1. Alexander, K., & Bowers, T. (2011). Acoustic rooster and his Barnyard band. Ann Arbor, MI: Sleeping Bear Press.
Blog: This charming picture book explores the rich history of jazz through a story about a guitar-playing rooster who sets out to compete in the annual Barnyard Talent Show to find the farm's best band. Rooster would like to join Thelonius Monkey's crew, but the rules don't permit zoo animals. Ella Finchgerald has a trio, but Rooster doesn't scat. He decides to form his own band. Duck, in top hat and bow tie, takes Rooster to the famed Cotton Club to hear Bee Holiday and other jazzy animals perform. Although the barnyard chicks "swoon" when Rooster's group plays The Hen from Ipanema, not even an encore in "grand finale style" wins the band first prize. Still, shades-wearing Mules Davis's comment, "That Rooster sure can play," leads to a satisfying ending. The large illustrations are done in bold colors and have humorous, jazzy details. Notes on "Musicians, Characters, and Music" are included.
Summary: Acoustic Rooster forms a jazz band with Duck Ellington, Bee Holliday, and Pepe Ernesto Cruz to compete in the annual Barnyard Talent Show against such greats as Thelonius Steer, Mules Davis, and Ella Finchgerald. Includes glossary, notes on the characters and songs, and jazz timeline.
Similar Titles: Jazz fly 2: the jungle pachanga by Matthew Gollub; Senior pancho had a rancho by Rene Colato Lainez
2. Bishop, N. (2008). Nic Bishop frogs. New York, NY: Scholastic.
Blog: Gliding frogs, glass frogs, growling grass frogs--who knew there were so many frogs in the world? Amazing photographs combine with a genuinely enthusiastic text to open readers' eyes to this lowly amphibian like nothing has before. Gorgeous full-bleed photos present ordinary garden toads and wood frogs with as much affection and admiration as their more exotic counterparts, golden eyes, glistening skin and all captured with incredible clarity. The text is a series of happy facts that, when finished, provide a surprisingly thorough overview of frog physiology and behavior. In their detail, these tidbits go straight to kids' interests--one African bullfrog downed 17 young cobras! A gliding frog can soar for 50 feet! Tadpoles absorb their tails as food! The beautiful design picks up on the frogs' colors, a boldly indigo text box complementing a dart poison frog and a comfortable brown one, the spadefoot toad. A chatty author's note gives insight into both Bishop's enthusiasm and the techniques behind the spectacular images; a glossary and index complete the superlative whole.
Summary: Nic Bishop's signature up-close, stop-action photographs show frogs larger than life. See tiny poison dart frogs and mammoth bullfrogs, as Nic Bishop's amazing images show the beauty and diversity of frogs from around the globe. And simple, engaging text conveys basic information about frogs, as well as cool and quirky facts. Nic Bishop Frogs is a fun and informative tour through an exciting amphibian world.
Similar Titles: Frogs! by Elizabeth Carney; Fun facts about frogs! by Carmen Bredeson
3. Carle, E. (2014). The very hungry caterpillar: A pull-out pop-up. London etc.: Puffin.
Blog: By far, in my opinion, THE best book ever created! I have read this book since I was in Kindergarten and continue to read it to this day and I am 44 years old! I have gone through several copies in my classroom as well. I love it so much that the year I student taught, the class bought me the book and they all signed it for me! I still have and cherish that book as though it were gold! This little caterpillar goes through his day eating and eating and eating. He starts by eating "normal" things caterpillars would eat, such as leaves, but then moves on to bigger and better things like sausages and cake! My most favorite part about the book is that as the caterpillar eats, there is a hole in each page of the picture of the eaten item. He also eats more and more as the days pass...day 1 he eats one thing, day 2 he eats 2 things, etc. Of course at the end he is all fat and builds his cocoon so that he can transform into a beautiful butterfly. This will forever be my all time go to book and will always have a special place in my heart!
