Amazon Summary:  From James Beard Award–winning chef Alexander Smalls, New York Times bestselling author Denene Millner, and award-winning illustrator Frank Morrison comes a “vibrant visual narrative” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) of family, traditions, and the little moments shared at the dinner table that make all the difference.

There is nothing young Alexander looks forward to more than Sunday Dinner, the special time after church when the whole family gathers dressed in their Sunday best and ready to share in the best meal of the week.

For the first time, it’s up to Alexander to contribute a dish for the table, something warm and satisfying, with just the right amount of sweetness—something that the whole family will love and, most of all, will make his dad proud. It’s time for Alexander to spread that Sunday joy! 

Amazon Summary:  Plunge deep into the awe-inspiring true story of a freediver’s encounter with a newborn sperm whale and its family.

When a freediver (one who dives without the benefit of oxygen) slips underwater, he encounters a pod of sperm whales so close he can almost touch them. When he sees blood in the water, he wonders if there's been an injury. When he comes even closer, what he finds instead is a moments-old calf, skin wrinkly and tail fluke still folded from the womb.

The calf’s family nudges it up to breathe; nudges it toward each member of the pod, by way of introduction; and then it happens—the mother nudges her child toward the diver, inviting him, too, to share in the family moment.

Told from the vantage point of Belgian freediver Fred Buyle, who with his diving partner Kurt Amsler are the only people known to be present at the birth of a sperm whale, In the World of Whales features lyrical-yet-precise text by Michelle Cusolito and dreamlike illustrations by Jessica Lanan, creator of the Sibert Honor book Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider. Any child who dreams of speaking to animals will adore this proof of humanity’s bond with the wild world. At the end of the story, find more information about freediving and whales. 

Amazon Summary