A Different Pond by Bao Phi
A 2018 Caldecott Honor Book, this is a powerful, honest glimpse into a relationship between father and son – and between cultures, old and new. 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 recreation. A successful catch meant a fed family. Between hope-filled casts, Bao’s father told him about a different pond in their homeland of Vietnam.
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
The bear’s hat is gone, and he wants it back. Patiently and politely, he asks the animals he comes across, one by one, whether they have seen it. Each animal says no, some more elaborately than others. But just as the bear begins to despond, a deer comes by and asks a simple question that sparks the bear’s memory and renews his search with a vengeance. A New York Times award winner in 2011.
Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems
Trixie, Daddy, and Knuffle Bunny take a trip to the neighborhood laundromat, but their adventure takes an unexpected turn when Trixie realizes something is missing. Winner of the Caldecott Medal in 2009.
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña
This Newbery-winning modern classic is an inclusive ode to kindness, empathy, gratitude, and finding joy in unexpected places, and celebrates the special bond between a curious young boy and his loving grandmother.
Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
The nationally bestselling picture book about a kitten, the moon, and a bowl of milk, written by the celebrated author and illustrator Kevin Henkes, was awarded a Caldecott Medal. It is Kitten’s first full moon, and when she sees it she thinks it is a bowl of milk in the sky. And she wants it. Does she get it? Well, no . . . and yes. What a night!
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
The rainbow fish with its iridescent scales is the most beautiful fish in the whole ocean. But since he is also vain and proud, he becomes more and more lonely over time. Then he realizes that you can’t win friends through beauty. He overcomes his pride and begins to distribute his glitter scales to the other fish. Eye-catching foil stamping, glittering on every page, offers instant child appeal, but it is the universal message at the heart of this simple story about a beautiful fish who learns to make friends by sharing his most prized possessions that gives the book its lasting value. Winner of several awards including the Abby from American Booksellers.
Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni
The Caldecott Honor winning classic about a brave and clever little worm from beloved picture book creator Leo Lionni. A small green inchworm is proud of his skill at measuring anything—a robin’s tail, a flamingo’s neck, a toucan’s beak. Then one day a nightingale threatens to eat him if he cannot measure his song. Children will enjoy the clever inchworm’s solution and delight in finding the tiny hero on every page.
The Baby Tree by Sophie Blackall
Sooner or later, every child will ask, Where do babies come from? Answering this question has never been this easy or entertaining! Join a curious little boy who asks everyone from his babysitter to the mailman, getting all sorts of funny answers along the way, before his parents gently set him straight. A New York Times Notable Book of the Year.
The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night by Peter Spier
This Caldecott Honor book from beloved illustrator Peter Spier is a spirited take on a classic American folk song. Over fifty years after he won a Caldecott Honor for The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night, legendary illustrator Peter Spier went back to this time-honored favorite in 2014 to paint the half of the book that was originally printed in black and white. In this estored vision of Spier’s beloved classic, follow the wily fox as he roams a sleepy New England town in search of a meal, with tones and textures so vivid you can almost hear the crackle of crisp fall leaves and the ripples of the river in the moonlight.
The Little Island by Margaret Wise Brown
Children’s book legend Margaret Wise Brown and Caldecott Medal-winner Leonard Weisgard bring young readers an enduring picture book about the magic of nature. Winner of the 1947 Caldecott Medal, this beautifully moving story centers around a little island in the midst of the wide ocean, and the curious kitten who comes to visit. As the seasons pass, the island and the creatures who call it home witness an ever-changing array of sights, smells, and sounds—proving that, no matter how small, we are all an important part of the world.
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