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A story that helps kids navigate grief and understand how loved ones live on in our memories. Inspired by the 9 levels of Mictlān and the role Xolo dogs play by guiding those who have passed on in Indigenous cultural understandings of present-day Mexico. Nana is surrounded by family and takes joy in her many grandchildren. She’s also tired and feels pain. Soon she begins her transition from life into death, accompanied by her beloved Xolo dog, Popo. Together they go on Nana’s journey, and by the end of the story, Nana’s family celebrates the many years of love they shared with her. And a grandchild will now care for Popo. Available in English and Spanish language editions.

After a storm devastates the farm his parents have been renting, Junior moves with his family to Roxboro, North Carolina. The year is 1959, and the nine-year-old boy has to navigate the realities of the segregated South while adjusting to life in town. Instead of farming, his father works at the lumberyard, and his mother takes in laundry from the white people in town. Junior meets new friends who have a TV ― and their own books! These new friends offer to take Junior to the library, and he’s surprised to discover that in a clearing in the forest, there’s a log cabin that houses a library for Black residents. The library in the woods feels magical, giving Junior a sense of possibility and community. The books he checks out also help him uncover a secret he never knew about his father. This fictional account is based on a real-life library that the author visited as a child. The heartfelt text, accompanied by illustrations from award-winning artist R. Gregory Christie, celebrates family, libraries, and the resourcefulness of the Black community.

Based on the author’s own family history, this is a story about family and belonging, the child of a Jewish mother and a South Asian father hears stories about her family history. Sometimes she doesn’t feel Jewish enough or South Asian enough, but comes to realize you can feel — and be — many things at once. The girl’s mother tells her stories about her mother, a Jewish seamstress in Brooklyn, New York. She lived in a tiny two-bedroom apartment and sewed wedding dresses shimmering in satin and lace. Her father tells stories of his mother, the girl’s other grandmother, who liked to cook bubbling dal on a coal stove in Pakistan. They tell stories about how both sides came to America, and how, eventually, her parents met on a warm summer evening in Poughkeepsie. The girl sometimes feels as if she’s the “only one like me.” One day, when she spots a butterfly in her yard, she realizes it’s okay to be different — no two butterflies are alike, after all. 

Experience the simple delights of a steamy July day in the city as two siblings eagerly anticipate a spectacular fireworks display. POP! As a hot day sizzles into evening, everyone on stoops and sidewalks looks skyward on this special summer night — the Fourth of July! Words and art blossom into flowers of fire across the sky, making this a perfect read for young children in cities and suburbs everywhere.

From holding an edge to laces and hooks, glide and dance through the alphabet explaining the history, techniques, and memorable moments of the sport. Written by four-time World Champion and professional figure skater Kurt Browning, known for his fluid movement and confidence on the ice.

Poppy is a waddling, toddling pig with big dreams. She wants to be a star! But she soon discovers that’s not as easy as it sounds. It’s only when Poppy feels the magic of gliding and sliding, swirling and twirling on ice that our most persistent pig truly believes in herself: Poppy, star of the rink! Written by Olympic gold medalist in figure skating, Kristi Yamaguchi.

As the worst snow storm of the year rolls in, one family hunkers down together in a cozy blanket fort for the night. A little girl makes a wish on a snow globe and, in the morning, the sun rises on a winter wonderland — beckoning all outside. And what if, on this snow-filled day, families shake their busy lives and everyone goes out to play? A lyrical holiday story about wishes and community and snow — ots and lots of snow.

Katy, a brave and untiring tractor, who pushes a bulldozer in the summer and a snowplow in the winter, makes it possible for the townspeople to do their jobs.

Join Lola as she learns what it means to be a big sister, in the third installment in the loveable Lola series. We all know how much Lola loves books, so it is no surprise that she can’t wait to share her love of reading with her new baby brother, Leo. Lola gets ready for little Leo’s arrival by reading books about brothers and sisters and picking out the perfect stories that she just knows her little brother will love. When the baby is finally here, Lola takes on the role of big sister — she helps her mommy and daddy around the house and tells Leo stories to cheer him up when he cries. Simple text and bright and charming illustrations celebrate family, reading, and what it means to be a big sister.

Taking place over the course of a summer day, we follow a young girl as she and her family gather at her nana’s house for a get-together where lessons are shared, food is prepared, and lifelong memories are created. Told in African proverbs, this book explores the importance of familial bonds and their lasting impact while presenting proverbs to inspire readers long after the story ends. Throughout the book, Nana’s house provides a safe space for our protagonist to make mistakes, learn lessons, and most importantly, find and feel love. 

Everyone needs hugs and love in this offbeat, upbeat ode to the not-so-cuddly — and yet still sweet and beloved! Fun-to-read-aloud, rhyming text describes prickly porcupines, roaring tigers, and slithery snakes — not the most cuddly creatures, but still worthy of hugs and snuggles from their mamas! With a luscious and colorful palette, Crocodiles Need Kisses Too shows that animals (and children) don’t have to be warm and fuzzy to be totally lovable.

