Spring Picture Books

September 20, 2025August 22, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Spring 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 Spring Picture Books– https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/2OKAJW5CPU53W?ref_=aipsflist )

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

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

Consider the Lilies

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

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

It’s Spring!

by Renée Kurilla (Author)

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

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

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

This is the third of the Celebrate the Seasons series.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

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

A Fluffle of Bunnies

by Christie Matheson (Author)

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

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

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

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

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

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

Yaya and the Sea

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Don’t Touch that Flower!

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

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

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

Comments: A humorous read aloud.

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

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

Two boys under large rainbow umbrellas wearing rain boots

Spring (Seasons of the Year)

by Karen Bischer (Author)

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

Comments: This is a season series.

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

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

Spring Sings for the Grouchy Ladybug

by Eric Carle (Author, Illustrator)

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

Comments: Illustrated with bright colors and collage.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

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

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

Moomin and the Spring Surprise

by Tove Jansson (Author)

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

Comments: This is a season series.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

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

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

Nothing Ever Happens on a Gray Day

by Grant Snider (Author

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

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

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

This is a perfect read-aloud for young ones.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

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

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

Together with You

by Patricia Toht (Author), Jarvis (Illustrator)

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

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

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

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

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

When Spring Comes (My Favorite Season, 1)

by Ekaterina Trukhan (Illustrator)

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

Comments: Told through the eyes of the little girl.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

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

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

Hedgehog’s Home for Spring (Clever Storytime)

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

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

Grumpy Monkey Spring Fever

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

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

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

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

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

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

Spring Parade: A Picture Book (Seasonal Parade)

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

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

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

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

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

A doe and other forest creatures are walking up a hill

Something on the Hill

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Little Seasons: Spring Seeds

by Mirka Hokkanen (Author, Illustrator)

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

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

Rating 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

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

A mama brown bear with two cubs in the forest

Brown Bears (Nature Storybooks)

by Dr. Nick Crumpton (Author)

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

Comments: This takes place in Alaska. Wonderful illustrations.

The author is a zoologist.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

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

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

An Earth Song (Petite Poems)

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

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

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

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

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

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

The Spring Book

by Todd Parr (Author)

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

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

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

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

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

Waiting for Hanami

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Love and Hugs: Spring

by Tracey Colliston (Author)

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

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

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

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

This is part of a Love and Hugs season series.

Escargot and the Search for Spring

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

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

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

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

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

There are other Escargot books in this series.

A Place for Rain

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

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

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

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

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

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

Bear Finds Eggs

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

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

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

In rhyming text.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

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

Sister Spring

by James Christopher Carroll (Author, Illustrator)

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

Teachers could include this book when studying personification.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

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.

Winter Picture Books

September 20, 2025August 22, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Winter picture book recommendation 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. All of these titles can be found in my Amazon Storefront under Winter Picture Books– https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/114UUUWST0AJ3?ref_=aipsflist )

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

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

Snuggle Season

by Jaimie MacGibbon (Author)

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

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

Winter Is Wonderful

by Emma Dodd (Author, Illustrator)

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

The Most Beautiful Winter

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

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

*I was sent a complimentary copy of this book.

Counting Winter

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

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

Comments: The illustrations were created using scratchboard and watercolor.

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

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

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

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

*I was sent a complimentary copy of this book.

Hiro, Winter, and Marshmallows

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

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

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

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

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

This is a sweet bedtime story.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

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

*I was sent a complimentary copy of this book.

Just Us

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

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

by Jonny Lambert (Author)

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Duck, Duck, Goose!

by John Hare (author and illustrator)

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

It’s Winter!

by Renée Kurilla (Author)

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

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

It is illustrated using Adobe Photoshop.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Wonder & Awe

by Annie Herzig (Author, Illustrator)

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

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

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

by Ruth Owen (Author)

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Winter Solstice Wish

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

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

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

by Ryan T. Higgins (Author)

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

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

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗 1/2

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

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

I’m Going to Build a Snowman

by Jashar Awan (Author, Illustrator)

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

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 very excited boy has his face against the window looking outside

Just SNOW Already!

by Howard McWilliam (Author, Illustrator)

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

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

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

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗 1/2

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

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

Winter: A Solstice Story (The Solstice Series)

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

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

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

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

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

Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter

by Kenard Pak (Author, Illustrator)

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

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

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

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

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

by Buffy Silverman (Author)

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

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

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

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

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

A young girl is looking at some potted plants with Sprouts coming out of them with a frosted window behind her.

