(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under Patience Picture Books– https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/2ZJKP1Y3TCHDN?ref_=aipsflist .)
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
Avocado Magic
by Taltal Levi (Author)
Summary: Ellie celebrates her birthday and is upset that her feet still do not reach the floor when she sits at the kitchen table. Her father shows her how to suspend an avocado seed with toothpicks into a glass of water.
He parallels Ellie’s slow growth to that of the seed, emphasizing that both need patience. Slowly the seed sprouts. It gradually develops into an avocado plant and grows alongside Ellie until it’s time both move out of the house.
When Ellie marries and has children, she brings the tree with her to plant in her own yard.
Comments: The metaphor for growth is absolutely beautiful!
The back section has instructions on how to sprout your own avocado.
Brief summary: Sasha is excited to go swimming with her best friend, Mr. Sloth, but is losing her patience with his slowness every step of the way. They finally walk to the lake and have lunch before entering the water. Sasha’s friend is taking too long, and she goes into the lake without him, only to realize it’s not as much fun. Sasha returns to their picnic to find Mr. Sloth in a tree enjoying his surroundings. Will Sasha and Mr. Sloth go swimming together in the future? Will Sasha learn to be patience?
Comments: In the back of the book, there is a discussion of ways to calm oneself when waiting.
by Melanie Conklin (Author), Leah Hong (Illustrator)
Brief summary: A little girl learns that sometimes we must wait even when we want the time to be now. We sometimes have to wait in line, wait for a loved one to return home, and wait to grow enough to ride a bicycle.
Comments: This gentle book explains that we sometimes have no control over making something happen faster. I’d share this at the beginning of the school year and when the class needed a little reminder about patience.
by Laurie Trumble Davis (Author), Marjorie van Heerden (Illustrator)
Brief summary: Gus’s owner returns from the store with cookies. Gus really wants one right away. He begs and jumps up on her, but she tells him he must wait until after dinner. Gus does not want to wait and runs off with the bag of cookies. His owner manages to get the cookies back. To help pass the time, they go on a walk. When they return, they have dinner. Will Gus ever get a cookie?
Comments: This would be a great read aloud for when classroom patience wears thin. Teachers could have an anchor chart with how to be patience in school or at home.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified 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.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under Nonfiction Picture Books– https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/2FLQHF9FGQHDG?ref_=aipsflist .)
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
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.
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.
by Christine Van Zandt (Author), Alejandra Barajas (Illustrator)
Brief summary: There are two types of text teaching readers about monarch butterflies. There is a lyrical, rhyming text and informative text boxes on each page.
Monarchs migrate back north after it warms to lay eggs on milkweed plants. We learn the stages of the butterfly from egg to adult.
Comments: The back sections include the Author’s Note, Monarchs Need Our Help, How You Can Help, Fun Facts, The Senses, and Selected Bibliography.
Brief summary: The ant’s life cycle and fun facts are explained in this nonfiction book for kids. Each ant has a role in the colony.
Comments: Nonfiction texts often include helpful features that aid in understanding the information presented. These features may include charts, diagrams, captions, and labels.
I really enjoyed the puns and humorous language used in the text.
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.
Brief summary: This nonfiction picture book explores the six kingdoms of life(animals, plants, fungi, protists, archaea, and bacteria) and how they are classified. Each kingdom has two double-paged illustrations filled with descriptive text and numbered examples of that category which are listed in the back sections of the book both in English and Latin.
Comments: The illustrations were created digitally. The back sections are Scientific Names and Featured Life-Forms.
*Kingdoms of Life was sent to me as a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
Hike It: An Introduction to Camping, Hiking, and Backpacking through the U.S.A.
by Iron Tazz (Author), Martin Stanev (Illustrator)
Brief summary: This nonfiction picture book alternates with a brief description of a park with double-paged illustrations, and then the next double-paged illustrations will be survival tips or advice related to camping or hiking.
Comments: The illustrations were created digitally.
The back section is Further Reading with websites, books, and apps.
This book could be used in the classroom to have students learn about topographical mapping, create their own ten essential practical life skills and safety, or give students a budget and have them calculate the costs of a hiking trip including food, equipment and park entrance fees.
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.
Brief summary: Young readers will learn about the origins of Halloween, the traditions, and how South Korea and Ireland celebrate.
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.
Brief 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.
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.
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.
Brief summary: This intermediate nonfiction children’s books focuses on the day of voting. Readers will learn about polling places, volunteers, voting day, early voting, counting the votes, and declaring the winner.
Comments: The book is illustrated with photos.
The back sections included Fun Fact, Activity, Glossary, To Learn More, Index, and About the Author.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified 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.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases 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. These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under Insect Picture Books–https://amzn.to/3RfLIPc .)
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
Log Life (Tiny Habitats)
by Amy Hevron (Author, Illustrator)
Brief summary: This book is a narrative nonfiction that educates young readers about the life cycle of a giant fir tree that falls to the ground and transforms into a nurse log. As the log slowly decays in the forest, it becomes a source of nourishment for fungi, plants, insects, animals, and birds throughout the first year until it completely decomposes many decades later.
Comments: I had never heard of the term “nurse log” before and found it fascinating to learn about what happens to a fallen tree.
The illustrations were created using acrylic, marker, and pencil on Bristol board and then digitally collaged.
The back sections are More About Nurse-Log Habitats, Selected Sources, and Additional Reading.
by Christine Van Zandt (Author), Alejandra Barajas (Illustrator)
Brief summary: There are two types of text teaching readers about monarch butterflies. There is a lyrical, rhyming text and informative text boxes on each page.
Monarchs migrate back north after it warms to lay eggs on milkweed plants. We learn the stages of the butterfly from egg to adult.
Comments: The back sections include the Author’s Note, Monarchs Need Our Help, How You Can Help, Fun Facts, The Senses, and Selected Bibliography.
Brief summary: The ant’s life cycle and fun facts are explained in this nonfiction book for kids. Each ant has a role in the colony.
Comments: Nonfiction texts often include helpful features that aid in understanding the information presented. These features may include charts, diagrams, captions, and labels.
I really enjoyed the puns and humorous language used in the text.
Brief summary: Aurora is feeling nervous the day before her talent show. Sitting in her family’s garden, she practices hand-signing for the play she wrote. While she’s rehearsing, a butterfly lands on a flower and Aurora signs “butterfly,” creating a small wind. This little wind continues to other children around the world, who all start signing “butterfly” too, and the wind grows stronger. Will this wind help Aurora on the day of her talent show?
Comments: An Author’s Note and an ASL chart are in the back.
by Lily Murray (Author), Jenny Løvlie (Illustrator)
Summary: Evie loves picking up insect species and other creepy crawlies. She enjoys looking at them with her magnifying glass and putting them in her pockets. Her family does not share her passion and tells her to leave them, as it’s time to go home.
Evie decides to take them inside and place them in her room.
Her extended family comes to visit the next day. What could possibly go wrong?
Comments: The illustrations are digital. The back pages share ideas for helping bugs and a brief biological sketch of Evelyn Cheesman, an entomologist who inspired the book.
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.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified 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.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under Immigration Picture Books– https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/1QY1XULXXMBVE?ref_=aipsflist.)
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
My Mother’s Tongues: A Weaving of Languages
by Uma Menon (Author), Rahele Jomepour Bell (Illustrator)
Brief summary: Sumi’s mother speaks two tongues–Malayalam and English. The little girl notices how her mother is able to go back and forth between the two languages but only has one tongue in her head. Sumi has learned both languages and uses them at different times in her daily routine and when her family go to visit relatives in Kerala, India.
She learns that some people have several tongues and can communicate with more people. This inspires her to learn more languages.
Comments: These lovely illustrations were created using mixed media.
This book would be a wonderful classroom share with students to teach how having multiple languages is an advantage.
It should be noted that this picture book was created by a sixteen-year-old who I hope to see more books from in the future.
Summary: A young girl, her mother, and Amah leave their home for a new one in a different country where everything feels unfamiliar. Over time, they work together to create a new home.
Comments: A gentle book about immigration that would be a wonderful read aloud.
The illustrations were created using Adobe Photoshop and a Wacom tablet.
by Alice Brière-Haquet (Author), Michela Eccli (Illustrator), Sarah Ardizzone (Translator)
Brief summary: A family of mice have their knitted home come apart when more and more yarn unravels. They run away from a fire breathing dragon and go across the water in a knitted red boat to a land where they slowly knit their house back together with the help of other animals using different colored threads until they make a new safe home.
Comments: A wonderful allegory to teach elementary students about refugees and escaping to a new land that is safe.
This story was originally published din France in 2023 and translated to English in 2025.
The illustrations were created with drawing, photography, and yarn.
Brief summary: At the beginning of a war, a young girl and her mother flee their country. They settle in a new land with an unfamiliar language and cuisine. Amidst their new surroundings, the girl constructs a cardboard lamp, which she places in the window. It is reminiscent of the one from their previous home, establishing a connection between her past and present.
Comments:
I think this book would comfort those ESL students who realize what they have like the star lamp in the story that makes their new home feel a little bit like their old home.
The Author’s Note recounts her family’s necessity to emigrate due to the war in their home country, Russia, following its invasion of Ukraine.
The illustrations were created with hand-drawn contours and Photoshop.
