Book Finder

The story of Li’l Rabbit captures the true meaning of Kwanzaa and provides a fun introduction to the holiday. Li’l Rabbit is not having a very good Kwanzaa. Granna Rabbit is sick, and so his family won’t celebrate his favorite part of Kwanzaa this year: a big feast called Karamu. Li’l Rabbit knows what to do! He’ll find Granna Rabbit a special treat for Karamu so she can celebrate anyway. He looks under a pile of logs, in the field, and in the pond and along the way meets Groundhog, Momma Field Mouse, and the frogs — but he doesn’t find anything for Granna Rabbit.

Joyous Kwanzaa! On December 26th of each year, the celebration of Kwanzaa begins. Kwanzaa is an African American and pan-African holiday that honors history, family, values, community, and culture. During this time, families gather, songs are sung, and dances and stories and poetry are performed! This festive board book helps teach even the youngest of readers about the celebration and importance of Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa is Kayla’s favorite time of year. But this year, it looks as if a heavy snowstorm will keep her big brother, Khari, from getting home in time for the festivities! Will Khari miss the celebration completely? Or will Kayla and her brother somehow find a way to be together for Kwanzaa? A perfect introduction to Kwanzaa, this book will teach children all about the traditions and practices that make it a special winter holiday.

Little Alliah (of The Juneteenth Story) is all grown up and, along with her husband LeVaur, teaches their children Daphne and Alistair why they celebrate Kwanzaa as a family and as a community. This beautifully illustrated book shares the origins of the holiday — rooted in Africa, born in Los Angeles — giving historical and cultural context on how a joyful celebration was birthed after the Watts Rebellion and during the Civil Rights Movement. 

A joyous picture book about an intergenerational Black family cooking a delicious feast and appreciating their quality time together. When it comes to a family feast, it’s all hands on deck! Big Ma and Pops have been up early in anticipation of everyone’s arrival. Aunts, uncles, and cousins gather from all over to help prepare their big meal. Clanging pots, chopping vegetables, sharing recipes, and swiping little treats are part of the fun! After the cooking is done, all of the relatives come together to pray, eat, and enjoy their special moment as a family.

Max accompanies his mother on a research trip to the Texas Gulf Coast. There he finds a beached octopus and works with others to rescue her. Named Ursula, the octopus helps Max come into his own in this moving, realistic story. 

Oscar is not like most 12-year-olds. He lives in a retirement community, plays bridge, and likes Frank Sinatra. To save his grandfather’s home, Oscar leaves his comfort zone and links up with a questionable new 102-year-old resident for an unforgettable adventure. Funny, quirky, and fast-paced, this novel will stay with readers long after its final page.

Structured like a graphic novel, sequential panels of painterly illustrations portray a family living in a home by the sea. Ultimately, the sea rises and so the family must move the house. [An author’s note in Pencil by Hye-eun Kim — an evocative tale of a pencil’s journey from tree to tool — describes how to successfully share a “silent book.”]

A child accompanies her grandmother — her nohhum — from the city to Nohhum’s reservation. Nohhum tells the child about the moon calendar, how to listen to the moon with her heart, and the interconnectedness of all things in this moving story from the Indigenous people of Turtle Island. Backmatter includes an author’s note and more, to learn about the different names of the full moons throughout the lunar year.

A child and her parents enjoy bundling up and playing in freshly fallen snow. Childlike illustrations in bold form accompany the simple text.

Peggy — an energetic toddler — and her patient grandfather go for a walk in the woods together. Peggy watches a small snail, jumps in a mud puddle, and slides down a hill, with Granddad patiently watching. When it’s time to return home, Granddad’s strong legs carry the tired child. 

All Jeremy wants is a pair of those shoes, the ones everyone at school seems to be wearing. Though Jeremy’s grandma says they don’t have room for “want,” just “need,” when his old shoes fall apart at school, he is more determined than ever to have those shoes, even a thrift-shop pair that are much too small. But sore feet aren’t much fun, and Jeremy soon sees that the things he has — warm boots, a loving grandma, and the chance to help a friend — are worth more than the things he wants.

As the moon grows fuller each night, Su-Jin’s halmoni (grandmother) prepares for the biggest Korean holiday of the year—a time for family, gratitude, and remembrance. Eager to share the celebration, Su-Jin invites her friends Maddy and Keisha to help Halmoni get ready. Together, they prepare traditional foods, wrap gifts in colorful cloth, play festive games, and learn how to honor ancestors. Along the way, the girls discover how to wish each other a happy Chuseok in Korean and explore the connections between Korean and American Thanksgiving traditions.

A story told in two voices: siblings 12-year-old Josie and her older, disabled brother Abe each have dreams and aspirations. Based on the author’s experience growing up with a comparably challenged brother.

Abby is trapped at home with her four  younger siblings as they all suffer from the chickenpox. Based on the author’s experience, she shares the experience that she endured with her siblings with verve and humor. 

When a boy accidentally breaks a vase that holds unique words, his father doesn’t scold but helps him make something new and beautiful. Stunning illustrations evoke the Japanese setting and the beautiful philosophy of the value in words and kindness.

Spooky sounds from a maybe-haunted house inspires Tim’s sister to complete her creepy songs in this slightly scary story of mutual sibling support.

Knitting comes undone as a mouse family flees encountering huge obstacles before they stitch together another home. Photos combine with line drawings in this figurative tale of immigration, sure to spark conversation.

Join a family in rural China as they pick tea leaves and discover mountaintop treasures and surprises through realistic illustration, narrated by one of the children. 

A family of elephants stick together as the sun comes up on the savannah. It travels across the world on other animal families until it ends where it begins again. Rhyming text and die-cuts indicate the passage of the day.

Cash, Fitch, and Bird Nelson Thomas are three siblings in seventh grade together in Park, Delaware. In 1986, as the country waits expectantly for the launch of the space shuttle Challenger, they each struggle with their own personal anxieties. They exist in their own orbits, circling a tense and unpredictable household, with little in common except an enthusiastic science teacher named Ms. Salonga. As the launch of the Challenger approaches, Ms. Salonga gives her students a project — they are separated into spacecraft crews and must create and complete a mission. When the fated day finally arrives, it changes all of their lives and brings them together in unexpected ways. This heartfelt story of family and the bond of siblings is old in three alternating points of view.

The story of a boy who stays true to his biggest dream while finding the magic in every moment. Some people dream of perfect waves, fancy castles, or piloting a plane. Others dream of someone to laugh and play with all day long. Some just dream of having a meal for the next day. And little Miguel? As he and Abuelito work in the hot Oaxacan sun, selling cold coconuts and macrame dream catchers to earn a few coins, Miguel has only one simple wish — to have his parents by his side. But how can he keep the faith when the truth is that dreams don’t always come to pass? A Spanish edition, El atrapasueños, is also available.

A young girl and her father share an early morning horseback ride around their city. In the early hours before dawn, a young girl and her father greet their horses and ride together through the waking city streets. As they trot along, Daddy tells cowboy stories filled with fun and community, friendship, discovery, and pride. Seeing her city from a new vantage point and feeling seen in a new way, the child discovers that she too is a cowboy — strong and confident in who she is.

There are countless ways we celebrate and give to others on Thanksgiving. The goodness we share lasts the rest of the year — and sometimes for a lifetime. From joyful preparation of food, to quiet reflection honoring farmers and Native communities, to cherished moments of laughter with friends or family …   there is always room for making more memories together.