Wintergarden

by Janet Fox (Author), Jasu Hu (Illustrator)

Brief summary: In the winter, a girl helps her mother grow a garden on the window sill in little pots. The child cares for and tends the plants, harvesting some for their Thanksgiving meal.

When the weather warms up, she looks forward to picking out seeds to grow more plants.

Comments: Directions for how to grow your own wintergarden are at the back of the book.

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.

Summer Picture Books

September 20, 2025August 22, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Summer picture book recommendation 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 are available on my Amazon Storefront under Summer Picture Books– https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/3R7J5JRIZERHB?ref_=aipsflist)

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

A young girl and friend are walking in a daisy meadow with a bird and butterfly flying along with them.

Goodbye Spring, Hello Summer

by Kenard Pak

Summary: A girl walks the plains, noticing all of the spring plants, animals, and weather around her changing to summer. She heads to where children are playing in the setting sun. The next day, she greets summer.

Comments: This is a nice mentor text for seasonal changes and could also be shared toward the end of the school year when students will go on summer break.

This is part of the Kenard Pak’s Changing Seasons series.

The illustrations were created with watercolor and gouache, then digitally enhanced.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Piper and Sumi catching fireflies in the yard during the summer.

Firefly Season

by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Author), Kate Gardiner (Illustrator)

Summary: Piper enjoys visiting her family each summer in the Cherokee Nation and the Muscogee Nation. She learns Mvskoke while playing in the yard with her cousins and catching fireflies. Her parents pick her up and she returns home and makes friends with a neighbor, but unfortunately, her family moves.

Piper is able to stay in touch with everyone and continues connecting with the people she loves.

Comments: This is a sweet story of friendship and summers spent with family despite the distance between loved ones. The story teaches that people can still stay in touch during transitions. The Indigenous cultures and family traditions could spark conversations in the classroom, making it a great read aloud.

The illustrations were created with gouache and colored pencil.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Cici is at her grandma's cookout with her cousins and family. There is a grill smoking in the background

At the Cookout

by Nadia Fisher

Summary: Cici is excited to attend her grandma’s summer cookout, where she plays games, listens to music, and enjoys delicious food with her cousins, uncles, aunties, and Grandma.

Comments: This is a wonderful read-aloud to share with students when discussing multigenerational family traditions and summer celebrations. It could also encourage students to share how they celebrate with their own families.

I think this would be a book to share at the end of the school year or at the beginning of a new one as students discuss what they are going to do or did over summer break.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

A star baby playing a snare drum with the background of yellow fireworks and a roller coaster

Bright Lights and Summer Nights

by Shauntay Grant (Author), Zach Manbeck (Illustrator)

Summary: Mother Moon has a star baby who does not want to sleep on a warm summer night. To help, she magically tells a story about children attending a country fair under a starlit sky before watching fireworks.

Comments: This is a lovely bedtime story and lullaby to share with toddlers through kindergarteners. The green and yellow illustrations create the feeling of a gentle dream unfolding, while the text playfully uses the last word or phrase of one idea to begin the next.

The illustrations were created with gouache, watercolor, colored pencil, pastel, and Procreate.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Squirrel and Bird are in the forest at night with Squirrel holding up a flashlight at his chin.

The Sun Thief

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

Summary: Squirrel is enjoying a summer evening with his friend Bird, who excuses himself to go to bed. Squirrel is confused about bedtime while it is still light outside and becomes concerned that someone has stolen the sun when it does not rise as early as it used to. With Bird’s help, he learns that summer days are the longest of the year and begin to grow shorter after the summer solstice.

Comments: This would make a fun and humorous mentor text for units on changing seasons and the sun. It could also be used to introduce or reinforce concepts related to the summer solstice and changing daylight hours.

This is one from The Leaf Thief series.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Scene of a farm with rabbits, deer, an owl, and a bee are on the other side of the hedge. Dandelions, trees, clouds and the sun are the background.