Some of Us: A Story of Citizenship and the United States
by Rajani LaRocca (Author), Huy Voun Lee (Illustrator)
Brief summary: Some people are U.S. citizens by birth, while others arrive from different countries and choose to become naturalized citizens. This picture book offers a meaningful way to introduce the many paths to citizenship and the personal stories behind why people choose to become Americans.
Comments: The illustrations are created with paper samples and Procreate.
The author’s note in the back shares about the author’s own immigration from India and becoming a naturalized citizen.
On a personal note: My mother is an immigrant, and I still remember her carefully reading her workbook, studying for the citizenship test. I watched with pride as she raised her hand to take the Oath of Allegiance, standing alongside others in a naturalization ceremony at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus.
This book could be shelved in the picture books or in the nonfiction section of 304.
Brief summary: Jun moves from Hong Kong to America and only knows four English words on her first day of school: hello, thank you, I don’t know, and toilet. As the week progresses, she has many frustrations as she learns a new routine, language, and group of people, but lunchtime is when she feels the love of home that helps her to persist.
Comments: This book is a great resource for helping students understand the experiences of new students from other countries. It includes a heartwarming story about students bonding over their favorite foods at lunch, which helps them form deeper connections. This book is particularly valuable for ESL teachers and school counselors to share with new students at school. There are not many words and the story is mainly told with large, colorful illustrations.
I could not find anywhere on the book or her website saying how the illustrations were created for this picture book. The back sections explain Jun’s words on her hand and the food in her lunchbox.
by Élise Fontenaille (Author), Violeta Lópiz (Illustrator), Karin Snelson (Translator), Emilie Robert Wong (Translator).
Summary: A grandson visits his Grandpa Luis every Wednesday and Sunday. His grandpa is not only a talented artist but can make anything grow, creating the beautiful garden where they spend their days. The six-year-old is learning to read and write and tells us that his Grandpa does not know how as he was an immigrant from Spain to France who had to work in the fields as a child.
Comments: This is a French translation and captures the two kindred spirits. I like the mixed-up idioms and how the grandson narrates how he is getting to know Grandpa Luis.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified 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.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under Humorous Picture Books–https://amzn.to/3PmGel7 .)
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
That’s Not Funny, David!
by David Shannon (Author, Illustrator)
Summary: David is a comedian who tries to make everyone laugh, but he discovers that not all of his antics are funny to everyone. Ultimately, he still has his mother’s unconditional love.
Comments: He’s back! I missed David. I’d recognize that giant head and triangular teeth anywhere. Children identify with the antics of this little boy and laugh out loud.
Brief summary: A young girl falls on a cobblestone and ends up getting a bloody knee. Her father gives her first aid, telling her she will have a beautiful scab.
It is NOT beautiful.
She asks her mother when it will go away. The woman answers, “In a few days.”
But it does not.
Thinking it will never leave, she calls it “Pepper”.
Days pass until one day, the scab falls off.
What will she do with it? ??
Comments: This would make a hilarious read-aloud that all kids could relate to and share stories about their scabs.
The illustrations used are gouache, oil, collage, and wax pencils.
Brief summary: Penguin loves his teddy, Mikki Olsen, and does everything together, including chores. After chopping wood, he goes straight to bed, only noticing that Mikki Olsen is missing the following day.
Penguin looks all through the house and outside in the snow, retracing his steps from yesterday. Will he ever find his beloved teddy?
Comments: This is a cute and humorous story that young readers can relate to when losing a precious plush or toy.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified 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.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases 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. These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under Grandparent Picture Books– https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/3I3U0LA1IE7QV?ref_=aipsflist .)
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
Do You Remember?
by Sydney Smith (Author)
Summary: A mother and son exchange memories of when the father was still with them. They have moved to a new home in the city where everything is new. They decide that they will begin to make new memories together.
Comments: This book could be shared as a read-aloud between two people. The mother’s voice is in red ink; the boy’s is in blue.
We are not told where the father is or what happened to him. This could be a discussion point with students.
The soft and calm illustrations match the mood of lying in bed and reminiscing.
by Jordan Scott (Author), Sydney Smith (Illustrator)
Summary: Author, Jordan Scott, recalls visiting with his Baba at her home. His father would drop Jordan off to have breakfast with his Baba and afterwards, they would walk together to his school. If it was raining, Baba would look for worms and put them in a glass jar to take home for her garden.
His baba would retrieve him after school, and they would spend time in her garden learning about the plants. This is their usual routine until she moves in with the family when a new building is built over her home. Not able to have a full garden any longer, she keeps a little garden in her room.
Comments: Told through the first-person point of view by the boy.
Jordan Scott wrote one of the most lovely book dedications I’ve ever read.
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.
by Mojdeh Hassani (Author), Samira Iravani (Author), Maya Fidawi (Illustrator).
Summary: Samira is a bit nervous about going to the bazaar with her grandmother for the first time to buy groceries. She repeatedly asks Mama Shamsi to hide in her chador, but the woman wisely resists using humor to soothe her granddaughter’s fear.
Comments: I think this is a good read-aloud for students experiencing doing something for the first time and having anxiety. Discussions could include how to find comfort when feeling overwhelmed and going from needing to hide to gaining confidence.
by Élise Fontenaille (Author), Violeta Lópiz (Illustrator), Karin Snelson (Translator), Emilie Robert Wong (Translator).
Summary: A grandson visits his Grandpa Luis every Wednesday and Sunday. His grandpa is not only a talented artist but can make anything grow, creating the beautiful garden where they spend their days. The six-year-old is learning to read and write and tells us that his Grandpa does not know how as he was an immigrant from Spain to France who had to work in the fields as a child.
Comments: This is a French translation and captures the two kindred spirits. I like the mixed-up idioms and how the grandson narrates how he is getting to know Grandpa Luis.
by Ana Siqueira (Author), Elisa Chavarri (Illustrator).
Summary: Luis and his abuela have fun every Saturday going around the neighborhood being superheroes. One Saturday, she does not visit. Luis learns that his abuela is very sick in the hospital. She comes to stay with them as she recovers. Although Luis is saddened that his abuela is unable to be as active, he tries to come up with a way to have fun and realizes his sister, Isabel, can be his new sidekick and fight and do adventures together in their capes.
There is a glossary of the Spanish words used in the book.
Summary: The text has seven lines with seven words each(except for the last line). Each line is across the top of a two-page spread with small illustrations below, and then the next two-page spread is an illustration matching that color scheme.
Comments: The words are calm and straightforward. The stunning illustrations are done with pencil and gouache and are detailed little scenes of family members with everyday interactions. I stopped and looked at the details of each one before continuing to the following line and was glad to see that grandparents were included.
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.
Comments: The seasonal color schemes go in hand with this gentle and calming book that blends from one season to the next.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified 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.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under Garden Picture Books– https://amzn.to/48NBD2O .)
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
Avocado Magic
by Taltal Levi (Author)
Summary: Ellie celebrates her birthday and is upset that her feet still do not reach the floor when she sits at the kitchen table. Her father shows her how to suspend an avocado seed with toothpicks into a glass of water.
He parallels Ellie’s slow growth to that of the seed, emphasizing that both need patience. Slowly the seed sprouts. It gradually develops into an avocado plant and grows alongside Ellie until it’s time both move out of the house.
When Ellie marries and has children, she brings the tree with her to plant in her own yard.
Comments: The metaphor for growth is absolutely beautiful!
The back section has instructions on how to sprout your own avocado.
Summary: Ayla and her mother live on an island surrounded by a coral reef. Her mother, who is a marine biologist, takes care of the reef and teaches Ayla about the marine life around it. Unfortunately, they notice that the fish are leaving because the reef is fading. To solve this problem, Ayla’s mother teaches her how to make a coral reef garden by planting tiny pieces of coral in their house and later moving them to the ocean. Will this effort bring the fish back?
Comments: Before reading The Ocean Gardener, I had no knowledge about the process of coral reef restoration. Now, I have an understanding.
The back section includes information from Chloe Pozas, a marine biologist who inspired the book. Additionally, there are some photos of coral gardens included in the back of the book and a section titled If You Want to Know More…
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.
Brief summary: In the winter, a girl helps her mother grow a garden on the window sill in little pots. The child cares for and tends the plants, harvesting some for their Thanksgiving meal.
When the weather warms up, she looks forward to picking out seeds to grow more plants.
Comments: Directions for how to grow your own wintergarden are at the back of the book.
Summary: Grammy and her four grandchildren walk through the forest and to the garden, learning about plants, animals, and insects. They place a blanket on the ground and picnic while Grammy reads to them. Narrated by one of the children.
Comments: Blue ink illustrations with the plants, animals, or insects highlighted with full-colored words that match the subject.
Summary: A young girl and her grandfather tend a garden together until he moves to an apartment where he brings some of his plants.
She grows up and lives far away, but her grandfather sends her a gift of peonies. When her daughter grows, the granddaughter visits the man showing her little one how to tend the house plants and flowers like he taught her.
Comments: An Author’s Note in the back explains how this story is based on her relationship with her grandfather.
by JaNay Brown-Wood (Author), Samara Hardy (Illustrator)
Summary: Lihn needs to find blueberries for their brunch and walk around the rooftop looking at all the fruits and vegetables. The girl describes what a blueberry looks like and compares those characteristics to each plant methodically until she finds them.
