Tag: books for kids

Halloween Picture Books–New
Children's Book Recommendations

Halloween Picture Books–New

The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Halloween picture book recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. These titles are available under my Amazon Storefront under Halloween Picture Books– https://amzn.to/4myjhWo .)

❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗

green bees flying around the title of the book--Zombees

The Zombees 

by Justin Colón (Author), Kaly Quarles (Illustrator)

Summary: There is buzzing in the Honey Hills Graveyard. Bees in green? They’re zombees chasing everyone in town on Halloween night. Why and what do they want?

Comments: A fun and not scary Halloween story that would make an excellent read-aloud for preschool – 2nd grade. Spooky at just the right level.

Rhyming text.

The bright illustrations against a black background were created digitally.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Murray, a dog, is sitting around pumpkins and jack o'lanterns howling to the full moon. There is a black cat and two bats in the background with the black outline of two trees

Murray’s Howl-o-ween: A Halloween

by E. G. Keller (Author)

Summary: Murray loves the city and was not happy at first to go to the country, where nothing smells or sounds like the city. Everything was new: the town, the pumpkin patch, and the maze. Will this city dog learn to like the country?

Comments: A humorous read-aloud to address being scared of new things and overcoming them.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

A spider hanging from a web on a tree with a jack o'lantern at the base. There is a full moon.

Chicka Chicka Tricka Treat

by Julien Chung (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: All the letters dress up for Halloween and climb the tree. Suddenly, a ghost comes swishing in, booing, and scaring everyone down the tree. They decide to go back up again and receive a treat.

Comments: This is in the wonderful rhyming and rhythm of the Chicka Chicka books.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

La Rata and freinds trick or treating with jack o'lantern candy bag. They are all in costumes. There are sugar skeletons and candy on the ground.

¡Vamos! Let’s Celebrate Halloween and Día de los Muertos

by Raúl the Third (Author, Illustrator), Elaine Bay (Illustrator)

Summary: Little Lobo and friends dress up to celebrate Halloween by trick-or-treating. Afterward, they help prepare and decorate the cemetery for Dia de Los Muertos.

Comments: Spanish and English words mingle throughout the story. The story is told with traditional text and speech bubbles.

I enjoy the details of the illustrations, which were created using pen and ink on smooth plate Bristol board, with the colors created using Adobe Photoshop.

The back pages have a glossary, A Note From Raúl the Third, and A Dia de los Muertos Activity.

Fantastic to see an illustrator using the front and back endpapers instead of just leaving them white. Absolutely full of details and color.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

A ghoul with long curly hair is walking to a huanted house with three ghosts flying out of it.

Ghouldilocks and the Three Ghosts 

by Annie Sullivan (Author), Paula J. Becker (Illustrator)

Summary: In this retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, a little girl ghoul walks into a haunted house, discovering ghoulash, chairs, and beds.

Comments: There are traditional text and speech bubbles.

The moral of the story shifts from learning not to enter a stranger’s house to this new retelling, which emphasizes making friends with the inhabitants.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

A girl with black hair is wearing a pointy hat.

This Year, a Witch! 

by Zoey Abbott (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: A little girl shares all of the cute Halloween costumes she has been in the past, but now wants to be something scary–a witch. Her dad helps make the costume and applies her makeup. All is okay until she looks in the mirror.

Comments: I liked how she grew from cutesy costumes to wanting to be spooky.

A fun read-aloud.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

A jack o'lantern with little peas dressed in costumes

Hap-Pea Halloween

by Keith Baker (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: Adorable little peas dressed in various Halloween costumes ask what the reader will be for the holiday, giving several suggestions in fun rhyming and rhythmic verses.

Comments: The illustrations were created in Adobe Photoshop.

I always enjoy seeing more of the happy peas’ world in this series.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

A red headed girl in pigtails is standing outside a brick house that has a glowing jack o' lantern in the window with leaves and the wind blowing

Lila and the Jack-o’-Lantern: Halloween Comes to America

by Nancy Churnin (Author), Anneli Bray  (Illustrator)

Summary:  Lila, an Irish immigrant, is on the ship in 1850 with her mother and two siblings on the way to America, where their father waits for them to join him. They talk about a spirit named Jack that visits homes on Halloween night to play pranks. They would carve a turnip and place a glowing coal inside, so Jack sees it and leaves them alone. They wear sheets and knock on doors for sweets. When Lila arrives and sees that there are no turnips, she improvises with the help of her new friend Julia, who learns about the foods and traditions of Halloween in Ireland.

Comments:  This would be an excellent read-aloud for students to learn the origins of Halloween.

The back pages are Author’s Note and Colcannon and Barmbrack.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Bruce the bear has a grumpy look on his face as he stands on a stage wearing clothing from the 1800s while his three mice friends are in disguises or inside a pumpkin full of Halloween candy

Bruce and the Legend of Soggy Hollow (Mother Bruce Series) 

by Ryan T. Higgins (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: Although grumpy Bruce does not like holidays, especially Halloween, with all of those visitors appearing at his door, Bruce gets talked into and agrees to role-playing a scary story called “The Legend of Soggy Hollow” with his forest friends…but were they indeed all of his friends?

Comments: A cute and hilarious parody of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, one of my favorite spooky stories.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Dokkaebi Doki and Kebi are in the countryside with their magical clubs

The Goblin Twins 

by Frances Cha (Author), Jaime Kim (Illustrator)

Summary: Doki and Kebi are dokkaebi, a cross between a spirit and a goblin, who will need to move, as their home was being torn down to build a new one. Although Doki likes to give gifts of gold and silver to people with his magic club while his twin, Kebi, wants to scare people with his, they decide to live together in a haunted house in a strange land called America just in time for Halloween.

Comments: This is based on Korean lore. A more detailed explanation can be found in the back of the book in the Author’s Note.

I love to read monster/mythical creature lore from other countries. This would make an excellent addition to the Halloween or folklore section of a library.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

There are pumpkins and jack-o- lanterns with lit candles and a fake black spider on the steps of a house for the traditional Halloween house

Halloween (Traditions & Celebrations) 

by Charles C Hofer (Author)

Summary: Young readers will learn how Halloween began, how we celebrate it today, and how other countries(Mexico, Germany, France, and Japan) celebrate holidays like it.

Comments: Words in bold are in the glossary. The back sections are Glossary, Read More, Internet Sites, Index, and About the Author.

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

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

Jack-o-lantern with a candle inside, a black cat, spilt candy corn, and bats are spread on the cover of this Halloween book

Halloween (Holiday History)

by Spanier Kristine Mlis (Author)

Summary: Young readers will learn about the origins of Halloween, its traditions, and how South Korea and Ireland celebrate it.

Comments: Several “Did You Know?” squares give more information about the page’s topic. The back sections are Quick Facts & Tools: Halloween Place of Origin, Glossary, Index, and To Learn More.

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

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

Halloween scene in the apple orchard with scarecrows, jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins, squash, ghosts, apples, a tractor, and a black cat

Halloween in the Orchard (Countryside Holidays, 3) 

by Phyllis Alsdurf (Author), Lisa Hunt (Illustrator)

Summary: A young boy and his parents dress up in costumes to visit an orchard on Halloween, where there are many fun activities, including trick-or-treating with scarecrows, a corn maze, and a hayride.

Comments: What child(or adult) wouldn’t like to go to an apple orchard like this on Halloween night!?!

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

This is the third book of the Countryside Holidays series.

The selected children’s books are chosen by a certified, retired elementary school librarian who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.

Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day Reads: Picture Books to Share with Kids
Children's Book Recommendations

Indigenous Peoples’ Day Reads: Picture Books to Share with Kids

The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Indigenous Peoples’ Day Reads: Picture Books to Share with Kids book recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. These titles may be found in my Amazon Storefront under Indigenous People’s Day Picture Books- https://amzn.to/4q9DDZo .)

❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗

James with is mother and grandmother standing in front of a memorial of toys, teddy bears, little shoes, and candles. Book cover to Little Shoes

Little Shoes 

by David A. Robertson (Author), Maya McKibbin (Illustrator)

Summary: James takes a walk with his kōkom, which he learns is called a march. Several other people joined as they stopped in front of a large pile of things for children, including teddy bears, little shoes, and flowers. His kōkom explains to him that it is a memorial about all of the children who did not return from residential school.

Comments: This is a gentle telling of residential schools and some of the history of this tragic time. It is age-appropriate with the questions and answers James asks his mother and kōkom.

The illustrations were created digitally and incorporate many blues and constellations that James wakes up to, full of questions about the world around him–present and past.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Book cover to For a Girl Becoming with an indigenous woman holding her newborn baby girl wrapped in a green cloth. Mountains in the background.

For a Girl Becoming 

by Joy Harjo (Author), Adriana M. Garcia (Illustrator)

Summary: A love letter upon the birth of a girl, continuing as she grows, reminding her to remember and honor her connections to family, nature, and ancestors.

Comments: This is based on the poem of the same name, which can be found in the back pages.

Many full two-page spread illustrations. The illustrations were created with acrylics on paper. Absolutely stunning.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Book cover for The Echo People. An older indigenous man pointing to the river gorge before them. A boy and girl are standing beside him.

The Echo People 

by SD Youngwolf (Author), Shonto Begay (Illustrator)

Summary: Two young cousins, Aiyanna and Little Wolf, go with their grandfather, a chief, to meet the Echo People who live in the river gorge.

Comments: What a great read aloud for children to learn the moral of how if we give love and kindness to the world, it will be returned to us, and in opposition, if we give meanness and hate, it will return to us.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

A girl looking up at the sky with the sun shining and a bird flying above. Flowers are around her on both sides

Of the Sun: A Poem for the Land’s First Peoples 

by Xelena González (Author, Narrator), Emily Kewageshig (Illustrator)

Summary: An illustrated poem written for indigenous children of the Americas, reminding them of their connection to the land and to be proud of their heritage.

Comments: The illustrations were created with digital methods, enhancing Anishinaabe-styled artwork.

The back pages feature a map and additional information, including details about the Land Back Movement.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

The sun is setting over the water with bright yellow, orange, and red while there is a black shadow of a tree and someone with an easel painting

Mother Earth: My Favourite Artist 

by Carol Rose GoldenEagle (Author), Hawlii Pichette (Illustrator)

Summary: A young female artist finds and admires the beauty she sees in nature and tries to capture that in her own paintings.

Comments: This book helps readers to recognize the everyday art around us in Nature.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

a grandmother and granddaughter who is holding a big pot with ingredients and ancestors in the background

Our Ancestors’ Kitchen 

by Willie Poll (Author), Shaikara David (Illustrator)

Summary: A young girl learns from her grandmother how to make her grandpa’s favorite recipe. With each ingredient, we learn about its origin, from how it was planted, harvested, or caught, and appreciate the value of Nature and its connection to the family’s culture.

