Great New Children’s Books for Younger Readers

Kids , Book List

Etta Extraordinaire

Title: Etta Extraordinaire
By: Ahmed, Roda
Published: 2023

Suggested ages and title descriptions are from the publisher or each item's library catalog record.

Ages 4 to 8

Born to be a star, Etta prepares for her big performance in her school's talent show, but when she gets pre-show jitters, her loving family helps her through it so she can shine in the spotlight.


I'm Going to Build a Snowman

Title: I'm Going to Build a Snowman
By: Awan, Jashar
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

A young child sets out to build the best snowman ever.


The Walk

Title: The Walk
By: Bingham, Winsome
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

As a little girl accompanies her grandma on a walk to the polling station, members of their community join and the grandmother explains the importance of their journey.


Flower Girl

Title: Flower Girl
By: Bloom, Amy
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

Nicki's favorite aunt is getting married, and Nicki is excited to be the Flower Girl: she is all in for love and pretty petals. But when the family goes shopping to find outfits for the wedding, Nicki doesn't feel like herself in any of the dresses her mom and aunt pick out for her, and all her happiness and excitement for the wedding evaporates. Nicki must find her voice--and her own style of expression to match it--to make Aunt Carmela's big day absolutely perfect.


Together We Swim

Title: Together We Swim
By: Bolling, Valerie
Published: 2023

Ages 3 to 5

Told in rhyming text, a young boy learns to swim in a pool with the example and encouragement of his family.


I Help

Title: I Help
By: Cepeda, Joe
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

When a boy finds a canteen in his garage, he finds his superpower--helping everyone, from the postman to the local birds.


Oh, Olive!

Title: Oh, Olive!
By: Cho, Lian
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

Presenting Olive Chen! The most magnificent and brilliant artist in the whole wide world! Her parents are also artists--serious artists--who paint prim, proper, perfect shapes. They know Olive has the talent to follow in their footsteps. But Olive likes to smear, splatter, splash, and even lick. With a brush in each hand, Olive cascades through town with her friends in tow, painting what she wants to, what she feels--until she reaches her parents' pristine art museum...


Ploof

Title: Ploof
By: Clanton, Ben
Published: 2023

Ages 2 to 5

Ploof is a puffy cloud who's a little lonely -- but now you're here, and the fun can begin! Can you help Ploof overcome their shyness? Play pretend? Make Ploof laugh with your funny faces, find their hiding spot, give them a high five! Full of imaginative and interactive fun, each page of this perfect book for preschoolers offers a chance to play.


Dim Sum Palace

Title: Dim Sum Palace
By: Fang, X.
Published: 2023

Ages 3 to 7

Liddy is so excited about going to the Dim Sum Palace tomorrow with her family that she can't sleep. So when a delicious smell wafts into her room, she hops out of bed, opens her door and steps into . . . an actual palace of dim sum!


The Masjid Kamal Loves

Title: The Masjid Kamal Loves
By: Franklin, Ashley
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

Written in the cumulative style of "The House that Jack Built," this picture book builds a rhythmic list of reasons a young Muslim boy, Kamal, loves going to his masjid on Fridays for Jumu'ah prayer.


We Could Fly

Title: We Could Fly
By: Giddens, Rhiannon
Published: 2023

Ages 6 to 9

At a sparrow's urging, a young girl feels a mysterious trembling in her arms, a lightness in her feet, a longing to be free. Her mother tells her that her Granny Liza experienced the same, as did many of their people before her. Perhaps it's time, Mama says, to slip the bonds of earth and join the journey started long ago. To hold each other tight and rise.


Remembering

Title: Remembering
By: Gonzalez, Xelena
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

On Día de los Muertos, a family prepares an ofrenda for their favorite furry family member, remembering all the ways that their beloved pet brought love and comfort to their lives.


Rock Your Mocs

Title: Rock Your Mocs
By: Goodluck, Laurel
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

In this happy, vibrant tribute to Rock Your Mocs Day, observed yearly on November 15, author Laurel Goodluck (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Tsimshian) and artist Madelyn Goodnight (Chickasaw) celebrate the joy and power of wearing moccasinsand the Native pride that comes with them.


Desert Queen

Title: Desert Queen
By: Gopal, Jyoti Rajan
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

This picture book biography in verse follows the life of beloved Rajasthani drag performer Queen Harish, known as the Whirling Desert Queen of Rajasthan. Lit by an inner fire and propelled by a family tragedy, Harish defied the gender conventions of middle class Indian life, battled discrimination and intimidation, and eventually grew up to dance with Bollywood movie stars and on stages across the world.


