Great New Children’s Books for Younger Readers
Title: An American Story
By: Alexander, Kwame
Published: 2023
Suggested ages and title descriptions are from the publisher or each item's library catalog record.
Ages 4-8
A picture book in verse that threads together past and present to explore the legacy of slavery during a classroom lesson.
Title: Me and Muhammad Ali
By: Asim, Jabari
Published: 2022
Ages 3 to 7
Langston's joyous encounter with his hero, boxing champion and poet Muhammad Ali, is everything he dreamed it would be and more.
Title: Too Small Tola and the Three Fine Girls
By: Atinuke
Published: 2022
Ages 7 to 9
Too Small Tola lives in an apartment with her clever sister, Moji; her big brother, Dapo; and Grandmommy, who is very bossy. In the first of three endearing new adventures, Tola is sized just right to wriggle under the bed and rescue Grandmommy's prized possession when it goes missing. Her savvy and math skills save the day when Grandmommy gets sick, and when the family can't afford new clothes, industrious Tola finds a way--with a little help from Grandmommy--to be just as fine as the three fine girls she so greatly admires
Title: Starring Steven Spielberg: The Making of a Young Filmmaker
By: Barretta, Gene
Published: 2022
Ages 5 to 9
Looks at the youth of celebrated award-winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg, director of such classics as E.T. and Jurassic Park. He used to make movies as a kid!
Title: Rock, Rosetta, Rock! Roll, Rosetta, Roll!
By: Bolden, Tonya
Published: 2023
Ages 4 to 8
Before there was Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Johnny Cash, there was Sister Rosetta Tharpe. The Godmother of Rock & Roll started as a little girl from Arkansas with music in her air, in her hair, in her bones, wiggling her toes. With a big guitar in hand and a big voice in her soul, she grew into a Rock & Roll trailblazer in a time when women were rarely seen rocking out.
Title: Our Friend Hedgehog: A Place to Call Home
By: Castillo, Lauren
Published: 2022
Ages 5 to 9
Hedgehog and her friends discover that home can be found in unexpected places.
Title: Evegreen
By: Cordell, Matthew
Published: 2023
Ages 3 to 7
To deliver her mother's delicious soup to her sick Granny Oak, Evergreen the squirrel must face her fears and make the journey, during which she meets other forest dwellers, including some who want to get their hands on her soup!
Title: This Is Not a Story about a Kitten
By: de Sève, Randall
Published: 2022
Ages 4 to 8
A neighborhood comes together to help a kitten without a home.
Title: Beneath
By: Doerrfeld, Cori
Published: 2023
Ages 4 to 8
Finn is in a bad mood, so his grandfather takes him on a walk in the forest, and tells him about all the things that are beneath the surface of plants and animals--and even people.
Title: I Did It!
By: Emberley, Michael
Published: 2022
Ages 4 to 7
A girl tries and tries again to learn to ride a bicycle and all her friends provide words of encouragement.
Title: In Every Life
By: Frazee, Marla
Published: 2023
Ages 3 to 8
A picture book celebrating both the highs and lows that everyone experiences in the course of a life.
Title: My Paati's Saris
By: Gopal, Jyoti Rajan
Published: 2022
Ages 4 to 8
A Tamil boy explores his love for his grandmother and her colorful sari collection in this tale of expressing your true self.
Title: My Fade Is Fresh
By: Grant, Shauntay
Published: 2022
Ages 3 to 7
With so many beautiful hairstyles to choose from like perms and locs, a little girl decides to get the freshest fade on the block.
Title: Hana's Hundreds of Hijabs
By: Gutta, Razeena Omar
Published: 2022
Ages 4 to 9
When her huge collection of hijabs and accessories gets way out of control, Hana comes up with a clever plan for sharing her talents and possessions with her community.
Title: Witch Hazel
By: Idle, Molly
Published: 2022
Ages 4 to 8
A girl is transformed by the magical power of stories through the shared memories of her grandmother Hazel.