Summary: Follows the progress of a hungry little caterpillar as he eats his way through a varied and very large quantity of food until, full at last, he forms a cocoon around himself and goes to sleep. Die-cut pages illustrate what the caterpillar ate on successive days.
Similar Titles: Happy birthday from the very hungry caterpillar by Eric Carle; Caterpillar dreams by Jeanne Willis
4. Chin, J. (2020). Your place in the universe. New York City: Holiday House.
Blog: Beginning with a group of children and a telescope, the story proceeds through imagined scenarios to compare trees, buildings, and objects in space. As we progress through the pages, the units of measurement grow from inches to feet and then miles, until we are measuring in millions of miles and finally light years, as readers discover our place in the Milky Way and beyond. Complex concepts are clearly defined throughout in simple captions. Maintaining accurate scale in the comparisons of earthbound objects throughout the first half of the book introduces the concept of relative size in an easy-to-understand way. When Chin moves out beyond Earth's atmosphere, he takes greater and greater artistic license in his depictions of the inconceivable vastness of our galaxy and everything beyond. Extensive back matter delves deep into current understandings of the size, age, and complexity of the universe.
Summary: Jason Chin, the award-winning author and illustrator of Grand Canyon has once again found a way to make a complex subject--size, scale and almost unimaginable distance--accessible and understandable to readers of all ages. Meticulously researched and featuring the highly detailed artwork for which he is renowned, this is How Much is a Million for the new millenium, sure to be an immediate hit with kids looking for an engaging way to delve into perspective, astronomy, and astrophysics. Curious readers will love the extensive supplementary material included in the back of the back of the book A Junior Library Guild Selection!
Similar Titles: Near and far at the park: describe and compare measurable attributes by Madeline Weaver; How far away?: Comparing trips by Jennifer Marrewa
5. Curtis, C. P. (2007). Mr. chickee's messy mission. New York: Wendy Lamb Books.
Blog: This second book about the Flint Future Detectives is part mystery, part tall tale, part fantasy, and all a fast-paced comedy. When Russell's dog, Rodney Rodent, follows a winking gnome through a mural near the Halo Burger, Russell and his friends, Richelle and Steven, follow. They find themselves in Ourside on a porch with Mr. Chickee. The kids have been summoned to this alternative universe to save Ourside by understanding the prophecies of the Chronicles of Zornea-Hu, the first Old Soul. They set out to find Rodney Rodent, hiring a surly guide who leads them to H.A.L.F. Land, where the unfinished, unused characters of fiction live. The surly guide steals Great-great grampa Carter's wildly funny insulting dictionary. Loaded with exclamation points this book will be welcomed by those who enjoyed. Wacky characters, improbable happenings, weird challenges, and a chaotic plot will all conspire to have readers saying, as Russell does, "GULP!"
Summary: Flint Future Detective Club members Steven Carter and his friends Russell and Richelle follow Russell's dog, Rodney Rodent, into a mural to chase a demonic-looking gnome, only to find the mysterious Mr. Chickee on the other side.
Similar Titles: Mr. Chickee's funny money by Christopher Paul Curtis; The trouble with chickens by Doreen Cronin
6. Draper, S. M., & Watson, J. J. (2011). The buried bones mystery. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks.
Blog: Four boys who call themselves the Black Dinosaurs, find themselves involved in exciting mysteries around their town. Ziggy and his friends Rico, Rashawn, and Jerome call themselves The Black Dinosaurs, and share exciting adventures. In The Buried Bones Mystery, the boys build a clubhouse in Ziggy's backyard, where they uncover a box of bones while digging to bury their secret treasures. But when the boys try to hide their treasures, they're swept up in a mystery more intriguing--and scary--than anything they could have imagined. Who could have buried a box of bones behind their clubhouse? Tunnel finds the gang trapped in a tunnel that was part of the Underground Railroad; in Caesar's, a camping trip turns into a Shawnee manhood ceremony.
