A Best Jewish Holiday Book of Fall 2026 by the Association of Jewish Libraries
Our Authors
Awards and Reviews
Beatrix and her Friends
Anne Lambelet
“A strong biography that will appeal to young ones enchanted by Potter’s iconic stories.“—Booklist
★ Booklist starred review
A JLG Gold Standard selection
Purim Possibilities
Barbara Kimmel, illustrated by Irina Avgustinovich
A Spring 2026 Holiday Highlight by the Association of Jewish Libraries
This Hair Belongs
JaNay Brown-Wood and Erin K. Robinson
“Neither Brown-Wood’s text nor Robinson’s art tells a single story here: Both are busy immersing readers in a rich tapestry of Black history and culture through rhythmic spoken word and layered, detailed art showcasing lush colors, gorgeous patterns, and an incredible variety of hairstyles. The verse goes straight to the heart, where it takes up residence, while the illustrations offer a loving display of the inheritance of Black hair. At crucial moments, the text highlights “you,” the child reader, enveloping young people in a sense of belonging and pride, inspiring them to understand their relationship with their hair in new and exciting ways. This testament to Black beauty is destined to be a classic and a favorite; everyone needs this book.”– ★ Kirkus starred review
“Paired with Robinson’s gorgeous illustrations, this ode to Black hair imagines it as a kind of crown, making for a special story. The artwork is exquisite: collage-style with layers of color and texture that mimic Black hair and are wrapped around inspirational messages and historical context. The book flows as one moving story of resilience… A must-purchase for all elementary collections in need of a beautiful ode to Black hair that weaves poetry and history in a meaningful way to educate and empower.”– ★ SLJ starred review
Milk and Juice: A Recycling Romance
Meredith Crandall Brown
★ SLJ starred review
★ Bulletin for the Center for Children’s Books starred review
New Hampshire Ladybug Picture Book Award List
Kids’ Indie Next List Pick
Jayden Noticed
Carolyn Crimi, illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice
“You’re on notice: This picture book is a gem!” —Kirkus Reviews
★ Kirkus starred review
The Brontes of Haworth Moor
Diane Browning
“Fans of the Brontës’ novels will appreciate the lively portrayal of their creators, relatives, and friends in this informative, involving family biography.” — ★ Booklist starred review
Wall to Wall
Mary Ann Fraser
A Bank Street “Best Books of 2025”
Silver Medal, 2024 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards
Border Crossings
Sneed B. Collard III, illustrated by Howard Gray
Winner of the 2024-2025 Keystone to Reading award
Uno Más, One More: A Latino Retelling of an Old Scottish Ballad
Silvia López, illustrated by Olivia Sua
Selected as one of the CCBC Choices 2025
2025 American Legacy Book Award Winner
Ada and the Goat
Heidi Aubrey
“Curving lines define the hilly land where Ada lives as well as the pleasing drawings, created with graphite and watercolors, of Ada, her friendly goat, her apple trees, and her home. The narrative is well-suited to reading aloud, and children will be pleased to discover that the illustrations alone reveal the most unexpected twist in the story. A charming picture book.” –Booklist
★ Booklist starred review
Margaret Wise Brown Honor
Leafy Landmarks
Michelle Schaub, illustrated by Anne Lambelet
2025 Notable Children’s Book in the Language Arts Award Book
Eureka! Gold Nonfiction Children’s Books Award
NCTE Children’s Poetry Award Notable Books List
The Adventures of Penguin and Panda: Fun and Games!
Brenda Maier, illustrated by Fanni Mezes
ALA 2024 Best Graphic Novels for Children
The Adventures of Penguin and Panda: Surprise!
Brenda Maier, illustrated by Fanni Mezes
ALA 2024 Best Graphic Novels for Children
Magic in a Drop of Water
Julie Winterbottom, illustrated by Susan Reagan
“Budding naturalists will eagerly dip their toes into this one.” —Kirkus Reviews
★ Publishers Weekly starred review
Noura’s Crescent Moon
Zainab Khan, illustrated by Nabila Adani
“A refreshing take on Ramadan…. Sweet, heartwarming, and family centered.” —Kirkus
CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
Scamp
Anden Wilder
“Perfectly adorable.” —Kirkus
★ BookPage starred review
JLG Gold Standard selection
Amazon Best Book of the month Ages 3–5
Kids’ Indie Next List Pick
On Our Way! What a Day!
JaNay Brown-Wood
Children’s Book Council January 2025 Hot Off the Press Reading List
I’m a Dumbo Octopus!
