Book Finder

A story about a close-knit community of enslaved African Americans on a plantation in Texas, the day before the announcement is to be made that all enslaved people are free. Young Huldah, who is preparing to celebrate her tenth birthday, can’t possibly anticipate how much her life will change that Juneteenth morning. The story follows Huldah and her community as they process the news of their freedom and celebrate together by creating a community freedom flag. Each of the illustrations has been hand-sewn and quilted by the author and artist Kim Taylor.

Eight-year-old David and his family gather at Grandma’s house in Galveston, Texas, for a cherished family tradition: Grandma’s annual retelling of the story of Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The story is written in the same rhythm as The Night Before Christmas, and is a great read aloud choice.

A young Black child experiences the magic of the Juneteenth parade for the first time with their family as they come to understand the purpose of the party that happens every year — and why they celebrate their African American history! The poetic text includes selected lyrics from “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the unofficial Black National Anthem, and the vibrant art illuminates the beauty of this moment of Black joy, celebrated across the nation. This vibrant adventure through the city streets invites young readers to make a joyful noise about freedom for all.

This wordless picture book with Baker’s characteristically beautifully detailed collage illustrations conveys a subtle message about how we can bring positive change to our communities. Every double-page spread is a view through the same window, a view that changes over a generation. Children can share what they think is happening to the neighborhood based on the illustrations. 

Four best friends start a lemonade business and make a bar graph to chart their growing sales. After three days the friends notice that their sales suddenly drop and investigate to find out why. After discovering that the competition is a new kid with a great juggling act just down the street, they ask him to perform beside the lemonade stand and then watch sales increase “over the top.”

Chester the snail sets up a contest between his friends Gonk the toad and Beezy the lizard to see who can make the best graph. Points will be given for correct math, creativity, and neatness. Beezy and Gonk explore information collection (tallies and surveys) and the use of graphic organizers (Venn diagrams, quantity graphs, circle graphs, picture graphs, and bar graphs). In the end, kids can look at Chester’s graphically designed score sheet and see that the result is a tie.

A powerful poem and stunning, handmade-paper art encourage children to protect nature.

“Where once there was a wood,
A meadow and a creek … “

Inspired by events in her own backyard, award-winning author and illustrator Denise Fleming creates a poignant yet hopeful portrait of our disappearing natural environment. The last pages of the book teach children how to make a more “creature friendly” backyard, including information about what types of food, trees and flowers attract different kinds of animals. 

Meet Julia! Julia is an autistic girl who loves art and her family. Join Elmo, Abby, and the rest of the Sesame Street crew as they introduce Julia and all the things that make her special.

The true story of John Meyers and Charles Bender, who in 1911 became the first two Native pro baseball players to face off in a World Series. This picture book teaches important lessons about resilience, doing what you love in the face of injustice, and the fight for Native American representation in sports.

Whether in the sky, on the land, or in the sea, animals live in all sorts of fascinating environments. Discover six of the most intriguing habitats, and have fun pinpointing the camouflaged critters hiding within them in this interactive and informative picture book full of furry, feathery, and ferocious creatures.

“I can’t wait for my hair to grow” is the powerful opening to this book, which lays groundwork for this compelling story highlighting not only the significance of hair to Indigenous peoples, but also memory, generational trauma, and the power of healing. Using three generations of hair as the medium, Lindstom’s sparse, poetic language (“Our ancestors say: Our hair is our memories. Our source of strength”) and Littlebird’s bright palette capture both serenity and hope. (School Library Journal)

This book celebrates the magic of discovering your very own poetry in the world around you. “Begin / with a question / like an acorn / waiting for spring.” Written as a step-by-step guide, and using language including “first,” “next,” and “then,” the authors teach the art of poetry. Readers are prompted to first ask a question, and then to “listen to the grass, the flowers, the trees — anything that’s friends with the sun” to create imagery for their poetry. The book teaches poetry by tasking students with exploring nature, questions, and ideas in unique ways. 

