Father Picture Books

May 7, 2026August 19, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

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

(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.❗

A father in a yellow raincoat driving a car while his daughter sits in the passenger side with a map.

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.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A father and son sitting in matching capes in a barbershop.

Haircut Day with Dad

by Monica Mikai (Author)

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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Sarabeth is wearing a stained blue jumpsuit with her dog beside her inside of a car garage that has many tools

Sarabeth’s Garage

by Melanie Florence (Author), Nadia Alam

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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A father carrying luggage with his daughter sitting on the luggage with wheels.

Just Try It! Someplace New! (A Phil & Lil Book)

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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A father and daughter with raised hands shouting at the storm.

Thunderland

by Maggie Edkins Willis

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.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A boy closing his eyes with his hair pulled back

Brave

by Weshoyot Alvitre (Author, Illustrator)

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

Comments: This would be a wonderful classroom read-aloud 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.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Grumpy Monkey Father’s Day Fuss

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

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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

The Best Daddy of All

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.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Jollof Day

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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Little Big Man

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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Love, Dad: Inspiring Notes from Fathers to Kids

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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Book cover of a boy and his father riding bikes with birds and hills in the background

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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A boy and his father with fishing rods over their shoulders walking along a river

With Dad

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.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Sydney is sitting on her father's shoulders outside on the lawn with flowers. She is holding a snowglobe with a blue butterfly flying above her.

Sydney’s Big Speech

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.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A bird with a chef's hat and spatula in hand is barbecuing hamburgers on a grill laughing. He has an apron on with #1 Dad on it.

Dad Jokes: The Cheesiest, Corniest Joke Book Ever!

by Highlights (Creator)

Summary: This nonfiction collection of 900+ Dad jokes includes a table of contents and funny illustrations.

Comments: This is a collection of riddles, jokes, and knock-knock jokes, especially for kids.

These jokes would work so well with students throughout the day to foster humor, homophones, and figurative language.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Like Father, Like Son

by Lesléa Newman (Author), AG Ford (Illustrator)

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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A father in shorts is balancing three dishes of food from the fair while his little girl is cross armed turned away.

Just Try It!

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.

The illustrations were rendered digitally.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Daddy, Tell Me a Story

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.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Forever and Always

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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A boy and his dad lying down in the back of a pickup truck looking up to the stars

A Bed of Stars

by Jessica Love (Author, Illustrator).

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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Finding Papa

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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A young Chris Paul sitting on the shoulder of his granddad, Papa Chilly

Basketball Dreams

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.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A father and son holding fishing poles while walking down a path with trees around them

Daddy & Me, Side by Side

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.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A proud little girl wearing a baseball hat and jean jacket standing in front of a large and red semi truck

Trucker Kid

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.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Baba sitting on the persian rug with his six daughters

Baba’s Gift: A Persian Father’s Love of Family

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.

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link)..

Kate is sitting on her father's shoulders with her backpack on

Hurry, Kate, or You’ll Be Late!

by Janice N. Harrington (Author), Tiffany Rose (Illustrator).

Summary: Kate was late to preschool this morning, but why? Was it because of her breakfast? Because she and her dad stopped to wave at friends?

Comments: Young readers will follow Kate and her father’s journey to go to preschool and ask to figure out and predict why Kate was late.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Pop’s Perfect Present

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?

The book has humorous rhyming with a fun rhythm.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A boy on the shoulders of his father; both are eating a doughnut

No Fair!

by Jacob Grant (Author, Illustrator).

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.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

My Dad Is a DJ

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.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Different family members of various ethinic backgrounds in a selfie pose

Dad and Daddy’s Big Big Family

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.

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A father making a pink dress for his daughter who is hugging him from behind

Daddy Dressed Me

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.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Maribel touching the koi pond making circular ripples

Maribel’s Year

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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Man with a robin sitting in its nest on top of his head

My Dad Is a Tree

by Jon Agee (Author).

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.

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Papa’s Home

by David Soman (Author).

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.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

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.

Library-Themed Picture Books

April 16, 2026August 21, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Library-themed children’s book recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

(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. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. These titles can be found on my Amazon Storefront under Library-Themed Picture Books — https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/G8Z5QEBVNOJH?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ons_mixed_d .)

‼️This list will continue to grow as new titles are added. ‼️

Michal Threets in cartoon form holding a stack of books while waving. Students with different backgrounds are on either side looking or holding books. There is even a dog.

I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy

by Mychal Threets (Author), Lorraine Nam (Illustrator)

Summary: The story follows a welcoming librarian as children and families enter the library exploring everything the public library has to offer.

Comments: The simple, upbeat text and bright, colorful illustrations emphasize that everyone belongs in the library. The positive, emotional tone is a calming welcome.

The author’s gentle and inviting words will inspire readers to create a lifetime friendship with the library.

This would make such a fun read-aloud for the first time students visited the school library.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link). .

Harry Houdini in a white strait jacket hanging upside down with a book tucked in his arms

Houdini’s Library: How Books Created the World’s Greatest Magician

by Barb Rosenstock (Author), Mar Delmar (Illustrator)

Brief summary: In this picture book biography, Erik Weisz, better known as Harry Houdini, first discovered reading through his father’s library. His father lost his job and could not find another one, causing his family to sell their possessions including the library. Throughout his career as an escape artist, he collects books wherever he goes, slowly building a new library.

Comments: This narrative nonfiction text can spark discussions of how libraries matter and can change people’s lives. Ask students how books and libraries influence them.

The illustrations were created using cut paper, acrylic gouache, and glue.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A family sitting on the floor looking at a book with all sorts of books, toys, worms, plants around them.

A Family of Readers

by Rob Sanders (Author), Gabbie Benda (Illustrator)

Summary: A family visits the library and explore all of the sections of the library, first choosing books to read, next going to story time, classes, and an author visit. This proves more that libraries have something for everyone and are community hubs.

Comments: I love the modern take of this library having a large variety of media, programs, and classes for the whole community. The illustrations are inclusive featuring diversity. The library has a variety of ages all doing different activities. The story and illustrations move, are positive, and are full of details.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Lone wolf is sitting on the floor reading a book with two children peering over the bookcase looking at him.

Lone Wolf Goes to the Library

by Kiah Thomas (Author), K-Fai Steele (Illustrator)

Summary: Wolf is reading his library book in the back yard each time the careless postman throws his mail over the fence unknown to Wolf. They were in regards to his late library book. The wolf tries to avoid contact with others on his journey to return his book.

Comments: This picture book with short chapters emphasizes the lone wolf’s desire to be by himself in peace and avoiding others so that he can just read a book in quietness. I think this would be a fun read-louds that would help students learn about those who prefer independent study.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Orson peeking over a library shelf looking at us.

Orson and the World’s Loudest Library

by Laura Gehl (Author), Stephanie Roth Sisson (Illustrator)

Summary: Orson visits a library and finds it overwhelming with noisy children all around him. He tries shushing everyone but Ms. Lana shows him a quiet place–a reading room. After awhile, Orson decides that it really wasn’t what he was looking for after all.

Comments: This book that is a debate between and quiet and loud environment would be relatable to those who are sensitive to noise. Teachers could discuss how different environment affect our ability to learn.

The illustrations were created in pencil and colored digitally.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Boyd reading outside the log cabin library with two dogs sitting beside him while sitting on a stump.

The Library in the Woods

by Calvin Alexander Ramsey (Author), R. Gregory Christie (Illustrator)

Summary: There is a storm that destroyed the family farm in 1959. Boyd, a boy of nine, discovers a library in the woods of North Carolina located in their new area where they moved. It is a log cabin especially for Black neighbors. He walks through the door and is stunned to see so many books in one location. He starts a lifelong relationship with libraries.

Comments: This story is based on the author’s life. The back pages give more details of his experience.

This could lead to discussions of how it is a privilege to have a public library and how history changed to include all.

The illustrations were created using acrylic on illustration board.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Roshan and his owner with children looking at the books the camel has on its back.

The Camel Library: A True Story from Pakistan

by Marzieh Abbas (Author), Anain Shaikh (Illustrator)

Summary: This narrative nonfiction picture book is based on the real-life “Camel Library” project in Pakistan where Roshan the Camel now carries books instead of wood to the children in the area during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Comments: This is a wonderful story to read-aloud that could lead to many discussions such as the pandemic, problem solving, and the importance of books.

The back pages tell more details and a photo of the camel.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Fanny wearing glasses and a purple dress holding a book. There are book shelves behind her.

Fanny’s Big Idea: How Jewish Book Week Was Born

by Richard Michelson (Author), Alyssa Russell (Illustrator)

Summary: In the 1920s, Fanny, an immigrant from Russia, noticed that books in the library rarely reflected her Jewish heritage. She began attending the Saturday Evening Girls Club that helped her learn about the world around her. She began to work as a librarian’s assistant, eventually becoming the director. She helped immigrants to learn about American customs but not forgetting their own.

Comments: She helped create the first Jewish Book Week, which is annually in late February to early March.

More about her life can be found in the back matter.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

various babies climbing on a pile of books

Never Give a Baby a Library Card

by Erin Sandberg (Author), Tom Booth (Illustrator)

Summary: Grandmother, Mom, and the baby go to the library to get a library card for the child. A man comes running to the desk shouting, “STOP!” This humorous and fast-paced story tells all of the things the baby will learn from books from cooking, driving, and learning about rocket science. A little girl points out all of the positive things changing everyone’s mind.

Comments: The book is a humorous read-aloud that promotes reading at an early age and its benefits.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Book cover of Book Comes Home. Three children are holding books in their hands

Book Comes Home: A Banned Book’s Journey

by Rob Sanders (Author), Micah Player (Illustrator)

Summary: Book loves being in the library, going home with patrons, returning to its home in the library until one day Book is picked up and placed in a dark room in the back of the library. Book is now in the Banned Book Closet with other books who were confused about why no one loved them anymore. Will a protest from readers bring out those books in the Banned Book Closet or will more join?

Comments: This is a gentle anamorphic story of a book’s viewpoint. The story explains the concept of censorship and the role of advocacy to protect books.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

The Keeper of Stories

by Caroline Kusin Pritchard (Author), Selina Alko (Illustrator)

Summary: This narrative nonfiction book tells about the 1966 fire at the Jewish Theological Seminary Library in the Upper West Side of New York City. A group of people made a long chain and removed the water-damaged books out from the library to dry elsewhere.

Comments: This is a wonderful story of how a community worked together to figure out a way to dry out the books before they were all lost. Paper towels were sent from all over the city saving about 170,000 books.

The illustrations were created with acrylics, colored pencil, collage, and found objects. They show the tragedy but also the spirit of the people.

The back matter includes more information, including photographs.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link). .

Ruthie Rose with two of her classmates looking up in the sky with arms outstretched.

Ruthie Rose’s Big Idea: A Poetry Story, 2025

by John Schu (Author), Holly Hatam (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Ruthie Rose wakes up with a big, bright, beautiful idea that she shares throughout her school with her enthusiasm and positivity. Soon, with the help of many classmates and a few teachers, her idea becomes concrete, resulting in a special space.

Comments: This is a celebration of how ideas grow and can change into something concrete that a community can share.

The digitally-created illustrations have bits of classic poems.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A bunny sitting on a stack of books with a book opened. Another bunny is looking up at the other bunny. In a meadow of wildflowers

Just One More Story

by Perry Emerson (Author), Sean Julian (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Pip and Bun, bunny siblings, have different views about reading. Pip loves to read while Bun does not. With the help of Pip, she finds an action-packed adventure book in a Little Free Library and gets Bun hooked.

Comments: The illustrations are gentle and colorful, perfect for a bedtime read or classroom read-aloud. I liked the theme of anyone can enjoy reading once they find the right story.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A woman with gray hair is reading with a little boy, Abuela and Alfonzo. There is a large oak tree behind them.

Abuela’s Library

by Lissette Norman (Author), Jayri Gómez (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Alfonso and his Abuela visit the library every Saturday and read under their favorite oak tree until it has to be cut down. Alfonso comes up with an idea of turning the stump into a library for the neighborhood and the community. How will this happen?

Comments: This is a true lemons into lemonade story emphasizing the importance of children having access to books.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Clarisse is looking into the clear glass doors of a library seeing people and books.

No Cats in the Library

by Lauren Emmons (Author, Illustrator)

Brief summary: Clarisse, who doesn’t understand the squiggly lines in books but loved the pictures, came across a building full of books. She keeps trying to sneak inside and succeeds, exploring all over until she comes across a little girl who reads to the cat. The librarian comes across the cat. Will she put Clarisse outside?