Mama's Sleeping Scarf

Title: Mama's Sleeping Scarf
By: Grace-James, Nwa
Published: 2023

Ages 3 to 7

Chino loves the scarf her mother ties around her hair at night, and takes it on endless adventures during the day as a reminder of the ones she loves.


The Concrete Garden

Title: The Concrete Garden
By: Graham, Bob
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

After a long, cold winter, doors finally open, and children spill out like candies from a box. Amanda is the last one out of the apartment building, with a carton of chalk in her hands. On every inch of the pavement outside, the children draw pictures of flowers and trees, mushrooms and snails, and a few very unexpected things.


I'm From

Title: I'm From
By: Gray, Gary
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

Early morning wakeups and homemade pancakes, Raucous bus rides and schoolyard games, Family games and bedtime rituals... These are the small moments that shape a child's day. I'm From is an invitation into the vivid world of one small boy, a poetic account of all the people and places and things that shape who he is and define where he is from.


A Walk in the Woods

Title: A Walk in the Woods
By: Grimes, Nikki
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

A grieving son follows a treasure map his late father left him through the woods they used to explore together.


Yukie's Island: My Family's World War II Story

Title: Yukie's Island: My Family's World War II Story
By: Kimura, Yukie
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

When Yukie Kimura was eight years old, her family lived on a tiny island near the coast of northern Japan, where her father was a lighthouse keeper. Her days were filled with adventure and nature: collecting seagull eggs to bake cookies, finding fresh seafood on the shore, and digging for fossils in a cave. But it was also 1945, the final year of World War II. Then, during one sunny weekend, bombs are dropped.


The Skull

Title: The Skull
By: Klassen, Jon
Published: 2023

Ages 5 and up

In a big abandoned house, on a barren hill, lives a skull. A brave girl named Otilla has escaped from terrible danger and run away, and when she finds herself lost in the dark forest, the lonely house beckons. Her host, the skull, is afraid of something too, something that comes every night. Can brave Otilla save them both?


See the Ghost: Three Stories About Things You Cannot See

Title: See the Ghost: Three Stories About Things You Cannot See
By: LaRochelle, David
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

It's not easy to enjoy a picnic when you have unseeable interlopers to contend with! In a new trio of stories for beginning readers, the affable Max the dog and mischievous Baby Cakes the cat encounter a scare-happy ghost who has a run-in with a mirror, the wind at its blustery best, and a teeny-tiny fairy with a wayward wand who may have met her match.


Fresh Juice

Title: Fresh Juice
By: Liu-Trujillo, Robert
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

Art and his dad venture to their local farmer's market to find fresh ingredients to make a juice that will help Dad overcome his cold, and learn that staying healthy takes carrots, collards, cayenne, and community. Includes recipe for cold-clobbering juice.


There's Always Room for One More

Title: There's Always Room for One More
By: McGrath, Robyn
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

Clare struggles to say goodbye to the family table, until she discovers that a new, bigger table means more room for creating memories and welcoming loved ones.


Chef Edna: Queen of Southern Cooking, Edna Lewis

Title: Chef Edna: Queen of Southern Cooking, Edna Lewis
By: Melvina, Noel
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

Edna loved to cook. Growing up on a farm in Freetown, Virginia, she learned the value of fresh, local, seasonal food from her Mama Daisy, as well as how to measure ingredients for biscuits using coins and to listen closely to her cakes to know when they were done. Edna carried these traditions with her all the way to Manhattan, where she became a celebrated chef, cooking traditional French food in her signature Southern style and introducing the world to the flavors of her home.

Illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera


Baking with Mi Abuelita

Title: Baking with Mi Abuelita
By: Mora, Julissa
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 6

It's Papi's birthday! Which means it's time to get in the kitchen and bake the traditional family cake - Tres Leches! Together, we'll measure the ingredients and when some of it sticks to the pan, no worries! Abuelita is there to save the day. The family is working together on this special tradition, just like Papi did with Abuelita when he was young!


River of Mariposas

Title: River of Mariposas
By: Ortega, Mirelle
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

A young girl dreams of a time when the land and sky belonged to the mariposas amarillas, or yellow butterflies, and tries to re-create their glory with paper and glue.