Comments: There is a blueberry and banana pancake recipe in the back.
Watch Me Bloom: A Bouquet of Haiku Poems for Budding Naturalists
by Krina Patel-Sage (Author, Illustrator)
Brief summary: A collection of twenty-four haikus about different flower species, all illustrated with lovely bright colors, including the paste-down end pages.
Comments: There are Floral Fun Facts in the back of the book.
Summary: Worm begins its day crawling through the garden when two humans cause it to have self-doubt. The worm crawls through a garden talking with each insect and creature it comes across, asking what it can do. Will the worm realize its importance to a garden and regain self-confidence?
Comments: The back pages include Make Your Own Quilled Butterfly, Earthworm Facts, and a Glossary. Illustrated using quilling techniques to make the plants.
I recommend that this picture book be read to supplement a quilling unit.
George Washington Carver: More Than “The Peanut Man” (Bright Minds): More Than “The Peanut Man”
by Janel Rodriguez (Author), Subi Bosa (Illustrator)
I’ve only known George Washington Carver as the “peanut man” and updated my education when reading this narrative nonfiction about this knowledgeable and talented man nicknamed “Plant Doctor.”
Summary: This book begins with his life as a child who studied plants and painted them. It continues with his young adulthood of going to college, learning, and experimenting with plants. The book tells of his adulthood of going around in a Jesup wagon, educating farmers on improving their crops and livestock. Readers will learn about many of his inventions and personal life too. I enjoyed reading about this remarkable man.
Comments: This book is full of a variety of nonfiction text features. The back sections include Your Turn!, Glossary, Index, and Further Reading.
by Michelle Schaub (Author), Blanca Gómez (Illustrator)
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.
Summary: This is an ecological/environmental story from the beginning of the earth to its present of how the land and its inhabitant have changed and how to live in balance.
Comments: I included this book under gardening(although it could be under ecology or environmental) as it highlights how to tend a little bit of land.
by Ruth Spiro (Author), Lucy Ruth Cummins (Illustrator)
Summary: A young girl’s auntie sends her a plant per month with a tag of information about the plant. By the end of the year, the girl has a plant garden.
Comments: The front and back-pasted end pages outline the twelve plants with the Latin name, origins, and light preference.
This story is done in rhyme. The illustrations are gouache, colored pencil, and crayon.
by Cynthia Schumerth (Author), Elisa Paganelli (Illustrator)
Summary: A young girl with her mother and grandfather plant seeds in the spring garden and tend them to grow, observing how the seed changes to develop. Birds and bugs visit the garden. Soon fall comes when the plants begin to produce seeds they gather for the next planting.
Comments: A plant’s cycle.
A story in rhyme.
Facts about seeds are in the back of the book, including a seed diagram.
by Frieda Wishinsky (Author), Karen Patkau (Illustrator)
Summary: An animal/creature is paired with a flower in the garden, and readers are asked why they coexist so well. Answers are in the book of how they benefit each other.
Comments: This is an excellent resource for introducing the concept of symbiosis. The illustrations made it clear and concrete.
My First Garden: For Little Gardeners Who Want to Grow
by Livi Gosling (Author)
Summary: This nonfiction book is a beginning guide to gardening with step-by-step instructions. Everything one needs to know is covered with illustrations.
Comments: This is for the primary children to learn by looking at the lovely illustrations or for older elementary students who want to start a gardening club.
I usually stick to picture book reviews, but this nonfiction book’s illustrations make a difference with the covered topics by clarifying the lesson.
by Meera Sriram (Author), Sandhya Prabhat (Illustrator)
Summary: A little girl has her hands Painted by her mother for a wedding the next day. Her mother tells her memories as she paints a garden of flowers and decorations. She sleeps with gloves on over the henna to wake and brush the flakes off to reveal her red garden of stories and the fragrance of henna.
Comments: Facts about henna are in the back of the book.
by Tziporah Cohen (Author), Udayana Lugo (Illustrator).
Summary: Mrs. Kosta and Victoria plant and nurture a beet seed until it ripens. The woman begins to harvest the gigantic beet but cannot remove it from the ground, no matter how hard she tugs. Several neighbors stop by the garden to help pull, creating a line out to the sidewalk until the vegetable is uprooted with a big “SPROING!!”
Comments: There is an Author’s Note and Raw Beet & Garlic Salad Recipe in the back.
by Jordan Scott (Author), Sydney Smith (Illustrator)
Summary: Author, Jordan Scott, recalls visiting with his Baba at her home. His father would drop Jordan off to have breakfast with his Baba and afterwards, they would walk together to his school. If it was raining, Baba would look for worms and put them in a glass jar to take home for her garden.
His baba would retrieve him after school, and they would spend time in her garden learning about the plants. This is their usual routine until she moves in with the family when a new building is built over her home. Not able to have a full garden any longer, she keeps a little garden in her room.
Comments: Told through the first-person point of view by the boy.
Jordan Scott wrote one of the most lovely book dedications I’ve ever read.
by Melody Sumaoang Plan (Author), Vinh Nguyen (Illustrator), Rong Pham (Illustrator)
Brief summary: This narrative nonfiction picture book shares how a woman cares for a compost bin. She diligently adds organic material, mixes them, and waters the compost to create nutrient-rich soil for her plants.
Comments: This book covers the bugs and organisms in the bin and those underneath. The back pages have more information on how to start composing.
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.
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.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified 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.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under Friendship Picture Books– https://amzn.to/3PCSYnH .)
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
Echo
by Adam Rex (Author)
Summary: Junior Junior grew up on the side of a mountain and made friends with the echo. He loved that they agreed on everything he said. One day, a girl on the mountain across from him told him to stop shouting. She did not agree with everything he said. Junior Junior decides to run away to the valley to meet the echo and decides he doesn’t like someone who agrees with everything he says. Will he be friends with the girl on the hill even when she points out that he can be wrong at times?
Comments: I loved the humor in this book!
Great read aloud to emphasize manners, emotions, and how to agree to disagree.
The illustrations were created digitally in Procreate and Photoshop.
Brief summary: Evergreen, an anxious squirrel, lives in Buckthorn Forrest with her mother who has asked her to take soup to a sick Granny Oak who lives on the other side of the forest. Although frightened, Evergreen leaves the tree and heads towards Granny Oak’s, encountering several forest animals along the way.
Comments: This picture book is divided into a new chapter for each animal Evergreen meets. The illustrations are done with a 005 Micron Pen and painted with watercolors.
Students will be in suspense with each forest animal encounter wondering if the squirrel will be eaten.
Summary: Tulsi lives in America, and Vanessa lives in Tanzania. The girls become pen pals and learn about what is different and alike in their cultures.
They learn that even though they are continents apart there are things they both share. They have brothers, enjoy music, have pets, and like Nature.
The things that are different are also shared and help to bring on friendship across the globe.
Comments: The phrase “Like You, Like Me” is throughout the book to emphasis what they have alike even if sometimes it’s a bit different.
The illustrations were made with painted papers and oil sticks.
I would share this book before a pen pal project or for making a Venn Diagram of their likes and differences.
Summary: Milly is an introvert and tends to be quiet in class. With Show and Tell approaching Friday, she is feeling anxious about it. At home, she has a special place where she enjoys tinkering and has created a robot named Arnold. Her new friend goes to school with Milly and helps her share her passion with the class.
Comments: This book is great for reading aloud. It could help kids learn about quiet individuals who enjoy sharing their interests. It also shows shy people that it’s okay to be themselves.
Revony Rhinoceros Starts to Smile: A Lesson in Body Language
by Patricia Bardina (Author), Joanne Burgess (Author), Paul Sharp (Illustrator)
Summary: Revony Rhinoceros is at Bixby Baboon’s birthday party. The little rhino sits sulking and frowning by a tree, unsure how to play with the other invited guests. After the party, Revony’s mother discusses body language with her child. She explains that understanding friendly and unfriendly body language can help make friends. They then walk around the park, observing the other animals and how their body language reflects their feelings.
Revony Rhinoceros feels confident and uses friendly body language to make new friends at the park.
Comments: This book could be an introduction for school counselors, PreK, or K teachers to read aloud to explain nonverbal communication skills/body language and how that could impact friend-making.
This book was published in 2018, but it remains relevant today.
by Michael Panzner (Author), Lora Look (Illustrator)
Summary: Three gray Australian kangaroos were practicing taekwondo kicks in the desert when they heard a joey trapped on a cliff in the distance. They come together and cross the dangerous terrain to rescue the baby kangaroo.
Once they got to the top of the cliff, they had to figure out how to get back down using their skills and teamwork.
Comments: This picture book is illustrated with bright and bold colors of the desert.
The kangaroos did have on taekwondo uniforms–white shirts with black sashes.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified 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.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under Food Picture Books– https://amzn.to/4d1yfmz .)
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
The Fabulous Fannie Farmer: Kitchen Scientist and America’s Cook
by Emma Bland Smith (Author), Susan Reagan (Illustrator)
Summary: In the late 1800s, Fannie Farmer developed a passion for cooking. Despite contracting polio at the age of sixteen, she enrolled in the Boston Cooking School, where she excelled and eventually became the principal. Fannie’s teaching focused on precise measurements and exact cooking methods, ensuring success for home cooks.