Comments: The book highlights the significance of food and its connection to culture. I appreciate how it discusses each ingredient, making it more relatable.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

A boy closing his eyes with his hair pulled back

Brave 

by Weshoyot Alvitre (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: A young indigenous boy admires his father’s long hair and that of dancers at a powwow. Although he is teased at school, he wants to have long braids. His father tells him about the history of how his hair and that of other indigenous people was cut as he combs his son’s hair. He explains how they had to be brave and strong. The boy decides he wants to be like his ancestors and grow his hair long, too.

Comments: This would be a wonderful classroom read-aloud. It gently explores the significance of having one’s hair cut against one’s will.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

A girl and a dog in the forest looking at a butterfly.

Bud Finds Her Gift 

by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Author), Naoko Stoop (Illustrator)

Summary: Bud sees others around her doing important things and wants to find something important to do herself. She goes to her grandmother, who takes her on a walk to a tree where she teaches her granddaughter to observe and appreciate Nature around them. “Everyone, from the day of their birth, has given a gift to share with the Earth.” Bud begins to realize what her gift is to give.

Comments: I appreciate the book’s message, which encourages young readers to discover the gift they were given to share.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

A steelworking is walking across a beam high up in the sky

To Walk the Sky: How Iroquois Steelworkers Helped Build Towering Cities 

by Patricia Morris Buckley (Author), E. B Lewis (Illustrator)

Summary: In this narrative nonfiction picture book, we learn about the history of how many indigenous steelworkers contributed to the construction of numerous skyscrapers and bridges across North America. We learn about the history of the first skywalkers, all the way to those who are still helping to build today, despite the danger.

Comments: The illustrations were created with watercolor.

The back pages include more details and a glossary.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

A girl and her black cat in the grass

My Friend May 

by Julie Flett (Author)

Summary: Margaux has a cat named May living with her. The cat does not return for dinner one day. Everyone looks for the cat but cannot find her. Margaux helps her auntie, Nitôsis, move to the city. Will they ever find May?

Comments: There are Cree words sprinkled throughout with a glossary and pronunciation key in the back.

The illustrations were created in pastels and pencils and composited digitally.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

The selected children’s books are chosen by a certified, retired elementary school librarian who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.

Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.

Cat Picture Book Recommendations for Children
Children's Book Recommendations

Cat Picture Book Recommendations for Children

The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Cat Picture book recommendation are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. These titles can be found on my Amazon Storefront under Cat Picture Books — https://amzn.to/47WSSOy .)

❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗

A blue cat named Zeffo sitting in his bed.

Arthur’s Cat

by Johan Leynaud (Author), Sarah Ardizzone (Translator)

Summary: Arthur loves his cat, Zeffo and wants to do everything with him. Zeffo wants his personal space. After a too tight hug and scratching-to-be-free incident, Zeffo hides. Will Arthur learn to love his cat by giving Zeffo the freedom he needs?

Comments: This is an exceptional Social-Emotional Learning book that addresses boundaries. This read-aloud teaches kids that friendship can mean taking a step back and allowing it to form.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

*I received a free copy of this book.

A black cat is underneath a vehicle while large drops of rain are coming down. Book cover for Late Today.

Late Today 

by Jungyoon Huh (Author), Myungae Lee (Illustrator), Aerin Park (Translator)

Summary: The Seogang Bridge in Seoul, South Korea, is busy with morning traffic on a rainy day. There is a kitten darting between the cars trying to survive. Why isn’t anyone stopping to help? Will anyone help?

Comments: The illustrations were created using colored pencils and oil pastels. They effectively complement and enhance the text. They help to create the gloomy, rainy day and the lightness at the end of the story.

What a wonderful read-aloud and discussion book.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

*I received a free copy of this book.

A girl and her black cat in the grass

My Friend May 

by Julie Flett (Author)

Summary: Margaux has a cat named May living with her. The cat does not return for dinner one day. Everyone looks for the cat but cannot find her. Margaux helps her auntie, Nitôsis, move to the city. Will they ever find May?

Comments: There are Cree words sprinkled throughout with a glossary and pronunciation key in the back.

The illustrations were created in pastels and pencils and composited digitally.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Ramon Fellini is a black tuxedo cat with the shadow of a dog against a building

Ramon Fellini the Dog Detective 

by Guilherme Karsten (Author)

Brief summary: The mystery begins with the fish bowl on the floor and a boy quickly putting his pet goldfish into a plastic baggie of water. There is a knock on the door. The boy opens the door to find Ramon Fellini, the dog detective, ready to offer his services to help figure out how the fishbowl fell. The boy is quite impressed with the dog detective’s cat disguise. He looks just like a cat. Will they be able to figure out who is the culprit?

Comments: This is an outstanding whodunnit picture book that children will love. The humor engages them as they take on the role of a detective trying to solve the mystery of what happened to the fish. They will know that something isn’t quite right with the devious detective.

This hilarious mystery picture book is a Brazilian translation, initially published in 2021 and translated to English in 2025. The illustrations were created digitally.

Not only is this a fun read-aloud, but it could also teach clues in the text and illustrations as well as predictability of what will happen next.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

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

*I received a free copy of this book.

Book cover to A Cat Like That with a dark gray cat with a white chest, paws, and tip of tail wearing a bell walking through town

A Cat Like That

by Lester L. Laminack (Author), Nicole Wong (Illustrator)

Summary: A cat walks through the neighborhood visiting various places and people but not staying too long before continuing it’s journey around the neighborhood.

Comments: This story is told through the eyes of a cat. Rhyming text. Readers will wonder where the cat will go on the island next.

Rating: 4/5📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Book cover for The Cat Way with a person wearing a green baseball hat and red checked shirt holding a black and white cat walking at night in the woods. There are yellow stars.

The Cat Way 

by Sara Lundberg (Author), B.J. Woodstein (Translator)

Brief summary: Part 1: The person walks with the cat every day, always leading the way. The cat stops to play with a friend, but the human scares the friend away by stomping a foot. The feline asks, “Why are you always in charge?”

The cat leaves the human who stays outside looking all over for the cat. Frozen, the person goes home to find the cat.

Part 2: Today, the cat is in charge and takes the human on a little adventure into the woods. The cat shows the human a beautiful night sky before going home. They decide to compromise by taking turns who can be in charge of their walks.

Comments: The illustrations were created using gouache and watercolor.

Rating: 4.5 /5 📗📗📗📗1/2

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

*I was sent a complimentary copy of this book.

Chip the dog has a cone around his head with a bandage on his nose with the head of a gray cat looking at him from a window. The cover's lettering is mixed with a ball of yarn unraveled and tangled

Don’t Trust Cats: Life Lessons from Chip the Dog 

by Dev Petty (Author), Mike Boldt (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Chip, the dog, warns young readers not to trust cats and advises us who and what can be trusted.

Comments: The humorous illustrations go well with the freehand lettering to make the dog’s narrative authentic.

We do not find out why Chip the Dog has a cone around his neck, but the cat is probably involved. That would be a good question to discuss with students.

This is a nice persuasive writing example and will be enjoyed as a funny read-aloud.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

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

A large cat with a grin that is holding a red rose

Carina Felina 

by Carmen Agra Deedy (Author), Henry Cole (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Pepe the parrot loves Carina Felina, the cat. He invites her to his house for dinner, where he has made 100 Cuban crackers. Carina Felina ate them all and Pepe! The greedy and narcissistic cat goes through the town, eating and eating everyone she comes across. Will they ever get out of the cat’s belly?

Comments: This is a Caribbean retelling of “The Cat and the Parrot”. There are some Spanish words in the story with a pronunciation key in the back and the recipe for Pepe’s Cuban Crackers.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Five different cats are on the cover of This Little Kitty in the Garden. They are in a garden with flowers, ferns, frees, and a pink butterfly.

This Little Kitty in the Garden 

by Karen Obuhanych (Author)

Brief summary: Spring has arrived, and five cats living on Sakura Way head towards the garden shed to collect their tools to work on creating a garden. However, they get distracted upon going there and start enjoying the presence of other creatures already in the garden. The owners of the cats come out to the garden and are delighted to see that everything has been planted.

Comments: The illustrations were created with colored pencils, charcoal, and cut paper.

Rating: 4/5–📗📗📗📗

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

The cats are in the tool shed looking at the garden tools. There are flower pots on a table with an orange cat sleeping below next to a water can. Tools are hanging on the wall.

The selected children’s books are chosen by a certified, retired elementary school librarian who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.

Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.

Children's Book Recommendations

Late Today

The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Late Today children’s book recommendation is by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This title can be found in my Amazon Storefront under Cat Picture Books– https://amzn.to/47WSSOy .)

A black cat is underneath a vehicle while large drops of rain are coming down. Book cover for Late Today.

Late Today 

by Jungyoon Huh (Author), Myungae Lee (Illustrator), Aerin Park (Translator)

Summary: The Seogang Bridge in Seoul, South Korea, is busy with morning traffic on a rainy day. There is a kitten darting between the cars trying to survive. Why isn’t anyone stopping to help? Will anyone help?

Comments: The illustrations were created using colored pencils and oil pastels. They effectively complement and enhance the text. They help to create the gloomy, rainy day and the lightness at the end of the story.

What a wonderful read-aloud and discussion book.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

*I received a free copy of this book.

The selected children’s books are chosen by a certified, retired elementary school librarian who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.

Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.

Autumn Picture Books Every Child Should Read
Children's Book Recommendations

Autumn Picture Books Every Child Should Read

The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Autumn Picture book recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. All of these title can be found in my Amazon Storefront under Autumn Picture Books– https://amzn.to/466w5i5 .)

Book cover of Apples and Pumpkins with the little girl carrying a large pumpkin with a chicken beside her and a bushel of apples

Apples and Pumpkins 

by Anne Rockwell (Author), Lizzy Rockwell (Illustrator)

Summary: A young girl, her father, and her mother visit a farm during autumn to pick apples and the perfect pumpkin to make a jack o’ lantern for Halloween.

Comments: This book is ideal for toddlers and preschoolers who are learning about fall traditions.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Book cover of Every Autumn Comes the Bear with a large black bear walking in the forest with fall leaves on a path

Every Autumn Comes the Bear 

by Jim Arnosky (Author)

Summary: A black bear appears each fall in the woods, encountering forest animals like ravens, a bobcat, and a fox along the way before getting ready to hibernate.

Comments: The book is beautifully illustrated with watercolors and is an excellent read-aloud choice for introducing the concepts of hibernation or animal behavior.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Book cover for Fall Leaves with a boy and girl walking along a river aligned with orange leaved trees

Fall Leaves 

by Loretta Holland (Author), Elly MacKay (Illustrator)

Summary: A boy and a girl walk through the countryside in autumn, observing how nature has transformed and continues to change. They notice how the vibrant orange and yellow tones of autumn are giving way to the cooler gray and blue tones of winter, all illustrated beautifully in the landscape.

Comments: The light-box illustrations are so eye pleasing and really set the whole autumn and winter moods of the book.

