Best of the Best - Top 100 Picture Books

August 2015 Ranking My Top 100 Picture Books

Assignment

Read 300 picture books and determine the top 100 with rationales.

In the end, creating and defining the best of the best – a top 100 – was a gift to me. I realized the enormous amount of knowledge I acquired over this course – knowledge that I never had before in my life. I am now a better reference librarian than before as I can confidently make recommendations in the picture book section.

The Best of the Best – The Best 100 Books by Dwight Hunter

100. Title: In the Night Kitchen
Author: Maurice Sendak
Illustrator: Maurice Sendak
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Year: 1970

Brief Summary: The story of Mickey's nighttime adventure in the baker's kitchen is "a highly original dream fantasy (with) deliciously playful illustrations (and a) chantable, easily remembered text. Pure delight for young children."--Booklist.
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: This Caldecott Honor book is one of those books that combines great art and a catchy story - a needed book the classroom and children's libraries.

99. Title: Lon Po Po
Author: Translated by Ed Young (Chinese tales)
Illustrator: Ed Young
Publisher: Philomel Books
Publication Year: 1989

Brief Summary: Three sisters staying home alone are endangered by a hungry wolf who is disguised as their grandmother. Barnes and Noble.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: A classic tale retold with from a different culture and uses panels similar to graphic novels

98. Title: Swimmy
Author: Leo Lionni
Illustrator: Leo Lionni
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Publication Year: 1963

Brief Summary: After a big tuna fish gulps up a school of Swimmy's friends, the small black fish journeys through the ocean and comes face-to-face with many marvelous creatures. Children's Literature
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: Great book to teach that through teamwork that anything is possible.

97. Title: Snowflake Bentley
Author: Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Illustrator: Mary Azarian
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Year: 1998

Brief Summary: This beautiful biography, winner of the 1999 Caldecott Medal, tells the true story of a Vermont farm boy who was mesmerized by snowflakes. Amazon.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: Anyone can contribute to the common knowledge, and in this book, snowflake knowledge.

96. Title: Ellington Was Not a Street
Author: Ntozake Shange
Illustrator: Kadir Nelson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Year: 2004

Brief Summary: Deeply colored paintings enrich this homage to African-American men who made history and influenced cultures. Kirkus Reviews
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification:  Ideal to introduce Duke Ellington, Sonny Tilgman, Dizzy Gillespie and others mentioned in this book.

95. Title: Waiting for Wings
Author: Lois Ehlert
Illustrator: Lois Ehlert
Publisher: Harcourt
Publication Year: 2001

Brief Summary: Every spring, butterflies emerge and dazzle the world with their vibrant beauty. But where do butterflies come from? How are they born? What do they eat–and how? Amazon.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: Small pages surrounded by large pages that introduce the staging cycles of butterflies along with identification; flower identification; and developing a butterfly garden

94. Title: Amelia’s Road
Author: Linda Jacobs Altman
Illustrator: Enrique O. Sanchez
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Publication Year: 1993

Brief Summary: Amelia Luisa Martinez has moved so often in her short life as a young member of a migrant worker family that she has come to hate roads and cries whenever she sees her father get out the map. Children’s Literature
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: Great way to discuss about families who move a lot and how the children are affected (friends, home) as well as to discuss migrant work and where we get those fruits and vegetables at the market.

93. Title: I, Too, Am America
Author: Langston Hughes
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Year: 2012

Brief Summary: The poetic wisdom of Langston Hughes merges with visionary illustrations from Bryan Collier in this inspirational picture book that carries the promise of equality. Goodreads.com Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: A powerful book to introduce poetry, art, and the history of “separate but equal”

92. Title: Into the A, B, Sea: An Ocean Alphabet Book
Author: Deborah Lee Rose
Illustrator: Steve Jenkins
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Year: 2000

Brief Summary: This is a rhyming alphabet book starring sea creatures–and it is truly, truly wonderful. Amazon.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: Excellent way to introduce sea creatures of all types, and to learn ABCs, and to view stunning art work.