Comments: The warm and soft colors used to illustrate the story are cozy and calm. This would be a lovely story to introduce the concept of reading to pets. I often practiced reading aloud the books I was going to share with my students that week with my ginger cat, Leo, who sat and listened, just like a student.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A girl with very bright orange hair is holding books.

A Love Letter to My Library

by Lisa Katzenberger (Author), Rob Sayegh Jr. (Illustrator)

Brief summary: A young girl gives thanks for all of the various services her library provides such as providing books, story time, and the fish tank.

Comments: I love how this book emphasizes that a library is more than just a building but a community center.

I think this book could be read first and then have the students write love letters to their school or public library about what they find enjoyable.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Book cover of Go Forth and Tell with Augusta Bakers as a woman holding books with city buildings behind her.

Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller

by Breanna J. McDaniel (Author), April Harrison (Illustrator)

Summary: Augusta Braxton Baker used to listen to her grandmother’s storytelling, which influenced her so much that she became a storyteller. Augusta attended a teacher’s college in New York and then worked at the New York Public Library in Harlem.

Her legacy continues even today, through the “Baker’s Dozen: A Celebration of Stories” annual storytelling festival which is sponsored by the University of South Carolina College of Information and Communications and the Richland County Public Library.

Baker was a librarian remembered for her advocacy of creating and encouraging positive and uplifting stories with African-American characters.

Comments: The back sections include Timeline, Citations, and an Author’s Note.

The illustrations were created using mixed media, acrylics, and artist pens.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A man is sitting on a green striped chair with his children on either side of them reading a book together with a rhino behind them. Books are strewn all over the ground with the car's trunk door open

The Liebrary

by Amanda Pearlstein (Author), Howard Pearlstein (Author), Maren Amini (Illustrator).

Summary: Mikayla and Drew take out books from the library and read about things that don’t make sense. Should they believe everything they read? The children suddenly understand when they return their books.

Comments: Cute story. It could be used to start a research project to demonstrate why it is essential to check the facts.

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

an orange cat sitting on the floor of the library with books around him

Jack the Library Cat

by Marietta Apollonio (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: Jack loves being in the library, but the librarian, Ms. Fisher, keeps throwing him out. Pascal, a new friend, sneaks the orange cat into the library so they can read together. When they are discovered and Jack is about to be removed again, Pascal convinces the librarian to allow Jack to stay as an official library cat.

Comments: This is an excellent book to read aloud and to ask if any students also read to their pets. Finding out if there are any shelters nearby that have programs with children reading to cats or dogs could be suggested for those without pets.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

This Is a Story

by John Schu (Author), Lauren Castillo (Illustrator)

Summary: The title page begins this story with a girl receiving a library card from her father.

One word on a page of a book from a shelf waits in a library. A little girl walks to the library with her father and younger sibling. She goes into the children’s section carrying a seahorse kite, where a librarian helps her narrow her search down to the perfect one–a sea horse library book. She begins to read.

The little girl has found her special library book and now helps her younger brother find his. She uses her library card to check it out.

Comments: This is a lovely story of the magic of finding the right book and an introduction that the role of a librarian as someone who helps match a reader’s personal interest to the many, many books on the shelves.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

If you enjoy this book, you may like John Schu’s “This is a School.”

This Book Is My Best Friend

by Robin Robinson (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: Two best friends, Sunny and Aarush, want to check out the same library book, “Factory Friends,” but there is only one copy. They each try to persuade the other why the book is their best friend and needs it more. Having failed to book talk each other into other books to check out instead, they discover how to share the library book.

Comments: I recommend this book to school librarians who have students fighting over a book, as I have had many times in my school libraries. (They did not always share, so I had a big die on my desk. The one who rolled the highest number could read it first).

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Palace of Books

by Patricia Polacco (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: As a girl, Patricia Polacco’s family moves from Union City to Battle Creek, Michigan. It is hard for her to adjust from living in a rural area.

One day she walks home from school, taking a different route, and discovers a stately building with giant pillars along the front with many steps leading up to a porch. It is the Willard Library and full of books for people to borrow. Mrs. Creavy, a librarian, helps Patricia find bird books and even shares the notable books of John James Audubon, full of watercolors of birds.

Soon, Patricia paints birds and shares them with her class. This sparks an Audubon bird club at Fremont Elementary School for the next sixty years.

Comments: I will always recommend a book by Patricia Polacco, as she is one of the best storytellers and illustrators in the USA. I was honored to have her as a guest author for our elementary school. I will always cherish having lunch with this legendary author and illustrator that day in our little elementary library.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link)..

The Library Fish Learns to Read (The Library Fish Books)

by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (Author), Gladys Jose (Illustrator).

Brief summary: Library Fish lives in a bowl on the desk of the librarian, Mr. Hughes, where she watches the students check books in and out of the public library. One day, she is listening to Mr. Hughes tell a story about a dog learning how to read and is inspired that she too wants to learn to read.

After the librarian says good night, Library Fish gets out of her bowl (with special accommodations) and begins to teach herself the ABCs. Each night she practices until she can read books.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A man and woman holding books are between two shelves of books in a library.

Love in the Library

by Maggie Tokuda-Hall (Author), Yas Imamura (Illustrator)

Brief summary: In the Minidoka incarceration camp in Idaho during World War II, a young woman named Tama works at the camp’s library. Every day, George visits her returning books. Although they are in a camp, they find comfort in the stories and one another.

Comments: This is actually based on the author’s maternal grandparents. There is not so much emphasis about camp life but more on how they found joy and hope in the library.

The illustrations were created with gouache and watercolor. The author’s note in the back matter includes a photo of her grandparents which shows students that history is made of real people.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Children of various backgrounds are either reading or dancing around the book's title

Our Incredible Library Book (and the wonderful journeys it took)

by Caroline Crowe (Author), John Joseph (Illustrator).

Brief summary: Readers will learn about a library book’s adventures into several children’s homes.

Comments: This books is in rhyme and would make a fun read-aloud. It gives a behind-the-scenes look of a library book as it visits different family.

I think this would pair well with book care to help keep books safe for the next student. This would demonstrate how NOT to treat a book.

This book was first published in the UK.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A Library

by Nikki Giovanni (Author), Erin K. Robinson (Illustrator)

Brief summary: After Monday’s breakfast, a young girl returns her library books and shares all of the possibilities she can be using her imagination. It isn’t just a building, but a place of freedom to dream.

Comments: This is a lovely ode to libraries and would be a great read- aloud. For a writing exercise, have students finish the sentence: “A library is…” using figurative language.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A young girl and a young woman are standing in front of Al-Qarawiyyin Library.

Behind My Doors: The Story of the World’s Oldest Library

by Hena Khan (Author), Nabila Adani (Illustrator)

Summary: Al Qarawiyyin Library tells us about itself being built in 859 in Fez, Morocco, and being the oldest library in the world. Fatima al-Fihri built a mosque and school for her community with a small library that grew over the centuries.

There is a room that can only be entered by four guards, who have to turn all of the keys at the same time for the copper doors to open. Now, only the curator has the keys. What could be so precious inside?

Comments: This narrative nonfiction book is told from the perspective of the library, from its very beginning until Dr. Chaouni, an architect who was hired to restore the building, renovates it.

The illustrations were created digitally.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link)..

A large white dog is listening to Madeline Finn read her book.

Madeline Finn and the Library Dog

by Lisa Papp (Author)

Summary: Madeline Finn struggles with reading, especially out loud. She gets upset when she makes a mistake, but she really wants a gold star instead of the ones she keeps getting that say “Keep trying.”

Madeline goes to the library with her mother and finds a room full of children reading to dogs. She is paired with Bonnie who doesn’t mind if she makes mistakes. Will Madeline ever get a gold star?

Comments: This is a wonderful story to teach about a growth mindset, showing how Madeline hasn’t mastered reading yet, but improves with practice.

This is an ideal mentor text for Book Buddy programs, whether students are reading to older peers or to library dogs and cats..

This is also a social-emotional learning story noting how Madeline Finn’s body language changes from the beginning of the book to the end when she gains confidence.

The illustrations were created with pencil, watercolor, and digital coloring.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link). .

A hamster, Stanley, is driving a book mobile full of books

Stanley’s Library

by William Bee (Author)

Summary: Stanley the hamster fills his colorful bookmobile with books before heading to the park. He helps his friends find their favorite topics and returns just in time to help Charlie set up for a special author visit

Comments: This is a fun, vibrant book for toddlers and preschoolers. The bold text and simple illustrations make it a great choice for early readers.

For teachers, this is a wonderful mentor text for a social studies unit on community helpers, as it introduces the concept of a bookmobile and how libraries reach out to serve their neighborhoods

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link)..

Children of various backgrounds are around a little library either getting books, holding, or reading them.

The Little Library (Mr. Tiffin’s Classroom Series)

by Margaret McNamara (Author), G. Brian Karas (Illustrator)

Summary: Jake and friends visit the new school library looking for books to check out. Librarian Beck helps Jake find a book that is right for him. Jake begins to really enjoy woodworking- themed books, and he creates something special for his school during the summer months when their library is closed.

Comments: I love how the librarian was able to find a book that interested Jake, a reluctant reader who just needed a little help finding his niche.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link)..

Bats pulling down a book with a computer cables. One bat is holding a book.

Bats at the Library

by Brian Lies (Author)

Summary: A colony of bats notice that there is a window open at the library and decide to go inside and explore. They make copies of themselves with the copier, splash in the water fountain, and enjoy storytime all before the sun rises.

Comments: This rhyming text makes a fun read-aloud. It emphasizes that libraries are exciting places where stories come to life. Ask students what they would do if they were in a library overnight.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link)..

A small orange kitten is sitting on top of a stack of books.

Dewey: There’s a Cat in the Library!

by Vicki Myron (Author), Bret Witter (Author), Steve James (Illustrator)

Summary: A kitten was left in a library book drop in Spencer, Iowa, on a cold night. The next morning, librarian Vicki Myron found him, gave him a warm bath, and named him Dewey Readmore Books. He became the town’s beloved library cat.

Comments: I love how this story emphasizes that a library is a sanctuary for everyone–even an abandoned kitten.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A lion is looking over the shoulder of a little girl sitting on the floor reading a book while a boy is leaning against the feline.

Library Lion

by Michelle Knudsen (Author), Kevin Hawkes (Illustrator)

Summary: A lion wanders into the library. Since there were no rules saying a lion could not be in the library and he wasn’t breaking any rules, Mrs. Merriweather, the head librarian and a strict rule follower, allows him to stay. He becomes a very helpful lion and obeys all of the rules, until one day he has to break one to get help.

The cat believes he is no longer welcome and leaves. Mr. McBee goes to look for him to explain that sometimes we need to break the rules for very good reasons.

Comments: This a superb beginning-of-the-year read-aloud to discuss library etiquette and rules. It can demonstrate that safety comes first and some rules may need to be temporarily overlooked in the case of an emergency.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link)..

A toddler is looking through books on a shelf in the library. She has a green backpack beside her.

Lola at the Library (Lola Reads)

by Anna McQuinn (Author), Rosalind Beardshaw (Illustrator)

Summary: Lola puts her library books in her backpack ready to go to the library with her mother, a tradition they do every Tuesday. They walk to the library, return the books, and pick out new ones after story time.

Comments: This is a gentle book about a book checking-out routine of a toddler. I think it would be an excellent read-aloud for kindergarteners first visiting their school library. It could also be used for teaching first, next, then, and last.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link)..

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.

Earth Science Picture Books

March 31, 2026August 18, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

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

(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.❗

A puddle reflecting still water wildlife and vegetations such as birds, insects, flowers, lily pads, and so forth

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.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

*I received a complimentary copy for an honest review.

A girl in a red hoody is in a motored boat with her grandfather on water that has a school of fish underneath with a tale of a whale nearby.

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.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

*I received a complimentary copy for an honest review.

Abigail has on a pink backpack, with a hat in her right hand and a walking stick in the other. She is by water looking at a waterfall.

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.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link)..

*I received a free copy of this book.

A orange rock formation with the title of the book in a concrete poem shape of awesome 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.

Rating: 4/4 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A young boy is hiking with backpacks on in South Sister where there are pine trees, mountains, and a lake.

Climbing the Volcano: A Journey in Haiku

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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Angela’s Glacier

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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

The Greatest River

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.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

The Tree and the River

by Aaron Becker (Author, Illustrator)

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.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

The Great Lakes: Our Freshwater Treasure

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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

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.

