CDE 131 Children's Literature Guide: Picture Books: Home

An empowering celebration of identity, acceptance and Hawaiian culture based on the true story of a young girl in Hawai'i who dreams of leading the boys-only hula troupe at her school. Ho'onani feels in-between. She doesn't see herself as wahine (girl) OR kane (boy). She's happy to be in the middle. But not everyone sees it that way. When Ho'onani finds out that there will be a school performance of a traditional kane hula chant, she wants to be part of it. But can a girl really lead the all-male troupe? Ho'onani has to try...

Carmela, finally old enough to run errands with her brother, tries to think of the perfect birthday wish, while his wish seems to be that she stayed home.

Cauã and Inaê are a brother and sister who live in a small community along the Tapajós River in Brazil. Here, the homes are on stilts and everyone travels around by boat--even to school! When the rainy season comes, they must leave their village and relocate to higher ground for a while. But after moving this year, Cauã and Inaê realize they've left behind something important: their pet tortoise, Titi! Unlike turtles, tortoises can't swim, and Cauã and Inaê are really worried. So the pair sneaks back at night on a journey along the river to rescue him. Will they be able to save Titi?

Little Lobo, a Mexican American wolf, and Bernabé, his dog, gather tacos, frutas picadas, cuernos, and more and deliver them to los luchadores preparing for Lucha Libre 5000.

A little girl's daddy steps in to help her arrange her curly, coiling, wild hair into styles that allow her to be her natural, beautiful self.

Zura is worried about how her classmates will react to her Ghanaian Nana's tattoos on Grandparents Day, but Nana finds a way to show how special and meaningful they are.

When Daisy Ramona zooms around her neighborhood with her papi on his motorcycle, she sees the people and places she's always known. She also sees a community that is rapidly changing around her. But as the sun sets purple-blue-gold behind Daisy Ramona and her papi, she knows that the love she feels will always be there. This book is a young girl's love letter to her hardworking dad and to memories of home that we hold close in the midst of change.

Lola was just a baby when her family left the Island, so when she has to draw it for a school assignment, she asks her family, friends, and neighbors about their memories of her homeland ... and in the process, comes up with a new way of understanding her own heritage.

When Liling moves from her home in the mountains of China to the big city, her parents cannot afford to send her to school, and she spends her days with her mother, wishing she had a friend--until she sees a girl in a yellow coat, who lives in the next building, comes from a different mountain, and is happy to be Liling's friend.

Sometimes things are really tough. It's just too hard. You've had enough. Grumble, rumble, bump and roar, The Struggle Bus is at your door! You can cry, or you can shout, kick and scream or have a pout. Feel your feelings for a bit. Just keep moving--don't you quit!

Coen is having a sniffling, sighing, sobbing kind of day. His family thinks they know how to cheer him up. His dad wants to go outside and play, Mom tells her funniest joke, and his little sister shares her favorite teddy. Nothing helps. But one by one, they get quiet and begin to listen. After some time, space, and reassurance, Coen is able to show them what he needs.

When Taylor's block castle is destroyed, all the animals think they know just what to do, but only the rabbit quietly listens to how Taylor is feeling.

A young girl's sense of adventure and exploration vanishes when she discovers a Worry that grows and grows until she learns how to get rid of it.

A young child experiences sadness as if it were a visitor, acknowledging the emotion and suggesting activities to do with it.

Emotions, including happiness, sadness, anger, fear, and calm, are described through the actions of a monster sorting them out.

What you feel is who you are ... Explore a world of emotions with this stunning peek-through picture book. Enchanting illustrations and lyrical text bring each emotion to life to help children understand the universal and unique nature of feeling.

Encourages the reader to enjoy all of the colors, representing feelings, that may be experienced in the course of a day.

Viv has a new home and a new school by the sea on the South Carolina coast. Trying to find an idea for the class project, she becomes interested in problems faced by the baby loggerhead turtles. Can the class rally the community and help the sea turtles?

Amara loves bats, so when she learns there are none near her new home due to habitat loss, she overcomes her feelings of helplessness and inspires her community to take action. Includes facts about bats and bat houses.

The Hike is a plucky and sweet adventure story about three intrepid young female explorers set out to conquer the outdoors in their local forest. Here is the best and worst of any hike: from picnics to puffing and panting, deer-sighting to detours. This spirited picture book is filled with lyrical language that captures the majesty of the natural world, coupled with a fun narrative throughout. Features a glossary and scientific backmatter. Includes a sketchbook by one of the characters that highlights aspects of the hike. Abundant labels throughout for scientific learning. The Hike is about how fun it can be to explore nature in your own backyard. This book is a must-have for budding scientists, best friends, and all adventurers in preschool and kindergarten.

Illustrations and easy-to-read text celebrate mindfulness and the connectedness of everything on Earth.