91. Title: Bird, Butterfly, Eel
Author: James Prosek
Illustrator: James Prosek
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Year: 2009

Brief Summary: Bird, Butterfly, and Eel spend their summers on the same coastal farm, but in the fall they go to very distant and different places. Their journeys to the far reaches of land and sea make them remarkable creatures. Amazon.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: Excellent introduction to how animals spend a summer in one spot and migrate to another spot on Earth and then return.
Special features included: Facts about bird, butterfly, and eel

90. Title: The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest
Author: Lynne Cherry
Illustrator: Lynne Cherry
Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Publication Year: 1990

Brief Summary: The flora and fauna of the lush, steamy Brazilian rain forest seem to grow before readers’ eyes, surrounding the text and the peaceful young man as he sleeps. School Library Journal
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification:  One of those books needed to educate about the importance of rain forests to the world – anyone or thing that breathes oxygen. Map shows original extent and current extent of rain forests.

89. Title: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Author: Judith Viorst
Illustrator: Ray Cruz
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication Year: 1972

Brief Summary: People of all ages have terrible, horrible days, and Alexander offers us the cranky commiseration we crave as well as a reminder that things may not be all that bad. Amazon.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: A classic book deserving to be on any classroom bookshelf that allows us to acknowledge that not all days go as plan or expected.

88. Title: The Glorious Flight
Author / Illustrator: Alice and Martin Provensen
Publisher: Viking Press
Publication Year: 1983

Brief Summary: A biography of the man whose fascination with flying machines produced the Bleriot XI, which in 1909 became the first heavier-than-air machine to fly the English Channel. Barnes and Noble.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: A factual book that turns a real life event into a wonderful story to read – for libraries and classrooms everywhere

87. Title: Tito Puente: Mambo King
Author: Monica Brown
Illustrator: Rafael Lopez
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Year: 2013

Brief Summary: In this vibrant bilingual picture book biography of musician Tito Puente, readers will dance along to the beat of this mambo king’s life. Amazon.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: This bilingual picture book is great for biography research, for art education class, for music class, or just to read a fun story.

86. Title: Sweethearts of Rhythm: The Story of the Greatest All-Girl Swing Band in the World
Author: Marilyn Nelson
Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney
Publisher:  Dial Books
Publication Year: 2009

Brief Summary: A book of poetry and photos that celebrates the achievement of an all-girl swing band of the 1930’s.
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: A great starting point for discussion about art education, poetry, or music education – as a Kirkus Reviews says, stellar integration of poetry and art.

85. Title: What Do You Say, Dear?
Author: Sesyle Joslin
Illustrator: Maurice Sendak
Publisher: Harper & Row
Publication Year: 1958

Brief Summary: A read aloud etiquette book in the context of delightfully absurd situations Kirkus Reviews
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: A fantastic book to introduce etiquette to young readers with a splash of surrealism.

84. Title: Amelia to Zora: Twenty-Six Women Who Changed the World
Author: Cynthia Chin-Lee
Illustrator: Megan Halsey and Sean Addy
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Publication Year: 2005

Brief Summary: Chin-Lee discusses 26 famous women who have influenced society. Through an A to Z book, she writes short biographies for many popular figures in women’s history.
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: The perfect choice for the month of March during “Women’s History Month” in the classroom or on a library display.

83. Title: Music, Music for Everyone
Author: Vera B. Williams
Illustrator: Vera B. Williams
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Year: 1984

Brief Summary: Rosa organizes her friends into the Oak Street Band in order to earn money her family needs because of her Grandma’s illness. School Library Journal
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: A wonderful story to share about how children can pursue dreams and that music unites many together. Strong illustrations.

82. Title: Sam and the Lucky Money
Author: Karen Chinn
Illustrator: Cornelius Van Wright & Ying-Hwa Hu
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Publication Year: 1995

Brief Summary: The traditional message that it is better to give than to receive …. is handled in a genuine, thoughtful manner that will be realistic to children. School Library Journal
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Ideas for using this book in classroom or library: Useful books to display wonderful illustrations with a great text on giving – even if it is all that you have to someone that has nothing. Highly recommended.

81. Title: Wild About Books
Author: Judy Sierra
Illustrator: Marc Brown
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Publication Year: 2004

Brief Summary: A librarian named Mavis McGrew introduces the animals in the zoo to the joy of reading when she drives her bookmobile to the zoo by mistake. Barnes and Noble.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: An outstanding book that should be read each year in libraries and elementary classroom. The hidden meanings for adults are fun too – scorpion critic, where is thy sting?