A book of poems about dancing that mimic the rhythms of social dances from cha-cha to two-step — celebrating all forms of social dance from samba and salsa to tango and hip-hop. The rhythm of each poem mimics the beat of the dances’ steps. The poems create a window to all the ways dance enters our lives and exists throughout many cultures. 

A window into a child’s experience of the Great Migration. Climbing aboard the New York bound Silver Meteor train, Ruth Ellen embarks upon a journey toward a new life up North — one she can’t begin to imagine. Stop by stop, the perceptive young narrator tells her journey in poems, leaving behind the cotton fields and distant Blue Ridge mountains.

“I can hear change humming/ In its loudest, proudest song./ I don’t fear change coming,/ And so I sing along.” As a young girl leads a cast of characters on a musical journey, they learn that they have the power to make changes — big or small — in the world, in their communities, and in most importantly, in themselves. Lyrical text and rhythmic illustrations is a call to action for everyone to use their abilities to make a difference.

The confident Black narrator of this book is proud of everything that makes him who he is. He’s got big plans, and no doubt he’ll see them through — as he’s creative, adventurous, smart, funny, and a good friend. Sometimes he falls, but he always gets back up. There are superheroes in our midst!

A playful, illustrated guide to a simple meditation practices for young children experiencing stress, difficulty focusing, and difficult emotions. All you’ll need to practice it is a quiet spot and four ordinary pebbles.

In this picture book about voting and elections, the students of Stanton Elementary School learn how we can find — and use — our voices for change. Every two years, on the first Tuesday of November, the school closes for the day so that it can transform itself into a polling station. People can come from all over to vote for the people who will make laws for the country. The students might be too young to vote themselves, but that doesn’t mean they can’t encourage their parents, friends, and family to vote! After all, voting is how this country sees change — and by voting today, we can inspire tomorrow’s voters to change the future.

Once there was a little girl with a big guitar from Cotton Plant, Arkansas, who would grow up to be an unconventional musician with a major influence on icons including Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash. The narration evokes Rosetta’s musicality and is effectively complemented by expressive paintings. Additional information is included.

A picture-book biography of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the woman who invented rock and roll — a warm, inspiring tale of a childhood filled with music, community, and a drive to succeed. “Music is the heart of our story” says Momma to young Rosetta, surprising her with her first guitar. Rosetta‘s strums sound like ker-plunks. But with practice and determination, she makes music, fingers hopping “like corn in a kettle,” notes pouring over the church crowd “like summer rain washing the dust off a new day.”

Every year, George and the man with the yellow hat attend a pancake breakfast to benefit the children’s hospital. Always curious, George finds his way to the pancake table and helps out. Pouring batter and flipping the pancakes over looks like fun! George decides to make some pancakes of his own, and after making and serving some of the most delicious pancakes the crowd has ever seen, George gets into even more monkey mischief. 

Take children on a trip to Paris with Suzette, the crêpe maker, and her artistic customers. As Suzette sells her delicacies over the course of a day, you will be treated to the sights and sounds of one of the most beautiful cities in the world, from Nôtre-Dame to the Eiffel Tower. Suzette’s customers along the way are inspired by works of art, such as da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Degas’s Little Dancer. Children will learn some key French words and phrases.

Explore the meals of 12 countries in this playful approach to the world! From Australia to India to the USA, come travel around the world at dawn. Children everywhere are waking up to breakfast. In Japan, students eat soured soybeans called natto. In Brazil, even kids drink coffee — with lots of milk! With rhythm and rhymes and bold, graphic art, this picture book invites young readers to explore the world through the most important meal of the day.

If you give a pig a pancake, she’ll want some syrup to go with it. You’ll give her some of your favorite maple syrup, and she’ll probably get all sticky, so she’ll want to take a bath. She’ll ask you for some bubbles. When you give her the bubbles … Fans of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie will love this perfect addition to the series!