Book Finder

Books and reading can be “magic potions that could fuel [young people] with the bravery of superheroes” and oh! so much more. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor shares her story revealing the power of books throughout. Illustrations echo the rich language and emotions, supported by endpages with period photographs of Sotomayor, her life and career.

Some people talk more than they listen, like young Owen. But only until he gets laryngitis! Owen not only learns that others have good ideas but also gains the ability to listen more (though he’s still talkative). Children and teachers alike will recognize Owen and his classmates in both lighthearted (nonstop) conversation bubbles and gentle illustrations.

New things can be intimidating. Learning to tie shoe laces means giving up Velcro; writing letters may mean giving up chunky crayons. Starting a new school can be especially scary but “with each goodbye, a new hello.” Flat forms in bold, colorful shapes and staccato language effectively present the rights of passage of growing up and accepting new things.

Making new friends can be scary, even for a small brown and white dog named Rosie. But Rosie and her human, George, find adventure and friendship at the dog park. Understated text is complemented by expressive, unassuming illustrations presented in comic format. Readers of all ages will empathize with Rosie, her shyness, and in her newfound friendships.

Kimmy, a budding paleontologist, is thrilled that Mr. Tiffin is taking her class on a field trip to the natural history museum. Her confidence is shaken, however, when Jake asserts that girls can’t be scientists. However, wise Mr. Tiffin makes a point to show her the discovery made by a woman scientist. KImmy notes her favorite (and very real) female paleontologists at the conclusion of this engaging book.

“There will be times when you walk into a room and no one will be quite like you.” But slowly you’ll find a bit of you in others along with your own wonderful uniqueness. Poetic language is complemented by expressive translucent illustrations presenting recognizable situations as the diverse students gradually develop friendships.

Like the narrator, everyone sometimes has a bad day. Samuel’s started at school and didn’t improve at home. But his little brother Benji helps Samuel feel better as Benji has been made to feel better: by becoming a burrito! Samuel knows that he and Benji will both be “okay, That’s because the two of us are brothers.” Warm and empathetic, the story is based on the author’s sons, one who is autistic. See our interview with the author, Sally J. Pla ›

A lively neighborhood school (inspired by the one attended by illustrator’s daughter) welcomes its diverse students at the start of a school year, proclaiming that all are welcome! Joy-filled, colorful, engaging paintings combine with brief, rhyming text to celebrate children and families coming together to learn and share.

Join Sam, the cat, after she puts her family to bed to begin her nightly journey. From a map of Sam to a layout of the neighborhood, readers can follow Sam and find out about maps and mapping along the way. Rich illustrations and clever format provide different ways to enjoy this book, as information or a story.

In each spread of this bold and humorous picture book, children can examine their place in the world around them through detailed and engaging maps that are drawn from a child’s perspective.

A girl is lost in a snowstorm. A wolf cub is lost, too. How will they find their way home? Paintings rich with feeling tell this satisfying, wordless story of friendship and trust.

A baby clown is separated from his family when he accidentally bounces off their circus train and lands in a lonely farmer’s vast, empty field. The farmer reluctantly rescues the little clown, and over the course of one day together, the two of them make some surprising discoveries about themselves — and about life!

Young fowl hatch near a large bear named Bruce who becomes their adoptive parent.

“Rodents are a diverse group.” They range from the pygmy jerboa to the sizable capybara, the largest rodent in the world. Rodents have been made into pets, culinary delicacies, lab animals and more. A range of rodents are presented in realistic, life-size illustrations and informative but accessible text. Additional resources conclude this fascinating look at often maligned mammals.

Rescue couldn’t make it as a guide dog, but he was ideal as a service dog. When Jessica lost both legs, the dog named Rescue rescued Jessica in many ways. Though the tone and illustrations of the book are appropriate for younger readers, the seriousness of the event that caused Jessica to lose both legs is quite sophisticated. It is explained in an afterward.

Have you ever wondered where the rainbow flag comes from? It all began with the first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk. His life and how the rainbow flag came to be and to express both hope and pride are briefly presented in accessible language and animated illustrations. Photographs of Milk and additional biographical sketch conclude the book.

Francis strives to make the best shoes possible, even from material that is hard to acquire. When his friend doesn’t return with one such item, Francis goes on a jungle trek to find him. Along the way, he comes across actual animal residents. Photographs are incorporated into comics as is a bit of factual information for a rollicking good adventure.

Meet nature’s recyclers, a variety of critters that contribute the “brown food web”, presented in a range of poetry and humorous illustrations. In addition to factual material throughout, this small volume concludes with additional information, a glossary, activities and experiments.

Ever wondered why or what makes you itch? There are lots of itchy answers ranging from mosquitoes to fungi among many other cringe-worth things. Find out in this fascinating, informative, well-sourced, and illustrated exploration.

A baseball game. A kid watching. An outfielder needed. It should be an easy out, but not really when all manner of fantastic things get in the way of catching the ball. What really happens in this a riveting, nearly wordless baseball game is open to interpretation and certainly worthy of multiple examinations.

Even good guys behave badly sometimes and that includes American hero, Abraham Lincoln. Rather than demount old Abe from a pedestal, this historical episode serves to demonstrate that even the best folks make mistakes and that errors can be rectified. Humorously told and expressively illustrated, additional information concludes the tale of Lincoln’s almost-duel.

People collect lots of different things: bugs, art, marbles and more. But Jerome collects words that he heard, saw, or read. When Jerome’s word collection goes flying out of his albums, he learns that words are even more powerful when creatively put together and shared. The pleasure in language is evident in the narrative as well as line and wash illustrations.

What is a maker? “A maker starts with/empty space/ideas/hope/and stuff.” With those things, one can craft a boat, a card, a tie-dye shirt, or even a sock puppet. Poetry, art, and ideas come together in a charming whole to encourage, inspire, and stimulate creativity. Textured illustrations show a range of children creating, sharing and more.

Hippos are denser than water and so sink in water. Plus, they can’t actually swim but push off to “sail through the water like otters.” Interesting factoids about these huge land animals are presented in cartoon illustrations complete with funny asides in conversation bubbles. Further resources are included at the end. The author approaches a furry animal in the same way in The Truth about Bears (opens in a new window).