80. Title: A Child’s Calendar
Author: Poems by John Updike
Illustrator: Trina Schart Hyman
Publisher: Holiday House
Publication Year: 1999

Brief Summary: A collection of twelve poems describing the activities in a child’s life and the changes in the weather as the year moves from January to December. Barnes and Noble.com Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: Ideas for using this book in classroom or library: The skilled writing of John Updike combined with illustrations by an award winning illustrator makes this a great add to any book collection. I can see poetry being introduced as a way to associate with things many children and adults can relate to in this book accompanied by stark illustrations.

79. Title: The Mitten Tree
Author: Candace Christiansen
Illustrator: Elaine Greenstein
Publisher: Fulcrum
Publication Year: 2009

Brief Summary: An elderly lady knits mittens for children in the village and the children don’t know who is knitting them but someone does.
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: Volunteer service would be a great discussion for this book or about the elderly and their need to socially connect.

78. Title: The Blacker the Berry
Author: Joyce Carol Thomas
Illustrator: Floyd Cooper
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Year: 2008

Brief Summary: The varieties of African-American ethnic heritage are often rendered invisible by the rigid construction of racial identity that insists on polarities. School Library Journal
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: A poetry book that makes it worthwhile to choose a poem a day to discuss that there are different shades of gray even within ourselves.

77. Title: One Cool Friend
Author: Toni Buzzeo
Illustrator: David Small
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Publication Year: 2012

Brief Summary: Elliot, a boy who is well dressed, brings home a Magellan penguin but his father doesn’t seem to notice.
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: A good read with enthralling illustrations and a twist of an ending – recommended reading.

76. Title: Creepy Carrots
Author: Aaron Reynolds
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Illustrator: Peter Brown
Publication Year: 2012

Brief Summary: In a spot-on parody of a paranoid thriller, a hungry bunny senses “creepy carrots” watching his every move. Jasper Rabbit doesn’t think twice about plundering the carrots of Crackenhopper Field “until they started following him.” Publishers Weekly
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: Useful way to show a different way of telling a story in the classroom – with a classic illustration touch

75. Title: Jazz Age Josephine
Author: Jonah Winter
Illustrator: Marjorie Priceman
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication Year: 2012

Brief Summary: Jonah Winter doesn't duck the task of showing both the lows and highs in Josephine Baker's life, starting with the miseries in her early childhood and even in her American show biz successes.  Mary Harris Russell, Chicago Tribune
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: A book that can be used in multiple ways: how to overcome your worst; or illustrations for art education; or music/dance education.

74. Title: Mojave
Author: Diane Siebert
Illustrator: Wendell Minor
Publisher: Crowell
Publication Year: 1988

Brief Summary: This book describes the land and animals of the Mohave Desert in poetic text and illustrations. Scholastic.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: The poetry really connected with me so maybe for older elementary children; stunning visual paintings accompanied the text.

73. Title: Freight Train
Author: Donald Crews
Illustrator: Donald Crews
Publisher: HarperFestival
Publication Year: 1978

Brief Summary: A day in the life of freight train is illustrated in this classic.
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: Should be a required book for all young readers.

72. Title: A Long Way Away
Author: Frank Viva
Illustrator: Frank Viva
Publisher: Little, Brown
Publication Year: 2013

Brief Summary: Cleverly designed and perfectly executed, this dynamic two-way story across space, land and sea offers multidimensional adventure and possibilities. Kirkus Reviews
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: What a wonderful book to expand the creativity of young artists. A two way book – readers can start in space or start in the ocean.

71. Title: Butterfly Count
Author: Sneed B. Collard III
Illustrator: Paul Kratter
Publisher: Holiday House
Publication Year: 2002

Brief Summary: A gentle family story with an environmental message. School Library Journal
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: I was enthralled by the book’s detailed illustrations and readable story text. Useful to discuss types of butterflies too. And about prairie restoration projects.

70. Title: Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale
Author: Duncan Tonatiuh
Illustrator: Duncan Tonatiuh
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Publication Year: 2013

Brief Summary: Duncan Tonatiuh brings to light the hardship and struggles faced by thousands of families who seek to make better lives for themselves and their children by illegally crossing the border. Amazon.com
Accessed: Where accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State 

Justification: A well-written book and supported by illustrations about why families migrate from Mexico to the United States. A good discussion book for immigration.

69. Title: Bigmama’s
Author: Donald Crews
Illustrator: Donald Crews
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Year: 1991

Brief Summary: A grand alternative to the plethora of predictable books about white kids visiting grandparents on stereotypical family farms. Kirkus Review
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: Useful to discuss the power of reconnecting with family and the usefulness of family traditions to life. The text is tied to illustrations that make you feel like you are at Bigmama’s.

