Holiday Buying Guide 2024

Short rhymes introduce animals in clear, simple illustration with a touch of texture. Playful vegetables are presented in another title from the Touch and Feel series: Fruits & Veggies (opens in a new window).

Five children dressed as dinosaurs stomp, thump, and march their way across the pages, leaving one at a time until there are none. 

A bear and cub share special moments throughout the day, beginning as the sun rises and continuing until a nighttime snuggle. 

Leo and Dad go out to meet Nana G for lunch at a restaurant. Leo’s toy seahorse joins them, giving young children something extra to see on each page.

Dogs and cats talk without words! Childlike illustrations and straightforward language describe myriad moods to bring meaning to the familiar ways pets communicate. In the same series: Cat Chat: How Cats Tell Us How They Feel (opens in a new window).

After a busy day, animal families snuggle up just like children and their parents in this cozy illustrated and gently rhyming board book.

Share photos of cheerful babies wearing familiar clothing from hats to pajamas in this small, sturdy book, just right for reading on a lap.

Dogs help people in many ways. Guess what jobs the dogs presented in color photographs and simple rhymes perform — including being a best friend.

Even as a chip, the robot knew he was different which was a problem until he stumbled upon an art museum where he found his passion. Wry humor and a bit of wisdom are conveyed in illustration and understated text.

Bear loses his round red glasses and thinks he may have left them at his friend Giraffe’s house. On the walk over, Bear sees an elephant, a crocodile, a flamingo, a deer, and even a spotted snake that turns out to be Giraffe. Bear’s glasses are perched on his head, as Giraffe and readers realize. Understated humor is presented in bold shapes and language.

Evocative illustrations and lyrical language follow a young Cherokee child as she cheerfully moves from an urban area to a home where there’s “room to run.” 

A lonely child saves his beloved woods in this magical, highly imaginative tale. Follow the unfolding tale told entirely through gorgeous illustrations.

The countdown to the change in season begins with one red fox “stalking winter” to 12 excited children “happily meeting spring.” Bold scratchboard illustrations evoke the frozen Alaskan landscape, inspired by the author’s time in Fairbanks.

A single word begins each short poem on opposing page, describing an animal and contrasting attributes: a cautious groundhog appears with the reckless squirrel, a patient spider with a restless blowfly, a playful dolphin with the dignified sperm whale, and more in each of the bold, bouncily illustrated pairings in this handsome volume.

Eddy is lonely as he swims — until one day not one, but two friends appear just outside of the fishbowl. The friends’ identity is revealed when Eddy excitedly jumps out the bowl. Tension is high until a true friendship becomes evident. 

Hank is not only a silly goose, but he’s also rude and downright obnoxious, making his friends miserable. Until they don’t want to deal with him anymore. Lonely Hank becomes a more considerate goose who changes his ways (or does he?) in this slyly funny tale.

Goat and Bunny form a friendship when they discover they both enjoy the same coffee. As the friends do many things together but differently, they know that “it is okay.” Whimsical, detailed illustrations complement the well-told tale.

Reluctantly, a child dons itchy winter clothes to accompany her mother to see ice sculptures being created. While there, she loses her beloved toy horse. Magic occurs when they return that evening to see the ice figures at night and the narrator’s horse is found. 

Press the buttons to hear the music in this time-traveling journey around the world, as young readers embark on an adventure through classical music. From Elgar’s Cello Concerto, to a violin sonata by Beethoven, this book helps children about cultural history, famous musicians, and musical genres.

Pablo is a beret-wearing canine whose favorite subject is cats. Other dogs don’t understand him, and (understandably) cats run away from him. Pablo decides to give up his art until befriended by a brave feline. Bold forms, color, and rich language tell a seemingly simply but surprisingly sophisticated tale meant to be shared. Older children may enjoy this board book as well.

Follow an arctic tern as it grows from egg to migrating bird. In another book from the same Start Small, Think Big series, Little Brown Nut (opens in a new window), watch a small nut grow into a huge tree with a little help from the agoutis. Each book unfolds in text and illustration that can be shared at different levels. Both titles include a large, informative foldout. 

In this piano sound book, very young children press the keys to learn eight famous classical tunes, such as “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from The Nutcracker. Each song includes an illustration and description of the part of the story that the music is telling, along with playing tips. 

Sissy’s younger brother nicknamed Chooch (Cherokee for boy or son) is more trouble than help until he helps Sissy feel better after she has a meltdown. Illustrations capture a specific culture in this universal family story. Backmatter provides additional information about the art and language.

Isabel Beane is a quiet girl who lives with five siblings in a home with hubbub, hullabaloo, and “too muchness.” At school, Isabel feels anxious in class when a new girl behaves unkindly. Find out how Isabel learns to speak up for herself in this accessibly told novel. Resources about autism and anxiety are included.

