Book Finder

The story of American slavery through the voice of a teacher struggling to help her students understand its harrowing history. From the fireside tales in an African village, through the unspeakable passage across the Atlantic, to the backbreaking work in the fields of the South, this is a story of a people’s struggle and strength, horror and hope. A testament to the resilience of the African American community, this book honors what has been and envisions what is to be.

Letter by letter, this picture book celebrates a story that spans continents and centuries, triumph and heartbreak, creativity and joy. It’s a story of big ideas — P is for Power, S is for Science and Soul. Of significant moments — G is for Great Migration. Of iconic figure — H is for Zora Neale Hurston, X is for Malcom X. In addition to rhyming text, the book includes back matter with information on the events, places, and people mentioned in the poem, from Mae Jemison to W. E. B. Du Bois, Fannie Lou Hamer to Sam Cooke, and the Little Rock Nine to DJ Kool Herc.

Meet an exploding ant, the flamboyant cuttlefish, and the star-nosed mole in this lighthearted look at animals. The real but unusual creatures are illustrated with humor while providing a glimpse at their distinguishing features. The author’s first volume, The World’s Most Pointless Wonderful Animals (opens in a new window), is equally engaging.

Dramatic photographs combine with facts to amaze and delight with their “acrobatic moves, their ability to dodge enemies deftly, [and] their skill at disappearing using camouflage.” Together with a similarly formatted companion book, Superpowers of Nature: Wild Wonders of the World (opens in a new window), readers will surely want to protect nature’s heroes.

This handsome presentation for sophisticated readers about the Northern Mockingbird combines history and science along with traditional beliefs about the birds and their role with humans. Readable and fully sourced, this is sure to intrigue budding naturalists and historians. 

Throughout history, artists have influenced other artists. From Michelangelo to Basquiat, the author/illustrator suggests how each artist might have uniquely presented an everyday subject — a donut. Open this informative book for a tasty look at different styles, techniques, and artists.

Emmett Till was only 14 years old when he was murdered in 1955 in the South. His mother demanded her son be sent home to Chicago. “It was the braver thing that changed everything.”  Mamie became an activist for social justice that helped launch the Civil Rights Movement. Lyrical text and expressive cut-paper illustrations convey the haunting story made accessible to sophisticated younger readers.

Where is the black cat? The cat starts and ends under the wobbly table as the reader follows the cat from the specific to the truly universal. Uncluttered, simple illustrations provide visual information to the expanding scenes. A brilliant way to initiate discussions about our place in the world.

Marcel Duchamp was full of surprises. In fact, some would consider him irreverent or even a crackpot. Through collage illustrations and informal text scattered on full pages, readers and budding artists are asked to consider what makes art.  Slightly irreverent and quite delightful.

Their cattle were being killed by lions, but Richard Turere’s inspired invention solved a problem that had plagued the Maasai people — with only limited resources but much creativity. Illustrations vividly portray the African landscape near Nairobi National Park where the lions live. Additional information about the inventor and his invention is included.

Humans don’t have a lot in common with a tin can, but maybe a little bit with a swimming pool. People do have a lot in common with other people — in fact we’re more alike than not. Comparisons in this book are both unexpected and humorous, illustrated in bold shapes and bright forms provide a surprisingly sophisticated look at what being human is like.

The small Mars rover was only expected to last for three months, but “she” lasted for 15 years. Opportunity (aka Oppy) communicated successfully helping scientists to learn more about the Red Pplanet. Backmatter and a timeline for the anthropomorphized rover allow the book to be read in different ways, sure to intrigue budding space-goers.

Carnegie Hall opened in 1891 to become the site in New York where everyone from Duke Ellington to Bob Dylan performed. Stern was not only a violin virtuoso, but he was also an effective community organizer who worked tirelessly to save the grand hall in the face of great opposition. His tenacity and music swirl throughout the lively illustrations and carefully crafted language. Additional information is appended. 

His talent was evident even as a child, and Paul’s “patience and perseverance, vision and innovation” allowed him to become an architect and successful businessman despite barriers because he was Black. Backmatter includes photographs of several of the buildings he designed — elegant indeed. 

How did a polar bear wind up fishing in London’s Thames River? Historians tell us that the Norwegian king gave one to England’s Henry III. Illustrations evoke medieval illuminated manuscripts in a touching and informative look at a unique bit of history. Backmatter includes additional sources plus notes from both author and illustrator.

What can a hole in a tree be? It can be a home, a hideout, or simply a place to read. Textured, stylized illustrations and text that can be read on two levels provide a glimpse at the variety of natural life that make tree holes their homes. Additional information about the tree hole dwellers is included.

Seven families, each distinct and different, go about their daily activities — ranging from grocery shopping to going to the doctor. Each scenario is presented in illustrated double-page spreads, with items labeled and briefly defined. The different families come together naturally in various places to create a search-and-find game on top of vocabulary building.

Two beavers do what beavers do best: build. Finely-lined black-and-white illustrations with touches of color chronicle the beavers’ activities, from creating their nest, having offspring, protecting them, and wintering in their home. 

A realistic illustration and the titular question and a couple of hints ask readers to guess what came from the pictured egg. A page turn reveals the animal along with brief information about them. “Eggcellent” facts are included.

Lift an acorn to discover a squirrel peeking out of a hole and more. Small hands will delight in the crinkling noise when soft flaps are lifted to see what forest surprise is hidden beneath. Find more surprises in this companion book about ocean inhabitants, Peekaboo Ocean (opens in a new window).

What do hands do? They greet, touch, hush, heal, and ever so much more. Simple black and while line illustrations use touches of color and single words in a cozy size for the very young, sure to grow with children and inspire myriad discussions.

With a growing global population, we will need more and more space to live, learn and work in. But what does that mean for the health of the planet? Can we do it sustainably? Tall buildings may be part of the answer. From the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Leaning Tower of Pisa to the Burj Khalifa and the Shanghai Tower, this book asks why and how we build higher and higher, and what that means for the planet.

How do our leaders, from local mayors on up to Presidents and Supreme Court Justices, go about getting their jobs, and just what are their jobs? Learn what every good citizen needs to know about American democracy in action, and how our basic system of “government of the people, by the people, and for the people” remains the same.

An A-Z trip through our government’s structure, from its earliest beginnings to definitions of basic components and concepts (including immigration and taxation). From founding fathers, first ladies, and the First Amendment to the presidential oath of office, D is for Democracy details the political processes, parties, and people of democracy, American-style.