Where the Deer Slip Through

by Katey Howes (Author), Beth Krommes (Illustrator)

Summary: Various animals visit a farm through the gaps and cracks in the hedge surrounding it. Deer, rabbits, lizards, and other wildlife appear during the summer day, while others visit in the evening.

Comments: The text is written in rhyme and features cumulative verse as each animal joins the story.

The book is beautifully illustrated with black-and-white images created on scratchboard panels, transferred onto paper, and enhanced with watercolor.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

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

Grandfather dressed in jean shorts, orange shirt, and a straw hat with his granddaughter in shorts and sandals. They are about to go to the beach with the blue sea in the background.

Savor the Day

by Shari Green (Author), Gabby Grant (Illustrator)

Summary: A girl and her grandfather wake up early and prepare for a day at the beach, where they enjoy the sun, water, and wildlife around them. As night falls, they pack up the car, reflecting on and appreciating their day together.

Comments: This rhyming book would make a soothing read-aloud that emphasizes mindfulness, gratitude, and the special relationship between grandparents and grandchildren.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

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

A shoreline with various children splashing and playing in the sea.

Here Come the Cousins

by Maggie Hutchings (Author), Sarah Zweck (Illustrator)

Summary: A girl excitedly waits on her grandpa’s porch for her seven cousins to come visit. It is a summer tradition in which they measure themselves on the wall to see how much they have grown, play in the ocean, and spend time together at the house.

Comments: This is a delightful, action-filled story about nostalgia, making memories, and bonding with family. I think this would make a superb back-to-school read-aloud and could spark discussions about what students did over the summer. Do they have cousins they enjoy spending time with?

The illustrations are colorful and feature many two-page spreads filled with details. I enjoyed taking my time with this book, stopping to look closely at each page.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

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

This is NOT my Lunch Box!

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

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

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

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

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

The Bumblebee Garden

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Grandma’s Roof Garden

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Ride Beside Me

by Lucy Knisley (Author)

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

The Best Worst Camp Out Ever

by Joe Cepeda (Author, Illustrator)

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Beach Bummer

by Ryan Higgins (author and illustrator)

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

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

This book is smaller–7.28″ x 7.28″.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

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

Firefly Galaxy

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

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

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

The illustrations were created in paper collage.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Summer is Here

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Summer’s Magic: An Indigenous Celebration of Nature

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Summer’s Child

by James Christopher Carroll (Author, Illustrator)

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

*I received a free copy of this book.

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

Garmann’s Summer

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

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

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

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

The illustrations are collages of mixed media.

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

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

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

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.

Science Picture Books

September 20, 2025August 22, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

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. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Science Picture Books can be found on my Amazon Storefront under Science Picture Books —https://amzn.to/48cWRqd .)

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

Sound: Discovering the Vibrations We Hear

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

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

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

The illustrations were created with acrylic paint and water.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

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

*I received a free copy of this book.

Close Up and Far Out

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5📗📗📗📗

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

*I received a free copy of this book.

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

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

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

by Lisa Westberg Peters (Author), Serge Bloch (Illustrator)

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

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

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

Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗

The Three Little Tardigrades

by Sandra Fay (Author, Illustrator)

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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.

Bird Picture Books

September 20, 2025August 18, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Bird 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. Bird picture books can be found on my Amazon Storefront under Bird Picture Books–https://amzn.to/46aOOHU).)

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

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

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

by Olga Ptashnik (Author)

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

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

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

The illustrations were created digitally.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

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

*I received a free copy of this book.

The Birds of Christmas

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

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

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

Readers will learn how the robin gets a red chest.

Comments: This is based on a European Folktale.

The illustrations were created with graphite pencils and colored digitally.

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

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

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

*I received a free copy of this book.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The illustrations were created with acrylic ink and colored pencils.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

Clever Crow

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

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

Free Bird: Flaco the Owl’s Dreams Take Flight

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

*I received a free copy of this book.

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

Grandpa and the Kingfisher

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

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

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

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

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

Wonderful watercolor illustrations.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

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).

Lucky Duck

by Greg Pizzoli (Author)

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

To See an Owl

by Matthew Cordell (Author)

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

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

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

Fungi Picture Books

July 15, 2025August 20, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Fungi 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 under my Amazon Storefront under Fungi Picture Books– https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/HI3P3S9Q1GEE?ref_=aipsflist .)