There are two sets of text. We see the large print word playing, such as they do with fall and leaves. Underneath is a smaller, detailed print explaining what is happening in Nature as it is changing.

This STEM picture book is a superb addition to any library.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Book cover to Fletcher and the Falling Leaves where Fletcher is gathering falling leaves

Fletcher and the Falling Leaves

by Julia Rawlinson (Author), Tiphanie Beeke (Illustrator)

Summary: Fletcher, a young fox, is very worried about a tree that is losing all of its leaves. He believes the tree is sick, so he gathers the fallen leaves and even tries to reattach them. His mother explains to him that this is the tree’s way of preparing for winter. After taking a nap, the little fox wakes up to see the tree’s new, beautiful winter appearance.

Comments: The lovely watercolor illustrations match the mood and changing seasons.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Book cover to Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn with a girl wearing a red scarf and a white spotted dog walking in nature with the green leaves of the trees changing to the orange trees. The blue jay is flying south.

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn

by Kenard Pak (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: A girl with her dog walks through the town and country, talking to the nature around them as the summer season changes to autumn. She says goodbye to summer and welcomes autumn.

Comments: The illustrations complement the changing seasons and create the tone of each season.

This is a season series by Kenard Pak. I recommend all four. More information about them can be found on the series’ Amazon page.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Book cover to In November with fall leaves on the parameter and a mouse in the middle

In November

by Cynthia Rylant (Author), Jill Kastner (Illustrator)

Summary: Various animals prepare for the oncoming winter season by gathering food, while humans gather inside, especially for Thanksgiving.

Comments: This is an autumn-to-winter transitional book with cozy illustrations. The smells and sounds of November are incorporated. This book was one that teachers shared with their students each fall.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

book cover to In the Middle of Fall with a squirrel on a branch with fall oak leaves and a few acorns

In the Middle of Fall 

by Kevin Henkes (Author), Laura Dronzek (Illustrator)

Summary: A child and dog are being observed by a squirrel as they walk, noticing fall all around them, the leaves, pumpkins, apples, and slowly transforming to winter.

Comments: The text captures the essence of autumn days by focusing on vocabulary related to the season.

Perfect for little ones in toddler and kindergarten.

This is a season series with the titles as In the Middle of Fall, Winter Is Here, When Spring Comes, and Summer Song.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Book cover for pumpkin jack with a jack o lantern in decomposition.

Pumpkin Jack 

by Will Hubbell (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: A boy’s carved pumpkin decays and transforms through the seasons into new growth.

Comments: This is an engaging introduction to the life cycle of plants and the concept of decomposition.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Book cover to It's Pumpkin Time with a dog with its paw on a pumpkin

It’s Pumpkin Time! 

by Zoe Hall (Author), Shari Halpern (Illustrator)

Summary: Two siblings plant pumpkin seeds and learn to care for them by watering and weeding throughout the summer until autumn, when they ripen just in time for Halloween.

Comments: This is an excellent book for science tie-ins about plant life cycles.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Book cover for Leaf Man with many leaves making a man shape

Leaf Man 

by Lois Ehlert (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: Leaves in the autumn wind turn into Leaf Man, who travels on the breeze over marshes, orchards, and farms. Other leaves change into other forms along the way.

Comments: This book would be the perfect inspiration for leaf art projects. Read this first and have the students go out gathering leaves for their leaf creatures.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

book cover to the scarecrow with a scarecrow standing in a field with a crow on its arm.

The Scarecrow

by Beth Ferry (Author), Eric Fan (Illustrator), Terry Fan (Illustrator)

Summary: A lonely scarecrow helps an injured baby crow recover. Once the crow is well, it leaves. The scarecrow is alone again until the following spring when the crow returns with its mate. Together, they build a nest in the scarecrow. Soon, the scarecrow finds itself with a family..

Comments: Stunning illustrations with a lovely theme of compassion and kindness.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Book cover to red leaf, yellow with read and yellow fall leaves

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf 

by Lois Ehlert (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: A child tells the story of his sugar maple tree. He shares how it started growing in the woods and eventually became a sapling. It was then harvested and sold at a garden center, and finally, it came home with him to live and grow in his yard. The child describes how the tree changes with each season, with fall being his favorite time when the leaves turn vibrant shades of red and yellow.

Comments: This is ideal for science lessons about trees and life cycles. The illustrations are collages, which is Lois Ehlert’s specialty.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Book cover of strega nona's harvest with the grandmother standing amongst an autumn harvest of grain, squash, pumpkins, and so forht

Strega Nona’s Harvest 

by Tomie dePaola (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: Strega Nona teaches Big Anthony about planting, harvesting, and sharing food. However, he decides to plant his own garden behind the shed and does not listen to his grandmother, a witch. As a result, his magical garden overgrows with an abundant amount of bounty.

Comments: This story connects gardening with responsibility and generosity. It reminds me how everyone in my neighborhood would share their surplus vegetables.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

book cover to the pumpkin book with children in a pumpkin patch looking at pumpkins

The Pumpkin Book 

by Gail Gibbons (Author)

Summary: This nonfiction picture book explains the life cycle, history, and uses of pumpkins.

Comments: This book is excellent for science or seasonal lessons, providing children with factual knowledge through colorful visuals. The author creates all of the visuals for this nonfiction book using watercolors.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

the book cover to the biggest pumpkin ever with mice dancing around a pumpkin

The Biggest Pumpkin Ever 

by Steven Kroll (Author), Jeni Bassett (Illustrator)

Summary: Clayton, a house mouse, is eager to win the town’s biggest pumpkin contest, while Desmond, a field mouse, hopes to carve the largest jack-o’-lantern possible. Unbeknownst to each other, they both select the same pumpkin to nurture. As a result, the pumpkin grows larger than all the others.

Comments: A fun story that highlights cooperation and sharing, a great read aloud.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

The selected children’s books are chosen by a certified, retired elementary school librarian who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.

Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.

Autumn Picture Books–New
Children's Book Recommendations

Autumn Picture Books–New

The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Autumn Picture book recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. All of these titles can be found in my Amazon Storefront under Autumn Picture Books — https://amzn.to/4m9XIve .)

❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗

A man with a top hat and women with long hair dancing in the middle of the autumn forest with a pair of deer and pumpkins. Book cover

Night of the Deer 

by Mary Morel (Author), Mira Miroslavova (Illustrator)

Summary: Arabella is riding in the pickup truck with her parents on their way to school when the family spots a buck and a doe in the woods. Her parents share with her the belief that deer walk among them.

On the way home that day, the girl called out to a pair of deer, inviting them to the school’s harvest dance that evening. Two strangers appeared and danced the night away. Only Arabella knew who they were.

Comments: This story is beautifully told and wonderfully illustrated, capturing the magic of autumn. It would make a superb read-aloud.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

A turkey is walking down a dirt path in the woods with forest animals around it and in the air flying. Book cover

Twelve Days of Autumn 

by Sherri Maret (Author), Thomas Hilley (Illustrator)

Summary: This picture book follows the style of the traditional “Twelve Days of Christmas,” featuring animals preparing for autumn.

Comments: This would be a cute counting and autumn read-aloud.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

This is part of a season series. For more information about that series, please see the author’s Amazon page.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

A fox and mole are walking around the hilly countryside. The fox has a basket of berries. Crows are sitting in the tree nearby. Book cover

The Slightly Spooky Tale of Fox and Mole 

by Cecilia Heikkila (Author), Polly Lawson (Translator)

Summary: Mole visits Fox’s house each day at 6 pm to eat cookies and jam while Fox tells a story about a scary raccoon. Mole’s forgetfulness and messiness get the better of Fox, who slowly transforms into a monster.

Comments: This is such a wonderful read-aloud with the hint of autumn spookiness.

Illustrations were created using a combination of watercolor, gouache, pastels, and digital methods.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Two siblings in jackets playing in the autumn fallen leaves. Book cover

Fall Feast: Nature’s Harvest (Seasons in the Wild) 

by Sean Taylor (Author), Alex Morss (Author), Cinyee Chiu (Illustrator)

Summary: Two siblings go on a nature walk with their Mom and Mama to explore the autumn season, discovering such things as falling leaves, berries and nuts, fungi, and migrating birds.

Comments: The back sections include more information about fall, animals, plants, and decomposers.

This is the last book of the Season in the Wild series. The other can be found at this Amazon page.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Pumpkin and Acorn squash sitting amongst cornstalks, sunflowers, and gourds. Book cover to Squash & Pumpkin

Squash & Pumpkin: #SquashGoals 

by G.G. McQueen (Author), Michael Slack (Illustrator)

Summary: Pumpkin and Squash are best friends until autumn arrives, when Pumpkin becomes famous. Everywhere she goes, people adore her: pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice lattes, and pumpkin pies.

At the Harvest Festival, Acorn Squash sets up a booth showcasing all the delicious squash dishes. Their friendship has turned into a rivalry, but they eventually find a solution together.

Comments: A humorous read-aloud about friendship.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Bear with a hat on standing in a pile of orange fall leaves by a tree looking up and seeing the last leaf in the tree. Book cover to The Wishing Leaf.

The Wishing Leaf

by Kallie George (Author), Paola Zakimi (Illustrator)

Summary: Bear patiently waits for the last leaf of autumn to fall because he believes that if he makes a wish on the leaf, it will come true. Bear and his friends watch and wait, but as fall turns into winter, they realize they need to sleep. Mama Bear allows Bear to wait a little longer. When the leaf finally falls, Bear makes a wish before heading inside to sleep.

Comments: Ideal for reading aloud as fall transitions into winter. Students can share their wishes and their thoughts on Bear’s wish.

The illustrations were made with pencil and watercolor and digitally altered.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Book over to Little Red Autumn on the Farm with a red pickup truck with eyes at the headlights full of pumpkins and a crow. Fall trees are in the background.

Little Red, Autumn on the Farm

by Will Hillenbrand (Author)

Summary: Katie and her pickup truck, Little Red, help various vehicles around Shady Acre Farm when they break down while preparing for the harvest festival.

Comments: This story will delight toddlers and preschoolers who love vehicles. The theme of helping one another to create an event is valuable.

The illustrations were created digitally using Adobe Fresco and were designed to complement the autumn color scheme.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

A child with a hat and coat stands underneath a tree that is losing its orange leaves. A squirrel is on a branch above. Book Cover of The Secret of Fall

The Secret of Fall 

by John Coy (Author), Kristen Adam (Illustrator)

Summary:  This narrative nonfiction picture book explores tree leaves when they are green and why they turn colors in the autumn season.

Comments: What a wonderful book to explain photosynthesis in the simplest terms that young readers will understand.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Book cover to In the Autumn Forest with a fox sitting on a hill looking across the land. The trees behind it are turning orange and yellow. There are birds flying together. The sky is turning gray.