Anne Lambelet
“An informative, buoyant, and wildly original look at some marine marvels.” —Kirkus
GNCRT Outstanding Comics Honor Book, Nonfiction
★ SLJ starred review
★ Booklist starred review
★ Shelf Awareness starred review
★ Kirkus starred review
A JLG Gold Standard Selection
Texas Bluebonnet Award List
Kirkus Best Books of 2025
The Little Green Swing
Brenda Maier, illustrated by Sonia Sanchez
“Watch Ruby, again, come in first, but with grace.” ―School Library Journal
CBC Best STEM Book
Behold the Hummingbird
Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez
Orbis Pictus Award 2025 Honor Book
Armando’s Island
Marsha Diane Arnold
Riverby Award for exceptional natural history book for young readers, presented by the John Burroughs Association
2023 Florida Book Awards Silver Medal
2024 Green Earth Honor Award
2023 Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award.
Wave
Diana Farid
Winner of the Cybils Award
School Library Journal‘s Best of 2022
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard
Golden Poppy Award Finalist for Middle Grade
Golden Poppy Award Finalist for Mirrors and Windows Northern California Book Award Finalist
Winner Middle East Book Award Honor
A Bank Street Best Children’s Book
Louisiana Young Readers Choice Award Nominee
California Department of Education Recommended
Michigan MISelf in Books Selection
Stalactite and Stalagmite
Drew Beckmeyer
A Caldecott Honor Book
Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2025
★ SLJ starred review
★ Bookpage starred review
★ Publishers Weekly starred review
★ Kirkus starred review
B&N Children’s and YA Book Awards Picture Books Shortlist
B&N Best Kids Books of the Month
Indie Next List
Faith Takes the Train
Kesi Augustine, illustrated by Mokshini
“A lovely experience of wonder and empathy.” —Kirkus
★ Publishers Weekly starred review
★ Kirkus starred review
A Jane Addams Book Award Finalist
NY Public Library Best Books of the Year
Hiding in Plain Sight
Beth Anderson, illustrated by Sally Wern Comport
“A lively, luminous account of a lesser-known woman’s contribution to presidential history.” —Kirkus
★ Booklist starred review
I Know How to Draw an Owl
Hilary Horder Hippely, illustrated by Matt James
2025 Globe-Horn Book Award Winner
A Junior Library Guild Gold Star Selection
★ “Acrylic paintings by James (Tadpoles) convey measured calm throughout this nuanced work whose energy radiates from a transformative encounter.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
★ “A beautiful, moving picture book.”—Booklist, Starred Review
★ “Hippely’s picture book examines the challenging reality of homelessness in an empathetic and accessible way through the eyes of an unhoused child.”—The Bulletin, Starred Review
★ “Hippely’s lyrical, empathetic text complements James’ mesmerizing, at times haunting acrylic illustrations. . . A visually compelling, compassionate look at an often-misunderstood situation.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
“The challenges of being unhoused are gently revealed in this empathetic picture book, exquisitely enhanced by superb illustrations.”—Shelf Awareness
★ Kirkus Review Best 100 Picture Books of 2024
Frostburg State University CLC Book Award
To Walk the Sky: How Iroquois Steelworkers Helped Build Towering Cities
Patricia Morris Buckley, illustrated by E. B Lewis
A Junior Library Guild Selection
★ “This book will find a home in nearly every age group and setting, from families of steelworkers and proud descendants of the brave skywalkers, to middle grade students learning about Native American history. Above all, one hopes To Walk the Sky will find those imaginative little ones with their own big dreams of building something incredible.” –Book Page Starred Review
★ “Lewis’ impressionist watercolors reverently depict skywalkers’ triumphs and tragedies; his dramatic, cinematic angles and perspectives will have readers gasping in wonder. By turns solemnly reverent and enthusiastic, Buckley’s elegant text will leave young people keenly aware of the historical and present-day significance of these groundbreaking workers, as well as their strength and resilience. Awe-inspiring.”–Kirkus Starred Review
★ “Graceful language honors skywalkers throughout this stirring telling, while fluidly rendered watercolor illustrations in a desaturated color palette employ sweeping perspective and scale.”–Publishers Weekly Starred Review
★ “This fascinating narrative provides an in-depth history of skywalkers, the Caughnawaga, and their contributions to our cities and infrastructure.”–School Library Journal Starred Review
The Girl Who Tested the Waters: Ellen Swallow, Environmental Scientist
Patricia Danielle, illustrated by Junyi Wu
A Junior Library Guild Gold Star Selection
“An impressive tribute to MIT’s first woman student, who went on to a distinguished career as an ecologist and food scientist.” —Kirkus
Hanukkah Hippity-Hop
Barbara Kimmel, illustrated by Ana Zurita
Best Jewish Holiday Children’s Books of Fall 2024–Association of Jewish Libraries
“A clever and entertaining story that will brighten library shelves during the Hanukkah season.”–School Library Journal
Miso Magic
Moni Ritchie Hadley, illustrated by Mizuho Fujisawa
“This is a charming story of a father and child focused on a multigenerational cultural tradition, with a lesson on patience folded in.”—Kirkus Reviews
Introducing Sandwina: The Strongest Woman in the World!
