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Recommended first purchase for all library collections. Ideal for read-alouds or independent readers.
This charming but slight story is for larger collections.
A wonderful story that combines sensory experiences of nature with lush language.
A celebration of family traditions and the lessons learned from them. A strong addition for picture book collections
PREMIUM
The Box Full of Wonders
Although it’s important to have titles that feature blended families, this book unfortunately requires significant explanation from an adult.
An absolute winner with comic touches and tenderness that will speak to a generation of readers who are part of families that are “on the go” and yet looking for an alternative to the pace of modern life. Highly recommended.
PREMIUM
Home Is a Heartbeat
While not an essential purchase, this celebration of the joy of extended family will make some children wish they were part of a large group with lots of traditions.
This celebration of food and family is a perfect addition to picture book collections.
PREMIUM
Whoa Panda!
A book that children will clamor for, this is ideal for etiquette shelves, SEL collections, or any lesson to help teach burgeoning social skills.
A fun addition to library shelves where surprising adventures are sought.
A joyful romp that celebrates toddlerhood’s grandest adventures, this is a strong addition to collections serving the youngest readers and their copilots.
PREMIUM
Piccolo
A happy taste of Italian language and culture, sweet as gelato and bound to leave readers and listeners of any age responding “Grazie.”
Sparrow is suitable for young readers exploring emotions and change, and the end notes provide valuable context for older readers interested in history, culture, and language.
PREMIUM
Thank You, Old Oak
A touching story, engaging illustrations, and valuable educational content in the back matter make for a great addition to school library collections.
Working well as both a read-aloud and for one-to-one experiences, this purchase is for collections needing wry humor and a funny treat for all to enjoy.
PREMIUM
The Elevator on 74th Street
A charming story with a unique point of view that will have children thoroughly connected to the human and non-human characters alike. A highly recommended tale of friendship.
PREMIUM
It’s Taco Knight!
With humor and whimsy, this book is a good read, but may not stand out as particularly exceptional compared to other food-related books.
A great addition for any community. This is a story about love and loss of extended family from a child’s perspective where difficult realities are faced, but it still ends on a hopeful note.
A sweet, heartwarming tale that celebrates the universal language of friendship and understanding. A recommended choice for sharing one-on-one or in small group read-alouds.
PREMIUM
Specs
A great read for anyone who has been newly prescribed eyewear, and a valuable addition to any collection focused on fostering self-confidence and celebrating individuality.
Educators and caregivers alike will love sharing this title, an excellent book for all.
A somewhat saccharine, fall-themed bedtime story with lovely watercolor and pencil illustrations.
PREMIUM
Mama Car
This loving and enjoyable picture book is a strong choice for preschool collections.
PREMIUM
The Winding Willow
A delightful addition to picture book collections, perfect for snuggling up and sparking imagination.
This lovely refugee story of perseverance drawn from the author’s experiences is a great purchase for picture book collections.
PREMIUM
BananaNow
This book can fill a collection development gap in libraries that seek to address the use of electronic devices, but has limited interest for a general audience.
PREMIUM
A Monstrous Bedtime
A fantastical story about a child’s friendship with a monster is sure to elicit thoughtful laughter and suspenseful page turns, and while it’s not a must, it may fill a hole in collections.
PREMIUM
Kente for Jojo
This wonderful celebration of Ghanaian weaving culture will be welcome in all library collections.
Destined to become a cherished read-aloud in classrooms everywhere, this title is a first choice for picture book collections.
PREMIUM
So Many Books!
With sing-song cadence, spritely pacing, and a positive message, this text could be included in read-aloud lineups, but, with limited storyline or character development, this may only be of use during lesson-driven story times. Additional purchase only.
PREMIUM
Far, Far Away
An unusual outing, problems specific to the setting while the lesson is universal, and the warmth of family all combine in a compelling story of expectations defied, with amazing results.
PREMIUM
Keyana Loves Halloween
A warm look at turning disappointment into an opportunity for creativity. Recommended for holiday shelves where the series has been popular.
