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picture books to learn with
We all can learn so so much from picture books (I know I do!). So here’s a list of 18 standout non-fiction picture books that illuminate historical figures, events, science, nature, culture, math, art, and more! I hope you get to check out some of these because all of them will speak of our world and inspire kids (and you) to know more, to care more, to experience more.
Nina: A Story of Nina Simone words by Traci N. Todd pictures by Christian Robinson (2021). This treasure of a book pops and sings and draws you in. “Nina was done with being polite. As far as she could tell, politeness had gotten her people nothing.”
One Sun and Countless Stars by Hena Khan, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini (2022) is part of a wonderful series, and in this newest installment, Mehrdokht Amini’s illustrations struck me even more—particularly the ones whose compositions zoom in so the rich colors and textures come alive.
Mambo Mucho Mambo: The Dance That Crossed Color Lines by Dean Robbins, illustrated by Eric Velasquez (2021) is a wonderful account that takes you back in time and makes you want to dance.
Where the Wee Ones Go by Karen Jameson, illustrated by Zosienka (2022) is soothing and illuminating (and just the right amount of sad and hopeful) about the “vulnerable animal babies” the author and illustrator capture in this bedtime book.
The People Remember by Ibi Zoboi and Loveis Wise (2021) is an extraordinary illustrated poem that’s also an expansive history of the African diaspora while illuminating the principles of Kwanzaa. It’s about the past, but also about the present and future and the myriad ways Black Americans have shaped the world.
Look, Grandma! Ni, Elisi! by Art Coulson, illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight (2021). A story that fabulously incorporates interactive math as Bo searches for just the right container to display his marbles at his family’s booth at Cherokee National Holiday. You can learn some Cherokee words in the back as well!
Circle Under Berry by Carter Higgins (2021) is an imaginative, spatial exploration of shapes, of prepositions, of how we see, what we see, and the relationships of things. And it is deeply smart and satisfying.
Art of Protest: Creating, Discovering, and Activating Art for Your Revolution by De Nichols, illustrated by Diana Dagadita, Oliva Twist, Molly Mendoza, Diana Ejaita (2021). A fabulous protest primer, art workshop, history all in one. “…my hope is that this book will encourage and equip you to use art as a language and instrument that can help you champion your chosen cause,” De Nichols.
A Shape Shifting Adventure in Hawai’i written by Daniel Frates, illustrated by Jamie Meckel Tablason (2021) is the tale of a line who takes many exciting shapes while traveling around their Hawai’i home.
Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Gold Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Natasha Donovan. (2021). A story of an innovating woman in engineering and the way both a love of math and her Cherokee values shaped her journey and contributions.
The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renée Watson, illustrated by Nikkolas Smith (2021) starts with a genealogical school assignment that leads to an honoring history of the main character’s African ancestors. It celebrates African cultures and peoples, unflinchingly describes being stolen and enslaved, and praises Black resistance, joy, and pride.
Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford and Floyd Cooper (2021) speaks the unspeakable and doesn’t turn away from the truth of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in a truly incredible book.
Hear My Voice: The Testimonials of Children Detained at the Southern Border of the United States complied by Warren Binford for Project Amplify. A bilingual picture book that’s harrowing and heartbreaking: the true stories of children at Border Patrol facilities— in their own words, powerfully illustrated by different Latinx artists.
Pura’s Cuentos: How Pure Belpré Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories written by Annette Bay Pimentel, illustrated by Magaly Morales (2021) is an ode to this legendary children’s librarian (and first Latina librarian in NYC) from Puerto Rico who enchanted children with her stories of home told in Harlem.
Stitch by Stitch: Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly Sews her Way to Freedom by Connie Schofield-Morrison, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon (2021) is a fascinating true story of a remarkable woman that has stunning artwork that builds along with the biography, layer by layer, stitch by stitch.
Moth and Butterfly Ta-Da written by Dev Petty, illustrated by Ana Aranda (2021) has vibrant, whimsical art capturing two friends who celebrate their differences as they transform—ta-da!
The Angel of Santo Tomas: The Story of Fe Del Mundo by Tammy Lee (2022) is the marvelous biography of a woman who demonstrated intellect, courage, and kindness for her community even in the direst of circumstances.
How to Make a Mountain: from Geologic Formation to Thriving Habitat in Just 9 Simple Steps and Only 100 Million Years! by Amy Huntington, illustrated by Nancy Lemon (2022) is the science of mountain formation in an inventive, DIY package.
online picture book revision workshop
I’m thrilled to offer another online picture book revision workshop, this one a special half-day event! It’s three and a half hours and it’s supportive, interactive, and will help you revise your manuscript, reflect on your writing journey, receive inspiration, and revitalize YOUR storytelling—all in one sitting! Well, there will be a few breaks sprinkled in.