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

Fairy Rings

by Lisa Owings (Author)

Summary: Various cultures have created folktales about fairy rings to explain these circles of fungi. This nonfiction book describes where, what, and how these rings grow.

Comments: Several text features are included, such as diagrams, labels, bold words, and so on. There is also a glossary at the back.

There is a glossary in the back.

I remember growing up with a fairy ring in our front yard and the tales our parents would tell about it. I wish there had been books like this when I was growing up so I could investigate further.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

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

Fungi Grow

by Maria Gianferrari (Author), Diana Sudyka (Illustrator)

Summary: Young readers will learn how fungi grow above, on, and under the ground. Mushrooms can be edible, poisonous, or medicinal. There are mushroom details of how they multiply and what animals eat them. The underground fungi network helps the forest.

Comments: The gouache watercolors are detailed with two-paged spreads or small vignettes that move the nonfiction story along as we read the large print prose and the smaller informative text for more details.

This would be an excellent addition to the mushroom section in any children’s library collection.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

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

Cover to Mushrooms & Fungi for Kids with several types of mushrooms on the cover and in different colors

Mushrooms & Fungi for Kids: An Introduction to Mycology

by Ariel Bonkoski (Author)

Summary: This nonfiction paperback serves as a beginner’s guide to the mushrooms and fungi of North America. It contains numerous diagrams, labels, and photos of various fungi, along with suggested activities.

Comments: I love field guides like this and especially for children. It shares the basics with many colored photos. Adults who are just learning about fungi and mushrooms will also appreciate this.

A glossary is included in the back.

Perfect size to fit in a pocket or backpack while hiking.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

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

Book cover to We Spy Fungi with a brown background and all sorts o different fungi in various shapes and colors

We Spy Fungi: Search and Find Mushrooms, Cacti, and Other Fascinating Plants

by Rebecca Donnelly (Author), Francisco Fonseca (Illustrator)

Summary: This global nonfiction book explores mushrooms and other fascinating plants, focusing on fungi and their ecosystems.

Comments: This book illustrates and discusses fourteen different ecosystems, featuring short text squares with information about various plants and animals within each ecosystem.

This book illustrates and discusses 14 different ecosystems.

II did not see the medium used listed in this book. I would have liked photos of the fungi included, a map showing the location of each ecosystem, and a glossary at the back.

Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2

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

Voting Picture Books

September 29, 2024August 22, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Voting 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 Voting Picture Books– https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/1JR3EVXSC9O1V?ref_=aipsflist)

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

Picture Books

Leo’s First Vote!

by Christina Soontornvat (Author), Isabel Roxas (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Leo’s father became a United States citizen and now is able to vote for the president of the United States. Leo learns about voting at school like how the candidates are chosen, debating, registering, and where the polling place is located.

Comments: The illustrations were created using oil pastels, acrylic, cut paper, and digital rendering.

The back sections include more information about voting.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

A mother and her daughter are walking past a large sign painted on the wall that says vote in various capital letters and colors on their way to a voting center. Book cover for Show up and Vote

Show Up and Vote

by Ani DiFranco (Author), Rachelle Baker (Illustrator)

Brief summary: A mother takes her daughter with her to vote. As they walk down the city’s sidewalks in the rain, the girl realizes how important it is to cast a ballot. She sees familiar faces and feels connected to the community.

Comments: The illustrations were created with Procreate and iPad.

It should be noted that this book has no capital letters or punctuation. I believe it would make it easier for young readers if it was read aloud.

Rating: 3.5 /5 📗📗📗1/2

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

Nonfiction

How Voting and Elections Work

by Zelda Wagner (Author)

Brief summary: This intermediate nonfiction children’s book discusses topics such as election day, why we vote, the election, and how to get involved.

Comments: This book is illustrated with photos. There is a glossary, index, and a “Learn More” section in the back of the book.

Rating: 3.5 /5 📗📗📗1/2

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

Voting Day

by Samantha Bell (Author)

Brief summary: This intermediate nonfiction children’s books focuses on the day of voting. Readers will learn about polling places, volunteers, voting day, early voting, counting the votes, and declaring the winner.