Summary: After the neighborhood basketball court is vandalized, Ziggy and his friends decide to form a club called the Black Dinosaurs and build their clubhouse in Ziggy's backyard where they find a mysterious cache of buried bones.
Similar Titles: Encyclopedia Brown: boy detective by Donald J. Sobol; The case of the most ancient bone by John R. Erickson
7. Engle, M., & Kurilla, R. (2015). Orangutanka: A story in poems. New York: Henry Holt and Company.
Blog: Follow an orangutan family through a day in the wildlife refuge. Engle presents a delightful tale of five orangutans in a string of linked tankas, an ancient Japanese form of poetry consisting of counted syllables on five lines with minimal punctuation and capitalization. Big sister swings through the vines. Forest rangers bring juicy fruit. Humans watch from nearby. The rest of the family sleeps while big sister does "hip-hop, somersaults and cartwheels, cha-cha-cha, and so many forms of orangudance, with lively arms and legs." After a rainstorm, grandma orangutan joins in, and so do the watching children. The simple expressions of the apes in the spot, full-bleed and double-page-spread illustrations bring these gentle giants to life. A tanka invitation to orangudance, orangutan facts and further reading, print and online, follow the text. A playful and instructive introduction to a little-known form of verse.
Summary: A series of linked poems in the tanka style, an ancient Japanese form of poetry, tells the story of an orangutan who would rather dance than take a nap.
Similar Titles: Inside out and back again by Thanhhah Lai; Other words from home by Jasmine Warga
8. Garza, C. L., & Lomas, G. C. (1996). In my family =:. en mi familia. San Francisco: Children's Book Press.
Blog: Lomas Garza’s desire to celebrate her Mexican American identity makes this book a great resource for introducing Hispanic Heritage Month in the classroom. Family is a major theme throughout the book, just as it is an important part of Latino and specifically Mexican culture. In the paintings we see various gatherings in which family and community members of all ages come together to partake in an event. The author mentions this multi-generational aspect in her text accompanying the piece Birthday Barbeque. Another particularly interesting aspect of the book is the representation of rural life, such as farm settings and the presence of animals. The side-by-side text is useful for bilingual students. Even more so than language, though, the book is especially effective at celebrating and preserving heritage. Lomas Garza immortalizes her Mexican-American family heritage by portraying it through her paintings and descriptions. In this way, young readers of any heritage can appreciate the celebration of Hispanic culture and learn about Mexican-American traditions.
Summary: En mi familia is Carmen Lomas Garza's continuing tribute to the family and community that shaped her childhood and her life. Lomas Garza's warm personal stories depict memories of growing up in the traditional Mexican-American community of her hometown of Kingsville, Texas.
Similar Titles: Magic windows by Carmen Lomas Garza; Family pictures by Garza
9. Grimes, N., & Zunon, E. (2021). Off to see the sea. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky.
Summary: Night has fallen and Mom and Dad need to get their little one in the tub. To make it more fun, Mom brings a magical adventure out at sea to life, where the faucet is a waterfall, a rubber ducky is a sea creature, and the splashing water is a raging sea! In their ocean journey, Mom and Dad manage to get their little one clean just in time to dock for bedtime.
Similar Titles: Naughty ninja takes a bath by Todd Tarpley; Bedtime for sweet creatures by Nikki Grimes
10. Hamilton, V., Dillon, L., & Dillon, D. (1995). Her stories: African American folktales, fairy tales, and true tales. New York: Blue Sky Press.
