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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.

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.

Follow an arctic tern as it grows from egg to migrating bird. In Little Brown Nut (opens in a new window) (another book from the same Start Small, Think Big series), 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. 

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. 

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 but detailed illustrations complement the well-told tale.

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

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. 

A single word begins each short poem on opposing pages that describe 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.

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

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

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.” 

When Bear loses his round red glasses, he sees an elephant and even a 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.

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.

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

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

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

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).

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.

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

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

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).

A young Aztec girl tells her little brother how their parents create beautiful painted manuscripts, or codices. She explains to him how paper is made from local plants and how the long paper is folded into a book. Her parents and others paint the codices to tell the story of their people’s way of life, documenting their history, science, tributes, and sacred rituals. Duncan Tonatiuh’s lyrical prose and beloved illustration style, inspired by the pre-Columbian codices, tell the story of how — contrary to the historical narrative that European colonizers bestowed “civilization” and knowledge to the Americas — the Aztec and their neighbors in the Valley of Mexico painted books and records long before Columbus arrived, and continued doing so among their Nahua-speaking descendants for generations after the Spanish Conquest.

Long ago, the gods of Mesoamerica set out to create humans. They tried many times during each sun, or age. When all their attempts failed and the gods grew tired, only one did not give up: Quetzalcóatl — the Feathered Serpent. To continue, he first had to retrieve the sacred bones of creation guarded by Mictlantecuhtli, lord of the underworld. Gathering his staff, shield, cloak, and shell ornament for good luck, Feathered Serpent embarked on the dangerous quest to create humankind

Today two majestic volcanoes — Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl — stand overlooking Mexico City. They have been admired and revered for countless generations and have formed the basis of many origin and creation myths. Izta was the most beautiful princess in the land, and suitors traveled from far and wide to woo her. Even though she was the daughter of the emperor, Izta had no desire to marry a man of wealth and power. Instead, she fell in love with Popoca, a brave warrior who fought in her father’s army — and a man who did not offer her riches but a promise to stay by her side forever. The integration of Nahuatl words (defined with a pronunciation guide in the glossary) into the narrative provides a rich opportunity to introduce and explore another facet of ancient Aztec culture. Take your child on an adventure back in time to a land of color and beauty.