Who's In My Family? All About Families

E HAR

Join Nellie and Gus and their family — plus all manner of other families — for a day at the zoo, where they see animal families galore! To top off their day, Nellie and Gus invite friends and relatives for a fun dinner at home. Accessible, humorous, and full of charming illustrations depicting families of many configurations, this engaging story interweaves conversations between the siblings and a matter-of-fact text, making it clear to every child that whoever makes up your family, it is perfectly normal — and totally wonderful.

Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle

E LAC

For one little girl, there’s no place she’d rather be than sitting between Mama and Mommy. So when Mommy goes away on a work trip, it’s tricky to find a good place at the table. As the days go by, Mama brings her to the library, they watch movies, and all of them talk on the phone, but she still misses Mommy as deep as the ocean and as high as an astronaut up in the stars. As they pass by a beautiful garden, the girl gets an idea . . . but when Mommy finally comes home, it takes a minute to shake off the empty feeling she felt all week before leaning in for a kiss. Michael L. Printz Award winner Nina LaCour thoughtfully renders a familiar, touching story of a child who misses a parent, illustrated by Kaylani Juanita, whose distinctive style brings charm and playfulness to this delightful family of three.

Papa, Daddy, and Riley

E KIR

In this heartwarming story showing readers that some families can have one parent or two, some have stepparents, aunts, uncles, or grandparents, Riley learns that families are made of love. Her dads didn't give birth to her, but they carried her in their heart. They love her. They are a family. They all belong together. And Riley's Daddy and Papa are both her real dads!

Our Table

E REY

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 Crazy Much Love

E JOR

“How MUCH is the crazy-much love?” This simple question is answered as two parents recount the journey of adopting their daughter and the many milestone moments that follow. From the child’s first bath and first time riding a tricycle, all the way to her boarding that big yellow bus, the crazy-much love grows SO MUCH that it spills out the windows and busts down the doors. A warm, lyrical celebration of the deep love parents hold for their children, and a comforting message for kids about how there can be only one special YOU.

The First Blade of Sweetgrass

E GRE

It’s time for Musquon’s first harvest. Her grandmother teaches her all about sweetgrass–where it grows, how to identify it (and other grasses that are different,) and how to carefully pick it in the traditional way, leaving the first blade she sees in the ground. As Musquon searches, she learns about the importance of sweetgrass to Wabanaki culture, economy, and religion. Beautifully written, this small-moment story is about a loving familial relationship and Wabanaki culture featuring soft, earthy illustrations.

Drawn Together

E LE

When a young boy visits his grandfather, their lack of a common language leads to confusion, frustration, and silence. But as they sit down to draw together, something magical happens—with a shared love of art and storytelling, the two form a bond that goes beyond words.

Where Three Oceans Meet

E LAR

Sejal, Mommy, and Pati travel together to the southern tip of India. Along the way, they share meals, visit markets, and catch up with old friends. For Pati, the trip retraces spaces she knows well. For Mommy, it’s a return to the place she grew up. For Sejal, it’s a discovery of new sights and sounds. The family finds their way to Kanyakumari, where three oceans meet, and delight in making it to the end of the earth together.

Hair Twins

E MIR

Every morning Papa combs through his daughter's waves like he does his own—parting it down the middle, using coconut oil to get all the tangles out. Some days he braids her hair in two twists down the side of her face. Other days he weaves it into one long braid hanging down her back, just like a unicorn tail. But her favorite style is when he combs her hair in a tight bun on the top of her head, just like the joora he wears every day under his turban. They call this their hair twin look!

A Different Pond

E PHI

A Different Pond is an unforgettable story about a simple event - a long-ago fishing trip. Graphic novelist Thi Bui and acclaimed poet Bao Phi deliver a powerful, honest glimpse into a relationship between father and son - and between cultures, old and new. As a young boy, Bao and his father awoke early, hours before his father's long workday began, to fish on the shores of a small pond in Minneapolis. Unlike many other anglers, Bao and his father fished for food, not recreation. A successful catch meant a fed family. Between hope-filled casts, Bao's father told him about a different pond in their homeland of Vietnam.

Saturday

E MOR

In this heartfelt and universal story, a mother and daughter look forward to their special Saturday routine together every single week. But this Saturday, one thing after another goes wrong--ruining storytime, salon time, picnic time, and the puppet show they'd been looking forward to going to all week. Mom is nearing a meltdown...until her loving daughter reminds her that being together is the most important thing of all.

Grandpa Across the Ocean

E YUM

Grandpa lives on the other side of the ocean.He takes naps all the time. He eats different foods. He speaks an unfamiliar language. His house is the most boring place on Earth! Or is it? A little time together just might reveal that Grandpa is also a great singer, an energetic sandcastle builder, and a troublemaker . . . just like his grandson!

A Day with Yayah

E CAM

Set in the Nicola Valley, British Columbia, in Canada's westernmost province, a First Nations family goes on an outing to forage for herbs and mushrooms. A grandmother passes down her knowledge of plant life and the natural world to her young grandchildren.

Mango Moon: When Deportation Divides a Family

E DU

When a father is taken away from his family and faces deportation, the family is left to grieve and wonder what comes next. Maricela, Manuel, and their mother face the many challenges of having their lives completely changed by the absence of their father and husband. Having to move, missed soccer games and birthday parties, and emptiness are just part of the now day-to-day norm. Mango Moon shows what life is like from a child's perspective when a parent is deported, and the heartbreaking realities the family has to face.

A Family is a Family is a Family

E OLE

When a teacher asks the children in her class to think about what makes their families special, the answers are all different in many ways ― but the same in the one way that matters most of all. One child is worried that her family is just too different to explain, but listens as her classmates talk about what makes their families special. One is raised by a grandmother, and another has two dads. One has many step-siblings, and another has a new baby in the family. As her classmates describe who they live with and who loves them ― family of every shape, size and every kind of relation ― the child realizes that as long as her family is full of caring people, it is special.

Hair Love

E CHE

Zuri’s hair has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way. Zuri knows it’s beautiful. When Daddy steps in to style it for an extra special occasion, he has a lot to learn. But he LOVES his Zuri, and he’ll do anything to make her — and her hair — happy.

'Ohana Means Family

E LOO

Poetic text celebrates Hawaiian culture in they style of "The House That Jack Built," as a family prepares for a luau.

One Family

E SHA

A family can be many things, in this story that introduces numbered groups from one to ten.

Watercress

E WAN

A family drive through the Ohio countryside is interrupted when a young girl's family stops to collect watercress, growing wild in a ditch. The child of Chinese immigrants, the girl is embarrassed that her family is collecting the weed rather than getting their groceries at store like most Americans. However, when her mother describes a childhood memory of gathering the plant in her Chinese village, the girl gains a new appreciation for her heritage.