Vicki Conrad, illustrated by Jeremy Holmes
“It’s such a treat when a picture book’s writing and illustrations are equally matched, and Conrad and Holmes pool their talents to lift Katie Brumbach, stage name Sandwina, to heights befitting her status as the world’s strongest woman… Spectacular!”—Booklist, starred review
“In this dazzling introduction, an extraordinary woman takes her rightful place back in the spotlight.”—Kirkus Reviews
★ SLJ starred review
★ Booklist starred review
JLG Gold Standard selection
Else B. in the Sea: The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Deep
Jeanne Walker Harvey, illustrated by Melodie Stacey
“The [illustrations] are dazzling and convey how extraordinary undersea life is … A little-known female artist receives well-deserved attention.” —Kirkus Reviews
“The illustrations…will hook readers, both with the drama of Else’s dives and with the delicious creepiness of some of the sea creatures…A hugely appealing story.”―Booklist starred review
★ Booklist starred review
Ernő Rubik and His Magic Cube
Kerry Aradhya, illustrated by Kara Kramer
“A whimsical tribute to the maker of the famous, frustrating, and absorbing puzzle.” —Kirkus Reviews
★ Horn Book starred review
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection
CBC NSTA Best STEM Books
Boston Globe Best Books 2024
Smithsonian Magazine Ten Best Children’s Books
Ezra Jack Keats Honor
Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List
A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants: Wicked Weeds and Sinister Seeds
Rebecca E. Hirsch, illustrations by Eugenia Nobati
“Promising “myth, mayhem, and murder,” this diabolical botanical guide delivers on all fronts . . .” –Booklist
“A memorable, enjoyable reference book, A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants combines often gruesome historical anecdotes with edifying botany lessons. –Foreword
“An engaging, visually appealing guide for science buffs, true-crime enthusiasts, and herbalists alike.”
★ –Kirkus starred review
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Kirkus Best Teen/YA of 2024
YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers-Top 10 Selection
Cooperative Children’s Book Center-Recommended Book
Sometimes I Cry
Jess Townes, illustrated by Daniel Miyares
★ School Library Journal starred review
★ Kirkus starred review
★ The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books starred review
Cloaked in Courage
Beth Anderson, illustrated by Anne Lambelet
Bank Street Best books of the Year
A JLG selection
V. Malar: The Greatest Host of All Time
Suma Subramaniam, illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan
★ Publishers Weekly starred review
The Fabulous Fannie Farmer
Emma Bland Smith, illustrated by Susan Reagan
★ School Library Journal starred review
★Youth Services Book Review starred review
CBC Best STEM Books
Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List
Leo’s First Vote
Christina Soontornvat, illustrated by Isabel Roxas
“[A] spot-on depiction of a child’s anxiety and excitement around a crucial process.” —Publishers Weekly
★ Publishers Weekly starred review
Made in Asian America
Christina Soontornvat and Erika Lee
“Powerful…” — Paula Yoo, The New York Times Book Review
★ School Library Journal starred review
★ Kirkus starred review
★ Booklist starred review
Kirkus Best Books
School Library Journal Best Books
Booklist Youth Editors’ Choice Awards
NY Public Library Top 10 Picks Best Books
The First Week of School
Drew Beckmeyer
“A game changer…” –Bookpage
★ Shelf Awareness starred review
★ SLJ starred review
★ Bookpage starred review
★ Publishers Weekly starred review
★ Kirkus starred review
Kirkus Best Picture Books of 2024
Indie Next List
JLG Gold Standard selection
Amazon Top 20 Children’s Books of 2024
ALA Notables list
Golden Duck for Excellence in Science Fiction for Children
Galaxy Jones and the Space Pirates
Briana McDonald
ABA Kids’ IndieNext
OwlCrate Jr Book box selection; November 2023
Pepper’s Rules for Secret Sleuthing
Amanda McCrina
American Library Association Rainbow List selection 2022
Kansas NEA Reading Circle List Junior Title
Roar Choo!