Comments: The book is illustrated with photos.

The back sections included Fun Fact, Activity, Glossary, To Learn More, Index, and About the Author.

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 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 the complimentary copies she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.

Juneteenth Picture Books

May 30, 2024August 21, 2026 The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Juneteenth picture book recommendation is 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 Juneteenth Picture Books– https://amzn.to/4dirYTK.)

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

Children playing in Emancipation Park with grass, trees, and adults in the background. The blue sky has busts of people.

They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston’s Emancipation Park

by Tonya Duncan Ellis (Author), Jenin Mohammed (Illustrator)

Brief summary: Emancipation Park is dedicated to celebrating the freedom of enslaved people in Texas. The park was built in 1872 and features picnics, a pool, and baseball games.

Although the park was in disarray for several years, it rejoiced when it was repaired and is used today.

Comments: This story is told through the perspective of the park.

There is a brief history of Emancipation Park and related history.

The artwork is colorful and joyous. However, I could not find any information in the book about how it was created.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

An extended family is on the porch talking and eating, celebrating Juneteenth

Juneteenth Is

by Natasha Tripplett (Author), Daniel J. O’Brien (Illustrator)

Brief summary: A large extended family celebrates Juneteenth by displaying black, red, and green flags, enjoying music and food, and Granddaddy teaching and remembering with the grandchildren.

Comments: The illustrations were created using digital tools. I appreciated the emotions and expressions on the family’s faces as they celebrated throughout the day.

There is a section in the back that explains the significance of the color red for the holiday.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

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

There is a family of a mother, father, and little girl at a table full of Juneteenth celebratory food such as mac and cheese, salad, buns, red velvet cakes.

The Juneteenth Cookbook: Recipes and Activities for Kids and Families to Celebrate

by Alliah L. Agostini (Author), Chef Taffy Elrod, and Sawyer Cloud (Illustrator)

Brief summary: This nonfiction children’s book includes 18 recipes for a Juneteenth celebration. There is a little blurb with each recipe telling the significance of the food.

The book has a brief history of Juneteenth and is divided into Drinks, Appetizers, Mains, Sides, and Desserts. Each section includes an activity idea.

Comments: This book contains the history of the holiday, along with recipes, explanations, illustrations, and fun activities for this special day.

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.

Consider the Lilies

It’s Spring!

A Fluffle of Bunnies

Yaya and the Sea

Don’t Touch that Flower!

Spring (Seasons of the Year)

Spring Sings for the Grouchy Ladybug

Moomin and the Spring Surprise

Nothing Ever Happens on a Gray Day

Together with You

When Spring Comes (My Favorite Season, 1)

Hedgehog’s Home for Spring (Clever Storytime)

Grumpy Monkey Spring Fever

Spring Parade: A Picture Book (Seasonal Parade)

Something on the Hill

Little Seasons: Spring Seeds

Brown Bears (Nature Storybooks)

An Earth Song (Petite Poems)

The Spring Book

Waiting for Hanami

Love and Hugs: Spring

Escargot and the Search for Spring

A Place for Rain

Bear Finds Eggs

Sister Spring

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Snuggle Season

Winter Is Wonderful

The Most Beautiful Winter

Counting Winter

Hiro, Winter, and Marshmallows

Just Us

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

Duck, Duck, Goose!

It’s Winter!

Wonder & Awe

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

Winter Solstice Wish

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

I’m Going to Build a Snowman

The Snow Man: A True Story

Just SNOW Already!

Winter: A Solstice Story (The Solstice Series)

Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter

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

Wintergarden

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Goodbye Spring, Hello Summer

Firefly Season

At the Cookout

Bright Lights and Summer Nights

The Sun Thief

Where the Deer Slip Through

Savor the Day

Here Come the Cousins

This is NOT my Lunch Box!

The Bumblebee Garden

Grandma’s Roof Garden

Ride Beside Me

The Best Worst Camp Out Ever

Beach Bummer

Firefly Galaxy

Summer is Here

Summer’s Magic: An Indigenous Celebration of Nature

Summer’s Child

Garmann’s Summer

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Sound: Discovering the Vibrations We Hear

Close Up and Far Out

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

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