This is truly a meaningful revision method that focuses on you as a writer and your picture book manuscript in a unique way that will have a lasting impact on your story—and your vision of yourself as an artist! Writers and writer-illustrators welcome. (I use this method myself for every project.)
Saturday, February 26th, 2022
9 am Pacific (noon Eastern) to 12:30pm Pacific
You can sign up immediately via that PayPal button below (Pay $175)! If you have any questions or would like to sign up for a full scholarship—there are three available for creators with marginalized/underrepresented voices in publishing—please do drop me a line! I’d love to have you join, and those spots will go fast!
Register and pay for this workshop here ($175)!
Contact me about a full scholarship!
Within 48 hours of payment, you should get an email confirmation directly from me after I’ve had a chance to log your sign-up (please reach out if you don’t hear from me in a couple of days as that means there was a snafu).
Cheers to writing and revising!
abc of feelings and more picture books for exploring emotions
ABC of Feelings written and illustrated by Bonnie Lui (2020).
This picture book is, as the title suggests, an alphabet depicting 26 different feelings, from anxious to zany with delightful illustrations. It’s a useful compendium for kids to learn the names of specific emotions and to understand the breadth of theirs—and how that spectrum of feelings is totally okay, expected, important to name and know and explore.
In a few instances of Bonnie Lui’s book, the two sides of a spread serve as question and answer or are related in some way—and those are most effective and engaging. For example, kids who are SCARED on their own at a campout experience the feeling of being TRUSTING on the opposite side when they join a parent, snuggly in bed together.
My favorite spread is the pairing of WISHFUL and XENIAL, the second a word I didn’t know, because it tells a complete story that is unexpected, sweet, and magical.
Overall, ABC of Feelings shows kids that feelings come in all kinds and that they’re part of life—to be noticed, celebrated, expressed, and sometimes soothed.
Big thanks to Penguin Random House for the review copy and images!
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And ABC of Feelings is also a good jumping off point to explore more books and feelings with kids!
Here are 20 picture books that explore feelings of all kinds either directly or embedded in the story: longing, grief, disappointment, love, hurt, pride, sadness, loss, uncertainty, fear, worry, misery, hope, inspiration, happiness, curiosity, and joy. These titles (and others) may be useful for discussions with kids about how they’re feeling.
You might ask a child: “What is the character feeling? How do you know? Do you ever feel like that? What are you feeling today, right now? Would you like to draw your feeling? To write about it? To sing a song? To tell me how it feels or why it might be here? I will share my feelings too.”
In a recent Washington Post article by Lakshmi Gandhi, “Books Can Be An Entry to Talking About Sadness with Your Child,” the writer interviews Erin Entrada Kelly, Tracy Subisak (creator of Jenny Mei Is Sad from this list), and Christine Day about their children’s books and the difficult feelings they explore with authenticity and compassion.
Books, indeed, are conduits of connection to the internal lives of characters that reflect the internal lives of us all.
Here’s the list:
I Wish You Knew written by Jackie Azúa Kramer illustrated by Magdalena Mora (2021).
The Longest Letsgoboy written by Derick Wilder illustrated by Cátia Chien (2021).
When I See Red by Britta Teckentrup (2021).
Jenny Mei Is Sad by Tracy Subisak (2021).
Wounded Falcons by Jairo Buitrago and Rafael Yockteng (2021).
Saturday by Oge Mora (2019).
My Love for You Is Always written by Gillian Sze, illustrated by Michelle Lee (2021).
Laxmi’s Mooch by Shelley Anand, illustrated by Nabi H. Ali (2020)
Rain Before Rainbows by Smriti Prasadam-Halls and David Litchfield (2020).
Bindu’s Bindi’s by Supriya Kelkar, illustrated by Parvati Pillai (2021).
The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld (2018).
The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad with S.K. Ali, art by Hatem Aly (2019).
Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna (2018).
Birdsong by Julie Flett (2019).
Don’t Worry, Little Crab by Chris Haughton (2020).
The Happiness of a Dog with a Ball in Its Mouth by Bruce Handy and Hyewon Yum (2021).
Boogie, Boogie, Y’all by C.G. Esperanza (2021).
I hope you’ll share some feelings-related books in the comments too! What is a picture book you know and love that explores emotions?
picture books that feel like a party
Picture books can be slow and still, loving lullabies for nighttime routines. But they can also be containers of boisterous merry-making. Spirited, energetic, gleeful affairs! These ten picture books are like that. To me, they feel like parties. And I hope they make the little readers in your life want to dance, parade, bike, include others, celebrate themselves and everyone, and generally throw confetti.
Boogie Boogie, Y’all by C.G. Esperanza (2021). Community and art are a party.
This picture book gave me the idea for this party picture books roundup post! It’s truly special and pulses with art, energy, and celebration! A stunning tribute to graffiti and murals in Brooklyn that turns into a magical block party all because one child notices the “art on the wall” and everywhere.