She rewrote the school’s cookbook with precision, which became incredibly popular. Fannie also gave lectures nationwide and even taught at Harvard Medical School.
Comments: After reading this narrative nonfiction picture book, I learned that people used non-standard measurements for cooking even though standard measurements were available. I was surprised to discover the variety of measurements in recipes passed down from generation to generation, such as a dash of this, a smidge of that, or a pinch of this.
The back sections contain photos and additional information about Fannie and the Boston Cooking School and how Ms. Farmer really improved cooking through precise and detailed recipes.
by Mabi David (Author), Yas Doctor (Illustrator), Karen Llagas (Translator)
Summary: A boy and girl spend a day exploring and tasting various fruits and vegetables, grouped by color.
Comments: This is translated from Filipino.
The illustrations were created using oil on paper.
The back sections are A Rainbow of Colors(which highlights food from different colors, explaining how they benefit the body, and ways to eat them), Why Should We Eat A Rainbow of Fruits and Vegetables?, and How Families Can Eat More Colors Together.
This book could supplement an elementary-level food or color unit.
by Bernard Mensah (Author), Annalise Barber-Opp (Illustrator)
Summary: A young boy and his dad wake up before the rest of the family on Jollof Day to prepare a special stew. They joyfully chop the ingredients and let the stew simmer. When the rest of the family wakes up, everyone sits down together for the special meal.
Comments: The recipe for the jollof rice dish is in the back of the book.
The bright and dynamic illustrations were created using watercolor paints, gouache, colored pencils, and digital edits in Photoshop.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified 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.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under Flower Picture Books– https://amzn.to/49yyhQq .)
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
A Dandelion (A Day in the Life Of)
by Ruth Owen (Author)
Summary: This narrative nonfiction picture book explains the life cycle of a dandelion from being a yellow flower to when it changes into seeds. The wind carries them to another location where they start over.
Comments: This is a smaller picture book about 8″ x 8.”
by Elizabeth Davaze (Author), Marianne Ferrer (Illustrator)
Summary: Sam notices a dandelion during recess and through her care and appreciation of it, several other students notice it as well. They nuture it, but soon find out that not everyone sees it as a beautiful flower.
Comments: This would make a nice read-aloud and discussion of nature all around us in our everyday lives.
by Laura Renauld (Author), Jennie Poh (Illustrator)
Summary: In this Woodland Friends series, Doe is growing daffodils for the Spring Pedal Parade but keeps coming across annoying dandelion “weeds.” She soon learns from her friends how much joy and use they are to them.
Comments: This is a wonderful tribute to the benefit of some of the plants that are called weeds. Students can learn that all plants have value.
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 petals, and even, putting it under a bucket.
Bird educates Squirrel about his good intentions are harming the flower instead.
Comments: This is a humorous read-aloud that opens a discussion of what plants need to thrive.
by Frieda Wishinsky (Author), Karen Patkau (Illustrator)
Summary: An animal/creature is paired with a flower in the garden, and readers are asked why they coexist so well. Answers are in the book of how they benefit each other.
Comments: This is an excellent resource for introducing the concept of symbiosis. The illustrations made it clear and concrete.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified 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.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under Father Picture Books– https://amzn.to/48NBD2O .)
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
Navigating Night
by Julie Leung (Author), Angie Kang (Illustrator)
Summary: A Chinese-American girl helps her father, who is a Chinese immigrant, deliver food from their restaurant each night. She reads the map and road signs, navigating to the correct destinations. She does not want to do this anymore and wants to be like the other kids she sees in homes. After hearing her father’s immigration journey, she realizes how hard they work so that she will have a better life in the USA.
Comments: I think this would be a story to share with intermediate students to discuss a realistic look at the immigration journey of working hard for a better life. It builds an understanding of classmates with similar responsibilities.
The backmatter tells us that the book is based on the author’s own life.
The illustrations are created in gouache, crayon, colored pencil and pastel to emphasize the colors of a rainy night.
Summary: It’s Saturday morning, which means it’s time for a trip to the barbershop with Dad. A young boy shares this special bonding ritual of getting a haircut alongside his father while surrounded by other men enjoying fresh cuts, watching a basketball game, and chatting together. By the end of the visit, the boy proudly pays the barber with his own money, making the experience feel like a rite of passage.
Comments: The sensory details of the story had me in that barbershop. The story provides discussions about self-image and family rituals.
Summary: Sarabeth loves everything about cars and especially Saturdays when she spends time with her father in his garage. Her grandmother does not approve and believes Sarabeth is not acting like little girls did in her day. It wasn’t until Grandmother’s car broke down that she began to appreciate her granddaughter’s passion.
Comments: This is a good text resource for breaking stereotypes and encouraging students to follow what they are good at doing. Students could also discuss what hobbies they share with their family.
by Phil Rosenthal (Author), Lily Rosenthal (Author), Luke Flowers (Illustrator)
Summary: Lil is nervous about the trip she and her father are going to take to grandma’s house. They are staying for three days and Lil discusses things that could irrationally and outlandishly happen while her father reassures her everything will be okay. They pack up and drive to grandma’s to find out that indeed everything is wonderful there.
Comments: This is the second book of the father and daughter duo. They humorously examine growth mindset and being flexible with change by just trying something that may be new. This is an excellent text for discussing anxiety and being nervous about new things regardless of age.
Summary: A young girl hides under the sink during a loud thunderstorm. She is afraid of the noise it makes but her father is not. He encourages her to go to Thunderland with him where there is hot chocolate and cookies. The father successfully teaches his daughter ways to confront the storm and live through it.
Comments: Thunderland is a playful world where the father helps his daughter face the noise and find bravery. I found this to be a great read-aloud for students to realize that others may have fears just like them.
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 for intermediate students. It gently explores the significance of having one’s hair cut against one’s will. It introduces the history of Indian Residential Schools. It could be a prompt for students to discuss how they can support fellow classmates with cultural traditions they may not be familiar with.
Summary: Jim Panzee thinks of ways to celebrate Father’s Day with his father, Chip. Jim realizes that they should include Grandpanzee but finds out that not all dads like to celebrate the same way. Some like a big fuss while others like it to be simple and quiet.
Comments: I think this would make an excellent SEL mentor text for discussing how holidays and celebrations can look different for everyone. Some people enjoy large gatherings and noise, while others prefer quieter and simpler moments. The story encourages students to recognize their own feelings and comfort levels rather than feeling pressured to celebrate the same way as everyone else.
by Peter Horn (Author), Jessica Meserve (Illustrator), Johanna McCalmont (Translator)
Summary: Sebastian spends the day with his father, walking through the meadow and around the pond, learning about what other dads do for their children. His father turns it into a game by describing what different daddy creatures do, and Sebastian has to guess which creature he describes.
Comments: This story is a cuddly, bedtime book.
The book was originally published in Switzerland. The book I looked at was in English and printed in Riga, Latvia.
by Bernard Mensah (Author), Annalise Barber-Opp (Illustrator)
Summary: A young boy and his dad wake up before the rest of the family on Jollof Day to prepare a special stew. They joyfully chop the ingredients and let the stew simmer. When the rest of the family wakes up, everyone sits down together for the special meal.
Comments: The recipe for the jollof rice dish is in the back of the book.
The bright and dynamic illustrations were created using watercolor paints, gouache, colored pencils, and digital edits in Photoshop.
by Varian Johnson (Author), Reggie Brown (Illustrator)
Summary: Elijah eagerly waits for his father’s return from work so they can fly his new kite together. However, his father has to work over the weekend. Instead, the two of them work together to clean the house and help his mother with the newborn baby. Following his father’s example, Elijah learns to do household chores.
Comments: I appreciate Elijah’s father’s patience and encouragement as his son learns to follow his lead and assist in the house and to also help others in the neighborhood.
The illustrations were created digitally using Adobe Photoshop.
by Dr. Joel Warsh (Author), Andrew Gardner (Author), David Cooper (Illustrator)
Summary: This book is a collection of 18 short notes from various fathers, each beginning with “I hope you…” to support their children’s growth with themes of perseverance, hope, and self-discovery.
Comments: This is a superb mentor text for SEL. A writing activity would be for students to write letters to their future selves.
The illustrations were created using digital media.
Riding Through Rice Fields: A Trip to the Philippines
by Michelle Sterling (Author), Bianca Austria (Illustrator)
Summary: Mateo and his father are struggling to connect until a family reunion in the Philippines helps strengthen their bond as they embark on an adventure together while bicycling across the country.
Comments: Mateo learns about bayanihan, the practice of people coming together to help those in need. I believe that reading this book aloud in the classroom and discussing bayanihan could be beneficial throughout the entire year.
by Richard Jackson (Author), Brian Floca (Illustrator)
Summary: A son and father drive a red Jeep along the upper South Branch Stream of the Au Sable River in Michigan. The father allows his boy to sit in his lap and steer while he drives. They set up their campsite and go trout fishing, where they catch one. The boy is shown how to gut the fish and fry it.
They spend time around the campfire under the full moon talking and joking around.
They return from their trip when his father goes off to war. He and his mother read air-mail letters together, looking forward to his return.