Earth Day Picture Books

March 28, 2026August 19, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

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

(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.❗

Cover of the picture book The Day the River Caught Fire with three children looking at the river on fire

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.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

The picture book cover of Black Beach with Sam holding a picket sign saying "Save our planet." Marine animal life are with her while the oil rig is spilling oil onto the water

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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link)..

A boy and girl are under a tree with squirrels and birds and butterflies around them as they stand on grass an d flowers.

Happy Earth Day! (My Little Golden Book About…)

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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

The Night Before Earth Day

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.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Cover for Dino Earth Day with various dinosaurs in bright colors picking up trash in a park and recycling

Dino-Earth Day (Dino-Holidays)

by Lisa Wheeler (Author), Barry Gott (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Dinosaurs come together on Earth Day to help clean up the park, plant a garden, recycle, and do other things to help the planet.

Comments: This rhyming book with bright colorful illustrations is perfect for young dinosaur lovers .

Lisa Wheeler does school visits. When I was teaching, we had her as our guest author, and the students and teachers loved her presentation.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Four crayons holding hands while standing on top of the Earth

The Crayons Love Our 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.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

My Friend 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.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

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.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

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.”

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

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.

Easter Picture Books

March 11, 2026August 19, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

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

(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under Easter Picture Books– https://amzn.to/48NBD2O .)

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

Sparrow and Mousie in a garden full of flowers

Sparrow’s Easter Garden

by Roger Hutchison (Author), Ag Jatkowska (Illustrator)

Summary: Sparrow returns to his garden in spring and finds that it is in disarray with weeds and dead plants. Mousie, Buck, and Turtle help to revive the space over the 40 days of Lent. All is going well until a storm on Good Friday damages some of the plants. The creatures persevere and get the garden ready again. On Easter, they experience a surprise.

Comments: This is a gentle introduction to the Lenten season, Holy Week, and Easter morning. It is a story about teamwork with each animal helping in its own unique way.

Rating: 4/5📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Three colored eggs are hidden in the branches of a pick blossomed tree

Chicka Chicka Peep Peep

by Julien Chung (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: The letters are curious to know what is in the pretty pink tree and slowly each goes up to see. Soon all are on the branches until there is a big sneeze.

Comments: This version of the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom series successfully maintains the rhythmic and rhyming structure that makes it a fun and musical read-aloud.

The story features lowercased letters while the front and back pasted down pages show both upper and lower letters for learning references.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

There is an Easter basket full of decorated eggs with little peas in various outfits and activities all around, on, and inside it including on the letters of the book

Hap-Pea Easter

by Keith Baker (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: Little peas are observing and participating with the arrival of spring. There is rain, blooming flowers, and time to color eggs. All help to decorate them for an Easter egg hunt.

Comments: This is a fun rhyming read-aloud for toddlers and preschoolers with so much detail of the little peas on each page. This is part of the Little Peas series.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Various dinosaur species are collecting easter eggs all in a garen of flowers

Dino-Easter (Dino-Holidays)

by Lisa Wheeler (Author), Barry Gott (Illustrator)

Summary: The dinosaurs decorate Easter eggs and hide them in the forest. They visit a candy factory to get candy to pass out and a clothing store to have outfits for the big Dino-Easter parade. Afterwards, they go on an Easter hunt and have a sweet celebration.

Comments: This is the traditional Dino signature of bouncy rhyming which makes it an exciting read-aloud.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Five pups are nosing an Easter egg that is on the grass.

Is This . . . Easter?

by Helen Yoon (Author, Illustrator)

Brief summary: A bear wearing bunny ears leaves an egg in the grass. The five dogs come across the egg, and all sniff it. Two pups decide it needed to be painted for Easter, while three want to make an omelet with it.

They argue back and forth, trying to persuade the other group that their idea is the correct decision. The bear returns and shows them how both sides can be accommodated in resolving their dispute.

Comments: I think this would be a lovely, humorous Easter read-aloud. Students could decide if the egg should be painted, eaten, or go with what the bear decided.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

We’re Going on an Egg Hunt

by Goldie Hawk (Author), Angie Rozelaar (Illustrator)

Summary: A trio of children with baskets are going through the countryside looking for eggs while encountering chickens, rabbits, and frogs along the way. They come across a garden full of flowers. When will they ever find the Easter eggs?

Comments: The illustrations are bright and large, making them perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. There are many fun onomatopoeias to say out loud and for little ones to repeat, making this a wonderful read-aloud.

This book is in the same spirit as the song “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” using similar rhythmic structure and repetition.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A white bunny is accused of being the Easter bunny. He is dressed with a bow tie, has a basket full of colored eggs, and is white.

I Am NOT the Easter Bunny!

by T. L. McBeth (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: The narrator thinks they have spotted the Easter Bunny and keeps pointing out clues that indicate that indeed, the rabbit must be him. The rabbit always explains how he could not possibly be the Easter Bunny.

Comments: The narrator is in traditional text, while the Easter Bunny is in speech bubbles. This could be a cute and humorous read-aloud, with the students being the bunny and the reader playing the narrator.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Fiona the baby hippo has a baby swan resting on her nose as she stand amongst eggs.

Fiona and the Easter Egg Hunt

by Zondervan (Author), Richard Cowdrey (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Fiona, a baby hippo, plans an Easter egg hunt for her baby friends at the zoo. She begins to hide the eggs with the help of her friend Rico when the swan asks them to watch her eggs while she gathers more grass and leaves.

Fiona accidentally mixes the Easter eggs with those of the swan, not realizing that she did not replace all six eggs back into the bird’s nest. This causes all of the zoo animals to search for the missing egg.

Comments: This story has a nice lesson of the importance of having the responsibility of looking after things entrusted in your care. The illustrations have detailed facial expressions.

This is part of the Fiona series based on a hippo born at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Easter on the Farm

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

Summary: A young girl visits her aunt and uncle’s farm to celebrate Easter. She experiences new life on the farm, from newborn lambs to budding flowers, and prepares for a community egg hunt. On Sunday, the young girl finds an Easter basket the next day, attends Easter service, and an Easter egg hunt.

Comments: The back section includes instructions for making eggshell critters and dyeing eggs with natural materials.

This is part of the Countryside Holidays series.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Elijah’s Easter Suit

by Brentom Jackson (Author), Emmanuel Boateng (Illustrator)

Summary: Elijah wants to find the perfect suit for Easter service but cannot find one that fits. He talks to Deacon Brown and Mother Green and gets an idea to sew his own suit collecting pieces of fabric from his family creating a patchwork sensation.

Comments: This is a lovely story about a young boy using a sewing machine, being resourceful, and creating something amazing.

Rating: 4/5📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Happy Easter from the Crayons

by Drew Daywalt (Author), Oliver Jeffers (Illustrator)

Summary: In this festive installment, the crayons prepare for Easter by making various shapes to use on a large Easter egg.

Comments: This is a fun introduction to shapes and colors with the humor of the crayons. Oliver Jeffers’ minimalist illustrations against white make it best for toddlers who may be overwhelmed by busier and more detailed pages.

This small picture book(5.88 x 0.36 x 7.13 inches) could fit inside an Easter basket.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

The picture book cover of Easter with a chocolate bunny and colored eggs instide of a basket

Easter (Happy Holidays! Series)

by Rebecca Sabelko (Author)

Summary: This early reader nonfiction chapter book has nonfiction text features explaining what Easter is and how it is celebrated.

Comments: A sight word chart is at the beginning with a photo glossary in the back.
This is a smaller hardcover book(5.22 x 0.07 x 8.59 inches).

This is a great option for holiday traditions units in K-1. It’s small for little hands and could be paired with a fictional picture book.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

Easter Eggs and Matzo Balls

by Janie Emaus (Author), Bryan Langdo (Illustrator)

Summary: Michael texts the Easter Bunny to let him know that he has a new stepsister, Anna, who celebrates Passover but wants to make sure she gets something special in the Golden Egg since both holidays fall on the same day. The story follows the siblings as they hunt for the Easter Egg and Afikoman bag needed to celebrate the holidays.

Comments: This is a wonderful resource for interfaith families or classrooms looking to show how different spring traditions can coexist. The back includes a chicken soup recipe and a matzo balls recipe. There is a helpful glossary of Passover and Easter terms.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

Pick a Perfect Egg

by Patricia Toht (Author), Jarvis (Illustrator)

Summary: This beautiful digitally illustrated rhyming story begins with a mother and daughter going to the local farmer to pick out their eggs to decorate for Easter. They use natural coloring from plants, as well as dye tablets to color their eggs. The two decorate with care and then go to a festive egg hunt the next day.

Comments: This book does a wonderful job of highlighting natural coloring which I think would be a fun STEAM activity experimenting with colors in nature like beets. The illustrator captures the pastel colors of spring.

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Pete the Cat and the Easter Basket Bandit

by James Dean and Kimberly Dean

Summary: Pete wakes up on Easter morning and finds that his Easter basket is missing. He follows a trail of jellybeans to a friend’s house, but they haven’t seen it. Pete the Cat follows more candy trails, all leading to various friends, leaving Pete to wonder: Who has his basket?

Comments: This book has bonus goodies which include a poster in the front, stickers, and Easter cards. Cute book for a child’s Easter basket.

The fans of Pete the Cat series will enjoy the familiar groovy vibe and easy-to-follow mystery.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

A frog dressing in clothing hopping along in the grass with a basket full of eggs while there is a large shadow of a rabbit over him

Peter Easter Frog

by Erin Dealey (Author), G. Brian Karas (Illustrator)

Summary: Peter decides he wants to have fun delivering Easter eggs. Along his way, he encounters several animals including a cow, turtle, and sheepdog who want to help too. They come across the Easter Bunny who is not happy with the help. Will they be able to change his mind?

Comments: This text is written in parts to the tune of “Here Comes Peter Cottontail with made-up words to fit the book’s theme. This is a humorous read-aloud that students will enjoy saying the fun words aloud.

This book was illustrated with mixed media.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Bad Kitty Does Not Like Easter

by Nick Bruel (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: Bad Kitty loves Easter eggs and wants to find them all, as they have candy inside. Although there are many blue, red, and purple eggs, she is determined to get the golden egg. She bypasses all of the other eggs in her search for the golden one. She is angry when she doesn’t find it right away and decides she now hates Easter eggs. Will she change her mind?

Comments: This Bad Kitty book has a wonderful message about valuing friendship and will make a fun read-aloud. The illustrations were inked and then colored digitally; they are a mix of traditional text and comic-style panels.

Rated: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

The cover has a perimeter of jelly beans with Gilbert pushing aside grass to find a yellow egg

Last One in Is a Rotten Egg!

by Diane deGroat (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: Siblings Gilbert and Lola are happy that their cousin Wally is coming to visit. He decides not to go with them but off on his own. Meanwhile, opossum siblings and their friends look for the eggs. Lola finds the golden egg but can’t reach it. Her cousin grabs it and heads back to the starting line. Wally hurries back dropping all of his eggs while Gilbert and Lola pick them up including the golden one. Although Gilbert does receive the prize for the most eggs, he shows kindness towards his cousin.

Comments: This is an excellent teaching book for children about sportsmanship, rivalry, and empathy. It is part of the Gilbert and Friends series.

Rated: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

a monkey holding an Easter basket with a white bunny inside with colored Easter eggs on the grass

Happy Easter, Curious George

by R. P. Anderson (Author), Mary O’Keefe Young (Illustrator)

Summary: George and the man with the yellow hat go to the park, where they find children flying kites, decorating Easter baskets, and having rolling egg races. He notices a table where people are dying eggs and tries it for the first time. He later sees a man lose his eggs all over the park and decides to help him recover his eggs. Will George be able to set everything right again?

Comments: George has another classic misunderstanding that toddlers and preschoolers will relate to. The story introduces the concept of mixing colors to create new ones, making it a great supplement for a classroom unit on colors.

Rated: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Hoppi wearing overalls with a baby robin sitting on a branch. There is a wreath of the different eggs that they are both looking through

The Easter Egg

by Jan Brett (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: Hoppi wants to have the best Easter egg and win the contest that will allow him to help the Easter Rabbit hide eggs. Hoppi goes to the various rabbits in the area also decorating various eggs such as carving, frosting, and painting them. Beginning to become discouraged, he decides to lie down under a tree to think, when he discovers a robin’s egg had fallen to the ground. He takes care of it, missing the contest.

Comments: Jan Brett’s illustrations are stunning with its decorated borders, watercolors, and gouache. There is a fold-out page at the end showing all of the rabbits’ finished eggs.