Whole Whale words by Karen Yin & art by Nelleke Verhoeff (2021). A party is for everyone!
Will an entire blue whale fit? That’s the main question of this book-menagerie. Gathering and acceptance ensue in the answer “when everybody makes some space.”
Bisa’s Carnaval by Joana Pastro, illustrated by Carolina Coroa (coming December 2021). Carnaval and music and costumes and, of course, Bisa, is a party!
Clara’s great-grandmother is the secret ingredient to her Carnaval preparations, especially her fabulous fantasia (costume) for parade day. But it turns out, Bisa is also the secret ingredient for the parade itself. This picture book is a sweet joy! “Confete showers enchant and serpentine spirals bedazzle. We mingle with beauty queens, super heroes, fairies, harlequins, and people from all over the world. Different accents, cultures, beliefs.”
Bodies Are cool by Tyler Feder (2021). Loving ours and the variance of bodies is a party!
Yes, this book celebrates all kinds of bodies!! Because they’re cool! And that feels like a joyful party too.
Bicycle Bash by Alison Farrell (2020). Biking together is a party!
This picture book is a delightful seek and find of animals on wheels in fun and fact-filled museum rooms of discovery and details and, of course, momentum!
Family Reunion by Chad & Dad Richardson and Ashleigh Corrin (2021). A family reunion is a party!
While the main character is initially reluctant to join the shindig, in they end, they’re totally won over. How could they not be? This family get-together is tops with a cook-off, dance-off, cousins, family history, and loving PopPop there too.
Pride Puppy! by Robin Stevenson and Julie McLaughlin (2021). Community, acceptance and pride are a party!
Vibrant art and an alphabet-story to accompany puppy’s first pride parade are sure to make any reader smile in this celebratory picture book.
How Do You Dance? by Thyra Heder (2019). Dancing is always a party!
A brilliant, bobbing, boogie-ing, body-loving book.
Stack the Cats by Susie Ghahremani (2017). Eye-catching design and playful arithmetic with cats are a party!
This is one of my all-time favorites—so much so that I made a cat clay craft on this blog a few years back in its honor! It’s about cats. It’s about stacks of cats. It’s about math. And it is pure pure playful fun!
How to Have a Birthday by Mary Lyn Ray, illustrated by Cindy Derby (2021). A day that’s all yours is a party!
A slower kind of party awaits readers in this beautiful picture book that encapsulates the childhood magic and love and hope I wish everyone had. A birthday doesn’t always mean a party, but it’s always a day to celebrate in your own way.
You might also enjoy my craft for the delightful crowd-pleaser Stack the Cats by Susie Ghahremani found here.
picture book giveaway for educators for 8 years of this picture book life!
I love giving away books and this is the most to a single blog reader I’ve ever had the pleasure of sending off! These 16 terrific books from the last couple of years are for an educator’s classroom or library to celebrate 8 years of This Picture Book Life and to celebrate all the vital work teachers do, entry details below!
The picture books:
Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh / This is How I Know: a Book about Seasons by Brittany Luby & Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (2021). Translated by Alvin Ted Corbiere and Alan Corbiere.
Me & Mama by Cozbi A. Cabrera (2020).
The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee by Julie Leung, illustrated by Julie Kwon (2021).
Together We March by Leah Henderson, illustrated by Tyler Feder (2021).
Pride Puppy by Robin Stevenson and Julie McLaughlin (2021).
Amira’s Picture Day by Reem Faruqi, illustrated by Fahmida Azim (2021).
If Dominican Were a Color written by Sili Recio, illustrated by Brianna McCarthy (2021).
Princess Arabella at the Museum by Mylo Freeman (2021).
A Gift for Amma by Meera Sriram and Mariona Cabassa (2020).
The Secret Fawn by Kallie George & Elly MacKay (2021).
Amazing Women of the Middle East by Wafa’ Tarnowska, illustrated by Hoda Hadadi, Sahar Haghgoo, Christelle Halal, Esteli Meza Margarida Esteves (2020).
Sato the Rabbit by Yuki Ainoya (2021).
The Last Tree by Emily Haworth-Booth (2020).
My Bed by Rebecca bond, illustrated by Salley Mavor (2020).
Lift As You Climb by Patricia Hruby Powell, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie (2020).
Toasty by Sarah Hwang (2021).
The giveaway:
And quick update for any picture book creators out there: I’m super excited to be teaching another round of my online picture book revision workshop series starting August 7th! There are details about this special opportunity to REVISE your manuscript according to your voice and vision, RECEIVE encouragement and inspiration from me and the small group, and REVITALIZE your writing process on my website here! Or simply email me to get more info or sign up. Two scholarships at a significant discount available for participants with underrepresented/marginalized voices in publishing—we need your voices!
