Miss Erin’s Picture Book Picks!

Mo Willems

When the driver leaves the bus temporarily, he gives the reader just one instruction: Don't let the pigeon drive the bus. But that pigeon tries every trick in the book to get in the driving seat. He whines, wheedles, fibs and flatters. Will you let him drive?

Todd Parr

Be who you are! Be proud of where you're from. Be a different color. Speak your language. Wear everything you need to be you. Who better than Todd Parr to remind kids that their unique traits are what make them so special? With his signature sil ly and accessible style, Parr encourages readers to embrace all their unique qualities.

Kadir Nelson

If you plant a carrot seed . . . a carrot will grow. If you plant a cabbage seed . . . cabbage will grow. But what happens if you plant a seed of kindness . . . or selfishness? With spare text and breathtaking oil paintings, If You Plant a Seed demon strates not only the process of planting and growing for young children but also how a seed of kindness can bear sweet fruit.

A ladybug invites the reader to play a game of "let's pretend."

Minh Lê

When a young boy visits his grandfather, their lack of a common language leads to confusion, frustration, and silence. But as they sit down to draw together, something magical happens-with a shared love of art and storytelling, the two form a bond th at goes beyond words.

Anna Grossnickle Hines

This work encourages imaginative and independent play inspiring toddlers not only to love trucks, but to become them, too. A young boy imagines himself to be different types of trucks as he plays in the sand.

Kevin Henkes

Five friends sit happily on a windowsill, waiting for something amazing to happen. The owl is waiting for the moon. The pig is waiting for the rain. The bear is waiting for the wind. The puppy is waiting for the snow. And the rabbit is just looking o ut the window because he likes to wait! What will happen? Will patience win in the end? Or someday will the friends stop waiting and do something unexpected? Waiting is a big part of childhood—waiting in line, waiting to grow up, waiting for something special to happen—but in this book, a child sets the stage and pulls the strings.

Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow

A khimar is a flowing scarf that my mommy wears. Before she walks out the door each day, she wraps one around her head. A young girl plays dress up with her mother’s headscarves, feeling her mother’s love with every one she tries on. Charming and vibrant illustrations showcase the beauty of the diverse and welcoming community in this portrait of a young Muslim American girl’s life.

Matt de la Peña

A young boy rides the bus across town with his grandmother and learns to appreciate the beauty in everyday things. By the author of the celebrated picture book A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis.

Mac Barnett

Sam and Dave are sure they will discover something exciting if they just keep digging their hole.

Ed Emberley

What has a bluish-greenish nose, sharp white teeth and big yellow eyes? It is the Big Green Monster, in this book children can change the features of the monster, it is designed to help dispel their fears of night-time monsters.

Jacqueline Woodson

There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you. There are many reasons to feel different. Maybe it's how you look or talk, or where you're from; maybe it's what you eat, or something just as random. It 's not easy to take those first steps into a place where nobody really knows you yet, but somehow you do it.

Grace Lin

Pat, pat, pat... Little Star's soft feet tiptoed to the Big Mooncake. Little Star loves the delicious Mooncake that she bakes with her mama. But she's not supposed to eat any yet! What happens when she can't resist a nibble?

Shinsuke Yoshitake

At bath time, a boy who believes he is ready to dress and undress himself gets stuck in his clothes, then imagines what life will be like if he remains that way forever.

Jane Yolen

Told in rhyming text young dinosaurs learn to read, but only after many mishaps, like chewing their books and throwing them at the cat--but eventually they learn to respect their books, and treat them properly.

Mem Fox

A story about many different sheep, and one that seems to be missing.

Aisha Saeed

Six-year-old Bilal is excited to help his dad make his favorite food of all-time: daal! The slow-cooked lentil dish from South Asia requires lots of ingredients and a whole lot of waiting. Bilal wants to introduce his friends to daal. They’ve never tried it! As the day goes on, the daal continues to simmer, and more kids join Bilal and his family, waiting to try the tasty dish. And as time passes, Bilal begins to wonder: Will his friends like it as much as he does?