68. Title: When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry
Author: Molly Bang
Illustrator: Molly Bang
Publisher: Blue Sky Press
Publication Year: 1999

Brief Summary: When Sophie has to surrender one toy to her sister, stumbles over another toy, and gets no sympathy from her mother, she runs furiously out into the woods, first to cry, and then sit in a huge old beech, watching the ocean until the tempest abates. Kirkus Review
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: Applicable to real life – learning about emotions – like anger, but also shows that meditating reduces anger and return to normalcy.

67. Title: The Great Migration: Journey to the North
Author: Eloise Greenfield
Illustrator: Jan Spivey Gilchrist
Publisher: Amistad
Publication Year: 2011

Brief Summary: Between 1915 and 1930, more than a million African Americans left their homes in the South and moved to the North, says Greenfield in an introduction to this stirring collection of poems that honors those who took part in the Great Migration, including the poet herself. Booklist, Starred Review
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: With the author’s note and about her family, adds a personal touch about the great migration and also depicts that American citizens felt the need to relocate in America from another region because of fear and lack of respect.

66. Title: Hank Aaron: Brave in Every Way
Author: Peter Golenbock
Illustrator: Paul Lee
Publisher: Harcourt
Publication Year: 2001

Brief Summary: Hank Aaron, a southern country boy, followed his dreams under the strict, but loving guidance of his parents. Despite his mother’s wish that he attend college, he took a job on a professional team and rose quickly to the top as a home-run hitter. However, with racial tensions at an all-time high in the United States, his journey was not without problems. School Library Journal
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: A well-told story dialogue about Hank Aaron and his connection to his parents and to baseball. The text about the racial hatred is a discussion starter. Great illustrations for study and learning too.

65. Title: Selma
Author: Jutta Bauer
Illustrator: Jutta Bauer
Publisher: Kane Miller
Publication Year: 2002

Brief Summary: A little book about a very big question: What is happiness? Amazon.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: A super-small picture book packed with a lot of fun for a kid of any age. What is happiness - a great discussion book too.

64. Title: The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
Author: Paul Goble
Illustrator: Paul Goble
Publisher: Bradbury Press
Publication Year: 1978

Brief Summary: It is the tale of a Native American girl whose tribe follows the buffalo. She tends the horses, and grows to love them so much that eventually she joins them. School Library Journal
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: A smooth flowing text of a book that is great for reading a loud and for introducing Native American ways.

63. Title: Mama Says: A Book of Love for Mothers and Sons
Author: Rob Walker
Illustrator: Leo & Diane Dillon
Publisher: Blue Sky Press
Publication Year: 2009

Brief Summary: Gentle, but powerful life lessons spoken to a child, delivered with a mother’s immutable love. Barnes and Noble.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State 

Justification: Shows multicultural aspects with different languages alongside each English text; illustrations help accentuate the final task in each text

62. Title: Small Poems Again
Author: Valerie Worth
Illustrator: Natalie Babbittt
Publisher: Farrar Straus and Giroux
Publication Year: 1986

Brief Summary: Worth presents us with 25 polished gems that reflect the world in all its particularities. Both the lyrics and Babbitt’s black-and-white drawings are understated but astonishingly vivid. Publishers Weekly
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: I cannot do Worth’s poetry justice except to say any level of English class would benefit reading her poems – the illustrations play second fiddle. An example of the fluid poetry, a small sample from the poem “frost” “How does / the plain / transparency / of water / sprout these / lacy fronds / and plumes/ and tendrils?”

61. Title: Mr. Wuffles!
Author: David Wiesner
Illustrator: David Wiesner
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication Year: 2013

Brief Summary: A cat named Mr. Wuffles doesn’t care about toy mice or toy goldfish. He’s much more interested in playing with a little spaceship full of actual aliens—but the ship wasn’t designed for this kind of rough treatment. Barnes and Noble.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: Possibly more for adults than children -- but a wonderful fantasy that any cat would love to have.

60. Title: Wind Flyers
Author: Angela Johnson
Illustrator: Loren Long
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Year: 2007

Brief Summary: Introduction of readers to the WWII Tuskegee airmen, the African-American squadron that “distinguished themselves as the only escort group that never lost a single bomber to enemy fire.” Kirkus Reviews
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: Useful to introduce Tuskegee Airmen plus author’s notes gives ideas for teaching lessons.