In the Autumn Forest 

by DANIELA KULOT (Author, Illustrator), Elisabeth Lauffer (Translator)

Summary: Crow, Fox, and Mouse share the things they will miss about summer, while Squirrel is happy about autumn. In the distance, they all see a storm approaching, causing them to take shelter. After it passes, they come together in the forest again to share how they now feel about autumn approaching and are okay with it after the wind has shaken all of the fruit and nuts to the ground.

Comments: A lovely story to share with students in September before autumn arrives.

The illustrations were created with digital media.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

The book cover of How the Forest Feels with a grandson and grandfather walking in the autumn forest.

How the Forest Feels: Sensory Play Nature’s Way 

by Wendi Silvano (Author), Mirka Hokkanen (Illustrator)

Summary: A grandpa and his grandson take a walk in the forest during autumn, noticing all of the nature around them through touch, such as rough bark, feathery plants, and prickly thistle.

Comments: This is an interactive sensory story with rhyming text and beautiful illustrations created with watercolor on paper with digital touch-ups.

The back of the book has four helpful pages: “Author’s Note, “Make a Texture Mystery Box,” Go On a Texture Hunt!,” and “Stay Safe on Your Adventure.”

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

The cover for It's Fall is a young girl has her hands above her head where there are leaves falling from a tree. She is smiling as well as her dog and a flying bird

It’s Fall! (Celebrate the Seasons, 1)

by Renée Kurilla (Author, Illustrator)

Brief summary: A young girl shares what the fall season brings with back-to-school, Halloween, and Thanksgiving.

Comments: Illustrations are in yellows, reds, and oranges. The story is in rhyme.

What a fun book to share with young readers that introduces fall vocabulary.

Large single-page, double-page spreads, and vignette illustrations make this a read-aloud recommendation.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

A multigenerational family and their dog are on a fall hike walking over rocks in a stream with trees of orange and yellow behind them

When Fall Comes: Connecting with Nature as the Days Grow Shorter (When Seasons Come) 

by Aimée M. Bissonette (Author), Erin Hourigan (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Young readers will read how humans, wildlife, and nature prepare in the fall for the winter months ahead. Some will harvest and stock up on food, others will build places to sleep, while others will migrate to warmer weather.

Comments: This season series would be an excellent choice to have in any library. I’m looking forward to seeing When Spring Comes.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Blue tennis shoes are standing on fall colored fallen leaves

On a Gold-Blooming Day: Finding Fall Treasures 

by Buffy Silverman (Author)

Brief summary: When fall arrives, nature changes in many ways to prepare for winter.

Comments: Large and brilliant illustrations with fun adjectives, adverbs, and verbs to read aloud.

More in-depth explanations of fall changes are at the end of the book.

The back section includes What Treasures Will You Find in Fall?, Further Reading, and Glossary.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Hanging lit lanterns are handing from the ceiling

Mid-Autumn Festival (Traditions & Celebrations)

by Ailynn Collins (Author)

Brief summary: Mid-Autumn Festival, also called the Moon or Mooncake Festival, is globally celebrated by Asian people. Young readers will learn the origins of the holiday, the lunar calendar, and what traditions and foods people have to observe this holiday.

Comments: The back sections are Glossary, Read More, Internet Sites, Index, and About the Author. Bolded words are found in the glossary.

I wish we had these Traditions and Celebrations books when I was a child. I’m learning so much from reading them as an adult, which has broadened my understanding of other cultures.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

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

A pile of apples on a wodden crate

Orchards (Trip to the Farm) 

by Ursula Pang (Author)

Brief summary: There are many orchards (farms where trees grow)producing fruit, nuts, seeds, syrup, and Christmas trees. Young readers will learn about each type of orchard.

Comments: I placed this book in the fall section as when I think of orchards, I think of apple or fruit orchards because those are the ones in my area that are harvested in the fall. I also had those teachers book requests for fall units before they went and visited a nearby apple orchard.

I enjoyed reading and learning about the different types of orchards and when they were harvested.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

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

The selected children’s books are chosen by a certified, retired elementary school librarian who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.

Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.

Spring Picture Book Recommendations for Children
Children's Book Recommendations

Spring Picture Book Recommendations for Children

The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Spring Picture book recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. These titles can be found on my Amazon Storefront under Spring Picture Books– https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/2OKAJW5CPU53W?ref_=aipsflist )

❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗

Various garden flowers around the title with a butterfly, ladybug, and other insects on them

Consider the Lilies

by Jennifer Grant (Author), Julianna Swaney (Illustrator)

Summary: Young readers will journey through a spring day noticing the various colors of the flowers and the insects that like to visit them. Readers are gently encouraged to notice the colorful wonders of the natural world around them.

Comments: This soothing story is written in rhyming couplets and is the second book of the Consider series. The text was inspired by the biblical passages of Luke 12 and Matthew 6. The illustrations were created digitally.

This would be a lovely read-loud to share in a parochial school setting or at home to discuss spring, colors in nature, different flowers, or a metaphor of how God takes care of the flowers and you.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

A girl is on the green grass with her cat surrounded by spring flowers like daffodils and tulips with a rabbit and butterfly nearby

It’s Spring!

by Renée Kurilla (Author)

Summary: This story follows a group of children as they experience the changes of winter to spring such as splashing in the rain, flying kites, and growing a garden. They celebrate Easter traditions, Passover seder, and Mother’s Day.

Comments: The illustrations are whimsical and created with Adobe Photoshop. The story is written in a cheerful rhyming text.

This would make a fun read-aloud as it is full of seasonal vocabulary to pair with a spring unit of seasonal changes and spring holiday traditions.

This is the third of the Celebrate the Seasons series.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

a gray rabbit in the grass surrounded by pink and white flowers

A Fluffle of Bunnies 

by Christie Matheson (Author)

Summary: A scurry of squirrels are concerned about a gray rabbit that used to be in the field. They go throughout the field asking the creatures if they have seen her. The bears know the answer.

Comments: This is a wonderful introduction to collective nouns in this spring-inspired story. This could be an interactive read-aloud where the reader asks the children where they think the bunny went while learning animal group names.

The back section has the collective nouns used in the story with short explanations.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Yaya is a young girl holding a white flower wearing a vest jacket with the ocean, beach, and her mother with her friends sitting on a beach towel.

Yaya and the Sea 

by Karen Good Marable (Author), Tonya Engel (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Yaya and her mother take the subway to meet her mother’s friends and go to the sea for their annual spring equinox prayer to Mama Ocean.

Comments: The book is based on the author’s true story. The Author’s Note explains the ritual and symbolism of the objects offered to the sea.

The illustrations were created with acrylic underpainting and finished with oils on primed archival paper.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

A squirrel and bird in the forest

Don’t Touch that Flower!

by Alice Hemming (Author), Nicola Slater (Illustrator)

Summary: Squirrel wakes from spring to find a new flower growing. He decides to protect it by not allowing any water to get on it, from bees landing on the pedals, and even, putting it under a bucket.

Bird educates Squirrel about his good intentions is harming the flower instead.

Comments: A humorous read aloud.

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Two boys under large rainbow umbrellas wearing rain boots

Spring (Seasons of the Year) 

by Karen Bischer (Author) 

Summary: This nonfiction picture books explores how Nature comes back alive after winter–farmers are plowing, flowers are blooming, and animals are waking up.

Comments: This is a season series.

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

A grouchy ladybug with three flowers

Spring Sings for the Grouchy Ladybug

by Eric Carle (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: The grouchy ladybug wakes to find the beauty of spring around her–bees, flowers, and the warmth of the sun.

Comments: Illustrated with bright colors and collage.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Moomin the troll with a squirrel in the middle of a field of flowers

Moomin and the Spring Surprise 

by Tove Jansson (Author)

Summary: Moomintroll  wakes up before spring and goes outside to investigate while the rest of his family is inside still hibernating. Too-Ticky usually wakes the family when spring arrives. What will he find?

Comments: This is a season series.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

A girl wearing a blue bicycle helmet riding a red bike on the sidewalk with yellow and orange leaves on the ground. The sky and road is gray.

Nothing Ever Happens on a Gray Day 

by Grant Snider (Author

Brief summary: As Fall slowly turns towards Winter, a girl rides her bike through her gray neighborhood, crunching through the fallen leaves to the playground, where she goes on a Nature walk into the woods nearby, seeing more and more colors as she explores.

Comments: This is a quiet story of a girl’s solitude and exploring the world around her area. In its conclusion, we can see how her gray day becomes full of colors.

The front end papers feature gray/blue fallen leaves, and the back end papers feature bright yellow/orange leaves visually representing the picture book’s changing mood and color scheme throughout the story.

This is a perfect read-aloud for young ones.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

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

Picture book cover of a grandmother and her grandchild walking in the rain

Together with You

by Patricia Toht  (Author),  Jarvis  (Illustrator)

Brief summary: A grandmother and her grandchild put on rain gear to play in Spring’s rain. Summer arrives with them cooling off from the hot sun. Autumn brings the wind they need to fly a kite and enjoy the falling leaves. Winter comes with them getting cozy and watching the snow from inside. Each season is spent with one another.

The seasonal color schemes go in hand with this gentle and calming book that blends from one season to the next.

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

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

A girl with black hair wearing a yellow raincoat under a pink blossom tree

When Spring Comes (My Favorite Season, 1) 

by Ekaterina Trukhan (Illustrator)

Summary: A young girl enjoys the coming of spring. She sees the flowers, rain, and baby animals and is excited to celebrate the new season.

Comments: Told through the eyes of the little girl.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Hedgehog under a leave with frogs, butterflies, and a mouse in the spring forest

Hedgehog’s Home for Spring (Clever Storytime) 

by Elena Ulyeva (Author), Clever Publishing (Author), Daria Parkhaeva (Illustrator)

Summary: Hedgehog wakes from his winter nap and wakes up in spring. Although it is around him in the forest, he is not seeing the melted snow, blooming flowers, or leaves on the tree. He continues throughout the forest until he feels spring.

Comments: This is a seasons series. Each one has facts about the season and a craft in the back.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Jim Panzee the chimpanzee's head with flowers on his head

Grumpy Monkey Spring Fever

by Suzanne Lang (Author), Max Lang (Illustrator)

Summary: Jim Panzee  wakes up full of energy and is diagnosed by Norman to have spring fever. His friends suggests ways for him to calm down, but nothing works. He instead decides to be happy and enjoy his spring energy.

Comments: Humorous read aloud. Has helpful ways that students could use to calm oneself when overly excited while learning to embrace it.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

A gray rabbit and other babies of the forest sitting amongst spring flowers and plants

Spring Parade: A Picture Book (Seasonal Parade) 

by Camelia Kay (Author), Allyn Howard (Illustrator)

Summary: A little gray bunny comes out and begins to enjoy that spring is blooming. Soon the other animals begin to follow, creating a parade.