Blog: The storytelling is dramatic and direct in this collection of 19 tales about African American females, beautifully retold by Hamilton in a wide variety of simple, colloquial voices and styles. Animal tales, tales of the supernatural, legends, tall tales, and factual accounts are gathered in a large-size volume designed for group sharing, with big, clear type and wide margins. The stories also leave lots of space; the endings leave you wondering. The Dillons' glowingly detailed acrylic illustrations extend the horror, comedy, rhythm, and spirit of the tales, ranging from the glamour of the mermaid to the creepy terror of the Cat Woman to the legendary power of Annie Christmas. There are notes on the stories, such as where they came from, how they traveled and changed, and what they mean. They are as fascinating as the tales themselves. Reading about women who labored and who made up stories in the great, lonesome night will inspire many young people to read more about folklore and to collect stories from family and community.
Summary: A collection of twenty-five African-American folktales focuses on strong female characters and includes "Little Girl and Bruh Rabby," "Catskinella," and "Annie Christmas." The tales are about the supernatural and animals, fairy tales, folk tales and legends, by and about African American women.
Similar Titles: March. Book one by John Lewis; Marching for freedom: walk together, children, and don't you grow weary by Elizabeth Partridge
11. Keats, E. J. (2002). Hi, cat! New York, NY: Viking.
Blog: On his way to hang out with the neighborhood kids, Archie very innocently greets a stray cat who follows him and gets in the way. The cat ruins everything - Archie's street show is a mess and his audience drifts away. But things aren't all bad...when Archie goes, the cat follows him all the way home, too!
Summary: Archie's day would have been great if he had not started it by greeting the new cat on the block.
Similar Titles: Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco; They all saw a cat by Brendan Wenzel
12. Lin, G. (2019). A big bed for little snow. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
Blog: When Little Snow's mother makes him a big, round bed filled with warm feathers, the boy cannot resist jumping on it despite his Mommy's warning, Though he nods in agreement, every time his mom leaves the room, the mischievous tyke pounces. Little by little, tiny feathers escape until one day, a particularly energetic bounce produces a large tear creating an avalanche. "What a lot of feathers fell that day!" A double-spread reveals a panorama of snow-capped buildings with family-filled windows marveling at the snow-filled sky. When his mother notices the deflated bed, she smiles indulgently as the clever child points out that he's saved her the trouble of emptying the old feathers; she need only replace them next year. Both mother and child wear white pajamas with soft blue snowflakes against a stark white background. The plump, round bed is also light blue with a matching blanket and a little brown stuffed toy dachshund that serves as both pillow and cuddly. This heartwarming story offers a fanciful explanation of snow while capturing the love and playfulness between a mother and son.
Summary: When winter comes, Mommy makes a soft bed for Little Snow to sleep on, but each night he cannot resist jumping on the bed, causing tiny feathers to fly down.
Similar Titles: Snow scene by Richard Jackson; Snow sisters by Kerri Kokias
13. Myers, W. D. (2020). Bad boy: A memoir. New York, NY: Amistad, an Imprint of HarperCollins.
Blog: Myers paints a fascinating picture of his childhood growing up in Harlem in the 1940s, with an adult's benefit of hindsight. What they will come away with is a sense of how a gifted young man, both intellectually and athletically, feels trapped in his own mind as he tries to find a place for himself in the world. Some insightful teachers make a huge difference in his life: a fifth-grade teacher who avails Walter of her classroom library; his sixth-grade teacher, Mr. Lasher, who recognizes the boy's leadership qualities; and a high school English teacher who spots him outside the guidance counselor's office and says, "Whatever happens, don't stop writing." Perhaps the most poignant and carefully crafted chapter involves the 16-year-old's thought process in response to his guidance counselor's question, "Do you like being black?" Throughout the volume, Myers candidly examines the complexities of being black in America, from his first exposure to slavery in a seventh grade American history class, to the painful realization in adolescence that his blond, blue-eyed best friend is invited to parties where Walter is not welcome. What emerges is a clear sense of how one young man's gifts separate him from his peers, causing him to stir up trouble in order to belong. Fortunately, this bad boy turned out to be a fine writer.
Summary: Author Walter Dean Myers describes his childhood in Harlem in the 1940s and 1950s, discussing his loving stepmother, his problems in school, his reasons for leaving home, and his beginnings as a writer.