PREMIUM
The Littlest Solstice Tree
Add this lovely tale that teaches the history of a favorite winter tradition to library shelves and winter displays.
An unusual sensory exploration that plants readers alongside Lewis, offering them a blueprint of sorts for listening closely for their own personal soundscapes.
A delightfully imaginative approach to phonetic awareness that will prompt giggles and smirks.
A funny, well-written book that is a recommended purchase for classrooms and schools that celebrate Halloween, particularly with children who might frequently get anxious about new and unfamiliar things.
This vibrant and heartwarming tale is an exceptional addition to every school and classroom library. Not only is it fun and exciting, but it also delivers a powerful and necessary message about recognizing the value in everyone’s abilities, affirming that each individual is important and necessary.
PREMIUM
The Mixed-Up Owl
With comic foils and Shakespearean pratfalls, this small, funny volume offers big laughs and wisdom, too.
PREMIUM
Midnight Motorbike
Vibrant illustrations and poetic text make this story of family relationships well-suited for one-on-one reads or for group settings with room for Q&As.
Author and illustrator, one working with a spare palette of barely expressed emotions, and one creating nakedly realistic, beautiful scenes of boyhood, deliver a story of bonding that is so very much greater than the sum of its parts.
There are no mistakes in these pages, just an SEL lesson writ large, delivered with perfect comic timing. A must.
PREMIUM
Becoming Boba
This wonderful picture book about topics of culture, familiar foods, and acceptance is a grand addition for picture book collections.
PREMIUM
Camilla and the Fall Festival
A highly recommended purchase for classrooms, especially for schools and classrooms looking for project-based learning opportunities that cover cartography and for school counselors looking to highlight the power of flexible and positive thinking.
PREMIUM
If You Want to Write a Story
A sweet and satisfying choice for a story hour about imagination, or to introduce an elementary school unit on creative writing. This title is a solid purchase for any picture book collection.
PREMIUM
Twelve Days of Autumn
A delightful read-aloud, perfect for celebrating the changing seasons and introducing young learners to the wonders of nature through rhythm, repetition, and rich illustrations.
This book is straight up O.G. and brand new; children will scream, "Just right!" at story hours and envy Bear and his louche life among human objects.
A Christmas must-purchase for this creator’s many fans.
Great for a story time and nature craft combo, as well as a cute Christmas addition to library collections.
A thorough and accessible explanation of the history, meaning, and celebration of Kwanzaa.
With its playful tone, imaginative worldbuilding, and a message that resonates with both children and adults, this holiday story invites readers to wonder, to dream, and to believe, no matter how old they are.
Although most of the projects may require adult assistance, this is a creative collection of DIY ideas that will appeal to kids looking for inexpensive, homemade ways to accessorize their Halloween costumes using common, upcycled materials.
PREMIUM
Santa and the Sled Dogs
A creative Christmas story concept encumbered by the uneven interplay of narrative and illustrations.
A cute and nostalgic addition to all Christmas picture book collections.
PREMIUM
Little Angel’s Christmas Song
A secular successor to Charles Tazewell’s The Littlest Angel, this is an additional purchase.
The list of errors and sloppy presentation feels endless, making this a poor choice for any collection.
A strong addition to elementary and middle grade nonfiction collections, particularly for libraries serving families who travel or readers eager to explore the world.
PREMIUM
The Dreams I’ll Dream Tonight
A great bedtime read-aloud that’s not essential to collections, but a winsome take on a childhood problem.
A touching story, replete with cultural detail and built-in curricular extensions.
PREMIUM
Embarrassed Ferret
A wonderful addition to classroom and library shelves that will help teachers and children engage in conversations about compassion and helping one another out during inevitable moments of embarrassment. Recommended.
PREMIUM
Ai & Aiko and the Little Curve
Readers may enjoy Draw’s animations, and adults may admire his philanthropy, but those looking for the nuance and sensitivity in this picture book will be disappointed. An optional purchase for most libraries.