Comments: The illustrations are absolutely beautiful. I enjoy stopping at each page.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

A doe and other forest creatures are walking up a hill

Something on the Hill  

by Jane Kohuth (Author), Sonia Sanchez (Illustrator)

Summary: Field Mouse wakes up and feels that something has changed. She begins her climb up the hill gathering more forest friends to join her.

Comments: I thought this book sparked curiosity and prediction skills, making it a choice for comprehension lessons.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Various seeds growing while under the rain and underground with the sun smiling down upon them. Book cover to Little Seasons: Spring Seeds

Little Seasons: Spring Seeds 

by Mirka Hokkanen (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: A humorous nonfiction picture book examining how seeds live underground, sprout, and come to the top to keep growing.

Comments: Back pages have activities. Great book for young ones to learn about gardening.

Rating 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

A mama brown bear with two cubs in the forest

Brown Bears (Nature Storybooks) 

by Dr. Nick Crumpton (Author)

Summary: This narrative nonfiction picture book is about a mama brown bear waking from winter hibernation. She takes her two cubs around the forest teaching foraging for food, climbing up trees, and fishing in the water so that they will be independent and be able to survive on their own.

Comments: This takes place in Alaska. Wonderful illustrations.

The author is a zoologist.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

A boy in the middle of a dandelion field with him blowing the fluff off the flower. Bees, a monarch butterfly and red winged blackboard are present

An Earth Song (Petite Poems) 

by Langston Hughes (Author), Tequitia Andrews (Illustrator)

Summary: This is based on the classic Langston Hughes poem. A child wakes up and enjoys the season changing from winter to spring symbolizing hope and change.

Comments: The poem and brief bio of the poet is in the back.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

cartoon of a lamb and rabbit wearing clothes with a child watering carrots

The Spring Book 

by Todd Parr (Author)

Summary: Animals wake up from hibernation to see that spring is here. Each of the spring holidays are briefly covered with fun and humor.

Comments: This is in the signature Todd Parr’s style of bright and playful illustrations.

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Two girls are sitting under a cherry blossom tree having a picnic

Waiting for Hanami

by J.P. Takahashi (Author), HifuMiyo (Illustrator)

Summary: Cousins, Sai and Avi, meet for the first time in person at the big family gathering during the cherry blossom festival, hanami.

Comments: This is a wonderful books to examine how cultures can merge and celebrate together.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Love and Hugs: Spring book cover with baby animals and blossoming flowers

Love and Hugs: Spring 

by Tracey Colliston (Author)

Summary: Rabbit and Mouse notice signs of spring, like newborns, sprouts, and rain in the forest.

Comments: A delightful book with gentle and charming watercolor illustrations.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

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

This is part of a Love and Hugs season series.

Escargot is talking to a small white bunny while on a trail amongst blooming tulips. Book Cover of Escargot and the Search for Spring

Escargot and the Search for Spring 

by Dashka Slater (Author), Sydney Hanson (Illustrator)

Brief summary:  Escargot, a French snail, is feeling ennui, which is a sense of boredom with everything around him. He wants to go outside to search for signs of spring. A friendly white bunny follows him, trying to make friends with Escargot, although the snail doesn’t initially reciprocate.

Comments: There are a few French words included in the text. I could entertain myself by reading it with a French accent.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

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

There are other Escargot books in this series.

Cover of A Place for Rain. Children with raincoats on standing by a rain barrel that is overflowing onto a water path to a flower garden.

A Place for Rain 

by Michelle Schaub (Author), Blanca Gómez (Illustrator)

Brief summary: In this book of rhyming lyrics, young readers will learn where the rain goes during a flood. The students at school are taught how to place a barrel beneath a spout and how to create a path for overflow.

Comments: Learn how to create a rain barrel garden with native plants that thrive in excess water.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

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

Bear and other forest friends such as a rabbit, groundhog, a mole, and birds are in the forest meadow painting the Meadowlarks brown eggs bright colors so they are not lost again.

Bear Finds Eggs

by Karma Wilson (Author), Jane Chapman (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Bear is walking through Strawberry Vale, searching for eggs and leaving small presents in the nests. Meadowlark has noticed that all of her eggs are missing, so the forest creatures come together to help her find the brown eggs. They paint the eggs as they search, making them easier to spot.

Comments: The book features stunning acrylic illustrations that span across two pages.

In rhyming text.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

If you enjoyed this book, there are many more in the Bear series.

The picture book cover of Sister Spring with Spring shaped like a girl with beautiful flowers all over her while she is floating through the sky touching flowers to bloom

Sister Spring

by James Christopher Carroll (Author, Illustrator). Publisher ‏ : ‎ Creative Editions . 2023. K-2. Hardcover. ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1568463841.

Brief summary: A young woman, Sister Spring, comes up from inside the earth and brings the daffodils, the rain, peepers, and all of the spring elements of Nature. A beautifully illustrated picture book with spring colors.

Teachers could include this book when studying personification.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

For more details or to buy, please go to this book’s Amazon page.

The selected children’s books are chosen by a certified, retired elementary school librarian who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.

Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.

Winter Picture Books-New
Children's Book Recommendations

Winter Picture Books-New

The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Winter picture book recommendation are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. All of these titles can be found in my Amazon Storefront under winter picture books– https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/114UUUWST0AJ3?ref_=aipsflist )

❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗

Two siblings with sweaters and blankets on are reading a book on a couch with a dog and cat sleeping on the couch.

Snuggle Season

by Jaimie MacGibbon (Author)

Summary: Two siblings wake to a winter morning, cuddling their parents away to go downstairs and begin their day of playing in the snow, sitting by the fire, and reading together.

Comments:  This is a wonderful winter read-aloud for the classroom or as a bedtime story. The rhyming text is gentle and cozy.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

A female fox with her two kits outside in the snow with a bit of snow coming down under a crescent moon

Winter Is Wonderful

by Emma Dodd (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: A mama fox and her two kits spend the day in the wintry forest playing in the snow, stopping to look at the landscape, and eating berries before heading home to their den for a sleep.

Comments: This is a lovely bedtime story, and the illustrations are beautifully highlighted with foil throughout.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Book cover of The Most Beautiful Winter with Badger on the cover wearing an orange multi-colored scarf with snow in the background.

The Most Beautiful Winter 

by Cristina Sitja Rubio (Author), Vineet Lal (Translator)

Brief summary: Winter is here, but Badger does not feel like sleeping. He goes to Mr. Bear’s place, but Mr. Bear is asleep. Marmot is also sleeping, and Nighthawk is snoozing. Badger goes back home and keeps himself busy with hobbies.

Later, he goes outside to find someone to play with, only to discover that many more creatures are hibernating. Will he find someone to play with?

Comments: The illustrations were created using Ink, gouache, and watercolor. (The Amazon description does say “crayon illustrated,” but the book says otherwise.)

The back sections are A Beautiful Winter for Everyone and How Can I Help Animals in Winter?

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

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

*I was sent a complimentary copy of this book.

The book cover of Counting Winter has a fox and an owl in a tundra setting with a full moon in the background. Done with scratchboard and water colors predominately in purple.

Counting Winter 

by Nancy White Carlstrom (Author), Claudia McGehee (Illustrator)

Summary: This beautifully illustrated concept picture book highlights winter animals in the Alaskan tundra. Young readers learn to count from 1 to 12 using lyrical verse.


Comments: The illustrations were created using scratchboard and watercolor.

This book could be incorporated into various educational units, such as counting 1-12, the winter season, or the tundra environment.

Additional sections at the back of the book include Animal Profiles, Author’s Note, and Illustrator’s Note.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

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

*I was sent a complimentary copy of this book.

Book Cover of Hiro, Winter, and Marshmallows has a bear, Hiro, with a backback walking through the snow through a camping ground.

Hiro, Winter, and Marshmallows 

by Marine Schneider (Author), Vineet Lal (Translator)

Brief summary: The Ursidae family of brown bears are all hibernating except for Hiro. Hiro packs a bag and walks outside, where she experiences snow on her paws for the first time. She wonders what Winter could be and notices unfamiliar paw prints in the snow.

The bear follows them and the scent of toasting marshmallows. All run away when they see the bear. Hiro sits roasting a marshmallow over the fire, crying, having scared everyone away from the bonfire party, when a small boy named Émile comes out behind a tree. Too curious to run away from a talking bear, Émile stays asking, “What’s it like being a bear?”

Will they become friends, or will it all go horribly wrong?

Comments: The illustrations were created with colored pencils, watercolors, acrylic paint, and markers.

This is a sweet bedtime story.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

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

*I was sent a complimentary copy of this book.

A family look out their picture window of their home watching the snow fall down Cover to Just Us.

Just Us 

by Molly Beth Griffin (Author), Anait Semirdzhyan (Illustrator)

Summary: A young girl’s family usually celebrates the holidays by having extended family come from all over to share a meal and play games. However, the snow made it too dangerous for everyone to visit. Her mom, mama, and brother decided to improvise and prepare a meal together. They even called Grandma for advice on how to make a dessert.

Comments: The digitally created illustrations showed details of all of the relatives. Many young readers may wonder what to do if traditions cannot be kept. This story shares how we can still have a good holiday by making the best of what we have.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

A bear with a blanket, red scarf, and basket full of berries and nuts is talking to fox with a hat on drinking a hot beverage while a little blue bird flies near them with a gray squirrel on top a bush in the forest.

Jonny Lambert’s Bear and Bird Winter Wonderland Adventure: A Snowy Search and Find Story

by Jonny Lambert (Author)

Summary: In the forest, Bear and Bird search for berries and nuts to prepare for winter. The next morning, snow fell. As Bear and Bird walk through the forest, they encounter several other woodland creatures. Curious, these creatures follow Bear and Bird to the top of the hill, where they all share something beautiful.

Comments: The “Can You Spot?” panels on the sides of the pages encourage students to stop and observe the illustrations. Additionally, there are question panels that pose questions about the story as it progresses.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Two ducks and a goose are driving a truck

Duck, Duck, Goose! 

by John Hare (author and illustrator)

Summary: Two ducks are flying south when they come across a goose flying in the sky too. To their surprise, they see a moose in a flying contraption. They decide to all travel together to head south for the winter, with a few hiccups along the way.

Comments: Young readers will enjoy the humorous adventures of these fowl and moose as they migrate to a warmer environment.

The art was created with hand-drawn pencil and with digital color and accents.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

A girl rejoices from the winter snow falling as she looks ups. She has on red earmuffs. There is a read bird flying with a scarf and a cat with a sweater is beside the girl.

It’s Winter!

by Renée Kurilla (Author)

Summary: The town is covered in snow. The children come outside dressed in warm clothing to slide down the hill, build snowmen, skate, and have snowball fights. Later, they create garlands and decorations before being released from school for winter break. They enjoy holiday foods and celebrate the winter holidays.

Comments: This is a book that highlights the winter weather, clothing, food, and holidays.

It is illustrated using Adobe Photoshop.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

A girl wearing a read coat and hat is being carried by a snowwoman wearing a cape as they walk through the forest.