This story has a heartfelt message about kindness and generosity towards one another.

Rated: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

a white hen amongst daffodils and tulips looking at a colored egg

Minerva Louise and the Colorful Eggs

by Janet Morgan Stoeke (Author)

Summary: Minerva Louise is enjoying a beautiful spring morning when she notices brightly colored eggs in very odd places. Worried that a hen has left her eggs unattended in the cold, Minerva Louise sits on them to keep them warm. As she finds more, she informs her friends in the hen house to come out. They eventually see the farm children gathering the eggs in baskets and decide everything is okay; after all, that’s just what farmers do!

Comments: I love this dramatic irony where the reader knows more than the character. This would make a hilarious read-aloud for young primary students.

The large text at the bottom of each page makes it an excellent choice for beginning readers.

Rated: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

There is a white Bunny carrying an Easter basket. He also has a whole bunch of wagons full of Easter rabbits and looks like he's in the city.

The Story of the Easter Bunny

by Katherine Tegen (Author), Sally Anne Lambert (Illustrator)

Summary: A little white rabbit watches an elderly couple paint Easter eggs, weave baskets, and make chocolate eggs. The couple would then deliver these baskets to the children in the village. When the elderly couple was unable to do this he took over the chore every Easter morning and became known as the Easter Bunny.

Comments: This is a wonderful original story by Katherine Tegen that feels like folklore. The watercolor illustrations with pastel colors give it a nostalgic feel. It is a perfect pick for children who are curious about how the little white bunny became the Easter Bunny.

Rated: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

There is an Easter Bunny hidden behind a chair with a little chick are all picking up eggs and candy off of the floor. There is a child peeking over the chair watching them.

The Night Before Easter

by Natasha Wing (Author), Kathy Couri (Illustrator)

Summary: On Easter Eve, two children are sleeping when the Easter Bunny arrives and begins hiding eggs, filling baskets with treats, and leaving chocolate bunnies before vanishing at dawn while the little boy quietly watches the entire time.

Comments: This is part of Natasha Wing’s popular The Night Before series. It’s a fun, rhyming read-aloud that follows the rhythm of the classic Christmas poem, making it very catchy and easy for kids to follow along.

While the standard size is 8″x8″, you may occasionally find smaller gift-sized hardcover editions that are perfect for an Easter basket.

Rated: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

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.

Mental Health Picture Books

March 6, 2026August 21, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

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

(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 Mental Health Picture Books–https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/2DY79GEY4BVSZ?ref_=aipsflist .)

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

Our Lake

by Angie Kang (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: Two brothers walk to the lake to go swimming without their father for the first time since he died. The older brother jumps into the water from the cliff and coaxes his brother to join him. Will he be able to jump without the help of his father?

Comments: A beautiful story of two brothers learning how to grieve while moving forward without their father beside them; only in spirit.

The illustrations were created using gouache with additional textures added in crayon and colored pencil.

This is an excellent story to share with students and children experiencing death of a relative. It is gentle and quiet and does not overly emphasize their feelings.

Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Cecil is fixing a watch at a table with his tools and parts of the watch on the table. A dog is watching him.

Small Things Mended

by Casey W. Robinson (Author), Nancy Whitesides (Illustrator)

Summary: Cecil steps outside his house after hearing Lily, the little girl next door, playing in her yard. Suddenly, a watch flies out of her pocket and lands in his driveway. He manages to fix the watch and realizes how much he enjoys repairing things. Before long, several other children come to him with their broken toys and items that need fixing. Cecil also invites the neighbors over for lunch in his backyard. As a result, he starts feeling happy again.

Comments: The illustrations were created using gouache, crayons, pencils, and digital media.

The book does not explain Cecil’s melancholy forthrightly, but the empty house and empty chairs could indicate that he is now a widower.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A young child with a hat is showing a crayon drawing of a cactus.

Just What to Do

by Kyle Lukoff (Author), Hala Tahboub (Illustrator)

Summary: A young child strives to bring comfort to various friends, realizing that each one requires support in different ways. One friend, who has lost her grandmother, feels unsure about how to cope. Together, they explore ways to simply be present for each other.

Comments: This is a kind and gentle book that teaches how people grieve and how they need comforting in various ways.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A boy is hiking in the woods that is green, yellow, brown, and yellow swirls.

A Walk in the Woods

by Nikki Grimes (Author), Jerry Pinkney (Illustrator), Brian Pinkney (Illustrator)

Summary: A boy, whose father passed away a week ago, opens an envelope left for him. Inside, he finds a map of the woods they used to explore together. He decides to follow the path marked on the map, leading him to an old fireplace marked with an “X.” As he discovers this hidden spot, he finds comfort in what he unearths and realizes that his father is still close to him in spirit.

Comments: Beautifully illustrated with sketches and watercolors

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Sad girl out on the lake in a small boat with a face of sad emotions

Mouseboat

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 captured the mourning girl’s facial expressions and the sad tone of the house of grief with cool, 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.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Under Anna’s Umbrella

by Amanda Driscoll (Author), Luisa Uribe (Illustrator)

Summary: Anna was attending her father’s funeral when it started pouring rain, but she felt safe under her large umbrella. Afterwards, she began carrying her open umbrella everywhere—both inside and outside. One day, she saw a boy getting soaked in the rain and invited him to seek shelter under her umbrella. How will Anna learn to walk in the sunlight again without her umbrella shading her?

Comments: The journey of grief that Anna experienced before she could walk in the sun again is a touching story that may help children.

The illustrations were created digitally.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

The Hole

by Lindsay Bonilla (Author), Brizida Magro (Illustrator)

Summary: A boy notices gaps in his home, in his parents, and within himself where his younger brother, Matty, used to fit. He realizes that other people also have these holes, as they, too, have lost someone. Eventually, he confronts his emptiness and delves into his emotions. His friend Nora asks if he would like to share memories about his brother, which helps him begin to feel better.

Comments: This would make a wonderful book to help students deal with grief.

I like how the boy can fill the hole with good memories of his brother.

The illustrations were created using watercolor washes, colored pencils, and paper collage, all assembled digitally.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A large bear in a tree looking up to the leaves while exploring his emotions of wanting to be alone

Bear Is Never Alone

by Marc Veerkamp (Author), Jeska Verstegen (Illustrator), Laura Watkinson (Translator)

Brief summary: Bear plays the piano in the forest and comes to his last song, ready for a break. The animals around him start to shout for him to play more. He just wants to be alone, but the animals chase him, demanding for Bear to play more. Will Bear ever be alone?

Rating 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

children wearing the same clothing as the background wall

Wallflowers

by Mackenzie Joy (Author, Illustrator)

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.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

The Noise Inside Boys: A Story About Big Feelings

by Pete Oswald (Author)

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.

Comments: I think this would make a great read-aloud. I like the philosophy that feelings come and go and to push them because they are not there forever.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Tow girls playing in the rain with their dog with happy emotions

Sometimes: A Day Full of Feelings

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.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

MIa is wearing tute while doing a headstand

Wepa

by J de laVega (Author, Illustrator)

Brief summary: Besides being intelligent, Mia likes to be creative and fashionable but has some things she does not do well. Her Mami says she has too much wepa. Mia tries ballet, hoping to get some of the wepa out, but it does not work. She finally finds an avenue where she releases her wepa.

Comments: According to dictionary.com, wepa means “a Spanish slang used to convey excitement, congratulations, and joy, similar to the English Oh yeah!, Wow!, or That’s awesome!“

The author shares that everyone in her family has ADHD.

This is a bilingual English-Spanish picture book.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A young child is sitting with a polar bear on the side of a hill with green grass looking out towards the water with mountains in the background.

How to Be Brave

by Karl Newson (Author), Clara Anganuzzi (Illustrator)

Brief summary: A young child encourages and explains that trying something new may be scary at times, but to not give up. There may be setbacks and take the moment to learn from them. Be brave and go forward.

Comments: The child is shown with various animals trying new things.

Optimistic advice and encouragement throughout.

The illustrations were done with pencil and watercolor and digitally colored.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

It Is Okay

by Ye Guo (Author)

Brief summary: Goat enjoys a cup of coffee and toast with canned grass. He realizes he has run out of grass and goes to the grocery store, where he encounters Bunny choosing the same thing. They quickly become friends and make it a daily ritual to have breakfast together. As they explore around town, they discover that what one can’t do, the other can help with. Despite their differences, they still can establish a friendship.

Comments: The illustrations were created with monoprint backgrounds, details added in pencil and colored pencil, pastel, wax pastel, watercolor pen, ink, and collage.

I enjoyed this quiet, kind book about friends who are different from one another but can still get along and form a friendship.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

*I was sent a complimentary copy of this book.

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.

Religion-Based Picture Books

March 3, 2026August 22, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Religious-based picture book recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

(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 Religion-Based Picture Books– https://amzn.to/48NBD2O .)

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

A monk is at a calligraphy table making the rain character is sitting outside amongst mountains while it is raining.

Little Monk Writes Rain

by Hsu-Kung Liu (Author), Rachel Wang Yung-Hsin (Translator)

Summary: Little Monk is not able to read. He goes to Old Monk, who teaches him the character for rain. He practices calligraphy every day, always only writing the character for rain.

As he grows to become a man now called Big Monk, he still cannot read but continues to write rain. A drought comes to the land, and people ask the monks for aid. Will Big Monk be able to help?

Comments: Although the monk could not read or study the Buddhist scriptures, he is able to help those around him through his simplicity, persistence, and faith.

This book is read vertically. The illustrations are created with watercolor and ink and beautifully complement the story with their gentle pastel colors.

Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

*I received a complimentary copy of this book.

Abigail and the Waterfall: Loving God’s Good Earth

by Sandra L. Richter (Author), Michael Corsini (Illustrator)

Summary: Every first Saturday of the 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.

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.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link)..

*I received a free copy of this book.

The Greatest River

by Namita Moolani Mehra (Author), Khoa Le (Illustrator)

Comments: The author’s note explains that at 13, she traveled from New York with her mother to bathe in the sacred river.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Kaylee Prays for the Children of the World: God Hears Every Prayer

by Helen Lee (Author), Shin Maeng (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Kaylee reads the newspaper daily with her grandfather, Halbi. While they come across funny stories and various news articles, Kaylee often worries about the children facing tragedy and hardship. They cut out those articles and pin them on a large world map on the wall. Together, she and her grandfather pray for those children.

Comments: The back includes a note from the author, who shares how she prays for others around the world.

I believe this book could enhance a parochial unit of study focused on prayers said aloud together (Tongsung kido in Korean).

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

*I received a free copy of this book.

Penny Preaches

by Amy Dixon (Author), Rob Dixon (Author), Jennifer Davison (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Penny enjoys everything about Sundays, especially attending church. Her favorite part is hearing the sermons. Inspired, she puts together what she wants to say and preaches to her dolls and then her friends, with results she was not expecting. Couldn’t girls be preachers?

Her parents take Penny to a church next Sunday to hear Pastor Sarah. Will Penny be inspired once again to become a preacher?

Comments: An author’s note in the back section has more information on the topic.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

*I was sent a complimentary copy of this book.

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.

Dog Picture Books

February 22, 2026August 18, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

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

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. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. (These titles can be found on my Amazon Storefront under Dog Picture Books-_https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/1HXD71C9X1I9C?ref_=aipsflist .)

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

Chanel and Milo playing in the park with Milo sliding into branches. Background includes a bench, trees, flowers, and butterflies

Chanel & Milo: The Legend Begins!

by Paul Davis (Author), Julia L. Rosengren (Author)

Summary:
Chanel, a curious and feisty terrier mix, is enjoying a day at the park when she meets Milo, a larger but gentle dog relaxing amongst the flowers. The two quickly become friends as they joyfully return to their owners together.

Comments: This simple and sweet story is geared toward toddlers and preschool-aged children who enjoy books about dog friendships. The writing uses familiar expressions, similes, and other descriptive language to introduce young readers to Chanel and Milo’s world in the park.

Young readers who love real-life pet stories may enjoy that the series is inspired by actual dogs. This title serves as the first of the series featuring the canine duo. Additional information and photos can be found on the official website at Chanel & Milo.

The illustrations are on the left side of the two-page spread with the words on the right.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

There is a black Shaggy Dog following a little girl on the Street sidewalk with in it within a crowd of people. This is the picture book's cover of A Human for Kingsley.

A Human for Kingsley

by Gabriel Evans (Author)

Brief summary: Kingsley, a dog, decides to own a human. He goes into the city looking and intermingling with several people but does not find a good fit. He saw a little girl walking on the street and followed her home. Will she be his human?