Words matter but sometimes silence is stronger. That’s why in 1917, a man of words and author of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (known as the Black National Anthem) organized a silent march down New York City’s Fifth Avenue. Over 10,000 adults and children participated. Additional information and the words to Johnson’s poem concluded this handsome volume. 

Magnolia thought that her summer would be boring until she meets Iris Lam, new to the city. Together, Iris and Magnolia venture to reunite lost socks with their owners. Along the way, they meet fascinating, quirky people in this charming, humorous novel illustrated with black-and-white line drawings.

A small dwarf rabbit named Mishka helps an Afghan family who have been relocated to the Netherlands find home and a sense of permanence. Based on Elman’s experience, this touching family story is enhanced by delicate, textured illustrations.

A mouth is for eating of course, but animals use them for so much more!  Discover how some use them for climbing and for storing food and what differentiates similar mouths. Dramatic illustrations and informative inserts create a fact-packed, accessible book. Back matter includes a glossary and additional resources.

A NASA voyage to explore Jupiter’s moon, Europa, launched in October 2024. Its 6-year journey is sure to mesmerize readers of all ages as the mystery lies above, beneath, and around us. The poem is written by the U.S. Poet Laureate and engraved on the Europa Clipper, illustrated by internationally recognized artist. A wonderful book to share aloud, including with older children.

Human error led to creative solutions as the Webb Space Telescope was designed and tested — leading to amazing “eyes in the skies.” More than 20,000 people contributed to its success and are introduced through photographs and illuminating text. The author is an engineer who once worked at NASA.

A dandelion on the playground grows and grows, captivating children who appreciate its beauty. Not so the adults who rip the flower from the ground, dismaying the students. But dandelions are resilient and so are children in this oversized, slightly subversive tale.

Rufus and the staff of the Woofmore Hotel work diligently to please all guests, but especially movie star Greta Garbark. Wordplay, a bit of scatological humor, and full-color illustrations will engage readers young and old in the first volume of the series. 

Poetry and information combine for a joyful and illuminating look at wind. Mixed-media illustrations dance through the pages, concluding with additional resources to discover more about wind.

Look around … art is everywhere! Art can be everything from the family photograph to the chair in your living room. This exploration encourages readers to discover art from around the world and in their own backyard. “Circles of art” begin with self, expanding out to the cosmos. Thoughtfully presented and attractively formatted, this book can be enjoyed many times over.

What happens when a crackerjack softball player — and the only girl on the team — wants to give it up? Who is Elena Rueda without her brother and team buddies? Attractive art and a recognizable dilemma make this an appealing graphic novel. 

Sophisticated readers will appreciate the poetic examination of family and the life of one woman, her past, and the influence she’s had on the members of her family. These new poems by Nye remind us of that we all have family and a community, as we meet and empathize with the poet’s late mother.

Can two young people save the world’s magic? Find out in this memorable, beautifully written fantasy filled with fast-paced adventure and mythical creatures come alive to help or hinder. Sophisticated readers will appreciate the rich, colorful art and an introduction to the unique beings in this epic fantasy.

After a natural death, a whale provides continued life for numerous sea and land creatures for many years. Follow one 90-year-old whale in its environment and after its life has ended, through accessible language and highly informative illustrations in this stunning book.

Lola has always felt the magic in her Mexican City home. To save her brother — and the magic — Lola travels to a hidden world where she learns that to gain something, other things must be let go. Beautifully written and handsomely illustrated.

Mouse, a rodent living in Dogtown, narrates this fast-paced, humorous, and engaging tale of life for misfit shelter dogs, both real and robotic. Revisit Buster, the bounce-back hound, and robot dog Smokey with a peculiar chip in Dogtown (opens in a new window), the standalone, highly illustrated first tale in the series.

Dragons have ignited imaginations around the world. Information is presented through this 19th century handbook found by the granddaughter of the first dragon rider. Letters open and close the volume, with imaginative illustrations in a large format in this original, ingenious, and immersive exploration.

Rami sees a floating girl in the art museum where his mother heads the cleaning crew. Could it be connected to the missing painting? Can Rami and classmate Veda solve the mystery before Rami’s mother loses her job? What does Agatha, the turtle in the museum pond, see that others missed? Intrigue, friendship, and art combine in this memorable volume.

When the name of his all-Asian rock band, The Slants®, was turned down for a trademark, Simon Tam took his fight all the way to the Supreme Court. The eight-year battle finally resulted in success. Illustrations use limited color and angular lines to suggest the difficulty of the fight to highlight the name, intended to confront bias head-on. Resources included lyrics to the titular song.

As seventh grader Tony was bullied, but eventually finds comfort and strength in art, anime, and friendship with other nerdy Black kids. This graphic memoir is honest in its portrayal of tough middle school relationships but is accessible and hopeful.

Have you ever wondered where colors come from? Explore the colors like never before in a totally engaging, often downright funny, and always informative book written by an illustrator (depicted with his dog throughout). Additional resources and activities conclude this fascinating, unique look at one aspect of art.