Comments: This is an autobiographical story set in the early 1950s during the Korean War when the author’s father was called away for duty.
There is more of an explanation for the creation of the story on the copyright page.
The illustrations were beautifully crafted using pen and ink, watercolor, and gouache, giving the story a lovely summery feel.
by Malcolm Newsome (Author), Jade Orlando (Illustrator)
Summary: Sydney feels shy on her first day of school and is worried about the speech she has to give to the class. Her father reminds her of all the role models who had to give speeches and practices with his daughter to help her build confidence.
Will Sydney be able to give her speech about what she wants to do when she grows up?
Comments: The back page has short biographical sketches of the female leaders the father shared.
The illustrations are created using watercolor and digital media.
Summary: Each two-page illustration features a dad and son pair in rhyming text, from doing household tasks to playing sports.
Comments: The illustrations were created using watercolor and colored pencil to vividly depict a diverse and multicultural theme, showcasing the special bond between dads and sons.
by Phil Rosenthal(Author), Lily Rosenthal(Author), and Luke Flowers(Illustration)
Summary: Lil and her father are at a food festival with many different types of foods. Her father tries coaxing his daughter to try the foods, but she stubbornly refuses. He offers her a pretzel with mustard, to which she reacts with an angry scream and throws her arms in the air, causing the mustard to go on his shirt. She apologizes while her father washes off the stain.
While waiting, Lil takes a bite. Will she like this or any of the other food?
Comments: This was one patient father. “Try it; you’ll like it” is a common request that many kids and parents will relate to in this humorous picture book.
by Kathleen Long Bostrom (Author), Ela Smietanka (Artist)
Summary: Sophie asks her father for a bedtime story–one he makes up instead of from a book. He begins to tell her one, but his daughter keeps requesting changes. The story becomes more and more imaginative with many creatures.
Comments: This is a cute bedtime story with a bit of humor and a lot of imagination.
by Brittany J. Thurman (Author), Shamar Knight-Justice (Illustrator)
Brief summary: Olivia looks forward to seeing her father come home from work and greet her with a hug. They create dinner with Mom and have a nice evening together.
Olivia hugs her father in the morning before he leaves for work, worrying about his dangerous job as an emergency medical technician. While waiting, she makes him a bracelet to wear.
Will her father return?
Comments: The illustrations are created using mixed-media elements and Procreate.
Summary: A boy with trouble falling asleep goes camping with his father. They pack up the pickup truck, Darlin’, and head for the desert. His father tells him about the plants and animal tracks. They build a fire and watch the sun set while sitting on the hood of the pickup until the stars come out. They get in the sleeping bag in the truck bed, enjoying the stars above them.
His father is able to teach his son how to connect with the universe and not feel so small. They drive home, where Mom has a surprise waiting for their boy.
by Angela Pham Krans (Author), Thi Bui (Illustrator)
Summary: Mai and her papa like to play crocodile chomp with their hands. Papa leaves Vietnam to go to America to make a better life for his wife and daughter. Mai does not understand where her father has gone and waits for him to return each day to play. Mama packs a bag and takes her little one on a long journey through the rice paddies, across a river, and onto a boat across the ocean to a refugee camp in Singapore until they are released when Mama travels in the city to find her husband.
Comments: This story is based on the author and her mother, who journeyed in 1983 from Vietnam to America. Both author and illustrator share their families’ journey of immigration.
by Chris Paul (Author), Courtney Lovett (Illustrator).
Summary: Chris wants to become a basketball player and looks up to his granddad, Papa Chilly, for guidance as the man’s dreams have come true. He gets up early to practice. He learns how to be a good team player and to help others. Papa Chilly attends Chris’s games and cheers him on.
Comments: The back page has Chris Paul’s recollection of his grandfather and a photo of them.
by Pierce Freelon (Author), Nadia Fisher (Illustrator).
Summary: A father and son go camping together. As they hike and fish, the father shares how he did the same with his father, who recently died. It almost feels like Pop-Pop is there with them as they create new and share old memories of being together.
Comments: This would be a nice mentor text for discussing “then and now.” Students could talk to family members about the childhood places they went to together.
by Carol Gordon Ekster (Author), Russ Cox (Illustrator).
Brief summary: Athena misses her father when he is trucking and has to leave the family for days. She loves ANYTHING to do with eighteen-wheelers and is proud to be a Trucker Kid. She shares her joy and enthusiasm with the kids at school. Her classmates understand her passion once her father visits the school via his semi to share everything about his job.
Comments: The back pages have sections Keep on Trucking and Author’s Note.
by Ariana Shaheen Amini (Author), Christina Maheen Amini (Author), Elaheh Taherian (Illustrator).
Summary: Baba shares stories with his six daughters while they sit and play on the Persian carpet of his boyhood in Iran and his stories of immigrating to America.
Comments: This is based on the true story of Dr. Fariborz Amini. Authors’ Notes in the back have a photo of the lovely family.
by Corey Finkle (Author), Lenny Wen (Illustrator).
Summary: A young girl tries to think of the best gift to give her father because he is such a wonderful Pop. As they spend the day together, each attempt of creating the present is a failure. Will she be able to give her father the perfect present?
Comments: The girl’s repeated failures to create the perfect gift can lead to students talking about when they failed or when things didn’t quite go as planned. What did they do? What did they learn?
Summary: Pablo and his father get on their bikes while their dog, Waffles, runs aside them. It’s Market Day, and Pablo wants a donut, but it is allowed once all the shopping is finished. As Pablo tries to help, he finds that everything he picks out is too big. He protests, “Not fair!” Will he realize with the help of his dad that not all things are fair?
Comments: This book could be a shared read-aloud with the father’s voice in black ink and the son’s in red.
by Kathryn Erskine (Author), Keith Henry Brown (Author, Illustrator).
Summary: Trevor’s parents separate, and his father moves out. They once shared time listening to music late in the night after his father returned from being DJ. They would shoot baskets after school. He would even hear his father dedicate songs to him over the radio.
Lately, though, they have yet to connect since he moved out. His food preferences are different. He has a new friend his father has yet to meet. The end-of-the-year dance is coming up that his father has DJed. Will combining the latest hip-hop that Trevor likes and the soul his father favors work out? Will DJing together bring them closer?
Comments: This is a mentor text for students dealing with parental separation. It realistically explores new routines and changes with relationships.
by Seamus Kirst (Author), Karen Bunting (Illustrator).
Summary: Harper packs a suitcase and drives to a huge family reunion in a park with her fathers, where she meets family members for the first time, like her cousins, second cousins, and first cousins once removed. She also meets family she already knows. Harper learns that she has some things the same and different from everyone, but they are all connected by their love for one another.
Comments: This story is a tool for teaching the concept of an extended family tree such as second cousins and cousins once removed. It also demonstrated same and different traits among relatives.
by Michael Gardner (Author), Ava Gardner (Author), Nadia Fisher (Illustrator).
Summary: Ava’s father is good at making things but especially sewing her dresses for special occasions. She will recite a poem onstage during Move Up Day and is worried she will forget the words.
Her father tells the nervous girl that he will help her memorize the lines and would like to sew a unique dress to boost her confidence. Will both of their hard work pay off on the big day?
Comments: This is based on a true story which can be found in the back–The Story Behind the Story. I loved seeing the photos of the real father and daughter duo.
by Michelle Sterling (Author), Sarah Gonzales (Illustrator).
Summary: Maribel must wait an entire year before her father, who is in the Philippines, can rejoin his daughter and wife in America. Each month the young girl tells about the memories of her father and the emotional thoughts she has that he is with them again.
Comments: Illustrations change with each month and capture the feelings and thoughts of Maribel.
Summary: A young girl asks her father to stand with his arms outstretched and become a tree.
Comments: This whimsical story continues throughout the day, with more creatures visiting the father and making themselves comfortable as though he were a real tree.
Brief summary: Papa is going away for a little while, and Aunt Jessie will come to take care of the little bear. Father and son spend the day doing activities together. At the same time, the child asks questions about what it will be like when the father is away. The father quietly answers his child’s many questions with reassurance that everything will be okay.
Comments: Lovely illustrations that capture the emotional expressions of the father and child.
The text in this book allows for a reader’s theater opportunity with the child’s voice in green ink; Papa’s in purple ink.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified 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.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under Mother Picture Books– https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/12CS5H0573OX2?ref_=aipsflist .)
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
Mamiachi & Me: My Mami’s Mariachi Band
by Jolene Gutiérrez (Author), Dakota Gutiérrez (Author), Mirelle Ortega (Illustrator)
Summary: Rosa’s mother is a mariachi. Today is Rosa’s turn to play her violin with her mother’s group. She is nervous but after hearing the beautiful sounds from the guitar, trumpet, and vihuela, she knows this is where she belongs.
Comments: How cute is it that the author used the combination of Mami (which means mommy) and mariachi(a traditional Mexican folk musical ensemble) to create mamiachi.
This is a lovely book celebrating cultural heritage, sisterhood, and musical instruments.
The backmatter includes the history of mariachi and how women have now been included. There is also a labeled diagram of a charra suit.
by Lucy Catchpole (Author), Karen George (Illustrator)
Summary: A toddler shares the daily adventures she has with her mother. The perspective of the mother’s wheelchair is shown through the girl’s eyes. She has a tricycle while dad has the big car, and Mom has a Mama car.