Similar Titles: Walter Dean Myers: a biography of an award winning urban fiction author by Denise Jordan; Sorrow's kitchen: the life and folklore of Zora Neil Hurston by Mary Lyons
14. Reynolds, J. (2021). Look both ways: A tale told in ten blocks. Edmonton: Alberta Education.
Blog: In each of 10 stories, kids reentering the neighborhood from their school day reveal their unique narratives. BFFs T.J. and Jasmine find their yearslong friendship getting them through parental separation, illness, and foster care. A group of four, all children of cancer survivors, has been brought together by a school counselor. A female skateboarder is the target of a bully—to the relief of his usual victim. A teen with the signs of OCD meets a street musician who changes her outlook. Two ardent gamers are caught up in the confusion of sexual questioning, and there’s an odd couple of friends whose difference in size is no barrier to their bond. A teen with a fear of dogs devises an elaborate plan to get past his neighbor’s new pet, and the class clown tries to find a way to make her overworked mother laugh. Three boys work to make their friend presentable enough to tell a classmate that he likes her. An accident sustained by the school crossing guard causes her son significant anxiety. There are connections among some of the stories: places, people, incidents. However, each story has its own center, and readers learn a great deal about each character in just a few lines. Reynolds’ gift for capturing the voices and humanity of urban teens is on full display. The cast adheres to a black default. The entire collection brims with humor, pathos, and the heroic struggle to grow up.
Summary: A novel told in ten blocks, showing all the different directions kids' walks home can take. This story was going to begin like all the best stories. With a school bus falling from the sky. But no one saw it happen. They were all too busy talking about boogers, stealing pocket change, skateboarding, wiping out, executing complicated handshakes, making jokes, finding comfort. But mostly, too busy walking home. Jason Reynolds conjures ten tales (one per block) about what happens after the dismissal bell rings, and brilliantly weaves them into one wickedly funny, piercingly poignant look at the detours we face on the walk home, and in life.
Similar Titles: So hard to say by Alex Sanchez; Fish in a tree by Lynda Hunt
15. Ringgold, F. (2016). We came to America. New York: Random House Children's Books.
Blog: A timely look at the diverse makeup and backgrounds of the American people. The message is direct stating that we are all here now, and at some point many of us came from somewhere else. Ringgold traces the arc of contemporary society, from those who “were already here,” to people “brought in chains,” to immigrants who came voluntarily or for safety. Racial, national, and ethnic labels are absent, although the rich, colorful illustrations provide visual information about the differences among people. This simple picture book is intended for the youngest of readers, for whom the message is one of acceptance, not erasure of difference. Not only will readers see that Americans come from “every country in the world,” they will learn these people also brought the stories, songs, music, food, fashion, and art that “made America GREAT.”
Summary: Celebrates United States immigration and the country's diverse immigrant heritage.
Similar Titles: Home is in between by Matali Perkins; Goodbye, Havana! Hola, New York! by Edie Colon
16. Santat, D. (2019). Are we there yet? New York: Little, Brown and Company.
Blog: A car trip to visit Grandma on her birthday feels like "an eternity." What happens when you just get too bored? Most parents on a car trip have heard the titular question, but in Santat's hands, the familiar trip becomes an unforgettable romp through time and space. As the moment of absolute boredom reaches "forever," a clever twist forces readers to turn the book upside down and read "backward," time also going backward. The family car travels back to the Wild West, the days of Blackbeard, medieval Europe, and ancient Egypt. As the parents grow increasingly anxious (jousting was not part of their plan), the oblivious kid in the back continues to whine, finally noticing the moment the car is in when it reaches the age of the dinosaurs. In another literal turn of the book, time now flies by too quickly. The family and other fellow time travelers--met in moments of boredom--hurtle through time into the future, arriving at Grandma's address only to find her home is no longer there, and they have missed the party. But not to worry, it is only the mind playing tricks.