59. Title: First the Egg
Author: Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Illustrator: Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Publication Year: 2007

Brief Summary: First the egg then the chicken; first the word then the story – the author uses cut out shapes to identify the first steps.
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: A good page-turning book connecting nature and what we do when writing a story or painting a picture.

58. Title: Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia
Author: Jeanette Winter
Illustrator: Jeanette Winter
Publisher: Beach Lane Books
Publication Year: 2010

Brief Summary: Luis loves to read, but soon his house in Colombia is so full of books there’s barely room for the family. What to do? Then he comes up with the perfect solution–a traveling library! Amazon.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: How one person, Lusi Soriana, spread the love of books in his corner of the world.

57. Title: The Mare on the Hill
Author: Thomas Locker
Illustrator: Thomas Locker
Publisher: Dial Books
Publication Year: 1985

Brief Summary: The story is simple: after Grandpa brings home a white brood mare, terrified of people, his two grandsons try to make friends with her. School Library Journal
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: Powerful illustrations combined with a good story line – great book to read in the classroom

56. Title: Rosa
Author: Nikki Giovanni
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Publisher: Henry Holt
Publication Year: 2005

Brief Summary: When Rosa Parks refused to move out of the neutral section of her bus to make way for white passengers, she sparked the Montgomery bus boycott. She was tired of putting white people first. Kirkus Reviews
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: Superb book for the classroom about understanding why Rosa Parks said no. A book for the classroom, library Black History Month display, and much more.

55. Title: Biggest, Strongest, Fastest
Author: Steve Jenkins
Illustrator: Steve Jenkins
Publisher: Ticknor & Fields Books for Young Readers
Publication Year: 1995

Brief Summary: A review of the biggest, strongest, fastest and even slowest animals on Earth.
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: Fascinating facts about animals that children would enjoy with chart and descriptions

54. Title: Actual Size
Author: Steve Jenkins
Illustrator: Steve Jenkins
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Year: 2004

Brief summary: Striking paper collages depict 18 animals–or just a body part–in its actual size. Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: Great to learn about the different sizes of animals in our world especially with pull-out double pages and animal descriptions

53. Title: Stella Brings the Family
Author: Miriam B. Schiffer
Illustrator: Holly Clifton-Brown
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Publication Year: 2015

Brief Summary: It’s time to celebrate Mother’s Day in Stella’s class. Everyone has a female parent coming, including Howie, who has two mothers. But Stella is the only kid in her class with two fathers. Publisher’s Weekly
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: Wonderful way to introduce multi-cultural families to young children

52. Title: Child of the Civil Rights Movement
Author: Paula Young Shelton
Illustrator: Raul Colon
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books
Publication Year: 2013

Brief Summary: Shelton, a daughter of Andrew Young (activist, politician, and former U.N. ambassador), taps into her memories and those of her father, two older sisters, and others to offer a child's perspective of “the family of the civil rights movement.” Publishers Weekly
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: Making the Civil Rights Movement from the viewpoint of someone who was a child in the midst of it gives children everywhere a useful book to learn from in any grade.

51. Title: The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln
Author: Text by Abraham Lincoln; Foreword by Garry Wils
Illustrator: Michael McCurdy
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Year: 1995

Brief Summary: McCurdy creates powerful, large-scale black-and-white illustrations like those in his Giants in the Land to match Abraham Lincoln's classic speech in this handsome volume. On oversize pages, scenes of Lincoln delivering the address at the Gettysburg battlefield alternate with visualizations of the imagery contained in it. Publishers Weekly
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: A powerful text unmatched in this nation by Abraham Lincoln which is painted against stark black and white illustrations – any elementary grade class can learn from this in social studies/history/even art class

50. Title: Coretta Scott
Author: Ntozake Shange
Illustrator: Kadir Nelson
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Year: 2009


Brief Summary: This extraordinary union of poetic text by Ntozake Shange and monumental artwork by Kadir Nelson captures the movement for civil rights in the United States and honors its most elegant inspiration, Coretta Scott.
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: Weaving poetry and illustrations together is beauty and should be shared in any elementary classroom teaching about writing. An excellent choice for Black History Month and MLK Day as well.