Greg Foley

Some friends see each other every day. And sometimes they can't. That is what happens to Bear when Caterpillar makes a cocoon. 'Don't worry,' says Caterpillar, 'you'll see me again.' But Bear does worry. He checks o n his friend in the rain and wind, cold and snow. until the day he stops worrying, but then the cocoon is empty. . .

Matthew A. Cherry

A little girl's daddy steps in to help her arrange her curly, coiling, wild hair into styles that allow her to be her natural, beautiful self.

Donald Crews

Red caboose at the back, orange tank car, green cattle car, purple box car, black tender and a black steam engine . . . freight train. In simple, powerful words and vibrant illustrations, Donald Crews evokes the rolling wheels of that childhood favor ite: a train.

Atinuke

B is for Baby. B is for Brother. B is for going to see Baba! One morning after breakfast, Baby's big brother is getting ready to take the basket of bananas all the way to Baba's bungalow in the next village. He'll have to go along the bumpy road, past the baobab trees, birds, and butterflies, and all the way over the bridge. But what he doesn't realize is that his very cute, very curious baby sibling has stowed away on his bicycle.

Todd Parr

A book that reassures kids everywhere that even when things are scary or confusing, there's always something comforting around the corner. Todd Parr brings his trademark bright colors and bold lines to his new book about things that might make k ids worry--from loud news, to loud neighbors, or a big day at school.

Laura Joffe Numeroff

If a hungry little mouse shows up on your doorstep, you might want to give him a cookie. And if you give him a cookie, he'll ask for a glass of milk. He'll want to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn't have a milk mustache, and then he'll ask for a pair of scissors to give himself a trim...

Anna Dewdney

A bedtime story. A good-night kiss. And Mama Llama turns off the light. but is everything all right? No! This classic bedtime drama is now just the right size for little hands! More Llama llama for little ones!

Kim Smith

Meg goes to Maker School to hone her talent for building with boxes, but when Simone, another boxitect, arrives they become so competitive they nearly fail in the annual Maker Match.

Suzanne Bloom

When a studious polar bear meets an inquisitive goose, they learn to be friends.

Michael Hall

A heart can be hopeful, or silly, or happy. A heart can be rugged, or snappy, or lonely. A heart holds every different feeling, and debut author-artist Michael Hall captures each one with a delicate touch. For each feeling, the bold, graphic artwork creates an animal out of heart shapes, from "eager as a beaver" to "angry as a bear" to "thoughtful as an owl."

Jerry Pinkney, Aesop

In this wordless retelling of an Aesop fable set in the African Serengeti, an adventuresome mouse proves that even small creatures are capable of great deeds when she rescues the King of the Jungle.

Oge Mora

Everyone in the neighborhood dreams of a taste of Omu's delicious stew! One by one, they follow their noses toward the scrumptious scent. And one by one, Omu offers a portion of her meal. Soon the pot is empty. Has she been so generous that she has nothing left for herself?

Mo Willems

Leonardo is a terrible monster. He can't seem to frighten anyone. Then, one day, he meets a nervous boy called Sam and finds out that being a good friend is a whole lot more rewarding than trying to scare people.

Ellie Sandall

Nobody is watching. Now’s the perfect chance. Ready bunny, Steady bunny, EVERYBUNNY DANCE! Thus begins a whimsical celebration of movement, which will have children jumping out of their seats to dance, play, and sing with these cheerful bunnies—a nd one not-so-scary fox. Everybunny is invited to join together in this joyous display of playful creativity.

Herve Tullet, Christopher Franceschelli

Using no special effects other than the reader's imagination, simple directions lead the reader to experiment with mixing and changing colors on the printed page.

Breanna J. McDaniel

A young black girl lifts her baby hands up to greet the sun, reaches her hands up for a book on a high shelf, and raises her hands up in praise at a church service. She stretches her hands up high like a plane's wings and whizzes down a hill so fast on her bike with her hands way up. As she grows, she lives through everyday moments of joy, love, and sadness. And when she gets a little older, she joins together with her family and her community in a protest march, where they lift their hands up together in resistance and strength.