Comments: The use of the wheelchair is part of the normal life of the family. Instead of focusing on what the mother cannot do, it focuses on how the mother engages with the child. What a refreshing story that is not about a disability but about ability. This is a definite read-aloud for teachers and librarians to share.
One thing I enjoyed seeing was the author’s photo in the back while sitting in her wheelchair with her two beautiful daughters on either side. Lovely story.
The illustrations were created using gouache paint and colored pencils.
by Laurel Goodluck (Author), Steph Littlebird (Illustrator)
Summary: This text honors the important, loving, and protective roles that aunties hold in Native families and communities, especially during times when parents may be preoccupied. Aunties are not limited to being a mom’s or dad’s sister; they can also be older cousins or close family friends.
Comments: The illustrations were created in Procreate.
by Namita Moolani Mehra (Author), Khoa Le (Illustrator)
Summary: Ananda, a young girl, listens to her sick mother talk about the legend of the Ganga, a holy river that heals those who bathe in its waters. Ananda accompanies her aunt, Maasi, to bathe in the Ganges River in India and experiences a spiritual connection.
Comments: The author’s note explains that at 13, she traveled from New York with her mother to bathe in the sacred river.
Summary: A young girl, her mother, and Amah leave their home for a new one in a different country where everything feels unfamiliar. Over time, they work together to create a new home.
Comments: A gentle book about immigration that would be a wonderful read aloud.
The illustrations were created using Adobe Photoshop and a Wacom tablet.
by Jenna Bush Hager (Author), Barbara Pierce Bush (Author), Ramona Kaulitzki (Illustrator)
Summary: This book is a heartfelt expression of the unconditional love a parent feels for their child as soon as they hold their child and spend time with them as they grow up.
Comments: The illustrations were created using hand-painted textures and digital watercolor, and pencil brushes in Photoshop.
by Maureen Shay Tajsar (Author), Ishita Jain (Illustrator)
Summary: A dreamy bedtime adventure where a girl and her Amma take a motorbike ride through the moonlit city, celebrating imagination and connection while smelling, seeing, hearing everything around them.
Comments: The illustrations were created with gouache, acrylic gouache, crayons, and colored pencils.
Summary: A Korean American child and his mother, Umma, behave differently in public compared to how they act in private. When they are outside, they use English, but when they are at home, they communicate in Korean. They adapt their language to fit their social identity, switching between languages as needed until they feel more comfortable and safe in their new environment.
Comments: I appreciated how the mother and child shared how they express their feelings and behavior in different environments.
The illustrations were created in gouache and colored pencils.
Summary: David is a comedian who tries to make everyone laugh, but he discovers that not all of his antics are funny to everyone. Ultimately, he still has his mother’s unconditional love.
Comments: He’s back! I missed David. I’d recognize that giant head and triangular teeth anywhere. Children identify with the antics of this little boy and laugh out loud.
Summary: A young girl treasures each step of her hair washing ritual with her mother, who shares self-care, self-love, and pride in one’s identity tips while sharing jokes and singing.
Comments: Sweet story of mother and daughter bonding.
The illustrations were created digitally using Procreate on an iPad Pro.
Summary: A humpback whale and calf are compared to the many similarities of a human mother and her child.
Comments: The illustrations were created with mixed media. This is an example of comparative narrative. It also can be paired with a nonfiction whale book. Or, create a chart with the love of the whale mother to that of the human child.
by Julia Jarman (Author), Tom Knight (Illustrator)
Brief summary: Mother Hen firmly instructed her chicks to stay close to the roast and strongly advised them not to wander off due to the fox lurking nearby. Despite her warning, one of the chicks recklessly went on a little adventure and encountered various farm animals along the way. Unfortunately, the chick eventually met the fox who relentlessly chased after it. The question now is, can the chick outsmart the fox and make a daring escape?
Comments: This is a humorous yet serious story that teaches children to listen to their mothers and stay close to home to avoid danger.
by Aimee Elizabeth Reid (Author), Christopher Lyles (Illustrator)
Brief summary: Animal parents and their offspring are described in a rhyming text that explains how they express their love for each other in unique ways.
Comments: This is a lovely bedtime story with beautiful illustrations that emphasize the depth of the love between a parent and a child.
The illustrations are made using a combination of collage, hand-painted papers, pencils, and crayons.
by Elle Duncan (Author), Laura Freeman (Illustrator)
Brief summary: The mom made a promise to her daughter that she would teach her how to be confident in the world and achieve success. She plans to do this by setting a loving and supportive example. This promise is something she plans to keep for her daughter’s entire life.
Comments: The illustrations were created digitally.
This would make a reassuring bedtime story to share with a daughter.
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.
by Isabel Quintero (Author), Iliana Galvez (Illustrator)
Brief summary: The boy explains that “panza” means belly and describes different types. His favorite is his mother’s because it was his first home – a soft, cuddly, and comforting place.
Comments: This was created with scanned color pencils and digital paintbrushes.
by Shelley Tougas (Author), Sara Palacios (Illustrator)
Brief summary: Lilly shares what she wants to do and say when her Mommy’s new friend, Carl, visits, but instead, she politely adjusts to the new routines and learns how to live with someone new in her life while still loving her parents, even though they are no longer together like before.
Comments: This book is a must-read for teachers, school counselors, and divorced parents. It follows Lilly’s journey of growth and acceptance in the midst of family changes.
The illustrations were created with cut paper, acrylic, and digital media.
Brief summary: This gentle rhyming and rhythmic lullaby of unconditional love for a parent to a child will give your little one sweet dreams.
Each stanza is a single illustration that extends across both pages with calm, eye-pleasing colors. At the same time, the four-line stanzas have an ABCB rhyming pattern that is soothing to the ears.
* I received a complimentary digital copy of this picture book for an honest review.
Sari-Sari Summers
by Lynnor Bontigao (Author, Illustrator)
Brief summary: Nora is old enough this summer to help her lola, her grandmother, in the sari-sari store in the Philippines. The granddaughter cleans all of the shelves that hold various items in the little store.
A heat wave comes, and all the customers stay home from the hot sun. Lola has an idea to bring back business.
Traditional text as well as speech bubbles. Recipe on the back page. Several two-page spreads.
by Samuel Narh & Freda Narh (Author), Alisa Knatko (Illustrator)
Summary: Milko misses his mother, who has gone to Ethiopia for a year instead of being home with them in Bolivia. His sister, Abena, cries too, but Papa cannot console them. No one does it like Mama.
Milko counts down the days. Will she ever return?
Comments: I recommend this to school counselors, librarians, teachers, and parents who are away for jobs or military deployment.
This SEL text serves as a perfect prompt for a heart-centered writing activity. Students could compose a letter or draw a picture for someone they are currently missing.
Summary: A mother cradles her infant son and dreams and shares all the wonderful ways her boy will be as he grows up.
Comments: The beautiful two-page spread illustrations support the quiet, reflections of the hopes and dreams a mother has for her child. I think this would be one teachers could share with students and have discussions of their future aspirations.
Summary: A monster mom tells her child all the fun and silly things they can share together, no matter how outrageous they may seem.
Comments: The monster characters make the message of unconditional love feel approachable and lighthearted. The mother’s voice can be protective but also humorous.
Summary: Andy notices his grandmother’s front door is open and stops by to let her know. He discovers his mother is watering the roses. Andy goes inside the kitchen to keep his Grandma company. He notices a white box and takes it to her, wondering what is inside.
His grandmother believes she is his kindergarten teacher, Miss Irwin. Andy plays along, remembering that his mother told him his grandmother was struggling with her memory. He learns about a boy named Willie and what is inside the box.
Comments: Allen Say certainly captured Alzheimer’s with a compassionate story all can understand. The illustrations of the images are not seen clearly and symbolize blurred memories.
by Monique James-Duncan (Author), Ebony Glenn (Illustrator)
Summary: A stay-at-home mom spends time with her boy as the father and sister are away. The daughter is collected from school, and now the two children share mommy time.
Comments: The book is about a day in the mom’s life and the time she spends with her children. This book could be introduced as a read-aloud asking students what activities they enjoy doing with their mother. What is one way the characters showed they loved each other without saying it?
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified 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.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases 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. These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under Emotions Picture Books– https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/3JNFDJ2WAUO0F?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_s_ons_mixed_d .)
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
The Visit
by Núria Figueras (Author), Anna Font (Illustrator), Lawrence Schimel (Translator)
Summary: Little Fox’s mother needs to leave the den and tells her not to open the door for anyone. There is a knock at the door. Silence walks in and soon fills the entire place. Fox begins to interact with Silence and concludes that the quietness isn’t so scary.
Comments: This is an allegorical picture book that is an excellent resource for SEL. It personifies silence– an abstract concept–to help kids understand that mindfulness and being alone are not scary.
I think this book could also be beneficial for discussing safety regarding opening the door despite Little Fox’s mother telling her not to. I would explain how this is a metaphor and not something we would do in real life.
by Malcolm Newsome (Author), Jade Orlando (Illustrator)
Summary: Sydney feels shy on her first day of school and is worried about the speech she has to give to the class. Her father reminds her of all the role models who had to give speeches and practices with his daughter to help her build confidence.