Wonder & Awe 

by Annie Herzig (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: A girl creates a snowwoman she calls Wonder. She and Wonder play throughout the forest with the snowwoman pointing out the beauty around them which leaves the girl in awe. Each day, they play and say goodbye at the end. One afternoon, they both realize that they do not have much time together as spring is coming soon.

The girl shares with her friends all of the wonderful things in Nature that she and Wonder noticed together during their winter discoveries. Will she ever see her friend again?

Comments: The illustrations were created using watercolor, gouache, colored pencil, graphite, and water-soluble crayon.

It is a beautiful story about a magical friendship who discovers together the beauty of Nature.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

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

Mr. Green is wearing a hat and Mo are at the top of the book's cover which is a mix of red holly, a squirrel eating seed, a bee nest, and a robin sitting on a snowy fir branch. There are birds in the now underneath.

It’s Winter (The Seasons in Mr. Green’s Garden) 

by Ruth Owen (Author)

Summary: Mr. Green and Mo turned a city lot into a garden and share what happens to the garden in winter. They explain the changes to plants, insects, animals, and birds.

Comments: The illustrations are a collage of photos and drawings.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

A family is on the beach around a bonfire with fireworks and lights all around them.

Winter Solstice Wish 

by Kate Allen Fox (Author), Elisa Paganelli (Illustrator)

Summary: A family spends a day at the beach on the shortest day of the year. As the sun goes down, they share wishes around a bonfire. In opposition, on the other side of the earth, a family celebrates the longest day of the year at the beach.

Comments: This ode shares how the earth is located relative to the sun so that one can have both the shortest and the longest day. Community and family celebrations are emphasized.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Bruce is in a robe outside holding a tissue box while his three mice friends are playing in the snow

Out Cold-A Little Bruce Book (Mother Bruce Series) 

by Ryan T. Higgins (Author)

Brief summary: Winter has come to Soggy Hollow. Poor Bruce has a cold and is stuck inside with his mice friends, Nibbs, Thistle, and Rupert. After playing outside, the mice thought it would be nice to bring the snow activities inside for Bruce to enjoy. I wonder if Bruce will enjoy them…

Comments: What can I say? I love the humor of grumpy Bruce. He reminds me so much of myself.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗 1/2

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

A boy in a yellow cate with red mittens and a hat is facing tot he right as he stands in falling snow

I’m Going to Build a Snowman 

by Jashar Awan (Author, Illustrator)

Brief summary: A little boy wakes to see that it has snowed. After eating his breakfast and putting on all of his snow gear, he is determined to build the BEST SNOWMAN EVER.

Comments: The story explores how one’s expectations may not be realistic but still can be enjoyable in a positive mindset.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

billy barr is looking over his shoulder as he wears a red and black checkered hat with ear flaps while it snows. the background is pine trees on a snowy mountain.

The Snow Man: A True Story 

by Jonah Winter (Author), Jeanette Winter (Illustrator)

Brief summary: billy barr (he prefers all small letters) lives ALONE in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, eight miles from the nearest town. He first moved there as a college student in 1972 for the summer. He lived in an abandoned shack with dirt floors and no electricity or running water. He began to take meticulous notes of all of the wildlife and weather of the mountains.

He stayed for fifty-one years and is still there.

 The scientists at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory used his notes and observations, all written in notebooks, to chart how the mountains’ climate was changing. He still takes notes but enters them into a computer.

Comments: There is an Author’s Note in the back explaining billy barr in more detail.

I had so many questions while reading this biography. Why is he a hermit? What made him go there? Why did he stay so long? Would I want to live like that? What would that be like? Can I get my library up there? And could I bring all of my cats?

This biography picture book could spark some interesting classroom discussions.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

A very excited boy has his face against the window looking outside

Just SNOW Already! 

by Howard McWilliam (Author, Illustrator)

Brief summary: A boy excitedly waits for the snow expected that evening in his neighborhood. He dreams of all the wonderful things he will do in the snow. He keeps checking out the window, not noticing all of the stupendous things taking place on his street, believing that nothing is happening because there is no snow yet.

He begins to wonder what it would mean if it never snowed again.

Comments: The details in these illustrations are action-packed and hilarious. I love the boy’s giant head and all of his facial expressions. This would be a fantastic read-aloud for kids, especially the day before the first snowfall of the year.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗 1/2

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

Forest animals are lined up while the owl is flying above with their gifts of feathers, berries, nuts, and so on are in a circle around the title

Winter: A Solstice Story (The Solstice Series) 

by Kelsey E. Gross (Author), Renata Liwska (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Owl calls down from the top of a pine tree to the creatures of the forest asking who can help brighten the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. Each forest animal contributes something to the pine tree as it shines with the full moon upon it.

Comments: This is a gentle and quiet book that could be read as a bedtime story.

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

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

Book cover to Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter with a boy and girl walking between an autumn field with fallen leaves and a deer changing to a winter field with snow.

Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter

by Kenard Pak (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: A boy and girl walk in nature noticing the late autumn around them, playing in the fallen leaves and seeing the birds flying south. They go home and wake to an urban winter landscape where they go outside and notice the snow as they walk back to the now wintery field.

Comments: The illustrations change with the seasons complementing the story.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

A girl with a red hat and black scarf wearing a snow jacket is lying on the snow smiling

On a Flake-Flying Day: Watching Winter’s Wonders 

by Buffy Silverman (Author)

Brief summary: When winter arrives, nature changes in many ways to prepare for snow.

Comments: There are large and brilliant Nature photos in this narrative nonfiction picture book.

The back section includes the question: What can you see on a white winter’s day? and then in-depth answers correlating to the pages before, Further Reading, and Glossary.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

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

The selected children’s books are chosen by a certified, retired elementary school librarian who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.

Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.

Summer Picture Books–New
Children's Book Recommendations

Summer Picture Books–New

The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Summer picture book recommendation are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. These titles are available on my Amazon Storefront under Summer Picture Books– https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/3R7J5JRIZERHB?ref_=aipsflist)

❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗

A bouse, snail, and praying mantis are around a large red lunch box while in the forest.

This is NOT my Lunch Box!

by Jennifer Dupuis (Author), Carol Schwartz (Illustrator)

Brief summary: In this narrative nonfiction picture book, a boy is on a camping trip. As he opens a different colored lunchbox each time, he discovers that it is full of food for creatures in the woods. These creatures include herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores. What will he find in his lunch box next?

Comments: The lunch box is located on the right-hand side of the double-page spread. Turning the page reveals the answer of the lunch box owner located on the left. Readers then have to guess who will eat the contents of the next lunch box. This pattern continues for about a dozen times. Very clever!

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

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

Ben is in the summer garden full of flowers with bumblebees around him.

The Bumblebee Garden 

by Dawn Casey (Author), Stella Lim (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Ben and his grandpa spot a bumblebee in the garden. Grandpa educates his grandson about the bumblebee’s life cycle, explaining its activities in each season as the book unfolds.

Comments: There is a back section titled The Life Cycle of a Queen Bumblebee.

The illustrations were handcrafted using watercolor and colored pencils, finishing with digital methods.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

A granny with white hair is holding a black cat and mouse along with her vegetables harvested from the roof garden.

Grandma’s Roof Garden

by Tang Wei (Author), Kelly Zhang (Translator)

Brief summary: An elderly granny collects discarded vegetables at the market to feed her animals and for compost. She has planted a rooftop garden, where she teaches neighborhood children how to care for plants. She shares her harvest with family and friends by having a meal together and giving extras for them to take home.

Comments: This book was initially printed in China in 2019.

The Author’s Note explains the author’s personal inspiration for this story.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

A rode has a variety of bikes all going down the road in the same direction.

Ride Beside Me

by Lucy Knisley (Author)

Brief summary: A young child and mother go bike riding in the city. They are soon joined by other bicyclists in the bike club of different backgrounds and various forms of bikes, all heading up the mountain and then back down.

Comments: The illustrations were created using gouache paint on paper.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

A young boy and his dad are in a green truck with a bunch of camping equipment on top going down a country road with pine trees on either side.

The Best Worst Camp Out Ever

by Joe Cepeda (Author, Illustrator)

Brief summary: At the end of the school year, a boy and his dad decide to go camping. However, upon arriving at a campsite, they discover it is full. They then find an alternate campsite, which is not as appealing. Despite facing a series of setbacks, they persist in overcoming each problem.

Comments: This humorous elementary graphic novel was created with Adobe Photoshop.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Bruce is at the beach with the mice and friends. The bear has a very grumpy look on his face as he is carrying all of the beach stuff.

Beach Bummer

by Ryan Higgins (author and illustrator)

Brief summary: It is a hot summer day in Soggy Hollow, and the mice want to turn the house into a beach resort, but they go to one instead. Bruce begrudgingly carries everything to the beach until it is time to return home.

Comments: The illustrations were created using scans of treated clayboard for texture, graphite, ink, and Photoshop.

This book is smaller–7.28″ x 7.28″.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

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

Sophie, Diego, Lili are outside chasing fireflies during the summer evening. The stars and insects are twinkling.

Firefly Galaxy

by Sarah Nelson (Author), Estrellita Caracol (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Sophie, Diego, and Lili excitedly wait until it is dark enough to catch fireflies and put them in a jar. Their parents go with them away from the house, where they can see the stars at night and the fireflies flashing off and on.

Comments: There is a section at the back called “Fascinating Firefly Facts” for more information about this insect.

The illustrations were created in paper collage.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

A young girl is looking up at the bubbles she is blowing.

Summer is Here

by Renée Watson (Author), Bea Jackson (Illustrator)

Brief summary: A young girl wakes up on a sunny summer day and eats a breakfast of fruit. She then goes to play in the pool with her friends. Throughout the day, she also plays Double Dutch, goes on a picnic, throws water balloons, eats ice cream, and partakes in other activities. As the day comes to an end, she wishes that summer would stay.

Comments: Young readers will enjoy an action-packed summer day full of activities they can relate to.

The illustrations were created using a variety of pastel, oil paint, and watercolor brushes and Photoshopped.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Bo is with his dog playing in the river. There are flowers and vegetables in a circle around the solstice moon.

Summer’s Magic: An Indigenous Celebration of Nature

by Kaitlin B. Curtice (Author), Eduardo Marticorena (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Bo’s mom braids his hair into one long braid divided by three to represent the body, mind, and spirit. During the summer, he and his family celebrate by growing plants and visiting a river with their dog, Sam. They give thanks to the river before playing in it. However, as they prepare to leave, Bo notices people throwing their picnic trash into the river.

During the solstice, Bo goes to the river and asks the other kids to help him clean it up. In the evening, they have a big meal and their neighbors stop by. Bo shows the children his garden, and they catch and release fireflies.

Comments: Bo is a Potawatomi and shares his beliefs about Mother Nature throughout the story.