Comments: This picture book is hilariously written from the viewpoint of a dog.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Jump for Joy

by Karen Gray Ruelle (Author), Hadley Hooper (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Joy always wanted a dog but did not know what kind. She would know when she saw him. Jump, a dog, always wanted a kid. He knew the right one when he saw her. They create various versions of dogs and kids out of materials around them in Nature. Will they ever find each other?

Comments: I like how the world around them goes from black and white to color. The illustrator used images from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries to create collages.

Rating: 3.5/5 –📗📗📗 1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Book cover to Trouble Dog with Laura and Tucker(yellow dog) hugging on the lawn.

Trouble Dog: From Shelter Dog to Conservation Hero

by Carol A. Foote (Author), Larry Day (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Tucker was often returned to the dog shelter because he was considered trouble. However, when Laura came to the shelter, she saw potential in him and believed he could be an excellent conservation dog. After training, Tucker became a valuable aide to conservationists, helping to protect endangered plants and wildlife.

Comments: This story is inspired by true events. The back pages provide insights into Laura and Tucker’s lives and additional information about conservation dogs.

The illustrations were created in watercolor.

This would be a valuable addition to any unit of study focused on wildlife or conservation.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link)..

*I received a free copy of this book.

The Very Patient Gus Davis

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 is the second of the Gus books

The Unsinkable Gus Davis by Laurie Trumble Davis (Author), Paulette Bogan (Illustrator)

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

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

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

Death Picture Books

February 18, 2026August 18, 2026 The Retired School Librarian1 Comment

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

(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. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. (These titles can be found on my Amazon Storefront under Death Picture Books–https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/OOMLLW39XJKX?ref_=aipsflist .)

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

What Happens After?

by Diane Namm (Author), Laura Jäger (Illustrator)

Summary: How do we go on after the death of someone we love? This picture book provides answers for young readers to understand and relate to. We may feel sad, mad, or alone. We still do the things that the deceased enjoyed and remember them in our own way.

Comments: This book is helpful for children who are grieving, as it helps them understand that their feelings are valid and guides them on how to move forward without their loved one.

This would make a great addition to any library and one that teachers, parents, and counselors could share.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

*I received a free copy of this book.

Do You Remember?

by Sydney Smith (Author)

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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link)..

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

Grandpa and the Kingfisher

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

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

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

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

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

Wonderful watercolor illustrations.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

The Hare-Shaped Hole

by John Dougherty (Author), Thomas Docherty (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Hertle the hare and Bertle the turtle are best friends and do everything together. The next day, there is only a shadow where Hertle is supposed to be. Bertle looked everywhere for his friend but only had the hare-shaped hole.

Bertle was crying when Gerda the bear cuddled him, sharing how to feel better when losing someone.

Comments: This gentle book would be a great bibliotherapeutic book for remembering someone we lost.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

The Hole

by Lindsay Bonilla (Author), Brizida Magro (Illustrator)

Summary: A boy notices holes in his home, in his parents’, and in himself where his younger brother, Matty, used to fill. He notices that other people have holes who have lost someone too. He finally faces the hole and falls into it to confront his emotions. His friend Nora asks him if he would like to tell her about his brother, which helps him feel better.

Comments: This would make a wonderful book to help students deal with grief.

I like how the boy can fill the hole with good memories of his brother.

The illustrations were created using watercolor washes, colored pencils, and paper collage, all assembled digitally.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Under Anna’s Umbrella

by Amanda Driscoll (Author), Luisa Uribe (Illustrator)

Summary: Anna was attending her father’s funeral when it started pouring rain, but she felt safe under her large umbrella. Afterwards, she began to carry her open umbrella with her everywhere—both inside and outside. One day, she saw a boy getting soaked in the rain and invited him to seek shelter under her umbrella. How will Anna learn to walk in the sunlight again without her umbrella shading her?

Comments: The journey of grief that Anna experienced before she could walk in the sun again is a touching story that may help children.

The illustrations were created digitally.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

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.

Color Picture Books

February 18, 2026August 18, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

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

(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. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. (These title can be found on my Amazon Storefront under Color Picture Books– https://amzn.to/4riHCCU )

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

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

Consider the Lilies

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

How Do You Eat Color?

by Mabi David (Author), Yas Doctor (Illustrator), Karen Llagas (Translator)

Brief 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.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

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.

Communication Picture Books

February 16, 2026August 18, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

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

(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. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. (These titles can be found on my Amazon Storefront under Communication Picture Books– https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/2WCIVBA3AI5KU?ref_=aipsflist )

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

A young girl waving as she looks out into the sea

On the Edge of the World (Stories from Latin America)

by Anna Desnitskaya (Author), Lena Traer (Translator)

Brief summary: Vera lives on the east coast of Russia. She longs to have a friend and often imagines one enjoying her interests and the places she goes. When it is dark, Vera goes to the beach with her mom and turns her flashlight off and on in Morse code for “hi.”

Lucas lives in Chile and longs to have a friend too. He imagines what it would be like to have someone to play soccer or read a book high up in a tree. In the evening, Lucas and his father go to the beach and turn his flashlight off and on, blinking four short flashes, pause, and two short flashes.

Will these two get a response?

Comments: Half of the book is Vera’s story, and then one flips the book over and reads about Luca’s story. I love upside-down books.

Teachers could share this in social studies. For example: “If we are standing on the eastern section of our school and shine a flashlight at night, what is the closest city, state, or country.

It could also supplement a science class on how far a flashlight’s beam can be seen or even have the students practice Morse Code.

Rating: 4/5📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

*I received a complimentary print copy of this children’s book from the publisher to give an honest review.

What Makes Us Human

by Victor D.O. Santos (Author), Anna Forlati (Illustrator)

Brief summary: What is it that makes us human? As the book progresses, young readers will slowly learn that the answer can be written, signed, spoken, or felt. It has been around for thousands of years and effects everyone today. Some are disappearing, while others are more popular.

Comments: The illustrations are created with collage and digital materials.

Part of the author’s royalties will be donated to organizations working to preserve languages around the globe.

I would ask students, “What Makes Us Human?” and then read the book, reminding them that if they think they know the answer, they should keep it a secret until it is revealed at the end.

Rating: 5/5 –📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

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.

Bullying Picture Books

February 16, 2026August 18, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

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

(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. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. (These titles can be found on my Amazon Storefront under Bullying Picture Books– https://amzn.to/3ZEh5Us .)

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

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

Kozo the Sparrow

by Allen Say (Author, Illustrator)

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A girl with a blue polka dotted handkerchief hanging from a stick she has over her shoulder walking along a dirt path with a ghost, troll, witch and black cat watching her.

The Baddies

by Julia Donaldson (Author), Axel Scheffler (Illustrator)

Brief summary: A troll, ghost, and witch are baddies who enjoy being bad and bragging about it. A girl moves into a nearby cottage. The baddies devise different ways to scare her but are unsuccessful as she shows them kindness and understanding.

Comments: Young readers will enjoy the humorous story.

This is the author of the two books Room on the Broom and The Gruffalo.

This was originally printed in the UK in 2022.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗 1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

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.

Picture Books About Books

February 15, 2026August 22, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

These picture books about books and library-themed stories are recommended by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

(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. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. (These titles can be found on my Amazon Storefront under Stories That Celebrate Books–https://amzn.to/4aRTIx2 .)

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

A teacher is on the shore of the rainforest

The Young Teacher and the Great Serpent (Stories from Latin America)

by Irene Vasco (Author), Juan Palomino (Illustrator), Lawrence Schimel (Translator)

Brief summary: A young teacher is given her first teaching assignment in Las Delicias, in the middle of the jungle in the Amazon. She brings her many books on an eventful four-day journey to the new school, a straw roof with a blackboard against a tree trunk.

She begins teaching and sharing her books for the students to take home. One morning, the children ran by the school, urging her that a great serpent was coming. They must get to higher ground. The serpent does come, destroying everything, including her precious books.

A few days later, around a fire, the women began to share legends from the squares of white fabric they had been embroidering and making into cloth books. The students translated the words for the teacher. Over time, the teacher learned the language of Las Delicias and how to embroider. She decided to stay.

Comments: Young readers will stay interested in the curiosity of how this young teacher’s journey unfolds.

I kept wondering where I would have been sent to teach. I’m thankful I was able to choose myself.

Wouldn’t this be an excellent book to share on a teachers’ professional development day?

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

*I received a complimentary print copy of this children’s book from the publisher to give an honest review.

Special Delivery cover with sky blue background with various means of transportation all done in cartoon style

Special Delivery: A Book’s Journey Around the World

by Polly Faber (Author), Klas Fahlén (Illustrator). Publisher ‏ : ‎ Candlewick Press. 2023. K-3. Hardcover Narrative Nonfiction Picture Book. Publisher ‏ : ‎ Candlewick Press.

Brief summary: A book is made and journeys in various forms of transportation across the city, sea, and through the country until it reaches Pip’s Bookshop, where it is bought and sent to a grandson.

Comments: The back has Special Delivery Numbers of interesting statistics about the book’s journey.

Full, detailed illustrations with bright colors. I stopped and looked at each page to get more details of the transportation story from them.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

The Library Fish Learns to Read (The Library Fish Books)

by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (Author), Gladys Jose (Illustrator).

Brief summary: Library Fish lives in a bowl on the librarian’s desk, Mr. Hughes, where she watches the students check books in and out of the public library. One day, she is listening to Mr. Hughes tell a story about a dog learning how to read and is inspired that she, too, would like to learn to read.

After the librarian says good night, Library Fish gets out of her bowl (with special accommodations) and begins to teach herself the ABCs. Each night she practices until she can read books.

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

This Book Is My Best Friend

by Robin Robinson (Author, Illustrator).

Brief summary: Two best friends, Sunny and Aarush, want to check out the same library book, Factory Friends, but there is only one copy. They each try to persuade the other why the book is their best friend and needs it more. Having failed at trying to book talk each other into other books to check out instead, they realize how to share the library book.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

This Is a Story

by John Schu (Author), Lauren Castillo (Illustrator).

Brief summary: The title page begins this story with a girl receiving a library card from her father.

A little girl walks to the library with her father and younger sibling. She goes into the children’s section carrying a seahorse kite, where a librarian helps her narrow her search from many of the books to the perfect one–a sea horse library book. She begins to read. Other readers in the area are reading books we all know and love that are connected to our hearts and imagination.

The child has found her special library book and now helps her younger brother find his. She proudly uses her library card to check out.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

An orange anglerfish with a little light at the end of its antennae is reading a book that has an oyster spine

Hooked on Books

by Margaret Chiu Greanias (Author), Kristyna Litten (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Pearl, an anglerfish, reads her book in the depth of the sea but is constantly interrupted. Looking for personal space, she swims down into the abyssal zone, where it is tranquil, and she can finish her book. Lonely, she returns to the twilight zone.

Comments: The illustrations were in shades of blues with the various fish in other colors and often two-page spreads. Speech bubbles mixed with traditional text.

Rating: 4/4 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

The Liebrary

by Amanda Pearlstein (Author), Howard Pearlstein (Author), Maren Amini (Illustrator).

Brief summary: Mikayla and Drew take out books from the library and read about things that don’t make sense. Should they believe everything they read? The children suddenly understand when they return their books.

Comments: Cute story. It could be used to start a research project to demonstrate why it is essential to check the facts.

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Our Incredible Library Book (and the wonderful journeys it took)

by Caroline Crowe (Author), John Joseph (Illustrator).

Brief summary: Readers will learn about a library book’s adventures into several children’s homes.

Comments: In rhyming text.

This book was first published in the UK.

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Palace of Books

by Patricia Polacco (Author, Illustrator).

Brief summary: As a girl, Patricia Polacco’s family moves from Union City to Battle Creek, Michigan. It is hard for her to adjust from living in a rural area.

Soon, Patricia paints birds and shares them with her class. This sparks an Audubon bird club at Fremont Elementary School for the next sixty years.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link)..

A red pickup truck full of books and storytelling props with children jumping with excitement

Colorful Mondays: A Bookmobile Spreads Hope in Honduras (Stories from Latin America)

by Nelson Rodríguez (Author), Leonardo Agustín Montes (Author), Rosana Faría (Illustrator), Carla Tabora (Illustrator), Lawrence Schimel (Translator)

Brief summary: Luis lives in Villa Nueva, Honduras, and prefers sharing happy stories with his friends and neighbors to take their minds off unhappiness. He is good at storytelling and likes to retell stories. Monday is when the bookmobile comes for the Hour of the Chochororochochochó, where the bookmobile comes to share stories and books. Luis repeats the stories he has heard with his family.