Summary: A boy goes on a long car ride to visit his grandmother and discovers time moves faster or slower depending on how bored he is.
Similar Titles: Mr. Grumpy's motor car by John Burningham; If kids could drive by Marisa Kollmeier
17. Scieszka, J. (2011). Guys read: Funny business. US: Harper Collins Children's Publishing.
Blog: The funny fellow, Jon Scieszka, presents a collection of 10 humorous stories by some leading lights in literature for young readers. This is the first volume of the promised official Guys Read library to encourage boys to read. And what better way to start than with this collection of howlers by the likes of Eoin Colfer, David Lubar, Christopher Paul Curtis, and other yuk-inducing luminaries. Standouts include Kate DiCamillo (the lone female among the authors) and editor Scieszka’s charmer of a story in letters between a famous author named Maureen O’Toople and a boy named Joe; David Yoo’s wacky, laugh-out-loud story about a disappointed father and an evil turkey; and from the diabolical imagination of Jack Gantos, a cautionary tale about dangerous friends and rusty pliers.
Summary: A collection of humorous stories featuring a teenaged mummy, a homicidal turkey, and the world's largest pool of chocolate milk.
Similar Titles: What do fish have to do with anything?: and other stories by Ava; Stories for children by Isaac Bashevis Singer
18. Sweet, M. (2008). Tupelo rides the rails. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Blog: In a tale laced with doggy humor, an abandoned canine tags along with a pack of other four-legged fellows searching for new homes, before finding a companion to call her own. Left by the roadside with only her sock puppet for company, plucky Tupelo follows her nose to a posse of lost BONEHEADS (Benevolent Order of Nature's Exalted Hounds Earnest And Doggedly Sublime) engaged in the ancient ritual of making wishes on Sirius, the Dog Star. Those wishes soon come true, thanks to the efforts of aptly named hobo Garbage Pail Tex, but in the general scurry of adoptions Tupelo is left alone again. In the end Tupelo hops aboard a passing train, and Tex himself sits down beside her and so off the two go, "like Sirius and Orion," to travel the world together "with a little stench."
Summary: A dog named Tupelo sets off with her sock toy, Mr. Bones, to find the right place to call home, looking to the stars for guidance.
Similar Titles: The stray dog by Marc Simont; The little train by Lois Lenski
19. Willems, M., Schubert, F., Purrington, H., Ren, A., & Purrington, H. (2019). Because. New York: Hyperion Books For Children.
Blog: A quiet Willems book traces a child's path to her musical vocation as the consequence of a string of events and contributions. They practice and schedule a concert, and because "someone's uncle caught a cold," a brown-skinned girl in a red sweatshirt gets a ticket, and the experience changes her. She floats out of the concert hall; vignettes show her practicing multiple instruments diligently. Because "she worked very hard"-and because "she was also very lucky", she becomes a composer, and the performance of her work joins the chain of events that change lives. Willems's story celebrates making music while acknowledging those whom celebrations of high culture sometimes ignore. Debut illustrator Ren takes the sprightly energy of The Philharmonic Gets Dressed and adds depth, with distinctive expressions for each diverse face and a wonderful vision of the powerful emotions that music evokes-building on the idea that it takes multiple players to create something wonderful.
Summary: A series of events, some seemingly very insignificant, lead to a young girl attending a life-changing concert.
Similar Titles: Ben's trumpet by Rachael Isadora; the bass plays the bass and other homographs by Gene Barretta
20. Yang, K. (2021). Front desk. London: Knights Of.
Summary: Recent immigrants from China, desperate for money, ten-year-old Mia Tang's parents take a job managing a rundown Southern California motel for skinflint Mr. Yao, whose son is the only other Chinese American in Mia's class.
Similar Titles: Three keys by Kelly Yang; The year of the book by Andrea Cheng