This could be shared not only as a summer solstice companion but with Earth Day, pollution ,and environmental unit of studies as well.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Book cover of Summer's Child with a child standing on a donkey telling the silly story for the summer play. Bright colors are in the background of hils, flowers, trees, clouds, a dove, and the sun.

Summer’s Child 

by James Christopher Carroll (Author, Illustrator)

Brief summary: The forest animals gather around Bear to perform a play about the first day of summer. Child will be the narrator of this whimsical production.

Comments: This book’s illustrations are vibrant and filled with bright, appealing colors. This lighthearted and humorous story could serve as a great bedtime book or one to uplift a young reader.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

*I received a free copy of this book.

Garmann's standing in water with two orange floaties on each arm with a ship in the background.

Garmann’s Summer 

by Stian Hole (Author), Don Bartlett (Translator)

Brief summary: Garmann’s three elderly aunts come to visit just as the summer is about to end and school begins. The boy talks to his aunts and parents about what scares them. What scares Garmann?

Comments: This book is a translation from Norway, initially published in 2006.

I like this book’s candid humor about what scares us, death, and new beginnings.

The illustrations are collages of mixed media.

My students enjoyed these Garmann books and would read them together.

*I was sent a complimentary copy to give an honest review.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

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

The selected children’s books are chosen by a certified, retired elementary school librarian who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.

Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.

Science Picture Books-New
Children's Book Recommendations

Science Picture Books-New

The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Science picture book recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Science Picture Books can be found on my Amazon Storefront under Science Picture Books —https://amzn.to/48cWRqd .)

Abstract city book cover of people crossing the street with all sorts of sounds around them

Sound: Discovering the Vibrations We Hear

by Olga Fadeeva (Author), Lena Traer (Translator)

Summary: This nonfiction picture book details the various types of sounds and how we perceive them. Various text features, such as diagrams, illustrations, photos, labeling, maps, headings, and others, help explain the topics.

Comments: This is a detailed and informative sound book that explains not only how we actually hear sound but also how sounds have evolved over the centuries. Learn the answers to “What is an echo? What is sound like under the water? Can sound influence our health? How has sound changed over time?”

The illustrations were created with acrylic paint and water.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

*I received a free copy of this book.

Close Up and Far Out 

by Mary Auld (Author), Adria Meserve (Illustrator)

Summary: This narrative nonfiction picture book explores the lives of two scientists, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek and Galileo Galilei.

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek had questions about observing the world more closely and seeing it magnified. He created many microscopes until he designed one that could magnify objects up to 500 times.

Galilei was curious about distant objects, particularly in space, and sought to understand how the universe worked. He successfully modified and created an improved telescope that allowed him to see farther into space.

Comments: This book promotes scientific inquiry and persistence. Both men had questions and could find answers through repeated failures until they produced the desired results.

This book could be used in several units of study: space, inventions, cells, and Intellectual growth/performance(persistence, failure, grit).

Rating: 4/5📗📗📗📗

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

*I received a free copy of this book.

Large full moon in the background of two people looking up at it while standing on a hill.

The Museum on the Moon: The Curious Objects on the Lunar Surface 

by Irene Latham (Author), Myriam Wares (Illustrator)

Brief summary: This nonfiction picture book uses a poem and nonfiction text to describe objects left on the moon.

Comments: This book could be used in a poetry unit or a lesson on the solar system. It was fascinating to learn about all the objects that were left behind.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Cover of a poetry picture book titled Push-Pull Morning with a child hugging a dog

Push-Pull Morning: Dog-Powered Poems About Matter and Energy 

by Lisa Westberg Peters (Author), Serge Bloch (Illustrator). Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wordsong. 2023. Grades 2-4. Hardcover Nonfiction Picture Book. ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1635925272.

Brief summary: A fun introduction to physics in free verse poetry about a child and dog experiencing everyday life.


Comments: Each poem’s physics correlation is explained at the back of the book. This book could be shared in science units when each physics aspect is introduced to give students an idea of seeing it in the world around them.

For more details or to buy, click here.

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

The Three Little Tardigrades book cover is of three little creatures with water droplets in the background

The Three Little Tardigrades 

by Sandra Fay (Author, Illustrator)

Brief summary: This fractured fairy tale of the Three Little Pigs has three little tardigrades and a big hairy wolf spider.

Tardigrades(also known as “water bears” and “moss piglets”) are microscopic animals that can live in extreme conditions, including outer space. In this story, they live in a water droplet where Mother Tardigrade tells her sons, Gavin, Colin, and Doug, that it is time for them to move out and explore the world.

Each one goes to a different part of the world, but the big hairy wolf spider keeps appearing. Why does the arachnid keep appearing to the tardigrades?

Comments: The illustrations were created with watercolors and potato prints.

The back page has facts about tardigrades and the book’s scientific terms.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

The book cover for another Sandra Fay book titled The Very True Legend of the Mongolian Death worms which are pink with big teeth.

If you enjoyed this book, Sandra Fay also wrote The Very True Legend of the Mongolian Death Worms.

The selected children’s books are chosen by a certified, retired elementary school librarian who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.

Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.

Bird Picture Book Recommendations for Kids
Children's Book Recommendations

Bird Picture Book Recommendations for Kids

The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Bird picture book recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Bird picture books can be found on my Amazon Storefront under Bird Picture Books–https://amzn.to/46aOOHU).)

❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗

The book cover to Fly Like a Bird with various birds in the sky.

Fly Like a Bird (Spectacular STEAM for Curious Readers (SSCR))

by Olga Ptashnik (Author)

Summary: This nonfiction picture book follows a baby chickadee as it prepares to fly, but is unsure how. Through a question-and-answer story, an adult chickadee explains all of the ways different birds fly, like penguins flying under the water, hummingbirds’ rapid wings buzzing, and starlings flying in murmuration.

Comments: The black ink is the voice of the young chickadee, while the blue ink is that of the adult chickadee, making a fun narrative text for readers to read aloud with one another.

The back has a “More About the Birds” section with brief information about the birds discussed in the story.

The illustrations were created digitally.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

*I received a free copy of this book.

A robin is beaming up at the star while in a tree. Cover of The Birds of Christmas.

The Birds of Christmas 

by Olivia Armstrong (Author), Mira Miroslavova (Illustrator)

Summary: Raven was flying home during a December night when a bright star shone down announcing that a child, the Prince of Peace, had been born and to tell all of the other birds.

Each bird contributes a gift to the child, except for one bird that thought she had nothing to contribute.

Readers will learn how the robin gets a red chest.

Comments: This is based on a European Folktale.

The illustrations were created with graphite pencils and colored digitally.

This is truly a lovely Christmas folktale about the gifts given to a baby by the birds. In return, Mary offers the robin a special gift, which is also given to the bird’s future children: a red breast that symbolizes a kind heart.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

*I received a free copy of this book.

book cover for Bird Girl with a young woman in the forest behind an stand up camera about to take a photo of the many birds around her

Bird Girl: Gene Stratton-Porter Shares Her Love of Nature with the World 

by Jill Esbaum (Author),  Rebecca Gibbon (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Geneva Grace loved the birds on their family farm and visited their 64 nests of various birds to watch them. Her father retired moving the family to a town where the girl found little joy. She married and moved back to the country, where she began writing about the birds in her area, learning to use a camera to take hundreds of photos in Limberlost Swamp.

Her books became so popular in 1924 that ten million copies were sold, and some were made into movies.

Her beloved Limberlost Swamp was being harvested, bulldozed, and drilled for gas, disrupting and killing the wildlife.

In the 1990s, decades after her death, Indiana conservation groups, inspired by her life and books, began buying up the land that once was Limberlost Swamp to bring back some of the wildlife.

Comments: The back sections include Author’s Note, More About Gene Stratton-Porter, and Bibliography.

The illustrations were created with acrylic ink and colored pencils.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

The book cover of Clever Crow has a black crow on the front looking down about.

Clever Crow 

by Chris Butterworth (Author), Olivia Lomenech Gill (Illustrator)

Brief summary: This nonfiction picture book teaches us about a crow’s intelligence, habitat, and how many different types there are of this amazing species.

Comments: This book is illustrated with mixed media and written in verse.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Book cover for Fly with all sorts of birds with different colors flying or sitting in trees. The title is spelled with feathers.

Fly: A Family Guide to Birds and How to Spot Them (In Our Nature) 

by David Lindo (Author), Sara Boccaccini Meadows (Illustrator)

Brief summary: This nonfiction picture book contains details and facts using text boxes and labels. The fonts and sizes are varied to emphasize bird facts and main ideas.

Comments: The book is superbly illustrated with watercolors and gouache paints. Each bird is portrayed in great detail, showcasing its vibrant colors and unique markings. I enjoyed examining the details and interesting facts about the birds. It is very well done and a must for any library.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

For more details or to buy, click on this book’s page on Amazon.

Book cover of Free Bird: Flaco the Owl's Dreams Take Flight with a

Free Bird: Flaco the Owl’s Dreams Take Flight 

by Christine Mott (Author), Ofra Layla Isler (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Flaco, a Eurasian Eagle Owl, lived in a zoo in New York and dreamed of flying in the sky. One day, an opportunity to escape presented itself. Flaco learned about the city’s food sources, made new friends, and experienced the joys of living a life of freedom.

Comments: Details about owls can be found at the end of the book.

Flaco has passed away, but there are only gentle references to his departure that would not upset a child. An illustration shows him with a golden halo over his head, conveying that “his spirit is still flying free.”

Half of the proceeds from this book will be donated to the Wild Bird Fund.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

*I received a free copy of this book.

An old man with a cane following a boy running with his dog along a river with kingfisher sitting on a branch in the middle of cat tails

Grandpa and the Kingfisher

by Anna Wilson (Author), Sarah Massini (Illustrator)

Brief summary: A young boy and his grandpa visit the river in the spring and discover a kingfisher diving in the water to catch a fish. They come back in the summer to find two kingfishers building a nest.

The boy and his grandfather keep coming to the river over the seasons, watching the birds’ life cycle.

 The boy asks questions about the birds while the man answers, paralleling his life.

Comments: This story does talk about death and how nature continues but gently and matter-of-factly so that children can understand.

Wonderful watercolor illustrations.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

There is a small Sparrow and a bowl of water with a watercolor background of greens and the book cover of Zorro the Sparrow.

Kozo the Sparrow 

by Allen Say (Author, Illustrator)

Brief summary: A young Allen Say trades all of his treasures to save a sparrow hatchling from the hands of bullies. He takes it home and nurses it to adulthood, bonding with his bird, Kozo(Little Boy).

Allen takes the bird to school to share with his classmates. Will the bullies capture the sparrow again?

Comments: This is the true story of Allen Say and the bird he raised and loved while living in Japan as a child at age eight.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Lucky Duck cover with Susan, the duck, sitting in a large pot holding a wooden spoon with vegetables on the table. There is a yellow creature with antennas next to the pot.