Comments: The back pages tell the factual story of JustWorld International. This would be a wonderful book for children to learn about how other cultures learn about storytelling and books.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

*I received a complimentary print copy of this children’s book from the publisher to give an honest review.

Lotti with orange hair and red glasses is poking her head out from behind stacks and stacks of children's books with her ginger cat standing on top of them.

Books Make Good Friends

by Jane Mount (Author)

Brief summary: Lotti is shy and would like to make friends with her classmates, but many are extroverts, the complete opposite of herself. She instead finds friends in the books that she reads, feeling safer.

Lottie can compare her everyday events with books she has read.

One day, Lotti is walking home with Nadia, who also likes reading. Will they become pals? How will Lotti make friends with her other classmates?

Comments: I love the illustrations in this book because they are mainly created with the spines of real books!

Various books are highlighted with book summaries.

There are many fonts used that help explain what is happening in each detailed illustration.

This would be a superb book to read aloud to encourage the love of reading. Students will want to read the books featured in the illustrations.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A man is holding a book. There are books on the bookshelves.

Everybody’s Book: The Story of the Sarajevo Haggadah

by Linda Leopold Strauss (Author), Tim Smart (Illustrator)

Brief summary: In the mid-14th century, a Jewish wedding took place in Spain where the couple received a hand-painted haggadah for their Passover celebrations. The book was adorned with decorations of copper and gold. Passed down through generations, it eventually ended up in the possession of relatives who sold it to The National Museum in Sarajevo, Bosnia in 1894. This historic artifact is now known as the Sarajevo Haggadah. It’s remarkable that the book has survived through numerous wars.

Comments: The back sections in this narrative nonfiction book are Author Note, About the Author, and About the Illustrator.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Behind My Doors: The Story of the World’s Oldest Library

by Hena Khan (Author), Nabila Adani (Illustrator)

Comments: This narrative nonfiction book is told from the perspective of the library, from its very beginning until Dr. Chaouni, an architect who was hired to restore the building, renovates it.

The illustrations were created digitally.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link)..

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.

Biography Picture Books

February 13, 2026August 18, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

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

(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. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. (These titles can be found on my Amazon Storefront under Biography Picture Books–https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/1WJXFSM5JRD39?ref_=aipsflist.)

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

Pablo Casals playing the cello with birds of all colors flying out of his instrument. Sitting on a chair outside

Music and Silence: The Passion and Protest of Pablo Casals

by Christy Mihaly (Author), Mariona Cabassa (Illustrator)

Summary: This biography picture book follows the childhood of cellist Pablo Casals in Catalonia, Spain, from his early music education to becoming a renowned and respected musician. During the Spanish Civil War and World War II, he traveled to perform. However, in protest of dictator Francisco Franco, Casals made the decision to stop performing as an act of peaceful protest. Does he ever play the cello again?

Comments: The back matter gives additional insight into Casals’ life, including a helpful timeline.

This narrative nonfiction picture book would pair well with lessons on the Spanish Civil War in history classes. It could also be used in music class by sharing his performance of “The Song of the Birds,” or in civics/government lessons to introduce the concept of peaceful protest.

The illustrations are created using mixed media (acrylic, gouache, watercolor, and pencil), along with digital elements.

This picture book is best suited for intermediate and middle grade readers.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.

Cecilia is in a library with an opened book sitting at a table with a lamp and more book in a pile. she is look out the large window at the nigh full of stars.

The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne: Discovering the Stuff of Stars

by Laura Alary (Author), Yas Imamura (Illustrator)

Brief summary: This picture book biography is told in a narrative nonfiction style of writing beginning with an eight-year-old Cecilia curiously examining nature around her in the countryside until she moved to London to study. She excitedly received a scholarship to the University of Cambridge but found women were not taken seriously. She moved across the Atlantic Ocean to attend Harvard where she found other women called the Harvard Computers studying the stars.

Comments: The backmatter has more information such as the Author’s Note, Cecilia’s Curious Life(timeline), Reaching for the Stars, More About Cecilia’s World, and Honors and Awards Given to Cecilia Payne.

This biography picture book was very well researched with gouache and watercolor illustrations that complement and push the story as it is explained.

I recommend this as an excellent STEAM resource for intermediate elementary and middle school students. It’s a perfect addition to units on women in science or space exploration.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.

St. Patrick on the cover with a large cross around his neck, bible, and shamrocks scattered on one side of the cover.

Saint Patrick the Forgiver: The History and Legends of Ireland’s Bishop

by Ned Bustard (Author)

Brief summary: If you are looking for more of a religious story about Saint Patrick, this is the book. “Hello, my name is Patrick. You may have heard my story. I walked the span of Ireland to tell of God’s great glory.” Young readers will learn about Saint Patrick’s life as a child, being kidnapped to become a slave in Ireland and his escape back home. Saint Patrick continues to tell the reader how he forgave the Irish people and decided to preach Christianity there. The story is shared through the viewpoint of a saint. Told in rhyme.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Saint Valentine wearing sandals, a red gunic with a sash with crosses holding letters in his hand with red, green, while and blue hearts on the side of the cover

Saint Valentine the Kindhearted: The History and Legends of God’s Brave and Loving Servant

by Ned Bustard (Author)

Brief summary: A young Valentine lived in Terni, Italy, around 226 AD, practicing Christianity while living amongst Romans who believed in several gods and goddesses.

He restored the sight of a judge’s daughter. This impressed the judge so much that he converted to Christianity along with his family. Emperor Claudius put Saint Valentine in prison, where he wrote love letters. He died on February 14th.

Comments: This story is written in rhyming verse. The story is on the right side, while an illustration with woodcuts is on the left.

There is A Note From the Author.

The hearts that are throughout the story symbolize the different types of love.

❤️(eros)–romantic love
💚(storge)–natural love, the kind that family members have for one another
💙(philia) love for a close friend
🤍(agape) pure and unconditional love

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.

A young Virginia Hamilton lying in the grass with books around her and lilacs. Books's cover

Extraordinary Magic: The Storytelling Life of Virginia Hamilton

by Nina Crews (Author)

Brief summary: This collection of lyrical poetry shares Virginia Hamilton’s childhood, family, and writing inspirations.

Comments: The back sections include the Author’s Note, Timeline, Book List, Bibliography, and a few photos.

The illustrations were created digitally using Adobe Photoshop.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A Fine Little Bad Boy

by Barbara Lowell (Author), Antonio Marinoni (Illustrator)

Brief summary: This narrative nonfiction biographical picture book tells the story of Quentin Roosevelt, the youngest son of President Theodore Roosevelt. It highlights his mischievous antics while living in the White House, including roller skating in the halls, shooting spitballs at hanging artwork, and having water gun fights.

Comments: There are two pages in the back sharing more about Quentin Roosevelt.

I believe this book is better suited for 3-6 year olds rather than 9-12 year olds.

Reading it aloud with an adult can foster meaningful conversations and engagement among young listeners about good and bad behavior.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

*I received a free copy of this book.

Rosetta "Lyons" Wakeman dressed like a Union Soldier of the Civil War is saluting us. Cover of Guts for Glory

Guts for Glory: The Story of Civil War Soldier Rosetta Wakeman

by Joanna Lapati (author and illustrator)

Brief summary: Rosetta Wakeman, the oldest of nine siblings, lived on a farm in Afton, New York. Tired of doing household work and caring for her siblings, she cut her hair and dressed like a man, calling herself Lyons Wakeman. After working as a canaller for a while, she enlisted in the 153rd New York State Volunteers to fight in the Civil War at Pleasant Hill on April 8, 1864.

Will anyone find out she is a woman? Does she die in battle?

Comments: This is a very well-written and researched picture book.

The artwork is scratchboard and digital materials. It is explained in detail in the About the Art of how this was all done. Art teachers could use this book as a reference for scratchboard units of study.

Other back sections are Glossary, Author’s Note(includes her research), More About Rosetta Wakeman and the Civil War(includes her photo in uniform and her tombstone), A Timeline of Events, Rosetta Wakeman’s Letters(1862-1864), and the Endpaper Glossary(explaining the objects carried by soldiers).

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.

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

The Snow Man: A True Story

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

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

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

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

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

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

This biography picture book could spark some interesting classroom discussions.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A young Prince wearing his well known ruffled shirt and purple jacket playing the guitar is on the top of the book's right side of the cover while there is another scene of him walking down the street with his guitar. The cover has a purple hue. Doves are flying.

Ordinary Days: The Seeds, Sound, and City That Grew Prince Rogers Nelson

by Angela Joy (Author), Jacqueline Alcántara (Illustrator)

Summary: This rhythmic picture book focuses on Prince’s childhood and early musical career rather than his adult success or death. The author’s note provides additional biographical information and a playlist. The illustrations captures Prince’s personality, with purple appearing throughout.

Comments: I remember Prince’s music from the 1980s, when Purple Rain and the Minneapolis sound were everywhere. I listened to the Purple Rain soundtrack constantly on my Walkman.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Georgia O"Keeffe in the desert in her garden with a large table of her garden's bounty which are flowers, corn, vegetables. There is a crow and rabbit in the background along with flowers and trees. Book's cover

Gifts from Georgia’s Garden: How Georgia O’Keeffe Nourished Her Art

by Lisa Robinson (Author), Hadley Hooper (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Georgia O’Keeffe is known for her stunning paintings of flowers and wildlife in New Mexico. This narrative nonfiction picture book emphasizes and explores how she cultivated her own sustainable garden using water conservation, companion planting, and composting.

Comments: Reading a book about an artist’s life rather than their art was a refreshing change.

The back sections explain how Georgia O’Keefe gardened and includes two of her recipes.

The illustrations were created with pen, paint, and paper and assembled in Photoshop.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

William J. Wilgus painting of him holding his chin thinking with a train and Grand Central Terminal in the background. Book's cover

A Grand Idea: How William J. Wilgus Created Grand Central Terminal

by Megan Hoyt (Author), David Szalay (Illustrator)

Brief summary: In 1902, Manhattan was full of people from all over the country visiting by train. A terrible train collision caused William J. Wilgus, a chief engineer, to devise a better plan to reduce and organize all of the train traffic to prevent any more accidents.

In this narrative nonfiction picture book, young readers will learn how he created this magnificent railroad station called Grand Central Terminal.

Comments: The back sections include information about William J. Wilgus and the Grand Central Terminal, fascinating facts about the terminal, a timeline, and sources.

The illustrations were created digitally with Adobe Photoshop.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Annie Londonderry riding on a bicycle wearing bloomers with an American flag on the handlebars. There is a globe in the background with various people. Cover of the book

Pedal, Balance, Steer: Annie Londonderry, the First Woman to Cycle Around the World

by Vivian Kirkfield (Author), Alison Jay (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Annie Londonderry saw an ad in 1894 promising $10,000 to the first woman to travel around the globe on a bike. She taught herself to ride a bike and set off, following the rules of speaking English, accepting no donations, and earning $5,000 while traveling.

Comments: This inspirational narrative nonfiction picture book shares the story of an incredibly brave woman who overcame obstacles and injuries, persevered to win a bet, and was motivated by providing a better life for her children.

The back sections include an Author’s Note, Brakes, Bloomers, and Other Bicycle Bits, a Timeline, and a Bibliography.

The illustrations are created with alkyd oil paint on paper with varnish.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A young Fannie Farmer cooking with a large pot with vegetables. There are measuring utensils on the side. Book's cover

The Fabulous Fannie Farmer: Kitchen Scientist and America’s Cook

by Emma Bland Smith (Author), Susan Reagan (Illustrator)

Brief 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.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Picture book biography cover of The Green Piano with Roberta Flack as a child playing a green piano

The Green Piano: How Little Me Found Music

by Roberta Flack (Author), Tonya Bolden (Author), Hayden Goodman (Illustrator).

Brief summary: Roberta Flack grew up in a Blue Ridge Mountain town in North Carolina, living in a house with two musical parents. She longed to have a piano of her own. Her father found one in a junkyard and spruced it up by painting it green. Her love of music blossomed forth.

The Author’s Note and Career Highlights are in the back.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Picture book biography cover of Mary Anning at a cliff near Lyme Regi holding a chisel out collecting fossils with her father and sister

Mary Anning Breaks New Ground: Courageous Kid of Paleontology (Courageous Kids)

by Carol Kim (Author), Mark Simmons (Illustrator).