Told in rhyming verse, a stone is considered from a variety of environmental and emotional perspectives, as it sits where it is, surrounded by grass, dirt, and water, an unchanging certainty in the world. To some animals it's a pebble, To others it's a hill, and to others, a home.

This book traces out the life and career of Jane Goodall as a watcher of English fauna to her adult work as scholar of animal behavior in Africa.

Katherine Olivia Sessions never thought she'd live in a place without trees. After all, Kate grew up among the towering pines and redwoods of Northern California. But after becoming the first woman to graduate from the University of California with a degree in science, she took a job as a teacher far south in the dry desert town of San Diego. Where there were almost no trees. Kate decided that San Diego needed trees more than anything else. So this trailblazing young woman singlehandedly started a massive movement that transformed the town into the green, garden-filled oasis it is today. Now, more than 100 years after Kate first arrived in San Diego, her gorgeous gardens and parks can be found all over the city.

Tells the story of Greta Thunberg, a Swedish teenage climate activist who has sparked a worldwide student movement and is demanding action from world leaders who refuse to address climate change.

When she sees a beached whale that has starved to death after ingesting plastic, a young girl named Isley is inspired to adopt a plastic-free lifestyle, encouraging her family to join her. When people start falling back into old habits, Isley builds a plastic sculpture of a whale that inspires lasting change.

A poetic look at the interconnectedness of Earth, nature, and its many creatures.

The tiny town of Chewandswallow was very much like any other tiny town except for its weather which came three times a day, at breakfast lunch and dinner. But it never rained rain and it never snowed snow and it never blew just wind. It rained things like soup and juice. It snowed things like mashed potatoes. And sometimes the wind blew in storms of hamburgers. Life for the townspeople was delicious until the weather took a turn for the worse. The food got larger and larger and so did the portions. Chewandswallow was plagued by damaging floods and storms of huge food. The town was a mess and the people feared for their lives. Something had to be done, and in a hurry.

Margaret's whole world changes when her family moves to a cottage by the sea to be near her grandma. One evening, Margaret spots a mist over the water. No, that's not mist ... clouds maybe? No, they're unicorns descending onto the shore! They vanish as quickly as they'd appeared, but accidentally leave behind a baby, tangled in the weeds. Margaret, lonely and in need of a friend, brings him home and cares for him through the fall and winter. Together, they chase the waves, stomp on frozen puddles, and build snow unicorns. When spring finally comes around, and the other unicorns return, Margaret's takes her small friend back to his family ... but these two won't forget one another. And though Margaret misses him, she has made a new friend, and her new cottage is starting to feel like home. With all the feel of a classic, here is a picture book young readers will want to revisit again and again.

Dragons love tacos. They love chicken tacos, beef tacos, great big tacos, and teeny tiny tacos. So if you want to lure a bunch of dragons to your party, you should definitely serve tacos. Buckets and buckets of tacos. Unfortunately, where there are tacos, there is also salsa. And if a dragon accidentally eats spicy salsa ... oh, boy. You're in red-hot trouble.

Max sails to the land of the wild things, where he becomes their king.

Kitty, who looks like a kitten yet feels she is actually a unicorn, begins to doubt herself as others ridicule her, until she meets a unicorn that helps her discover and embrace who she is.

When a wooden robot prince forgets to say the magic words that turn his sister from a log into a princess she is thrown away, so he goes on an epic journey to find her and bring her back.

In the middle of the night, three knights go in search of a dragon. But in the dark nothing is what it seems.

A trained cat who is able to form himself into specialty hats, Thermal Herman 6 7/8ths is world-renowned for his warmth and agility, but when a friend wanders off with a brain freeze and finds themself in peril, Thermal Herman must rush in to save the day.

When Julia and her walking house come to town, she likes everything about her new neighborhood except for how quiet it is! So Julia puts a sign up: "Julia's House for Lost Creatures." Soon she's hosting goblins, mermaids, fairies, and even a dragon. Quiet isn't a problem anymore for Julia...but getting her housemate to behave themselves is!

A determined Owl builds strength and confidence in this medieval picture book about the real mettle of a hero: wits, humor, and heart. Since the day he hatched, Owl dreamed of becoming a real knight. He may not be the biggest or the strongest, but his sharp nocturnal instincts can help protect the castle, especially since many knights have recently gone missing. While holding guard during Knight Night Watch, Owl is faced with the ultimate trial -- a frightening intruder. It's a daunting duel by any measure. But what Owl lacks in size, he makes up for in good ideas. Full of wordplay and optimism, this surprising display of bravery proves that cleverness (and friendship) can rule over brawn.

Young readers will have a hopping good time in this hilarious story about a witch who is having a hard time wrangling a bunch of frogs into her frog soup until she comes up with a surprising solution.

Discover a world of creativity and tradition in this fascinating picture book that explores the history and cultural significance of the color blue.