Title: Finding Papa
By: Krans, Angela Pham
Published: 2023
Ages 4 to 8
Follows young Mai and her mother's perilous journey from Vietnam to America to find Papa--who left ahead of them to start a better life for their family.
Title: Dim Sum, Here We Come!
By: Lam, Maple
Published: 2023
Ages 4 to 8
Today is Sunday and that means its dim sum time with my whole family! I can't wait to see everyone, especially Grandma. I'm going to eat lots of shrimp dumplings, rice noodle rolls, egg tarts, and my favorite--char siu buns. We will have to order enough for us all to share. So what are you waiting for? Dim sum, here we come
Title: April & Mae and the Tea Party: The Sunday Book
By: Lambert, Megan Dowd
Published: 2022
Ages 5 to 8
April and Mae are best friends (and so are their pets). One day angry words are exchanged and they must find a way to apologize and save their friendship
Title: Our Story Starts in Africa
By: Lawrence, Patrice
Published: 2022
Ages 4 to 8
When Paloma goes to visit her family in Trinidad, she doesn't feel that she fits in. But Tante Janet has a story to tell her: An ancient story of warrior queens and talking drums, of treasures and tales that span thousands of years... Join Tante Janet and her inquisitive niece as they share the story of how her family came to the Caribbean, through the dark days of colonization and enslavement, to the emergence of a thriving, contemporary Africa.
Title: Feathers Together
By: Levis, Caron
Published: 2022
Ages 4 to 8
Stork friends Malena and Klepetan look forward to the next migration from Croatia to South Africa, but when Malena is injured and can not join the flock, their time apart brings many challenges and big feelings, pushing them to stay connected and hope for a spring reunion.
Title: Once Upon a Book
By: Lin, Grace
Published: 2023
Co-Author: Kate Messner
Ages 4 to 8
Alice can go anywhere in the magical pages of her favorite book. So when it flaps its pages and invites her in, she is swept away to a world of wonder and adventure. But at the end of her imaginative journey, she yearns for the place she loves best of all.
Title: Owl and Penguin
By: Madan, Vikram
Published: 2022
Ages 4 to 8
Despite their differences, two unlikely friends flock together like birds of a feather.
Title: The Kindest Red: A Story of Hijab and Friendship
By: Muhammad, Ibtihaj
Published: 2023
Ages 4 to 8
Sisters Faizah and Asiyah learn how to spread kindness on school picture day.
Title: What's Your Name?
By: Murguia, Bethanie Deeney
Published: 2022
Ages 3 to 7
Names hold power. They can be a greeting, provide comfort, act as a warning, or honor our ancestors and heroes. Sometimes growing into a name, or selecting a new one, can take a little time. Names connect us to others and help create who we are and what makes us uniquely special. A celebratory and affirming story that will have readers reflecting on their own names--and proudly sharing them.
Title: Stillwater and Koo Save the World
By: Muth, Jon J.
Published: 2023
Ages 4 to 8
Stillwater the giant panda's nephew, Koo, has a dream about saving the world, and Stillwater shows him that sometimes saving the world starts with doing the little things, like cleaning your room, and feeding the cat.
Title: Reina Ramos Works It Out!
By: Otheguy, Emma
Published: 2022
Ages 4 to 8
Reina Ramos is excited about dressing up as Frida Kahlo for the class wax museum. Frida was a strong person like her mami and abuela-plus Reina has the perfect headband for the costume! But when her best friend Nora picks Frida first, Reina doesn't know what to do. Who will she dress up as now?
Title: Mister Kitty Is Lost!
By: Pizzoli, Greg
Published: 2023
Ages 2 to 6
A child and dog search for a lost pet, Mister Kitty, as the child describes what Mister Kitty looks like to the reader.