Will Sydney be able to give her speech about what she wants to do when she grows up?
Comments: The back page has short biographical sketches of the female leaders the father shared.
The illustrations are created using watercolor and digital media.
by Judith A. Proffer (Author), Yoko Matsuoka (Illustrator) Introduction by Don McLean
Brief summary: A young Vincent Van Gogh sees the world differently from other children, expressing his sadness through paintings of sunflowers, irises, and clouds in nature.
Comments: Young readers learn that there are those who feel sadness but can have a place with everyone else. Vincent Van Gogh was able to express his sadness in his art.
This would make a superb book for art teachers to share during a Van Gogh unit of study.
Don McLean wrote an introduction to this book which was inspired from a song he wrote called, “Vincent” which I have attached.
by Julia Hansson (Author), B.J. Woodstein (Translator)
Summary: Billie and her dog, Bean, go to the beach. Bean enjoys running around and playing in the sand, while Billie just wants to rest in the umbrella’s shade. Her mother encourages Billie to take a swim, and the girl is stung. After her mother comforts and calms Billie’s emotions, the little girl decides to try the water again with the help of a gift Bean has dug up. The girl enjoys the underwater silence and fish. Billie dives towards the bottom and finds something shiny that makes her resilience worth returning to the sea.
Comments: Will we find out what it is in a sequel? What an excellent discussion to have with the class.
Brief summary: A boy shares that his family lives in an old school bus until they get a house again. It was hard to leave his friends. His parents encourage him to look on the bright side of things. He gets to take showers outside. Have pizza toast with bread and ketchup. He learns to use his imagination to create something he does not have.
He is nervous about attending a school where everyone knows each other and the routine. Will he learn how to fit in with everyone else?
Comments: The author shares that he did live on a school bus for four years and did not go to school until he was in third grade. I thank him for sharing his story of houselessness.
This book could be shared to help others understand those in poverty and, hopefully, develop empathy and understanding. Written in a way that a child could understand.
by Larissa Theule (Author), Abigail Halpin (Illustrator)
Brief summary: A girl who has recently lost her mother goes on a trip to their lake house with her father. She misses her mother but can not find a connection until she takes out the mouse boat she and her mother built together. She can face her emotions.
Comments: The illustrator caught the facial expressions of a mourning girl and the sad tone in the house of grief with cool and darker colors. Well done.
I could follow the storyline with or without the text, which is an excellent picture book to me. I’d like to see more picture books with this duo. They complement each other well.
by Elisabeth Sophia (Author), Anita Bagdi (Illustrator)
Summary: This anthropomorphic story is about a tree creature standing by a lake going through all of the seasons with the insects and birds that consider her their home. A severe storm breaks her limbs and her soul. A flock of yellow birds helps rebuild her.
Comments: This is such a beautiful metaphor of grief and resilience. Teachers could ask how it feels when a storm comes into their lives. This would be a great book for SEL, exploring the healing process. I think it could also be shared as a way to explain how community (yellow birds) can help heal.
by Margaret O’Hair (Author), Sofia Sanchez (Author), Sofia Cardoso (Illustrator)
Brief summary: Young readers are talked to by Sofia Sanchez, who explains that a child is loved by many people but most of all by one’s family. There are many different types of families. Sometimes a family is not perfect. There are arguments, sadness, anger, and other emotions. But a family makes up and continues loving one another.
Comments: This is an optimistic book with brightly colored illustrations of all cultures, ages, races, etc. Readers will be able to see and understand that there are families unlike theirs but still have shared love for one another.
Brief summary: Brothers yell how they feel while playing outside on the beach. One boy is encouraged by his father to take a moment and experience the feeling and name it. Be aware of your emotions and name them to understand them. He is told that a feeling will come and go.
Brief summary: Shy and quiet children who would rather observe and not be in the spotlight are given encouragement to be themselves. They may like to be heard at times, but not in an extroverted way.
Comments: This book celebrates introverts and does not try to change them from being wallflowers but instead bloom with their emotions.
The illustrations are drawn with them looking like the background.
by Stephanie Stansbie (Author), Elisa Paganelli (Illustrator)
Brief summary: A brother and sister experience everyday feelings that come and go. They learn to recognize their feelings in different situations, realize that another one will come along, and learn how to move through that one too. Emotions are everyday occurrences.
Comments: There is a back page of encouragement to help young readers to get through more difficult feelings.
by John Sullivan (Author), Zach Manbeck (Illustrator)
Summary: Stanley is a shy and quiet boy. He helped the janitor and would tap dance as he swept. One day the principal saw him and encouraged the boy to sign up for the talent show where he could share his gift with others. Will Stanley be able to get over his shyness?
Brief summary: A mother and son exchange memories of when the father was still with them. They have moved to a new home in the city where everything is new. They decide that they will begin to make new memories together.
Comments: This book could be shared as a read-aloud between two people. The mother’s voice is in red ink; the boy’s is in blue.
We are not told where the father is or what happened to him. This could be a discussion point with students.
The soft and calm illustrations match the mood of lying in bed and reminiscing.
Brief summary: Evergreen, an anxious squirrel, lives in Buckthorn Forrest with her mother who has asked her to take soup to a sick Granny Oak who lives on the other side of the forest. Although frightened, Evergreen leaves the tree and heads towards Granny Oak’s, encountering several forest animals along the way.
Comments: This picture book is divided into a new chapter for each animal Evergreen meets. The illustrations are done with a 005 Micron Pen and painted with watercolors.
Students will be in suspense with each forest animal encounter wondering if the squirrel will be eaten.
by Wendelin Van Draanen (Author), Cornelia Li (Illustrator)
Brief summary: Leda wakes up and falls out of bed blaming gravity for the beginning of a clumsy and “off” sort of day. She has breakfast where gravity visits again causing her to spill food. Leda goes to school having more gravity related incidents. She says gravity is having a bad mood.
After school, her parents take Leda to a children’s museum where she plays and is able to adjust her mood for the rest of the day.
Comments: This book could be a bibliotherapeutic read to show how a person can start in a grumpy mood but can turn it around.
Summary: An old lion is looking at his reflection in the water before it dies. His reflection is still alive and bored, so it wanders the jungle and comes across a house with a little girl named Harriet inside, who is very grumpy.
The lion follows Harriet to school, and when she comes to the next mud puddle, he jumps in and becomes her reflection. Harriet is surprised at how fierce and confident she feels that day and has forgotten all about her old reflection. Will Harriet ever want to have her old reflection back?
Comments: This is a French translation that was published in 2021. I found the book to be unique, creative, and well-written.
The illustrations are bright and have several large two-page spreads. I always like it when the end pages are decorated.
I sent me a complimentary copy to give an honest review.
by Chelsea Lin Wallace (Author), Lian Cho (Illustrator)
Summary: This rhyming picture book features children confronting initially daunting challenges, only to discover they’re not as scary as they seem. Throughout the book, one little girl repeatedly tries to overcome her fear of descending the basement steps. Will she dare to be daring?
Comments: Wouldn’t this be such a great picture book to share with students during the first month of school when they are trying new things? I think it could help their confidence to see other kids daring themselves to be brave.
The illustrations were created using gouache and colored pencils.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified 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.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.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. These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under Earth Science Picture Books–https://amzn.to/415qQvG .)
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
Still Water: The Wonders of Ponds, Pools, Wetlands, and More (Spectacular STEAM for Curious Readers (SSCR))
by Maciej Michno (Author), Danio Miserocchi (Author), Valentina Gottardi (Author), Sylvia Notini (Translator)
Summary: This is a beautifully written and illustrated nonfiction picture book that superbly explains still water such as puddles, ponds, wetlands, peat bogs, and pools.
The book includes information about microorganisms, plant life, insects, and animal life. It is packed with nonfiction text features such as diagrams, detailed labels, English and Latin names for species, and a variety of fonts, font sizes, and colors that add visual interest.
The illustrations, created using ballpoint pen, acrylic paint, and digital media, complement the nonfiction text and enhance the learning experience.
Comments: The backmatter includes a section about the future of these important ecosystems and a glossary.
This is a must-have for any school library, public library, or home library. Very well done.
It should be noted that this book is part of the Eerdmans’ Spectacular STEAM for Curious Readers series.
*I received a complimentary copy for an honest review.
Water: Discovering the Precious Resource All Around Us
by Olga Fadeeva (Author), Lena Traer (Translator)
Summary: This book about water is both interesting and informative. It features a girl and her grandfather who explore everything there is to know about water. The book covers various topics, such as the history of water, its importance to humans and nature, and how it is used. It provides detailed answers to many of the questions about water.
Comments: The book is an absolute must-have for all school or public libraries. The questions are thought-provoking. The book is loaded with nonfiction text features that are instrumental in learning and presenting facts. Furthermore, the pastedown endpapers of the book reveal fascinating water facts. The acrylic paint and water illustrations are simply stunning and magnify the text.
*I received a complimentary copy for an honest review.
Abigail and the Waterfall: Loving God’s Good Earth
by Sandra L. Richter (Author), Michael Corsini (Illustrator)
Summary: On the first Saturday of every month, a family hikes through the forest, appreciating the beauty of nature around them. They sit by a creek having a picnic while listening to the sound of the water. They make sure to pick up all their trash before they leave.