Describes Tubman's spiritual journey as she hears the voice of God guiding her north to freedom on that very first trip to escape the brutal practice of forced servitude. Tubman would make nineteen subsequent trips back south, never being caught, but none as profound as this first one.

Every single morning, the overseer of the plantation rings the bell. Daddy gathers wood. Mama cooks. Ben and the other slaves go out to work. Each day is the same. Full of grueling work and sweltering heat. Every day, except one, when the bell rings and Ben is nowhere to be found. Because Ben ran. Yet, despite their fear and sadness, his family remains hopeful that maybe, just maybe, he made it North. That he is free. An ode to hope and a powerful tribute to the courage of those who ran for freedom, The Bell Rang is a stunning reminder that our past can never be forgotten.

A young girl remembers the day a storm destroyed her home. As she helped her family pick up the pieces, she found something unbroken.

A young slave stitches a quilt with a map pattern which guides her to freedom in the North.

This picture book highlights a hidden figure of the civil rights movement who fueled the bus boycotts and demonstrated that one person can make a real change in her community and beyond.

Thomas Jefferson loved to read and collect books on almost every subject. He built his first library as a young man, and kept on building until his book collection helped to create the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., the world's largest library.

In this honest look at the literal foundation of our country, Dave Eggers and Shawn Harris investigate a seemingly small trait of America's most emblematic statue. What they find is about more than history, more than art. What they find in the Statue of Liberty's right foot is the message of acceptance that is essential to an entire country's creation.

After discussing the police shooting of a local Black man with their families, Emma and Josh know how to treat a new student who looks and speaks differently from his classmates.

Finding circles everywhere, a grandfather and his granddaughter meditate on the cycles of life and nature.

Almost 10 years before Brown vs. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez and her parents helped end school segregation in California. An American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage who spoke and wrote perfect English, Mendez was denied enrollment to a "Whites only" school. Her parents took action by organizing the Hispanic community and filing a lawsuit in federal district court. Their success eventually brought an end to the era of segregated education in California.

Steeped in sorrow and joy, resilience and resolve, turmoil and transcendence, this dramatic debut offers a proud view of history and a vital message for readers of all ages: honor your heritage, express your truth, and let your voice soar, even-or perhaps especially-when your heart is heaviest.

A picture book biography sharing the inspiring and incredible true story of the nation's oldest student, Mary Walker, who learned to read at the age of 116.

Imagine not being able to marry the person you loved, just because they were of a race different from your own. This is the story of one brave family: Mildred Loving, Richard Perry Loving, and their three children. It is the story of how Mildred and Richard fell in love, and got married in Washington D.C. When they moved back to their hometown in Virginia, they were arrested for violating that state's law against interracial marriage. The Lovings refused to allow their children to get the message that their parents' love was wrong and so they fought the unfair law, taking their case all the way to the Supreme Court.

Carmen's family receives support from their community after her father, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, has been detained.

A retelling of the well-known tale in which two children are left in the woods but find their way home despite an encounter with a wicked witch.

A strange little man helps the miller's daughter spin straw into gold for the king on the condition that she will give him her first-born child.

The fisherman's greedy wife is never satisfied with the wishes granted her by an enchanted fish.

An ugly duckling spends an unhappy year ostracized by the other animals before he grows into a beautiful swan.

A tall tale sets off a comic chain of mishaps from Mosquito to Iguana to Python to Rabbit to Owl, but all is wisely resolved by King Lion at the jungle council meeting.

From debut author/illustrator Rachel Katstaller comes this rich, evocative folk tale inspired by stories she heard growing up in El Salvador. Itzel lives happily with her grandmother at the edge of the jungle. When the rains fail to come to water their crops, putting their livelihood at risk, her grandmother tells her that the giant snake is the one who announces the arrival of the rain. But many people don't believe in him anymore, so he has retreated to the place where the water is born. Itzel sets off alone to find the source of the river, determined to help her grandmother and summon the rain. As she journeys deeper into the jungle, she's joined by a strange ocelot who seems to recognize her -- and various other creatures who need the rain to come but have lost faith in the giant snake. Itzel convinces them to join her anyway. And finally, just when she thinks she's failed, something surprising happens...

Sukkot is Shoshi's favorite Jewish holiday. She and her brothers love to decorate their sukkah, the hut where her family will celebrate. But who will win the Ugandan Abayudaya community's annual sukkah contest? While only one sukkah can be the best, everybody wins when neighbors work together.

Once there was a bridge and a terrible and VERY hungry troll lived underneath it. When the three Billy Goats Gruff decide to clip-clop across the bridge to get to the grassy ridge, the troll is already imagining all the way to prepare a delicious goat dinner. But the troll underestimates those seemingly sweet but oh-so-savvy goats!

A tiny girl no bigger than a thumb is stolen by a great ugly toad and subsequently has many adventures and makes many animal friends, before finding the perfect mate in a warm and beautiful southern land.