Summary: Mary Anning was only twelve when she discovered an Ichthyosaurus along the cliffs near Lyme Regi, England, in the early 1800s. This area was known as the heart of the Jurassic Coast, where ammonite and belemnite fossils were often found unburied. Her father, a carpenter and cabinet maker, would fossil-seek as a hobby taking his children, Joseph and Mary, along the cliffs to find fossils to sell to tourists.

After their father died, her brother learned the upholstery business while she sold fossils for a living. It wasn’t until 2010 that the Royal Society acknowledged Mary and two other women, Mary Somerville, and Caroline Herschel, for their contributions to paleontology.

Comments: This is a narrative nonfiction graphic novel with a glossary, read more, internet sites, and about the author sections in the back.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

A young Judit is intentely looking across a chess board

The Queen of Chess: How Judit Polgár Changed the Game

by Laurie Wallmark (Author), Stevie Lewis (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Judit and her sisters were trained by their parents to play chess. They competed, with Judit being the youngest. She won junior tournaments against adults. Judit and her family went to the USA, where she competed in games against adults and won. Her goal was to become the youngest grandmaster. She returned to Budapest to study and became the national champion of Hungary. Will Judit’s chess journey lead her to her goal?

Comments: The back pages include Timeline and The Mathematics of Chess.

This is an inspirational story of encouragement, hard work, and perseverance.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Cecilia Payne in a tree looking into the star filled sky

The Fire of Stars: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of

by Kirsten W. Larson (Author), Katherine Roy (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Cecilia Payne moved from the country as a girl to London so her brother, Humfry, could attend a better school. Her school did not teach her the science curriculum that she desired until a new science teacher and friend, Miss Dalglish, was hired. Cecilia wins a University of Cambridge scholarship to study plants but is inspired once she attends a lecture by astronomer Arthur Addigton, whose work created a new field called astrophysics. She moved to America to study astronomy at Harvard, where other women were studying the same subject. Through her work, she discovered what stars are made of, thus building a foundation for astronomers to learn and better understand the stars.

This narrative nonfiction biography picture book has two-page illustrations paralleling Cecilia’s beginning of her career and that of a star’s.

The back sections are: Cecilia Payne: Science Superstar, A Star is Born, and a Timeline.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link)..

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Picture book biography of Milloo standing with children around herself

Milloo’s Mind: The Story of Maryam Faruqi, Trailblazer for Women’s Education

by Reem Faruqi (Author, granddaughter of Maryam Faruqi), Hoda Hadadi (Illustrator)

Brief summary: In 1930, a young Pakistani girl, Milloo, loves to read and study but is told that since she finished fifth grade, she will need to stay home to do housework. Milloo wanted to become a teacher, so her parents only agreed if she learned English. With a lot of hard work and determination, she graduated from high school and college. She is ready to become a teacher. She marries, but her husband wants her to stay home. She makes a school in her house and then opens more and more schools.

There is a glossary and author’s note in the back.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

Picture Book Biography cover with Sister Rosetta Tharpe playing a guitar

Rock, Rosetta, Rock! Roll, Rosetta, Roll!: Presenting Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Godmother of Rock & Roll

by Tonya Bolden (Author), R. Gregory Christie (Illustrator).

Brief summary: Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Godmother of Rock & Roll, was born in Arkansas in 1915 to two musical parents. Rosetta learns to sing and plays the guitar at an early age. Her family moves to Chicago, where her performance in church begins her career. She marries a preacher. He preaches, and she plays her guitar, where the Sunday service is broadcasted on the radio, thus reaching a broad audience.

Rosetta’s musical career takes off with her playing around the USA and Europe, performing gospel, blues, and rock and roll producing one hit after another.

The timeline at the back of the book lists her notable musical accomplishments and personal life events. Author’s Note and Sources included.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Biography picture book cover of Charles Drew with a doctor in a white lab coat and stethoscope around his neck

Charles Drew: The Innovator of the Blood Bank (Bright Minds)

by Aaron Talley (Author), Subi Bosa (Illustrator).

Brief summary: Charles Drew created a technique that separates the different parts of blood called centrifuging, which helped the blood stay fresh longer in storage. He is known for improving the blood banks and just in time for World War II when bloodmobiles and the American Red Cross enabled people to give and receive blood wherever they lived.

Comments: The back pages have sections such as a glossary, legacy, questions, index, and further reading.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Close Up and Far Out

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

*I received a free copy of this book.

Eleanor Roosevelt: Her Path to Kindness

by Helaine Becker (Author), Aura Lewis (Illustrator)

Summary: Eleanor Roosevelt’s parents and brother died within two years of each other. She lived with her Grandmother. At age fifteen, she was sent to a girls’ boarding school in England, where a teacher helped her realize her potential. Eleanor became a leader of the girls and helped everyone. She left her senior year to return to the USA, where she was expected to debut and find a husband but had other plans.

Comments: The Author’s note in the back gives more details about Eleanor Roosevelt’s life. Several of her famous quotes are cited.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Cover of You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce with a man sitting on a chair carving a wooden elephant with shelves of paint

You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce!: The Storied Life of Folk Artist Elijah Pierce

by Chiquita Mullins Lee (Author), Carmella Van Vleet (Author), Jennifer Mack-Watkins (Illustrator)

Summary: Columbus, Ohio, artist Elijah Pierce shares with a young artist how he was inspired to carve wood. Elijah cuts the boy’s hair and continues how he got ideas for his many art pieces hanging all around the barbershop. The boy leaves with a fresh cut and thoughts of creating with his new box of colored pencils his mother gave him earlier.

Comments: The back pages contain Elijah Pierce’s honors, Authors’ Notes, Artist’s Note, and information about Elijah Pierce’s Art used in the book.

I remember going to the Columbus Museum of Art and seeing his art and getting to know who the artist was based on his subject matter in the art.

This book contains quotes from Elijah, but the boy in the story is fictional.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Biography picture book cover of Never Give Up with Dr. Kati Kariko wearing a white lab coat. Microscope and beakers are on a table.

Never Give Up: Dr. Kati Karikó and the Race for the Future of Vaccines

by Debbie Dadey (Author), Juliana Oakley (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Hungarian-American scientist Dr. Kati Kariko has always wanted to be a scientist. She studied mRNA(messenger ribonucleic acid) in a biology research center, wondering if she could make new mRNA that would send the message to make suitable proteins for people to heal.

She moved to America and failed to get mRNA to work with cells, so she worked at various universities. She met Drew Weissman, another scientist interested in mRNA. After eight years, they wrote a paper about mRNA. She was offered several jobs but chose to work at BioNTech in Germany. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, scientists at BioNTech and Pfizer worked together to design a vaccine using an mRNA vaccine to fight the virus.

Comments: The back pages include Timeline, Steps To Making a Vaccine, Author’s Note, Glossary, Source Notes, and Further Study sections.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

Cover of Ice Cream Man with Augustus Jackson offering a scoop of ice-cream with a nice smile

Ice Cream Man: How Augustus Jackson Made a Sweet Treat Better

by Glenda Armand (Author), Kim Freeman (Author), Keith Mallett (Illustrator).

Brief summary: Augustus Jackson left his home in Philadelphia at twelve to go to Washington, DC, to follow his dream as a cook. He became an expert at making ice cream. He was hired at the White House and stayed for five years.

He returned home and opened his own ice cream parlor. He created a faster way to freeze ice cream, as refrigerators/freezers still needed to be invented. He could come up with making ice cream in half the time and ship his own ice cream by train without it melting.

Nicknamed the “Father of Ice Cream”

The back pages include Make Your Own Ice-Cream, Afterword, and Sources sections.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Cover of The Firs Woman Cherokee Chief with Wilma Pearl Mankiller talking behind a podium that has a microphone

The First Woman Cherokee Chief: Wilma Pearl Mankiller (Step into Reading)

by Patricia Morris Buckley (Author), Aphelandra Messer (Illustrator).

Brief summary: Wilma Pearl Mankiller lived in Oklahoma on Cherokee lands until a drought caused her father to move to the city for work. Pearl(the name she preferred) hated the city and stayed at her grandmother’s farm for a year. She moved back to the city and connected with other Native people at the American Indian Center.

In 1969, there was a protest at Alcatraz about the Native lands stolen by the government. Pearl supported and helped Native people many times and later became the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating 3/5 📗📗📗

Cover of Carol Burnett wearing a blue evening dress with dangling earrings. She is tugging on her left ear.

Carol Burnett: A Little Golden Book Biography

by Andrea Posner-Sanchez (Author), Kelly Kennedy (Illustrator).

Summary: Carol Burnett was born in Texas and was raised by her grandmother, Nanny. When she was seven, they moved to Hollywood, California, where Nanny would take Carol to see several movies weekly. Carol would reenact them on their apartment’s rooftop and later study theater arts in college. After seeing her perform, a stranger gave her $1,000, urging her to go to New York. She had to promise to pay him back in five years and to never reveal his identity. Carol became famous on the Garry Moore Show and then had her own tv show that aired for eleven seasons.

Carol’s famous left ear tug on TV was her way of saying hello to her grandmother, something she did even after the woman’s passing.

Comments: If you are unfamiliar with Little Golden Books, they are smaller than a “regular” picture book–Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.63 x 0.19 x 8 inches.

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

Biography picture books of Temple Grandin as a child sitting on grass with dogs and cows in the background

I am Temple Grandin (Ordinary People Change the World)

by Brad Meltzer (Author), Christopher Eliopoulos (Illustrator).

Brief summary: Temple Grandin was born with autism and did not act or respond like other babies and toddlers did to things and situations. Her mother found a speech therapist to help Temple speak her first words at age four. Through her sensitivity and empathy towards cattle, she was able to help better design the cattle chute for them to feel calmer and how to build round pens because she noticed they could go around a curve easier. She also discovered how to make cows feel calmer by going down into the water for a bath to get rid of insects on them by changing the steel ramp to a textured concrete one.

Temple was able to go to college and even receive a doctorate degree. She teaches and does research at Colorado State University. The book explains how she thinks and feels in the first-person narrative.

Comments: I highly recommend this book for parents, teachers, and librarians to share with those with autism to be inspired by Temple’s life’s accomplishments.

Smaller than an average picture book–Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.94 x 0.33 x 7.88 inches

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

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.

Back-to-School Picture Books

February 12, 2026August 17, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Back-to-school picture book recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

(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. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. (These titles can be found on my Amazon Storefront under Back-to-School Picture Books–https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/3IKAES8MXMX7I?ref_=aipsflist.)

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

A teacher is in the classroom with several students around her, sitting at tables, and exploring the classroom.

Welcome to Our Classroom!

by Alexandra Penfold (Author), Suzanne Kaufman (Illustrator)

Summary: A teacher reassures her new students that they are welcome in the classroom, where they will learn many things by working together, listening, and sharing.

Comments: This is a positive, comforting story for students who may be concerned about not fitting in. I love how there are so many diverse illustrations of students.

Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Fish Don’t Go to School

by Deb Pilutti (Author)

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

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

Big Kids

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4.5/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Children of all sorts are running on the sidewalk in front of a school. Fall leaves are in the trees and ground.

Fall Is for Beginnings

by Rajani LaRocca (Author), Abhi Alwar (Illustrator)

Summary: Fall is for new beginnings. Ravi arrives on the first day and sits next to his best friend, Joe. A new girl, Ellie, sits on the other side of him and introduces herself. The three do many activities together, and Ellie believes they are best friends, but Ravi blurts out that they are not, which hurts Ellie’s feelings. Anita, Ravi’s older sister, helps him out.

Comments: This is a wonderful read-aloud for the beginning of the school year when new friendships are made.

Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A girl wearing shorts kicking a soccer ball. Teammates are playing with a soccer ball in the background.

I Am Extraordinary

by Stephen Curry (Author), Geneva Bowers (Illustrator)

Summary: Zoe wants to try out for the school’s soccer team on the first day of school but is self-conscious about her hearing aids. Her family and friends encourage Zoe to go onto the field and do her best.

Comments: This would be a good book to share to help students overcome first-day jitters, build self-esteem, and develop a growth mindset.

Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Children are standing in front of a brick school with their teacher.

The First Week of School

by Drew Beckmeyer

Summary: It is the first week of school and each day Pat, the bearded dragon, observes the students. There is one desk empty waiting for a new, unique student to arrive.

Comments: Readers will enjoy going through the week relating to the different subjects and events. I like when the reader knows the mystery of what’s happening around the characters before the characters in the story do. Well, the bearded dragon knows, too.