They continue to their favorite spot: a waterfall. After enjoying its splendor and the plants and animals that live around it, they hike back to the car, grateful for the chance to see all the beautiful plants and animals along the way.
Comments: The text is sprinkled with nature-based Bible quotes and ways that we can take care of the earth.
There is “A Note From the Author” at the back of the book on ways to take care of the earth.
Awesome Earth: Concrete Poems Celebrate Caves, Canyons, and Other Fascinating Landforms
by Joan Bransfield Graham (Author), Tania Garcia (Illustrator)
Summary: This is a collection of concrete poems (also known as shape poems) that are shaped in various geological formations.
Comments: Young readers will enjoy following the words as they shape the geological landform. The backdrop illustrations of Tania Garcia complement the poem.
by Curtis Manley (Author), Jennifer K. Mann (Illustrator)
Summary: A family hikes up South Sister, an Oregon volcano, and the young boy shares his observations in haiku, including the terrain, animals, and insects encountered.
Comments: The back sections of the book include “More About Climbing a Mountain,” which provides information on the volcano, necessary equipment, poetry, and living organisms, and “Further Information,” which lists books and websites.
The illustrations are created with a mix of collagraph and monotype printmaking, pencil drawing, digital collage, and paint.
by Jordan Scott (Author), Diana Sudyka (Illustrator)
Summary: Angela’s father carries his baby daughter on his back while he climbs up ,Snæfellsjökull( translated as snow mountain glacier), a national park in Iceland made up of the glacier and black volcanic lava. They see the plants and wildlife in the area. They listen to the glacier.
As the young girl gets older, she continues to go up the glacier, finally able to hike by herself. When Angela becomes very busy and feels overwhelmed, she finds listening to the glacier calming.
Comments: The afterword tells young readers that the book is inspired by the author’s friend, Angela Rawlings.
I learned that glaciers can have different sounds made by the wind, snow falling on it, water going through a moulin /mo͞oˈlen/(a tunnel inside carved by meltwater), and dripping water.
by Namita Moolani Mehra (Author), Khoa Le (Illustrator)
Summary: Ananda, a young girl, listens to her sick mother talk about the legend of the Ganga, a holy river that heals those who bathe in its waters. Ananda accompanies her aunt, Maasi, to bathe in the Ganges River in India and experiences a spiritual connection.
Comments: The author’s note explains that at 13, she traveled from New York with her mother to bathe in the sacred river.
This gives readers a view to Hindu beliefs and explores the significance of the holy bath. It also can be a resource for students facing family health struggles.
Summary: This wordless picture book begins with a tree growing on the banks of a river. It observes humans throughout the many decades changing with the seasons and years that have gone by.
Comments: Aaron Becker brilliantly captures the Mother Nature vs. humankind aspect through these detailed and thought-provoking illustrations.
This book can be used as a writing exercise of the perspective of the river during a specific time or over a time as it changes.
Great Gusts: Winds of the World and the Science Behind Them
by Melanie Crowder (Author), MEGAN BENEDICT (Author), Khoa Le (Illustrator)
Brief summary: This nonfiction picture book introduces young readers to various winds around the world. Each of the fourteen winds is accompanied by a poem and a descriptive paragraph. A world map in the back helps to understand the winds’ locality.
Comments: The illustrations were created digitally.
The back sections are What Makes the Wind?, How Are Winds Named?, Local Poetic Traditions, Where the Winds Blow(map of fourteen winds), Glossary, and For Further Reading.
This book could be used in so many ways in the classroom. Students could create wind lines showing the path of each gust, create their own anemometers or weather vanes, or map the world where each different wind is located.
by Barb Rosenstock (Author), Jamey Christoph (Illustrator)
Summary: This narrative nonfiction picture book explains how the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior) were formed, the plants and marine life that inhabit them, and how humans have both utilized and harmed these vital waters.
Comments: The illustrations are created using digitally combined drawings and watercolors. Some back sections include A Message from a Great Lakes Caretaker and Author’s Note.
Hike It: An Introduction to Camping, Hiking, and Backpacking through the U.S.A.
by Iron Tazz (Author), Martin Stanev (Illustrator)
Brief summary: This nonfiction picture book alternates with a brief description of a park with double-paged illustrations, and then the next double-paged illustrations will be survival tips or advice related to camping or hiking.
Comments: The illustrations were created digitally.
The back section is Further Reading with websites, books, and apps.
This book could be used in the classroom to have students learn about topographical mapping, create their own ten essential practical life skills and safety, or give students a budget and have them calculate the costs of a hiking trip including food, equipment and park entrance fees.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified 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.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under Earth Day Picture Books– https://amzn.to/4lz4b4n .)
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
The Day the River Caught Fire: How the Cuyahoga River Exploded and Ignited the Earth Day Movement
by Barry Wittenstein (Author), Jessie Hartland (Illustrator)
Summary: In the summer of 1969, the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland caught fire when sparks from a passing train ignited the debris in the water. It was not the first time the river caught on fire.
Comments: Young readers will learn about how the river became so polluted and what happened to change the pollution from worsening.
The narrative nonfiction story continues to reveal how polluted rivers across the country sparked widespread protests and ultimately led to the creation of the first Earth Day.
Back pages include sections: Author’s Note, Environmental Time Line, Clean Water Act, To Learn More, and a Bibliography.
Black Beach: A Community, an Oil Spill, and the Origin of Earth Day
by Shaunna & John Stith (Author), Maribel Lechuga (Illustrator)
Summary: While in class in Santa Barbara, Sam notices her teacher’s concern after a quiet exchange with the principal, leaving her uneasy. At home, her parents explain that Union Oil has caused a spill nearby. When the family visits their favorite beach, they find it covered in black oil. The community comes together to clean the shoreline and rescue affected animals
Comments: This narrative nonfiction title connects a specific historical event to the origin of the national Earth Day holiday which was held on April 22, 1970.
There are several sections in the back of the book: Author’s Note, Selected Bibliography, Timeline, Earth Day Today, Earth Day Every Day, and How to Become an Environmental Activist.
Teachers and homeschooling parents could share this book as a supplement in addition with Earth Day activities.
by Deborah Hopkinson (Author), Jennifer Zivoin (Illustrator)
Summary: In this narrative nonfiction, young readers learn about the history of Earth Day, what the holiday is, and why it is important.
Comments: This book discusses environmental conservation with facts and resolutions done in a sensitive and gentle way for children. The back matter includes ways to help the Earth.
by Natasha Wing (Author), Amy Wummer (Illustrator)
Summary: The diverse neighbors work together to make a better earth by creating a community garden, planting trees, and recycling, to name a few activities.
Comments: This rhyming style is in the classic Christmas poem. This book would make a great introduction supplement to Earth Day or environment units of study. Emphasis is on how people work as a team to take care of the planet.
by Drew Daywalt (Author), Oliver Jeffers (Illustrator)
Brief summary: The crayons celebrate the different parts of the Earth they make. Each one is proud of what is drawn, especially Beige, who keeps trying to add wheat to every scene.
Comments: This is a small hardcover book (about 6″ x 7″) which would be a nice book in the little hands of toddlers or preschoolers that gently teaches about the beauty of Earth.
by Patricia MacLachlan (Author), Frenci Sanna (Illustrator)
Brief summary: This book is a personification of Earth as a young girl who follows the changing seasons of the world as she tends to all of the animals, causing rain and snow, and tending the plants.
Comments: This is such a wonderful book to read and explore. It is interactive with die-cut pages that layer over one another to show different parts of the ecosystem. There are flaps and curved pages. The cover is raised so that one can touch the outlines of the illustration. The poetic text of Patricia MacLachlan beautifully ties it all together.
The illustrations were created in pencil, ink, and digital painting.
Earth Day: Ready-to-Read Level 1 (Robin Hill School)
by Margaret McNamara (Author), Mike Gordon (Illustrator)
Brief summary: The first grade students in Mrs. Connor’s class are thinking of big ways to save the planet for Earth Day but Emma feels overwhelmed and is concerned that her everyday contributions may not be enough. Her father and Mrs. Connor help Emma understand that small, daily actions can have big results for the Earth.
Comments: This beginning reader book helps to examine the topic of environment issues gently and focuses on empowering kids by teaching them small actions they can do.
Fancy Nancy: Every Day Is Earth Day: A Springtime Book For Kids (I Can Read Level 1)
by Jane O’Connor (Author), Robin Preiss Glasser (Illustrator)
Brief summary: Fancy Nancy learns about being green at school and decides to try what she learned at home, not realizing that she is overstepping. She learns that not being so rigid all of the time is helpful.
Comments: This beginning reader is in classic Fancy Nancy humor and fancy vocabulary words. The back matter includes the new words and also some catchy slogans such as “Less than a mile? Then bike in style.”
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified 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.
Cookies are small text files that can be used by websites to make a user\'s experience more efficient. The law states that we can store cookies on your device if they are strictly necessary for the operation of this site. For all other types of cookies we need your permission. This site uses different types of cookies. Some cookies are placed by third party services that appear on our pages.
Necessary cookies help make a website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. The website cannot function properly without these cookies.
Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third party advertisers.
Preference cookies enable a website to remember information that changes the way the website behaves or looks, like your preferred language or the region that you are in.
