Woodson, J. (2018). The Day You Begin. Nancy Paulsen Books.
This heartwarming story is about the first day of school and all the worries that go with it. A little girl is going to school and worries about the fact that she may not see anyone who looks like her. When she goes in she discovers that everyone is different and that is ok. The illustrations in this book are vibrant and inviting. The illustrator also used collaged patterns and textures that add interest to the pictures. These illustrations compliment the author's lyrical writing style. This book could be used on the first day of school to promote empathy and inclusion.
Other books by Jacqueline Woodson include: Brown Girl Dreaming, Each Kindness, and Before the Ever After.
Rosenthal, A., & Rosenthal, P. (2017). Dear Girl,. HarperCollins.
This beautifully written book is a letter to the special girl in your life. Each page is filled with encouraging and inspirational thoughts to lift the spirit of any girl in any situation. The illustrations are simple yet effective mixed media creations. This book could be used to promote confidence in young girls and makes a great gift book.
Other books by Amy Rosenthal include: That’s Me Loving You, I Wish You More, and Uni the Unicorn.
Higgins, R. (2018). We Don’t Eat Our Classmates. Disney-Hyperion.
This hilarious picture book follows dinosaur Penelope Rex on her journey to make friends. Penelope tries very hard to be friends with the humans but they are so delicious! Soon Penelope gets a taste of her own medicine. This plot twist ending is sure to have you laughing. The illustrations are bright and entertaining. This book is perfect for discussing friendships and self reflection of behavior. This delightful and amusing picture book is perfect for any library or collection.
Other books by Ryan T. Higgins includes: Mother Bruce, BE QUIET!, and Hotel Bruce.
John, J. (2017). The Bad Seed. Harper Collins.
This story is about a bad seed and how he became that way. When the story starts the bad seed tells you of his many faults: cutting in line, littering, and being late to everything. Over the course of the book the reader discovers that the bad seed is changing and isn’t so bad anymore. The watercolor illustrations are simple but effective in telling the story. This book is a great way to teach students about kindness, manners, and reputations. It can also show students that everyone makes mistakes and everyone can change for the better.
Other books by Jory John include: The Good Egg, The Cool Bean, and The Couch Potato.
Penfold, A. (2018). All Are Welcome. Knopf Books for Young Readers.
This inclusive picture book follows a group of children through a day at their school. Every student that is present is different but included. This book celebrates the students and their different cultural backgrounds. The illustrations are colorful and show a wide array of cultures and abilities. The text is poetic and includes the refrain “all are welcome” on each page. Every child is going to see themselves represented in this book. This story could be used on the first day or week of school to build a classroom community. This book could also be used to promote inclusivity and diversity in the classroom.
Other books by Alexandra Penfold include: Big Feelings, The Littlest Viking, and Food Truck Fest!
Ho, J. (2021). Eyes that Kiss in the Corners. HarperCollins.
In this book a little girl notices that her eyes look different from her friends. The other girls have large, round eyes with long lashes. She has eyes that kiss in the corners. She then realizes that her eyes look like her mother, grandmother, and sister. As she observes the women around her she begins to appreciate her differences and the stories that her eyes tell. The lovely, detailed illustrations show the beauty of the Asian culture and the love of this family. This book is perfect to promote diversity and inclusion in the classroom. This would also be a good conversation starter for self love and confidence.
Other books by Joanna Ho include: Eyes that Speak to the Stars and Playing at the Border: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma.
Cherry, M. (2019). Hair Love. Kokila.
This story is about a little girl named Zuri who has hair with a mind of its own. She wakes up one morning and wants a special hair style because it is a special day. Her father tried several styles with no success until finally creating “funky, puff buns”. When her mother arrives home to see her beautiful hair she is impressed. In the end Zuri realizes that her hair is a part of her parents and she loves it, it is “hair love”. The illustrations are appealing and brightly colored. They depict the loving relationship between a father and his daughter. This book could be used to teach diversity and self love. A perfect addition for any library.
Lang, S. (2018). Grumpy Monkey. Random House Books for Young Readers.
In this story a monkey named Jim wakes up and discovers that nothing is going right. As he sees each of his friends they bring attention to his body language and ask him why he is grumpy. He tells them he is NOT grumpy. Then his friends try to give him advice on how to not be grumpy and tell him he should be enjoying the beautiful day. Ultimately Jim gets upset and storms off. His friend has a run in with a porcupine and is having a grumpy day too. The two characters meet and sit quietly thinking about their grumpy day and find comfort in their shared experience. The bright watercolor illustrations show the animals enjoying their day. This book could be used to teach feelings and having empathy towards others. Students can also use this text to share their connections to grumpy days.
Other books by Suzanne Lang include: Grumpy Monkey Party Time, Grumpy Monkey Up All Night, and Hooray for Kids.
Byers, G. (2018). I Am Enough. Balzer + Bray.
This lyrical picture book tells of self love and positivity. This simple yet powerful text gives examples of being your best in your daily life such as: singer, fighter, and helper. It also talks of joining together when things are hard and helping each other. The characters are diverse and female. The illustrations have detailed pictures of the girls with simple crayon lined backgrounds. This book could be used to teach self esteem and kindness.
Other books by Grace Byers include: I Believe I Can.
de la Pena, M. (2021). Milo Imagines the World. G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young
Readers.
In this story a boy named Milo is taking his monthly subway journey to an unknown location. As he rides the subway he imagines the lives of the subway riders around him and draws their imaginated lives. He imagines a group of break dancers being followed around in a high end store. A wedding dress lady getting married to a man at a glamorous location. Then he notices another young boy with a suit on and imagines him living a perfect life in a castle. Then Milo reaches his destination and sees the same boy getting off at the same stop. Milo has arrived at a prison where he is visiting his mother and the boy is visiting someone too. Milo then realizes that you can’t know who someone is just by looking at them. The illustrator uses cut-paper collage artwork and childlike crayon drawings to depict Milo’s imaginated stories. This picture book could be used to teach students about empathy and compassion for the hardships that others may face.
Other books by Matt de la Pena include: Last Stop on Market Street and Carmela Full of Wishes.
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