Book Finder

Pablo is a beret-wearing canine whose favorite subject is cats. Other dogs don’t understand him, and (understandably) cats run away from him. Pablo decides to give up his art until befriended by a brave feline. Bold forms, color, and rich language tell a seemingly simply but surprisingly sophisticated tale meant to be shared. Older children may enjoy this board book as well.

When the name of his all-Asian rock band, The Slants®, was turned down for a trademark, Simon Tam took his fight all the way to the Supreme Court. The eight-year battle finally resulted in success. Illustrations use limited color and angular lines to suggest the difficulty of the fight to highlight the name, intended to confront bias head-on. Resources included lyrics to the titular song.

Dragons have ignited imaginations around the world. Information is presented through this 19th century handbook found by the granddaughter of the first dragon rider. Letters open and close the volume, with imaginative illustrations in a large format in this original, ingenious, and immersive exploration.

After a natural death, a whale provides continued life for numerous sea and land creatures for many years. Follow one 90-year-old whale in its environment and after its life has ended, through accessible language and highly informative illustrations in this stunning book.

Poetry and information combine for a joyful and illuminating look at wind. Mixed-media illustrations dance through the pages, concluding with additional resources to discover more about wind.

A dandelion on the playground grows and grows, captivating children who appreciate its beauty. Not so the adults who rip the flower from the ground, dismaying the students. But dandelions are resilient and so are children in this oversized, slightly subversive tale.

A mouth is for eating of course, but animals use them for so much more!  Discover how some use them for climbing and for storing food and what differentiates similar mouths. Dramatic illustrations and informative inserts create a fact-packed, accessible book. Back matter includes a glossary and additional resources.

Words matter but sometimes silence is stronger. That’s why in 1917, a man of words and author of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (known as the Black National Anthem) organized a silent march down New York City’s Fifth Avenue. Over 10,000 adults and children participated. Additional information and the words to Johnson’s poem concluded this handsome volume. 

Sissy’s younger brother nicknamed Chooch (Cherokee for boy or son) is more trouble than help until he helps Sissy feel better after she has a meltdown. Illustrations capture a specific culture in this universal family story. Backmatter provides additional information about the art and language.

Follow an arctic tern as it grows from egg to migrating bird. In another book from the same Start Small, Think Big series, Little Brown Nut (opens in a new window), watch a small nut grow into a huge tree with a little help from the agoutis. Each book unfolds in text and illustration that can be shared at different levels. Both titles include a large, informative foldout. 

Reluctantly, a child dons itchy winter clothes to accompany her mother to see ice sculptures being created. While there, she loses her beloved toy horse. Magic occurs when they return that evening to see the ice figures at night and the narrator’s horse is found. 

Goat and Bunny form a friendship when they discover they both enjoy the same coffee. As the friends do many things together but differently, they know that “it is okay.” Whimsical, detailed illustrations complement the well-told tale.

Hank is not only a silly goose, but he’s also rude and downright obnoxious, making his friends miserable. Until they don’t want to deal with him anymore. Lonely Hank becomes a more considerate goose who changes his ways (or does he?) in this slyly funny tale.

Eddy is lonely as he swims — until one day not one, but two friends appear just outside of the fishbowl. The friends’ identity is revealed when Eddy excitedly jumps out the bowl. Tension is high until a true friendship becomes evident. 

A single word begins each short poem on opposing page, describing an animal and contrasting attributes: a cautious groundhog appears with the reckless squirrel, a patient spider with a restless blowfly, a playful dolphin with the dignified sperm whale, and more in each of the bold, bouncily illustrated pairings in this handsome volume.

The countdown to the change in season begins with one red fox “stalking winter” to 12 excited children “happily meeting spring.” Bold scratchboard illustrations evoke the frozen Alaskan landscape, inspired by the author’s time in Fairbanks.

A lonely child saves his beloved woods in this magical, highly imaginative tale. Follow the unfolding tale told entirely through gorgeous illustrations.

Evocative illustrations and lyrical language follow a young Cherokee child as she cheerfully moves from an urban area to a home where there’s “room to run.” 

Bear loses his round red glasses and thinks he may have left them at his friend Giraffe’s house. On the walk over, Bear sees an elephant, a crocodile, a flamingo, a deer, and even a spotted snake that turns out to be Giraffe. Bear’s glasses are perched on his head, as Giraffe and readers realize. Understated humor is presented in bold shapes and language.

Even as a chip, the robot knew he was different which was a problem until he stumbled upon an art museum where he found his passion. Wry humor and a bit of wisdom are conveyed in illustration and understated text.

Dogs help people in many ways. Guess what jobs the dogs presented in color photographs and simple rhymes perform — including being a best friend.

Dogs and cats talk without words! Childlike illustrations and straightforward language describe myriad moods to bring meaning to the familiar ways pets communicate. In the same series: Cat Chat: How Cats Tell Us How They Feel (opens in a new window).

A bear and cub share special moments throughout the day, beginning as the sun rises and continuing until a nighttime snuggle. 

A young Aztec girl tells her little brother how their parents create beautiful painted manuscripts, or codices. She explains to him how paper is made from local plants and how the long paper is folded into a book. Her parents and others paint the codices to tell the story of their people’s way of life, documenting their history, science, tributes, and sacred rituals. Duncan Tonatiuh’s lyrical prose and beloved illustration style, inspired by the pre-Columbian codices, tell the story of how — contrary to the historical narrative that European colonizers bestowed “civilization” and knowledge to the Americas — the Aztec and their neighbors in the Valley of Mexico painted books and records long before Columbus arrived, and continued doing so among their Nahua-speaking descendants for generations after the Spanish Conquest.