How do you give your granny a hug when she lives far away? Send it through the mail, of course! This sweet story makes a perfect gift for Mother’s Day for the granny in your life, whether she lives close or far! Owen’s hug travels across the country in a series of hilarious, sometimes awkward, always heartfelt embraces between animals of different shapes and sizes. An unexpected twist at the end will delight young readers.

How do you say “I love you” without saying “I love you”? For one big family, it’s woven into the fabric of every day in this tender, resonant picture book. My sister Nalu braids my hair every week. It’s how she says “I love you.” Tendo always races his sister to the finish line as they leave the house. Kira the dog greets her at the door with a wagging tail and a spin. Sometimes it’s Auntie Linda pulling her into her wheelchair for a hug, or Uncle Alex bringing his funny parrot for a visit. One jajja teaches her granddaughter how to make the chicken dish she learned as a child; another tells stories from far away, before she was born. Whether it’s Mom asking if she’s hungry a hundred times a day, or older siblings scaring away the monster that keeps her awake, the refrain “I love you” comes through loud and clear — and reminds us that there are countless ways to express affection to those that we hold dear.

Cat does NOT like Valentine’s Day. It’s much too mushy, and no way is he making anyone a valentine — especially not his new neighbor, Dog. Dog refuses to respect the fence: He keeps tossing over old bones and hitting Cat in the head! But just as Cat’s about to send Dog an angry “valentine” telling him exactly what he can do with his bones, Dog throws a ball over the fence. What is Dog playing at? Cat is in for a hilarious — and heartwarming — surprise in this story about being perhaps too quick to judge.

When Helen was nineteen months old, an illness left her unable to see or speak. She struggled to make herself understood, and often lashed out when she couldn’t. With the help of a teacher named Annie Sullivan, she learned to spell words with her fingers, opening her world immeasurably. She soon learned to write and to read Braille, and even to read lips by touch; with Annie by her side, she went to college, and wrote an autobiography that shared her story with the world. She was lauded as a genius and became an advocate for people with disabilities, workers’ rights, women’s rights, and racial justice.

In his apartment in the city, Sam hears voices, barking dogs, snoring, and all kinds of other noises. One rainy day he also hears the sad sounds of a harmonica, and wonders who’s playing. Sam’s search leads him to Apt. 3, where he finds not only the source of the music — but a new friend.

A girl learns the power of imagination from her blind neighbor. Eloise likes colors. Her friend, Rainbow Joe, likes colors, too. But Rainbow Joe is blind, so Eloise tells him about the colors she mixes and the fantastic animals she paints. When Rainbow Joe says he can also imagine and mix colors, Eloise is puzzled. How can a blind man see colors? she wonders. Little does Eloise know, Rainbow Joe is planning a surprise to show her his special colors. What she finds is a whole new way of seeing the world. 

It is very hard for a sighted person to imagine what it is like to be blind. This book strives to convey the experience of a person who can only see through his or her sense of touch, taste, smell or hearing. Raised black line drawings on black paper, which can be deciphered by touch, complement rich text describing colors through imagery. Braille letters accompany the text so that the sighted reader can begin to imagine what it is like to use Braille to read. A full Braille alphabet at the end of the book can be used to learn more.

In this story of friendship, loyalty, and trust, readers spend a day in the life of Sarah and her guide dog, Perry. Perry helps Sarah go shopping, to the post office, and take the train to school. Sarah, a blind musician and teacher, entertains the children and tells them about the time she and Perry walked from Boston to New York to show the world what a blind person can accomplish with the help of a guide dog like Perry. Told from the perspective of Perry, readers will learn about the service of seeing-eye dogs and how anything can be accomplished through perseverance and friendship.

A story introducing how a child with a visual impairment may experience the world. Like most of her friends, five-year-old Emilia loves to learn, play, and discover … but there seems to be something a little different about her. She uses glasses, magnifiers, and a white cane. What these tools do, she will gladly explain. Learn how extra support allows Emilia to happily explore and so much more!

John’s favorite house is his grandfather’s — not because it is fancy or new but because he sees it through his Grandpa’s eyes. Grandpa is blind, and so when John visits him he gets to see things from a new perspective. If he closes his eyes, everything comes alive through sound and touch. This house is the place where John gets to experience the special way Grandpa sees and moves in the world.

A poignant story about a boy’s emerging confidence in facing his blindness. By the warmth of a campfire beneath a starry night sky, a Navajo youth named Boy-Strength-of-Blue-Horses listens to the tale of his birth from his grandfather. Although blind, the boy learns that he has the strength to cope with his condition and meet any challenge that comes his way.
 

Joy and Chip wake early for a full day of play. Inside, outside. Riding bikes, reading books. Taking turns, sharing treats. And no day is complete without creating an adventure with their imaginations. Chip is Blind. Joy has sight. Their day is filled with so much more than play. They see the world together. Dana Meachen Rau describes a simple, joyful day between siblings celebrating the senses beyond sight — the sounds, smells, tastes, and textures that make playing together play so much fun.

Hwei Min, the only daughter of the emperor of China, has been blind since birth. Her father offers a reward to anyone who can find a cure for the little girl. It seems that no one from magicians to physicians can help her. Then, one day a wise old man with a mysterious seeing stick visits the princess. Will he be able to teach Hwei Min that there is more than one way to see the world? (Originally published in 1977)