Title: Just Like Grandma
By: Rogers, Kim
Published: 2023
Ages 4 to 8
Becca loves spending time with Grandma. Every time Becca says, "Let me try," Grandma shows her how to make something beautiful. Whether they are beading moccasins, dancing like the most beautiful butterflies, or practicing basketball together, Becca knows that, more than anything, she wants to be just like Grandma. And as the two share their favorite activities, Becca discovers something surprising about Grandma.
Title: Still This Love Goes On
By: Sainte-Marie, Buffy
Published: 2022
Ages 3 to 8
With breathtaking lyrics by internationally renowned Cree singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie and stunning images by award-winning Cree-Métis author and illustrator Julie Flett, this book, based on the song of the same name, is a love letter celebrating seasons, place, Indigenous traditions, and community. It is a song of hope. Of home. Of power and place and change and time. Of summer flowers turning fields to sun, and hearts filled with drumbeats. Read it. Sing it. Share it.
Title: Anzu the Great Listener
By: Shum, Benson
Published: 2023
Ages 4 to 8
Anzu the kaiju loves to tend to his bonsai. Whenever he feels overwhelmed or unsettled, it helps him pause and reminds him to just...breathe.
Title: Abuela's Super Capa
By: Siqueira, Ana
Published: 2023
Ages 4 to 8
Saturdays are superhero days. Equipped with their milkshakes and capas, Luis and his abuela can turn anything into an adventure. But when Abuela gets sick, Luis has to learn a new way to be a hero.
Title: Stars of the Night: The Courageous Children of the Kindertransport
By: Stelson, Caren
Published: 2023
Ages 7 to 11
The powerful and sensitively told true story of the Czech Kindertransport, which rescued 669 children from Nazi persecution on the eve of World War II.
Title: Mega-Predators of the Past
By: Stewart, Melissa
Published: 2022
Ages 6 to 10
It is time for T. rex and his dinosaur cousins to step aside and let other mega-predators like the terror bird and the giant ripper lizard take the spotlight! Travel back to prehistoric times and meet some of the most impressive creatures to ever roam the Earth. You'll be amazed at the size and the fierceness of these lesser-known predators, many of them ancient ancestors of animals that we still see today.
Title: Jump In!
By: Strickland, Shadra
Published: 2023
Ages 4 to 8
Celebrates a community coming together through their love of double Dutch jump rope.
Title: Keyana Loves Her Family
By: Tarpley, Natasha Anastasia
Published: 2023
Ages 4 to 8
Keyana's latest big idea is to have backyard movie soiree for all her relatives! When her twin cousins' fighting knocks over the projector movie night seems heading for disaster--until Keyana comes up with an even better idea.
Title: Off the Wall
By: Taylor, Theodore III
Published: 2022
Ages 4 to 8
Missing the city life, a young girl starts to feel a sense of belonging in her new town when she discovers vibrant graffiti splashed throughout the neighborhoods, proving street art can be found everywhere--as well as a sense of home.
Title: You So Black
By: Theresa the S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D.
Published: 2023
Ages 4 to 8
A celebration of the meaning of Blackness.
Title: Maya's Song
By: Watson, Renée
Published: 2022
Ages 6 to 10
This unforgettable picture book introduces young readers to the life and work of Maya Angelou, whose words have uplifted and inspired generations of readers. The author of the celebrated autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya was the first Black person and first woman to recite a poem at a presidential inauguration, and her influence echoes through culture and history. She was also the first Black woman to appear on the United States quarter. Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Award winner Renée Watson uses Angelou's beloved medium of poetry to lyrically chronicle her rich life in a deeply moving narrative.
Title: Dark on Light
By: White, Dianne
Published: 2022
Ages 4 to 8
As night falls, a trio of siblings stumble upon some of nature's hidden nighttime beauty, including timid fawns, blossoming lavender, silent owls, and many more wonders of the night.
Title: Nell Plants a Tree
By: Wynter, Anne
Published: 2023
Ages 4 to 8
Three generations of a family grow up and come together around one pecan tree.