Charlotte Cheng, illustrated by Dan Santat
Book Riot’s top 10 April list
★ School Library Journal
“Caldecott Medalist Santat’s signature-style art brings Cheng’s dynamic friendship to life in this rollicking read aloud about two folkloric friends learning their own limits—and each other’s.” – Publishers Weekly
Border Crossings
Sneed B. Collard III, illustrated by Howard Gray
Finalist for Keystone State Reading Award
2024 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award® for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
The City Sings Green
Erica Silverman, illustrated by Ginnie Hsu
“The concept of worldwide changes to better support urban wildlife is told through exquisite rhymes wrapped around big, bold blossoms of color that, along with the plentiful learning resources, will captivate readers. A must-have poetry book worthy of close attention.” – School Library Journal
Chicago Public Library’s Best Informational Books for Younger Readers of 2024
The Brilliant Calculator
Jan Lower, illustrated by Susan Reagan
RISE Honoree (Feminist Book Project)
Mathical Prize Honor Book
NSTA Best STEM Books
A JLG selection
Septima P. Clark Women in Literature Award
Thomas Jefferson’s Battle for Science
Beth Anderson, illustrated by Jeremy Holmes
“A delightfully enlightening account and a welcome antidote to our own time’s precarious truthiness.” —Kirkus
★ Horn Book starred review
★ SLJ starred review
★ Booklist starred review
★ Kirkus starred review
Kirkus Best Picture Books
Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List
Skater Cielo
Rachel Katstaller
Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts Award
Scholastic Book Club Pick
★ Publishers Weekly
★ Kirkus
All Aboard the Schooltrain
Glenda Armand, illustrated by Keisha Morris
★ Publishers Weekly
★ Booklist
★ Kirkus
“A child-friendly picture book introducing the Great Migration.” ― Booklist
“Lends the meandering feel of family stories to this portrait of a historical moment.” ―Publishers Weekly
BCALA Best of the Best
NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books Lis
The Longest Letsgoboy
Derick Wilder, illustrated by Catia Chien
Margaret Wise Brown Honor book
★ Kirkus
★ School Library Journal
★ Booklist
The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Kirkus Best Book of the 21st Century
Gold
Jed Alexander
★ Kirkus
“Alexander has turned the key on Goldilocks, unlocked her & turned her into Gold.” –The New York Times
Brave as a Mouse
Nicolo Carozzi
★ Publishers Weekly
★ Booklist
Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year
Revolutionary Prudence Wright
Beth Anderson, illustrated by Susan Reagan
★ Kirkus starred review
★ Youth Service Book Review starred review
Bank Street Best Books of the Year
The Silent Unseen
Amanda McCrina
★ Best Books of 2022 – School Library Journal
Best Book by Bank Street for 2022
JLG Gold Selection
I Am A Tornado
Drew Beckmeyer
“A relatable, conversational power-down that is by turns gentle, funny, and vulnerable.” —Publishers Weekly
★ Shelf Awareness starred review
★ SLJ starred review
Maryland Black Eyed Susan Book award
Vermont Red Clover Book Award
Comstock-Gag Read Aloud Book Award Winner
Indiana Ageless Read Aloud list
Patchwork Prince
Baptiste Paul, illustrated by Kit Thomas
“The story has a powerful message of pride, even in things that others might not consider beautiful. . . So much beauty in very few pages.” —School Library Journal
“Joyful [and] powerful . . . So much beauty.” —SLJ (starred review)
“Artfully rendered . . . A loving portrait of a child embracing their innate value.” —PW
“Filled with energy and movement, [the book speaks] to the resilience of the human spirit.” —Kirkus
Does Bulldozer Have a Butt?
Derick Wilder, illustrated by K-Fai Steele
Publishers Weekly & New York Public Library Best Books of 2022
The Last Mapmaker
Christina Soontornvat
A Newbery Honor Book
A Walter Dean Myers Honor Book
★ School Library Journal starred review
★Kirkus starred review and Best Book
★ Shelf Awareness starred review
★ Publishers Weekly starred review and Best Book
New York Times Best Children’s Book
Chicago Public Library Best Books
NY Public Library Best Books
ALA Notables list
ALA best fiction for young adults list