Lucky Duck 

by Greg Pizzoli (Author)

Brief summary: Susan the Duck starts her day receiving roller skates two sizes too big and continues with many other unlucky occurrences throughout the day.

Susan answers the door to a wolf, who claims she has won a big pot. She began to feel lucky to win all of the vegetables the wolf kept bringing throughout the day.

Susan soon realizes her bad luck was lucky and her good luck was unlucky.

Comments: This is a humorous story that young readers will enjoy as it unravels and would make for a fun read-aloud. 

The illustrations are drawn with pencil, brush, and Photoshop.

Rating: 4/5 –📗📗📗📗

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

Page when Susan is trying on her two sizes too big roller skates. Her insect friend is underneath the chair. The doorbell rings with the black wolf standing on the other side.

Book cover to To See an Owl with a girl holding binoculars and an owl standing back to back to her

To See an Owl

by Matthew Cordell (Author)

Summary: Janie wants to see an owl and looks where she will find one but does not until she takes a wintry walk with her mother.

Comments: A beautifully calming read-aloud for bedtime or a unit on nocturnal animals. I loved how the teacher shared his passion of birdwatching, encouraging her hobby.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

The selected children’s books are chosen by a certified, retired elementary school librarian who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.

Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.

Children's Book Recommendations

Journey of the Humpbacks

The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Journey of the Humpbacks children’s book recommendation is by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.)

Book cover to Journey of the Humpbacks with a humpback whale in the ocean and krell swimming nearby

Journey of the Humpbacks

by Juliana Muñoz Toro (Author),  Dipacho (Illustrator), Lawrence Schimel (Translator)

Summary:

Let’s follow the humpback whales as they migrate from the Southern Ocean to the Pacific, stopping near Colombia.

Discover how these whales feed before heading to the warmer ocean, a journey that takes about two months. Young readers will learn all about these magnificent creatures, including their birthing process during migration, their family life, lifespan, and the ways they communicate with one another.

Comments:

The illustrations are created with mixed media and complement the text well.

Although this narrative nonfiction book is written in lyrical language, it includes many nonfiction text features, such as diagrams, labels, and maps. The illustrations are created using mixed media and complement the text beautifully.

The book is well-researched, involving a team of three marine biologists. More information about their credentials and bios can be found in the back of the book.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

*I received a free copy of this book.

The selected children’s books are chosen by a certified, retired elementary school librarian who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.

Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.

Children's Book Recommendations

Sound: Discovering the Vibrations We Hear

The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Sound children’s book recommendation is by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Sound: Discover the Vibrations We Hear can be found on my Amazon Storefront under Science–https://amzn.to/46aOOHU).)

Abstract city book cover of people crossing the street with all sorts of sounds around them

Sound: Discovering the Vibrations We Hear

by Olga Fadeeva (Author), Lena Traer (Translator)

Summary: This nonfiction picture book details the various types of sounds and how we perceive them. Various text features, such as diagrams, illustrations, photos, labeling, maps, headings, and others, help explain the topics.

Comments: This is a detailed and informative sound book that explains not only how we actually hear sound but also how sounds have evolved over the centuries. Learn the answers to “What is an echo? What is sound like under the water? Can sound influence our health? How has sound changed over time?”

The illustrations were created with acrylic paint and water.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

*I received a free copy of this book.

The selected children’s books are chosen by a certified, retired elementary school librarian who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.

Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.

Children's Book Recommendations

2025 School-Themed Picture Books

The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

2025 School-Themed Picture Books children’s book recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.)

Book cover to Bid Kids with one boy much taller and bigger than the other

Big Kids 

by K. L. Going (Author), Reggie Brown (Illustrator)

Summary: A young boy describes his first day of school, highlighting all the activities the older kids participate in. It’s Buddy Day, when he gets paired with an older student. His new friend takes him on a tour of the school, helping to ease his fears of the older students.

Comments: I love how the perspective of the big kids and little kids is complemented by the illustrations, which show the physical contrasts.

This would be the perfect read-aloud for the start of the school year, just before introducing the buddy system. We paired kindergartners with fifth graders.

Rating: 4.5/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Book cover to Fish Don't Go to School with a boy dressed in a fish costume pulling a wagon with a fish in the bowl

Fish Don’t Go to School 

by Deb Pilutti (Author)

Summary: Henry wears his fish costume to school because it makes him feel safe and less anxious. Although everyone stared at him, as the day went on, Henry slowly felt more comfortable. Will he continue to wear his costume every day?

Comments: I think this would be a good book to read aloud to help those students who feel insecure at the beginning of the school year.

I remember several students dressing in Halloween costumes or like ballerinas at the beginning of the school year, and gradually shedding their fears as they got to know everyone in the classroom and the daily routine.

The illustrations were created with gouache and wax pastels on watercolor paper with a little digital painting.

Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Book cover to Maybe Just Ask Me with Mazie wearing a head scarf and eye patch with two students in the background gossiping about her

Maybe Just Ask Me! 

by Katie Mazeika (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: Mazie goes to school wearing her favorite head scarf and a pretty eye patch. Throughout the day, she hears her classmates speculating about the reasons behind her accessories. After listening to their whispers all day, she decides to confront them and share her story.

Comments: This text is based on the author’s personal story. She includes it at the back of the book, along with a list of ways to support individuals with disabilities.

The illustrations were created digitally.

Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Book cover to recess with one student standing and another one upside down, both are yelling

Recess

by Lane Smith (Author)

Summary: Everyone needs a break from learning, and that is when RECESS comes in. What happens when recess is already over but we still need a break?

Comments: This is a fun interactive book featuring a call-and-response format that will have students giggling and full of energy. It makes an excellent read-aloud option for a “recess” moment when the day feels dull and a mental break is needed.

I loved how the book alternates between boring gray and then a bright color for the recess activity.

The illustrations were created with oil paints, colored pencils, cold wax, gesso, sandpaper, and digital scribbling on 24″ x24″ wood panels.

Lane Smith never disappoints me with his books. Another masterpiece!

Rating: 5/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Sammy and Sunny's First day of School book cover with Sammy at school in the bottom of the cover and Sunny at puppy school on the top

Sammy and Sunny’s First Day of School 

by Nina LaCour (Author), Elizabeth Lilly (Illustrator)

Summary: Sammy and her dog, Sunny, both attend their first day of school. Sammy is dropped off at her kindergarten classroom, while Sunny goes to puppy school.

Readers see how their days parallel each other. They were both a bit nervous, but then learned the routine and made friends.

Comments: The illustrations were created with pen and ink and painted with watercolor.

Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Book cover for Sunnyside School with students, a teacher, and mom standing at the front of a school

Sunnyside School: A Community Helpers Book 

by Lindsay Ward

Summary: Ali, Matty, and Mila are new to Sunnyside School. Readers walk along with the students and learn about their classrooms, the school building, and all about the volunteers and staff members.

Comments: This book provides excellent details in both the text and the illustrations. It features traditional narrative, speech bubbles, and informative text boxes. As the day progresses, the book poses questions and includes a search-and-find activity at the end. This is a fantastic community helper book and would be a valuable addition to any library or classroom.

Rating: 4.5/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Driver Dee and Trusty, a school bus are on the road helping students get inside of the bus. Book cover to Trusty Bus

Trusty Bus 

by Elizabeth Weiss Verdick (Author), Jeff Harter (Illustrator)

Summary: Driver Dee and Trusty, a school bus, get ready to go on their route to pick up the students for the first day of school, being mindful of safety as they go around town.

Comments: This is a darling little book for toddlers and preschoolers. The rhyming text and onomatopoeias make the book interesting and fun.

The illustrations were created digitally.

Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

You Can Sit With Me book cover with a girl inviting another student to sit with her at her cafeteria seat

You Can Sit With Me

by Rachel Tawil Kenyon (Author), Tatiana Kamshilina (Illustrator)

Summary: A young child is new to the school and unsure of the routine. A girl kindly invites the newbie to sit with her throughout the story.

Comments: This would be a superb story to read aloud to promote kindness and inclusion. I think there could be some meaningful class discussions afterwards about ways everyone can be kind to one another.

Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

The selected children’s books are chosen by a certified, retired elementary school librarian who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.

Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.

Fungi Picture Books
Children's Book Recommendations

Fungi Picture Books

The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Fungi picture book recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. These titles can be found under my Amazon Storefront under Fungi Picture Books– https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/HI3P3S9Q1GEE?ref_=aipsflist .)

❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗

Book cover of Fairy Rings with a mushrooms with red caps in a circle on the grass.

Fairy Rings

by Lisa Owings (Author)

Summary: Various cultures have created folktales about fairy rings to explain these circles of fungi. This nonfiction book describes where, what, and how these rings grow.

Comments: Several text features are included, such as diagrams, labels, bold words, and so on. There is also a glossary at the back.

There is a glossary in the back.

I remember growing up with a fairy ring in our front yard and the tales our parents would tell about it. I wish there had been books like this when I was growing up so I could investigate further.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

*This book is one of the Mysterious Nature series and can be bought on their Amazon page.

Fungi Grow 

by Maria Gianferrari (Author), Diana Sudyka (Illustrator)

Summary: Young readers will learn how fungi grow above, on, and under the ground. Mushrooms can be edible, poisonous, or medicinal. There are mushroom details of how they multiply and what animals eat them. The underground fungi network helps the forest.

Comments: The gouache watercolors are detailed with two-paged spreads or small vignettes that move the nonfiction story along as we read the large print prose and the smaller informative text for more details.

This would be an excellent addition to the mushroom section in any children’s library collection.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

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

Cover to Mushrooms & Fungi for Kids with several types of mushrooms on the cover and in different colors

Mushrooms & Fungi for Kids: An Introduction to Mycology

by Ariel Bonkoski (Author)

Summary: This nonfiction paperback serves as a beginner’s guide to the mushrooms and fungi of North America. It contains numerous diagrams, labels, and photos of various fungi, along with suggested activities.

Comments: I love field guides like this and especially for children. It shares the basics with many colored photos. Adults who are just learning about fungi and mushrooms will also appreciate this.

A glossary is included in the back.

Perfect size to fit in a pocket or backpack while hiking.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

Book cover to We Spy Fungi with a brown background and all sorts o different fungi in various shapes and colors

We Spy Fungi: Search and Find Mushrooms, Cacti, and Other Fascinating Plants 

by Rebecca Donnelly (Author), Francisco Fonseca (Illustrator)

Summary: This global nonfiction book explores mushrooms and other fascinating plants, focusing on fungi and their ecosystems.

Comments: This book illustrates and discusses fourteen different ecosystems, featuring short text squares with information about various plants and animals within each ecosystem.

This book illustrates and discusses 14 different ecosystems.

II did not see the medium used listed in this book. I would have liked photos of the fungi included, a map showing the location of each ecosystem, and a glossary at the back.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.

The selected children’s books are chosen by a certified, retired elementary school librarian who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.

Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.