Christie Matheson

There is magic in every tiny seed. The seeds that come in little paper packets and those that fall from flowers and plants. In every garden and every flowerpot, magic can grow. With a little sunlight, a little water, and a little help from birds and worms and bees, a tiny seed sprouts, a plant grows, and a beautiful f lower blooms. There is magic in every tiny seed. And in this book, you become the magician. How? Press the seed into the ground, wiggle your fingers to add water, clap to bring the sun. And then . . .turn the page. What can grow from one tiny seed? Press, tap, wiggle, and jiggle to start the magic! Press the seed—don’t be shy! Wiggle your fingers to add some water. Clap your hands to bring the sun. Wow! A beautiful flower!

Antoinette Portis

A box is just a box . . . unless it's not a box. From mountain to rocket ship, a small rabbit shows that a box will go as far as the imagination allows. Inspired by a memory of sitting in a box on her driveway with her sister, Antoinette Portis captures the thrill when pretend feels so real that it actually becomes real—when the imagination takes over and inside a cardboard box, a child is transported to a world where anything is possible.

Amy Krouse Rosenthal

In this clever and literal play on words, OK is turned on its side, upside down, and right side up to show that being OK can really be quite great. Whether OK personifies an OK skipper, an OK climber, an OK lightning bug catcher, or an OK whatever th ere is to experience, ok is an OK place to be. And being OK just may lead to the discovery of what makes one great.

Eric Litwin

Count down with Pete in this rocking story that makes counting fun! Pete the Cat is wearing his favorite shirt—the one with the four totally groovy buttons. But when one falls off, does Pete cry? Goodness, no! He just keeps on singing his song—af ter all, what could be groovier than three groovy buttons?

Lucy Cousins

Little Fish has all sorts of fishy friends in his underwater home, but loves one of them most of all.

Dan Santat

Everyone knows that when Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. But what happened after? Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat's poignant tale follows Humpty Dumpty, an avid bird watcher whose favorite place to be is high up on the city wall—that is, until after his famous fall. Now terrified of heights, Humpty can longer do many of the things he loves most. Will he summon the courage to face his fear?

Ryan T. Higgins

It's the first day of school for Penelope Rex, and she can't wait to meet her classmates. But it's hard to make human friends when they're so darn delicious! That is, until Penelope gets a taste of her own medicine and finds she m ay not be at the top of the food chain after all. . . .

Ibtihaj Muhammad

With her new backpack and light-up shoes, Faizah knows the first day of school is going to be special. It's the start of a brand new year and, best of all, it's her older sister Asiya's first day of hijab--a hijab of beautiful blue fab ric, like the ocean waving to the sky. But not everyone sees hijab as beautiful, and in the face of hurtful, confusing words, Faizah will find new ways to be strong.

Jory John

This is a book about a bad seed. A baaaaaaaaaad seed. How bad? Do you really want to know? He has a bad temper, bad manners, and a bad attitude. He’s been bad since he can remember! This seed cuts in line every time, stares at everybody and never l istens. But what happens when one mischievous little seed changes his mind about himself, and decides that he wants to be—happy?

Brendan Wenzel

Hello, Hello! Beginning with two cats, one black and one white, a chain of animals appears before the reader, linked together by at least one common trait. From simple colors and shapes to more complex and abstract associations, each unexpected encou nter celebrates the magnificent diversity of our world—and ultimately paints a story of connection.

Matt de la Peña

In the beginning there is light and two wide-eyed figures standing near the foot of your bed and the sound of their voices is love. ... A cab driver plays love softly on his radio while you bounce in back with the bumps of the city and everything sme lls new, and it smells like life.

Drew Daywalt

You've played the game. Now read the legend of the three great warriors who started it all... Rock, Paper, Scissors.

Drew Daywalt

When Duncan arrives at school one morning, he finds a stack of letters, one from each of his crayons, complaining about how he uses them.

Adam Rubin

Explore the love dragons have for tacos, and the dangers of feeding them anything with spicy salsa!

B. J. Novak

You might think a book with no pictures seems boring and serious. Except . . . here’s how books work. Everything written on the page has to be said by the person reading it aloud.

Journeying to the library for story time, an enthusiastic Dinosaur discovers that his roaring may not be a popular activity at the library.

Karma Wilson

On a cold winter night many animals gather to party in the cave of a sleeping bear, who then awakes and protests that he has missed the food and the fun.