My Grandfather's Song

Title: My Grandfather's Song
By: Phung, Nguyen Quang
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

Long ago, my grandfather came to this new land ... Before it became his home, the jungle was the land--full of awe-inspiring animals, lush trees, and endless water. Still, Tí feared the unknown. He didn't feel brave or capable, but Grandfather stood by his side, reminding him that the world around them is big, wonderful, and ready to welcome them into its song...if they're willing to listen


Dancing Hands: A Story of Friendship in Filipino Sign Language

Title: Dancing Hands: A Story of Friendship in Filipino Sign Language
By: Que, Joanna
Published: 2023

Ages 3 to 5

Sam is fascinated by her new neighbors and their ability to talk with their hands, and when she meets Mai, she starts to learn Filipino sign language so they can communicate. Includes dictionary of Philippine signs.


Salma Writes a Book

Title: Salma Writes a Book
By: Ramadan, Danny
Published: 2023

Ages 6 to 9

Salma is going to be a big sister! She's determined to be the best sister ever, so she sets out to write the ultimate guidebook to siblinghood. But the more Salma learns about siblings, the more confused she gets, especially since her mama is fighting with her own brother, Khalou Dawood, about who he loves. Can Salma figure out what it means to be a good sister before the baby arrives?


Pass the Baby

Title: Pass the Baby
By: Reich, Susanna
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

A delightful meal with a big extended family becomes a free-for-all when one particularly excitable baby joins the fun.


There Was a Party for Langston

Title: There Was a Party for Langston
By: Reynolds, Jason
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

A celebration of Langston Hughes and African American authors he inspired, told through the lens of the party held at the New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in 1991.


A Letter for Bob

Title: A Letter for Bob
By: Rogers, Kim
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

Ever since the day Mom and Dad brought Bob home from the car dealership, Bob has been a part of Katie's family. Bob has taken them all over, from powwows to vacations to time spent with faraway family. Bob has been there in sad and scary times and for some of the family's most treasured memories. But after many miles, it's time for the family to say goodbye to Bob...


The Real Story

Title: The Real Story
By: Ruzzier, Sergio
Published: 2023

Ages 3 to 6

When Cat asks Mouse how the cookie jar broke and where the cookies went, Mouse tells Cat implausible story after implausible story.


How to Count to One

Title: How to Count to One
By: Salmon, Caspar
Published: 2023

Ages 2 to 5

Get ready to show off your counting skills! Except...not everything is as it seems in this ... interactive picture book. There's a trick on every page as you encounter a rollerblading duck, a sausage in the sea, a worm in disguise, a dinosaur in space, and much more. Just remember--the answer will ALWAYS be ONE! Unless...could there be a way to outsmart the book--and count all the way up to 100?


Bhangra Baby

Title: Bhangra Baby
By: Sehgal, Kabir
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

Bhangra Baby learns to step, hop, twist, and jump as he moves to the rhythm of the dhol.


The Artivist

Title: The Artivist
By: Smith, Nikkolas
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

Motivated by the realization of global inequities, a young boy embraces his dual identities as an artist and activist, becoming an "Artivist" to make a difference by using his viral mural as a catalyst for positive change.


Do You Remember?

Title: Do You Remember?
By: Smith, Sydney
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

Tucked in bed at a new apartment, a boy and his mother trade memories. Some are idyllic, like a picnic with Dad, but others are more surprising: a fall from a bike into soft piled hay, the smell of an old oil lamp when a rainstorm blew the power out. Now it's just the two of them, and the house where all those memories happened is far away. But maybe someday, this will be a favorite memory, too: happy and sad, an end and a beginning intertwined


Prak Fills the House

Title: Prak Fills the House
By: Washington, Donna L.
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

This retelling of "The Three Little Pigs" stars a spirited pig as she outsmarts her older siblings in a friendly competition


Zora, the Story Keeper

Title: Zora, the Story Keeper
By: Wilkins, Ebony
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

A young Black girl and her aunt celebrate the wonder and magic of their family's legacy through storytelling.


When Rubin Plays

Title: When Rubin Plays
By: Zhang, Gracey
Published: 2023

Ages 4 to 8

Rubin loves the beautiful sounds that are played by the orchestra. He wants to learn to play the violin and make his own music. But when Rubin plays, it doesn't sound like he imagines it should. Rubin goes into the forest to practice alone and despite only getting the violin to screech, he finds an unlikely audience that loves his unique style


Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.

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