This would make a fun read-aloud for the beginning of the school year.

The illustrations were created with crayon.

Rating: 4.5/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Sammy and Sunny’s First Day of School

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

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

Readers see how their days parallel each other. They are both a bit nervous at first, but soon learn the routine and make friends.

Comments: The contrast between human kindergarten and puppy training can be introduced as a classroom activity comparing and contrasting of Sammy’s day and Sunny’s day using Venn diagram.

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

Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Children walking down the school hallway with backpacks on. Bright colors. Butterflies and birds flying above

First Day, Hooray!

by June Sobel (Author), Nabila Adani (Illustrator)

Summary: This rhyming story begins on the first day with students experiencing many emotions throughout the day. They are reassured that these emotions are normal.

Comments: This is a wonderful read-aloud book for preschoolers and kindergartners going to school for the very first time.

The rhyming and rhythmic text make it easy to understand.

My favorite repetitive line is “Take a breath. Breathe in. Breathe out” and can serve as a stopping point for the teacher to demonstrate and have the students participate.

I think this would be a beneficial book for parents to read with their child before school begins and to talk about any emotions they may have or will have and how to handle those feelings.

Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Kindergartners with all sorts of big heads stading around a large teacher's desk looking at a sandwich that has two olive pierce through a toothpick on top that look like eyes and bologna sticking out the side that sort of looks like a tongue

Mr. S: A First Day of School Book

by Monica Arnaldo (Author, Illustrator).

Brief summary: The kindergartners of 2B arrive on the first day of school to find their teacher missing. Their first clue is that the desk has a ruler, a steaming cup of coffee, and a giant sandwich. They notice “Mr. S” has been written on the chalkboard. They wonder if their teacher could be Mr. Sandwich.

They continue their day doing school-related activities without the supervision of an adult. Suddenly, the door opens, and a man hurries into the classroom. Is this their teacher?

Comments: This is one of my favorite back-to-school books. Great mystery. A subplot is also going on in the window frame throughout the story. Clever. Well done.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A boy walking on a dirt road with vegetation on both sides

9 Kilometers (Stories from Latin America)

by Claudio Aguilera (Author), Gariela Lyon (Illustrator), Lawrence Schimel (Translator)

Brief summary: A young Chilean student begins his nine-kilometer walk to school in the darkness of dawn while counting his steps and the animals he sees along the way.

Young readers will follow his journey as he goes under a barbed-wire fence, through a forest, across a river, etc., until he finally arrives at school.

Comments: This book could spark some interesting classroom conversations. What was the longest you’ve ever walked? How much is a kilometer? Why did the boy walk so far? Why didn’t a yellow school bus take him? Was it essential for him to go to school? Dangerous?

The back of the book has brief stories of other children worldwide and how they walk to their schools. There is also a section on the birds seen during the boy’s walk.

The front endpapers have a map of the beginning of the walk, which continues onto the back endpapers.

Rating: 4.5 📗📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Translated and printed to English in 2023.

Marker

by Anna Kang (Author), Christopher Weyant (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Red Pen welcomes the school supplies as they get ready for the first day of school. Pinking Shears is accepted as a new member and is placed in the superpower mug on the desk, displacing Permanent Marker to a canister. The supplies are creating back-to-school posters and lists when Marker, who is always used for the class rules poster, makes a mistake but cannot fix it, causing her anxiety as everyone will see it day after day. Will Red Pen come up with an idea to help everyone realize it’s okay to fail?

Comments: What a fun read for the beginning of the school year. Cute illustrations and a humorous storyline will help students with any first-day jitters. I’ll never look at the supplies on my desk the same way again.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗 1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

If you like this book, you may also enjoy Anna Kang’s Eraser, published in 2018.

A baby hippo in polka dots and a purple headband is sitting alone in the play area with other paper animals playing in the background.

Shy Robin and the First Day of School

by Jaime Kim (Author, Illustrator)

Brief summary: Robin is usually brave and energetic at home but not in public. Her mother gives her a purple headband on the first day of school to help her feel confident.

While at school, Robin notices a classmate, Marco, who is also shy and withdrawn and wears purple bracelets. When Robin temporarily loses her headband, Marco offers her one of his bracelets while they look for the hair accessory.

Comments: This would be a reassuring back-to-school story to share with preschoolers and kindergartners to help normalize feeling shy and show how small acts of kindness can build new friendships.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).ge.

We’re Going to School

by Tammi Salzano (Author), Morena Forza (Illustrator)

Summary: Young readers will follow various children as they wake up early and prepare to return to school. Once inside the school, the day begins with introductions, new routines, and friend-making.

Comments: This book would be a great pick for preschoolers or kindergartners who have never been to school to get a general idea of what happens on the first day.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Giant-Sized Butterflies On My First Day of School

by Justin Roberts (Author), Paola Escobar (Illustrator)

Brief summary: A young girl has a nervous stomach about going back to school and is reassured by her mother that everything will be okay. The mother shares a time when she had butterflies in her stomach and how she let them go.

Comments: Teachers and parents can share this book with students on the first day of school to reassure them that it is normal to feel nervous when starting something new.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Mina Belongs Here

by Sandra Niebuhr-Siebert (Author), Lars Baus (Illustrator)

Brief summary: When Mina starts kindergarten in a new country, she feels lost and is quiet because she doesn’t understand the language. Over time, she develops friendships and becomes more confident as she learns new words.

Comments: This thoughtful picture book is a teaching tool for building empathy toward English language learners and showing how kindness and friendship overcome language barriers.

This German translation from 2020 was published in the USA in 2023.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link)..

A cartoon backpack hanging onto the closet door nervous about going back to school

Back to School, Backpack!

by Simon Rich (Author), Tom Toro (Illustrator)

Brief summary: A backpack heading to school has the first day jitters, but it soon fits in to the new environment.

Comments: This is a cute and humorous read-aloud for the first day or week of school to help ease students’ nervousness.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A classroom of children with their female teacher with red glasses standing in the back

And Then Comes School

by Tom Brenner (Author), Jen Hill (Illustrator)

Summary: Children experience the last days of August, moving from playing together in the summer heat to preparing for the first day of school.

Comments: This is a nice read-aloud that shares the rituals that lead to back-to-school time. Students could share what traditions they do as a family to prepare for the first day of school.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A llama is talking to a rhino in front of their cubbies. They are wearing human clothing.

Llama Llama Back to School

by Anna Dewdney (Author), Reed Duncan (Author), JT Morrow (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Llama Llama and his friends wind down the summer and get ready to go back to school. He is excited to go shopping with his mama and prepare for the new year. He has a wonderful time once he returns to school.

Comments: I love the rhyming and positivity of this book. This is a comforting read-aloud for preschoolers and kindergartners with back-to-school jitters.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A mom and baby robin holding wings standing in front of a school in the forest made from a tree

First Day of School

by Esther van den Berg (Author, Illustrator)

Summary: Robin is being taken to school by his mom. They walk to the school in a tree where his mother drops him off. He plays with the other little forest animals, eats lunch, and attends gym class and art class before it is time for his mom to pick him up.

Comments: This is a cute preschool or kindergarten read-aloud that offers reassurance to children who may have separation anxiety or first-day jitters.

Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Children are standing around their teacher in a classroom

How to Get Your Teacher Ready

by Jean Reagan (Author), Lee Wildish (Author)

Summary: A group of students give advice on how to get their teacher ready for school by explaining all the subjects, milestones, and events throughout the year.

Comments: This funny role-reversal picture book is a fantastic back-to-school read-aloud. This could encourage discussion about classroom routines and teamwork throughout the upcoming year.

Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A girl with a backpack and books in her hands is walking broadly on the sidewalk in front of a school.

I Got the School Spirit

by Connie Schofield-Morrison (Author), Frank Morrison (Illustrator)

Summary: An excited and positive girl embraces the first day of school, spreading her confidence to her classmates.

Comments: This high-energy illustrated picture book would be a superb first-day-of- school share for preschool through primary students to get them into the school spirit.

Rating: 5/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

The Pigeon HAS to Go to School!

by Mo Willems

Summary: The Pigeon has worries about going to school and comes up with many reasons why he shouldn’t go.

Comments: This would be a funny first-day-of school read-aloud to help students laugh and relax and relate to the Pigeon.

Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

This book is part of the Pigeon series.

A girl is standing next to a school bus. There are butterflies in the sky.

Butterflies on the First Day of School

by Annie Silvestro (Author), Dream Chen (Illustrator)

Summary: Rosie is excited to start school but starts experiencing butterflies. She sits on the bus with a girl named Violet and feels calmer. Throughout the day, she begins to enjoy her school day and even makes friends.

Comments: The book visualizes a common idiom(butterflies in your stomach) through its illustrations to help nervous students see how the butterflies fly away as they become more confident and comfortable.

Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link)..

School is in the middle surrounded by houses. People are walking around the neighborhood.

School’s First Day of School

by Adam Rex (Author), Christian Robinson (Illustrator)

Summary: A new school building is built over the summer and named “Frederick Douglass Elementary.” School talks to the janitor and learns that teachers and students will soon come. School watches everyone on the first day, not sure if he likes them or not as he talks with the janitor at the end of the day.

Comments: This is one of my favorite first-day-of-school read-alouds I shared with my students. It is a great mentor text for perspectives, personification, and anthropomorphism.

Rating: 5/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Book cover with squares full of milestones of a school year

This School Year Will Be the BEST!

by Kay Winters (Author), Renee Andriani (Illustrator)

Summary: On the first day of school, during circle time, a teacher asks, “What do you hope will happen this year?” The students answer with everything from everyday goals to imaginative dreams.

Comments: This is the perfect book to share during the first week of school for a fun discussion, which can be followed by having students write their hopes and illustrating them.

Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A teacher is at the chalkboard with chalk, an apple with a bite mark, paper airplanes, and books in a pile are nearby.

Back-to-School Rules

by Laurie Friedman (Author), Teresa Murfin (Illustrator)

Summary: Percy Isaac Gifford shares ten funny rules to help students get through the school year smoothly.

Comments: This rhyming book can be shared by teachers as a launchpad for a classroom discussion on establishing classroom rules. I would read it as a read-aloud, making sure to share the hilarious illustrations, and then have students brainstorm rules either as a class or individually for a writing and sharing activity.

Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

A child in bed peeking out from the covers looking at a calendar that has first day of school circled. There is a cat on the pillow.

First Day Jitters

by Julie Danneberg (Author), Judy Love (Illustrator)

Summary: Sarah Jane Hartwell does not want to go to school and hides under the covers. After trying to coax her out of bed, she is told she has five minutes to be dressed and downstairs ready to go. Upon arrival, she is greeted by the principal and taken to her classroom.

Comments: Students will relate to the first-day jitters and love how the story ends. It’s an empathetic book that reassures readers that feeling anxious about the first day is natural.

Rating: 4.5/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

Froggy is dressed for the first day of school holding his lunchbox. The school is on top of the hill in the background.

Froggy Goes to School

by Jonathan London (Author), Frank Remkiewicz (Illustrator)

Summary: Froggy has first-day-of-school nightmares until his dad wakes him up. He gets ready and goes to school, denying that he is nervous even though he experiences one mishap after another. Through it all, he stays positive and has a good day.

Comments: This book is thirty years old and still connecting with kids today. My students loved when I read this aloud. I would holler “FRRROOGGYY!” and then they would holler back “Wha-a-a-a-t?”

Rating: 4.5/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩1/2

Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).

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.

Navigating Night

Haircut Day with Dad

Sarabeth’s Garage

Just Try It! Someplace New! (A Phil & Lil Book)

Thunderland

Brave

Grumpy Monkey Father’s Day Fuss

The Best Daddy of All

Jollof Day

Little Big Man

Love, Dad: Inspiring Notes from Fathers to Kids

Riding Through Rice Fields: A Trip to the Philippines

With Dad

Sydney’s Big Speech

Dad Jokes: The Cheesiest, Corniest Joke Book Ever!

Like Father, Like Son

Just Try It!

Daddy, Tell Me a Story

Forever and Always

A Bed of Stars

Finding Papa

Basketball Dreams

Daddy & Me, Side by Side

Trucker Kid

Baba’s Gift: A Persian Father’s Love of Family

Hurry, Kate, or You’ll Be Late!

Pop’s Perfect Present

No Fair!

My Dad Is a DJ

Dad and Daddy’s Big Big Family

Daddy Dressed Me

Maribel’s Year

My Dad Is a Tree

Papa’s Home

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Dewey: There’s a Cat in the Library!

Library Lion

Lola at the Library (Lola Reads)

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