Book Finder

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 will teach children about cultural history, famous musicians, and musical genres.

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.

When the name of his all-Asian rock band, The Slants®, was turned down for a patent, 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 including lyrics to the titular song.

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.

Look around … art is everywhere! From the family photograph to the chair in your living room. This exploration encourages readers to discover not only art from around the world but in their own backyard. “Circles of art” begins with self, expanding out to the cosmos. Thoughtfully presented and attractively formatted, this will be enjoyed many times.

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.

Errors led to creative solutions as the Webb Space Telescope was designed and tested leading to amazing eyes in the skies. Over 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 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 an informative, accessible book. Back matter includes a glossary and additional resources.

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. 

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. 

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.

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

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).

In the pages of this book, you’ll find a workshop filled with everything you need, including a head, a thorax, an abdomen, and much more. Written by an entomologist and accompanied by delightfully detailed illustrations, this wonderfully original take on insect anatomy will spark curiosity and engage even those who didn’t think they liked creepy, crawly things!

The inspirational and little-known story of a dedicated teacher who coached Hawaiian swimmers all the way to the Olympics, beautifully told in simple rhyme. When the children of workers on a 1930s Maui sugar plantation were chased away from playing in the nearby irrigation ditches, local science teacher Soichi Sakamoto had an idea. He offered to take responsibility for the children — and then he began training them how to swim. Using his science background, Sakamoto devised his own innovative coaching techniques.

Out of the depths of the Great Depression comes the astonishing tale of nine working-class boys from the American West who at the 1936 Olympics showed the world what true grit really meant. With rowers who were the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the University of Washington’s eight-oar crew was never expected to defeat the elite East Coast teams, yet they did, going on to shock the world by challenging the German boat rowing for Adolf Hitler.

Have you ever wondered how athletes become Olympians? Canadian Olympic runner and author Madeleine Kelly explains the history of the Games, how athletes train for their event, ancient Greek athletes to contemporary competitors representing a number of different sports (including skateboarding, martial arts, and rock climbing), and more. “Fun fact” boxes shed light on sports that are new to the games as well as some that are no longer included, the Olympic motto, and the tradition of playing the anthem of the gold medalist’s country as they are honored.

From boxing to boccia, find out just what it takes to compete in every sport in the summer games. You’ll discover what makes each sport great — and not so great — as well as what skills and equipment you’ll need to start practicing like a pro!

Get ready…as a young boy growing up in Athens, your father has high hopes that you’ll enter the Olympic games. It’s demanding!

An intimate look at Juneteenth, this story is a warm exploration of a family and a community. Juneteenth is the smell of brisket filling the air. Juneteenth is the sounds of music, dancing, and cheering ringing from the parade outside. It is love. It is prayer. It is friends and relatives coming together to commemorate freedom, hope for tomorrow, and one another. This book is an ode to the history of the Black community in the United States, a tribute to Black joy, and a portrait of familial love. 

Join this “mysterious FACTopia tour…” to encounter top secrets, unsolved mysteries, dark caves, deep ocean dwellers, hidden history, and more. Lots more! Photographs and comical illustrations combine for an intriguing, fact-based jaunt through time and places.

Become a keen nature observer: an observologist! Cartoon-like illustrations and open text resemble a journal, inviting readers to look closely at the small things around them.

Handsome graphics accompany crisp text in this thorough exploration of insects, their sizes, and fascinating facts about them. The suggestions on what to do to protect insects are doable. Additional resources and an author’s note are included.  

Imagination and science combine in gloriously detailed illustrations and descriptive poems for a unique look at what various creatures call home. Additional information about the animals and other resources conclude this memorable book.