Starred Reviews

A New York Times Best Children's Book of 2020 A Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of 2020 A Time Magazine Best YA and Children’s Book of 2020 A Smithsonian Magazine Best Children's Book of 2020 A Booklist Editor's Choice for 2020:...

Rabbit, Duck, and Big Bear are best friends. They do everything together and go everywhere together except for one place. They never go down the long and winding path together. But this winter, when Rabbit, Duck, and Big Bear go...

Tad is small. In fact, she is the smallest almost-a-frog in the whole, wide pond. That makes it hard for her to do big things like follow her tadsiblings who swim to other parts of the pond when they outgrow...

Little Louie’s story keeps getting messed up, and he’s not happy about it! What’s the point of telling his tale if he can’t tell it perfectly? But when he stops and takes a deep breath, he realizes that everything is...

Lami is the best chicken catcher in the whole village. Her sister may be speedy at spelling, her friend fast at braiding hair, and her brother brave with bulls, but when it comes to chickens, nobody is faster or braver...

A brave little artist goes on an epic adventure to share her creativity with the world in this picture book from New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Ed Vere. It’s an inspiring exploration of the creative spirit, perfect for fans of...

Ruby does NOT like bugs! Until she’s forced to spend some time looking more closely at one… A funny story for kids with big feelings and curious minds. When Ruby discovers a bug on her window one morning she FREAKS...

This simple, poignant fable—featuring Caldecott medalist Jerry Pinkney’s final illustrations and completed after his death by his son, Brian Pinkney—reminds us that, like the first drop of water thrown onto a raging fire, we all have the power to change...

Cece Bell loves music and collecting old record albums, her introduction explains, especially albums featuring animal artists. The bouncing harmonies of the Barbershop Beagles, the elegant crooning of the elephant Ella Fontaine, the hilarious rhymes of the Hip-Hop Hedgehogs—all are...

Not all questions have answers. Some have more than one answer. And others have endless answers, unfolding out to the edges of the world. In this spare yet expansive narrative, acclaimed author Mac Barnett poses twenty questions both playful and...

Nook is small and shy, and she likes to sit in the cozy, comfy space of a hollow tree watching others play. When someone comes along to take Nook’s space, she feels lost and afraid, until she discovers she has...

I am a nonstop ball of energy. Powerful and full of light. I am a go-getter. A difference maker. A leader. The confident Black narrator of this book is proud of everything that makes him who he is. He’s got...

Explore the sounds, sights, smells, and textures of a new season—fall—in this gorgeously illustrated picture book. In the middle of fall, the sky is nearly gray, the leaves have already turned, and all it takes is one gust of wind...

The stick appeared when a tree dropped it. The stick appeared when a tree dropped it. Where did the bad mood come from? Who picked up the stick? And where is the bad mood off to now? You never know...

Is that a horse wearing a hat? It’s definitely not a unicorn in disguise — that would be ridiculous, right? It’s probably just a horse that’s having a bad hair day. Or trying to keep the sun out of its...

Trucky Roads sees all kinds of trucks, and when he imagines the kinds of trucks that could be, there is no stopping him. From a cloud roller to a comet mixer, the sky is the limit when you dream!

E. B. White Read-Aloud winner Mac Barnett celebrates individuality in a story told with tenderness and subtlety. It’s John’s big day at school today—a performance for Sharing Gifts time. His bag is carefully packed and prepared, his classmates are ready,...

As a young boy, Bao and his father awoke early, hours before his father's long workday began, to fish on the shores of a small pond in Minneapolis. Unlike many other anglers, Bao and his father fished for food, not...

Spirited Away meets Where the Wild Things Are by way of yokai mythology in this enchanting picture book by debut author J. P. Takahashi and illustrator Minako Tomigahara. The night parade is about to begin . . . The ground...

An empowering reflection on the many things we are and the ways we relate to the world. Poet Bob Raczka’s You are a Story highlights all of the nuance and potential of a growing person’s identity, delighting in the things...

In this lyrical picture book, world-renowned poet, New York Times bestselling author, and Coretta Scott King Honor winner Nikki Giovanni and fine artist Erin Robinson craft an ode to the magic of a library as a place not only for...

From New York Times bestselling Joanna Ho, of Eyes that Kiss in the Corners, and award-winning educator Liz Kleinrock, comes a powerful companion picture book about adoption and family. A young girl who is a transracial adoptee learns to love...

Forced to take shelter when their Syrian city is plagued with bombings, young Nour and her cousin begin to bravely build a secret underground library. Based on the author’s own life experience and inspired by a true story, Nour’s Secret...

Willow is shy. VERY shy. Her home is in an abandoned mailbox, and she'd rather stay put. Outside kids scream and soccer balls collide, trees look like monsters, and rain is noisy in a scary kind of way. It's much...