PREMIUM
We Match!
Though the subject matter will speak to devoted dog lovers, the execution is more for the young-at-heart than for the actually young.
PREMIUM
Best Buds
Spirited Spencer and his many plants will encourage other young readers to find friends and make connections in ways that feel right to them. Recommended.
PREMIUM
On Our Way with Mr. Jay
Essential for building universal respect for the school bus drivers who pour their hearts into the work they do each day, this book will find a place on most shelves.
PREMIUM
The Moving Book
An appealing family story, well-suited for both one-on-one and large-group read-alouds.
Younger audiences, as well as teachers and librarians on the lookout for quick indoor stretches that are fun and safe, will go bananas.
Not essential but a merry addition for libraries seeking more holiday board books with charm, color, and a playful twist.
A rich and visually layered book that encourages readers to see their voices as part of the American story.
PREMIUM
The First Peoples
This distinctive and thought-provoking adaptation will pair well with analogous tales from around the world and spur discussion on culture and gender.
PREMIUM
Before I Lived Here
Gr 1-4–As a young boy peers out his window, he imagines the layers of history beneath his neighborhood...
PREMIUM
Sidewalk Chalk
Toddler-PreS–A child dumps out a bucket of colorful sidewalk chalk: “Plink...
PREMIUM
The Bestest Big Brother, Ever
For the sibling shelves, this book whimsically captures the very real turbulence of relationships. Young siblings will have fun watching Nano and Felix play, argue, and make-up.
PREMIUM
When You’re a Boy
Despite its positive intentions and arresting presentation, this paean to gentle masculinity paints with an overly broad brush.
PREMIUM
Night Flight
A great purchase to add to a bedtime collection, and an excellent add to diversify collections or use as a writing prompt in classrooms.
Excellent choice preschool collections looking for texts to support transportation units or for additional browsing materials.
PreS-Gr 2–A solitary polar bear, content in the silence of the Arctic, sets out in search of his next meal...
A beautiful reflection on the wonders of a found family, and an important book for the shelves; blended families, chosen families--all will find succor in this volume.
PREMIUM
Little Ghost House Hunts
A great fall and Halloween read aloud that is not scary but sure to be entertaining. This will put little readers into the spooky spirit.
PREMIUM
Two-List Thanksgiving
A must-have for libraries serving Korean American communities, and a heartfelt addition to any library seeking to broaden its Thanksgiving collection.
A great book to showcase fall and Halloween, especially for explaining the different events that happen during this time.
PREMIUM
Vampire Jam Sandwich
A perfectly silly book to add to all Halloween or spooky book collections.
This charming book about a girl navigating new situations belongs in every collection.
PREMIUM
The Good Night Airport
This book misses the very point it was trying to make, and with all the vehicle books out there, is not recommended.
PREMIUM
Rembrandt’s Blessing
This little-known slice of history embellished with an engaging kid-friendly storyline is a worthy addition for most libraries.
PREMIUM
Children’s Favorite Arabic Stories: Fables and Folk Tales from Across the Arabic Speaking World
An inviting and accessible addition for any folktale collection
PREMIUM
Bringing the Beach Home
Recommended with reservations; a child learns about the pleasures of a day at the beach, but caregivers will want to provide some context and caution regarding the unsafe behavior modeled.
Purchase for curricular tie-ins and where there are gaps in collections.
PREMIUM
Make Way for Harriet and May
A tender story of sensory sensitivity and connection that may resonate with kids who color outside the lines.
Mata’s book will appeal to students entering a new school as well as to anyone who has felt like an outsider. It’s sure to be a hit.
This is an excellent book to teach young children about safety, sacrifice, putting service before self, and staying focused on a task until it is successfully completed.–Laura Ellis
PREMIUM
Sunny Wants to Play
An excellent look at what it feels like to be an only child, this is a good choice for any library’s picture book collection.
A beautifully told and illustrated story about resilience, identity, and the power of encouragement. A thoughtful addition to classrooms and libraries alike.
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