Children’s Book Reviews
Daddy & Dada
Authors: Ryan Brockington and Isaac Webster Illustrator: Lauren May This beautifully illustrated book features a young girl, Rumi, as she describes who is in her family. She talks about how her two dads, her brother, [...]
Carpenter’s Helper
Author: Sybil Rosen Illustrator: Camille Garoche Renata, the young girl in Carpenter’s Helper, is helping her Papi to remodel the bathroom. While looking at the different tasks they will be working on, Renata thinks about [...]
Lia & Luis: Who Has More?
Author: Ana Crespo Illustrator: Giovana Medeiros This is a great book that introduces several math concepts such as number sense by counting, comparison, measurement, mathematical vocabulary, and problem solving. This book also introduces food from [...]
A Polar Bear in the Snow
Author: Mac Barnett Illustrator: Shawn Harris This is a very simple story about a polar bear. On the first page you can’t see the polar bear because of all the snow. You begin to see [...]
My Shadow is Pink
Author: Scott Stuart The author and illustrator of My Shadow is Pink, Scott Stuart, wrote this book for his son, and other boys who find their “shadow is pink.” While the book is about gender identity, [...]
What We Believe: A Black Lives Matter Principles Activity Book
Author: Lalena Garcia Illustrator: Caryn Davidson This is an interactive book, more specifically an activity book, that provides pictures to color and concepts to read about. The intent of this book is to engage in [...]
Our Skin: A First Conversation About Race
Author: Megan Madison and Jessica Ralli Illustrator: Isabel Roxas Based on research, children can tell racial differences between people before their first birthday. That being said, it is important to talk to toddlers about race, [...]
Be Kind
Author: Pat Zietlow Miller Illustrator: Jen Hill Have you ever wondered how you could help children better understand the concept of what it means to be kind? Pat Zietlow Miller, the author, and Jen Hill, [...]
Charlotte and the Quiet Place
Author: Deborah Sosin Illustrator: Sara Woolley Everywhere Charlotte goes, the kitchen, her living room, school, the neighborhood, and even places that are supposed to be quiet like the library, there are noises. In the illustrations, [...]
Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away
Author: Meg Medina Illustrator: Sonia Sanchez This poignant children’s story features two young girls, Evelyn and Daniela, who are neighbors and the very best of friends. The story takes place on the day Evelyn and [...]
It’s OK to be Different
Author: Sharon Purtill Illustrator: Sujata Saha This is a beautiful book that comes to us from Canada. It has lovely, inclusive illustrations that reflect a variety of children and their cultures. This book reminds us [...]
Jacob’s New Dress
Author: Sarah and Ian Hoffman Illustrator: Chris Case The housekeeping or drama area in a class is usually full of dress up clothes spanning from firefighters to princesses. In this book, Jacob gravitates towards the [...]
All Because You Matter
Author: Tami Charles Illustrator: Bryan Collier What an amazing book to discuss the racial injustices occurring around the United States and the social justice movement through a developmentally appropriate way. It is described by other [...]
Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao
Author: Kat Zhang Illustrator: Charlene Chua Amy is a confident little girl that can do many things, except one thing she truly wants to do as part of her cultural connection -- make a perfect [...]
My Rainbow
Authors: DeShanna Neal and Trinity Neal Illustrator: Art Twink This is a story of love, acceptance, and advocacy in written form for children to understand and engage in conversations. Specifically, this is the story of [...]
Eyes that Kiss in the Corners
Author: Joanna Ho Illustrator: Dung Ho The little girl in, Eyes that Kiss in the Corners, is discovering herself, her identity, and her family. Her eyes are like her mother, her sister, and her grandmother, [...]
Don’t Touch My Hair!
Author: Sharee Miller Aria loves her soft and bouncy hair but so does everybody else! In fact, she finds that people are so curious about her hair that they can’t stop commenting on it and [...]
Ready to Fly: How Sylvia Townsend Became the Bookmobile Ballerina
Authors: Lea Lyon and Alexandria LaFaye Illustrator: Jessica Gibson In Ready to Fly: How Sylvia Townsend Became the Bookmobile Ballerina we meet a young girl, Sylvia, who sees some ballet dancers on T.V. and dreams [...]
Too Much Glue
Author: Jason Lefebvre This is a fun children’s book that focuses on Matty’s love of glue. He makes many artistic creations at home with his dad. One day, he gets the fullest glue bottle from [...]
A New Alphabet for Humanity: A Children’s Book of Alphabet Words to Inspire Compassion, Kindness and Positivity
Author: Leesa McGregor Illustrator: Daniela Sosa A New Alphabet for Humanity by Leesa McGregor is thoughtfully written and beautifully illustrated. This also presents us with a great opportunity to talk and help children reflect about [...]
Bob is a Unicorn
Author: Michelle Nelson-Schmidt Bob is a unicorn, but when he comes across various other animals they do not see him as a unicorn. Bob is disappointed and about to give up his unicorn dream until he [...]
Ada Twist Scientist
Author: Andrea Beaty Illustrator: David Roberts Inquisitive. Curious. Explorer. All of these words, plus more, describe Ada Marie, the main character in Ada Twist Scientist. Although Ada did not talk until she was three, her [...]
For Beautiful Black Boys who Believe in a Better World
Author: Michael W. Waters Illustrator: Keisha Morris Are you looking for a book to help discuss the racial unrest around the country in a child-friendly, yet honest way from the view of a Black family? [...]
The All-Together Quilt
Author and Illustrator: Lizzy Rockwell The All-Together Quilt by Lizzy Rockwell is based on the true story of The Norwalk Community Quilt Project called Peace by Piece. In this multigenerational and racially diverse book, the [...]
Here We Go Digging for Dinosaur Bones
Author: Susan Lendroth Illustrator: Bob Kolar Here We Go Digging for Dinosaur Bones by Susan Lendroth and illustrated by Bob Kolar is a book that can be sung or read with interactive motions. The pattern [...]