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Children’s Book Recommendations 2023, So Far: H-R Titles
2023 Children's Books · Children's Book Recommendations

Children’s Book Recommendations 2023, So Far: H-R Titles

The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Children’s book recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

Children’s books are carefully handpicked by a certified elementary school librarian who, although retired, still enjoys reading children’s books, especially picture books, and recommending them to busy teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book lovers.

Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris reads before recommending are checked out from the public library, except for those much-appreciated complimentary copies sent to her for an honest review. Those are noted. The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, she may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you.

H-R

A father and child on a tree swinging

I Hope You Will Know 

by Jaren Ahlmann (Author), Pete Olczyk (Illustrator)

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Collective Book Studio
  • Year: 2023
  • Grades: PreK-3
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1951412982

Brief summary: While a father and child snuggle, a father gives thirteen wisdoms wishes for his child for the future. 

Comments: Done in rhyming couplets.

A sweet bedtime story or a nice gift for a child attending school, college, or an important milestone. 

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.

Children's book cover of Josephine Cochrane juggling dishes

Josephine and Her Dishwashing Machine: Josephine Cochrane’s Bright Invention Makes a Splash 

by Kate Hannigan (Author), Sarah Green (Illustrator)

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Calkins Creek
  • Year: 2023
  • Grades: 1-5
  • Hardcover ‏ narrative nonfiction picture book: ‎ 40 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1635926211

Brief summary: Josephine Cochrane was tired of spending so much time washing dishes while wanting to do more exciting things in her household. Plus, her dishes were getting chipped. After several tries, she came up with the dishwasher and patented it.

Her invention was used in hotels, hospitals, restaurants, and other places with high quantities of dishwashing. Thankfully, she was also able to invent a small dishwasher to be used in homes.

Comments: The back sections are Author’s Note (with a photo of the dishwashing machine, patented on Dec. 28, 1886), Notable Women Inventors,  and Timeline of Fascinating Inventions.

This is an excellent addition to any library for learning about inventions.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.

A boy and and a girl Double Dutch jump roping

Jump In! 

by Shadra Strickland (Author, Illustrator)

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury Children’s Books
  • Year: 2023
  • Grades: PreK-2
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1619635801

Brief summary: Various members of the community join in and show their moves as they share the fun of Double Dutch jump roping on a spring day.

Comments: Fun and lively illustrations made me want to jump in and do Double Dutch skipping myself.

Several foldouts.

This book has many ways that it can be shared in a school. I can see this book being read by a PE teacher before a lesson on jump roping. Or a classroom teacher could share it with a short video demonstration before taking the students outside to try it. I can even see this book shared in music class to help students learn the rhythm and rhymes of Double Dutch chants. 

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗 1/2

Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.

A llama and an alpaca sticking their tonges at one another

A Llama Is Not an Alpaca: And Other Mistaken Animal Identities 

by Karen Jameson (Author), Lorna Scobie (Illustrator)

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Running Press Kids
  • Year: 2023
  • Grades: PreK-2
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0762478780
  • Hardcover nonfiction picture book ‏ : ‎ 32 pages

Brief summary: Readers are asked if they know the name of a pair of two animals that are similar in looks.

Comments: This book teaches how to look at specific traits to identify an animal.

I even learned the difference between crocodiles and alligators which I never knew before reading this book.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.

This book's cover has several different participants on the cover of the competitions such as a man with a large moustache, camel, and large watermelon

The Mind-Blowing World of Extraordinary Competitions: Meet the Incredible People Who Will Compete at ANYTHING 

by Anna Goldfield (Author), Neon Squid (Author), Hannah Riordan (Illustrator)

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Neon Squid
  • Year: 2023
  • Grades: 3-6
  • Hardcover nonfiction children’s book ‏ : ‎ 80 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1684492866

Brief summary: Young readers will learn about the exciting stories of some of the most unusual competitions of humankind from ancient times to now.

Comments: I learned about competitions I never knew existed before reading this fascinating book. Ripley’s Believe it Or Not and Guinness World Record fans will love this children’s book.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.

This children's book cover of My Elephant is Blue has a child being sat on by a blue elephant.

My Elephant is Blue 

by Melinda Szymanik (Author), Vasanti Unka (Illustrator)

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Flyaway Books
  • Year: 2023
  • Grades: PreK-2
  • Hardcover picture book‏ : ‎ 40 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1947888412

Brief summary: A young child has a blue elephant sitting on him and rides on his back wherever he goes. His family tries different things to make the elephant go away. The child and elephant decide to walk together to see if that will make them feel less of the weight of sadness that has been with them. Soon, the elephant changes colors and does not weigh as much.

Comments: This children’s book is about being sad and not really knowing what to do about it except acknowledging it and later figuring out what will work to make you feel happier in your own time. This is not a “heavy” book, thanks to the use of humor and empathy.

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.

A young Rosa Bonheur at an easel painting horses

No Horses in the House!: The Audacious Life of Artist Rosa Bonheur

by Mireille Messier (Author), Anna Bron (Illustrator)

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Orca Book Publishers
  • Year: 2023
  • Grades: 1-3
  • Hardcover narrative nonfiction biography picture book ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 145983352X

Brief summary: Rosa Bonheur loved to draw animals. In France in 1829, Rosa would go around the city drawing animals all day even though her mother wanted her to learn to read. Her mother was finally able to teach her daughter how by having the girl make each letter into an animal.

Because Rosa was not good at the skills traditionally taught to young girls, like sewing, cooking, gardening, and so on, her father decided to teach his daughter about art like he did with his sons. Rosa loved to draw horses but was dragged out of the market several times as it was not considered ladylike.

She even dressed like a boy to sneak in and draw. She was finally given permission to go to the market and draw and paint horses. Her paintings were exhibited, and she became famous for being a realistic painter.

Comments: The back sections of this children’s book are Author’s Note and Rosa Bonheur Milestones.

I like stories like this that remind and teach what privileges and rights we have now and to understand what a person’s life was like about two hundred years ago without them.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.

Children's book cover of Ode to a Bad Day with a little girl wearing a yellow coat and pink tutu in three spotlights yelling and bent over with having a bad day

Ode to a Bad Day

by Chelsea Lin Wallace (Author), Hyewon Yum (Artist)

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chronicle Books
  • Year: 2023
  • Grades: PreK-2
  • Hardcover picture book ‏ : ‎ 48 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1797210807

Brief summary: A child’s day begins with mushy cereal, not finding comfortable clothing, and hurrying to get to school. The rest of the day has little mishaps all adding up. Hoping for a better day as hers falls apart, she continues making odes with each incident.

Comments: This children’s book would make an excellent choice to read to young readers to encourage perseverance and hope to get through a difficult day because tomorrow’s could be fantastic.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.

Children's book cover of One Chicken Nugget has a purple monster with horns holding a chicken nugget with a little Celeste looking at him

One Chicken Nugget 

by Tadgh Bentley (Author, Illustrator)

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Balzer + Bray
  • Year: 2023
  • Grades: PreK-3
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 40 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0062689827

Brief summary: Frank loves to eat chick nuggets from Celeste’s food truck but doesn’t pay for them and scares everyone away. Celeste went to the library and did a little research, coming up with a plan based on the Indian folktale of Sissa to solve her problem with the monster.

Comments: Young readers will enjoy the silliness of the monster and the hilarious illustrations while trying to guess just how many chicken nuggets Frank can eat.

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.