49. Title: Martin de Porres: The Rose in the Desert
Author: Gary Schmidt
Illustrator: David Diaz
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication Year: 2012

Brief Summary: This illustrated biography of the first African-heritage saint of the Américas captures both historical fact and legend. Notable Children’s Books
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: This is a must read for all children. A saint for universal brotherhood, social justice and more. Deserves more awards than what it received.

48. Title: What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?
Author: Robin Page
Illustrator: Steve Jenkins
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Year: 2003

Brief Summary: Explore the many amazing things animals can do with their ears, eyes, mouths, noses, feet, and tails in this interactive guessing book, beautifully illustrated in cut-paper collage, which was awarded a Caldecott Honor. Barnes and Noble.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: A great book to introduce animals and how they use their nose, mouth, tails, etc for survival.

47. Title: Coming on Home Soon
Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Illustrator: E.B. Lewis
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Year: 2004
Awards (if any) : Caldecott Honor Book

Brief Summary: A beautifully written and illustrated story from the creators of The Other Side (Putnam, 2001), set during World War II. Ada Ruth waits for the return of her mother, who left home in search of a job. School Library Journal

Ideas for using this book in classroom or library: Something that many of us can resonate with – separation from family – is the theme of this book.
Where accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

46. Title: Africa Dream
Author: Eloise Greenfield
Illustrator: Carole Byard
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Year: 1977

Brief Summary: Impassioned pencil drawings highlight an African American girl’s nocturnal visions. Publisher Weekly
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: A book that can be read aloud and has great supporting illustrations. Should have received more than just the CSK award. Useful for any young student learning about Africa.

45. Title: A Tree Is Nice
Author: Janice May Udry
Illustrator: Marc Simont
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Year: 1956

Brief Summary: The many ways a tree can be used in daily life are described in this book.
Where accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: Along with great illustrations, a useful way to read and to interpret the beauty of trees in life.

 44. Title: And Tango Makes Three
Author: Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Illustrator: Henry Cole
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Year: 2005

Brief Summary: Tango has two daddies in this heartwarming tale, inspired by actual events in New York's Central Park Zoo. Publishers Weekly
Where accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: This book should be in an annual display for Banned Books Week and for LGBT History Month.

43. Title: Uptown
Author: Bryan Collier
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Publisher: Henry Holt
Publication Year: 2000

Brief Summary: Uptown is a rich mix of flavors, colors, sounds, and cultures that come together to create a vibrant community like no other in the world. Seen through the eyes of one little boy who lives there, the details of life in Harlem are as joyous as a game of basketball on a summer’s afternoon and as personal as a trip to the barbershop where old-timers reminisce. Amazon.com Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: Great reading book – both with the smooth text flow and the illustrations that support the text. Also useful to discuss Harlem and urban life.

42. Title: Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg & Three Cups of Tea
Author: Greg Mortenson and Susan Roth
Illustrator: Susan Roth
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Publication Year: 2009

Brief Summary: Greg Mortenson stumbled, lost and delirious, into a remote Himalayan village after a failed climb up K2. The villagers saved his life, and he vowed to return and build them a school. The remarkable story of his promise kept is now perfect for reading aloud. Amazon.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: How powerful a gift can be from one person and then multiplied? Find out about a bridge built (literally and figuratively).

41. Title: Adele & Simon
Author: Barbara McClintock
Illustrator: Barbara McClintock
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication Year: 2006

Brief Summary: McClintock scores a double coup, creating a must-see for Francophiles and an engaging hide-and-seek game for homebodies. Publishers Weekly
Accessed: Hodges Library, University of Tennessee
Justification: This book combines great illustrations, a fun text, and a map of Paris. Great to discuss all three.

40. Title: The Bracelet
Author: Yoshiko Uchida
Illustrator: Joanna Yardley
Publisher: Philomel
Publication Year: 1993

Brief Summary: Emi, a young Japanese-American whose family leaves Berkeley to be interned at the beginning of WW II, receives a bracelet as a parting gift from her best friend, but it’s lost on the first day at the camp. Kirkus Reviews
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: The internment of Japanese-Americans in 1942 was wrong. This book, along with the insightful afterword, is a great teaching tool that mistakes were made and families torn apart.

39. Title: Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type
Author: Doreen Cronin
Illustrator: Betsy Lewin
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Year: 2000

Brief Summary: Lewin’s wild line-and-watercolor cartoons are perfectly suited to this barnyard farce about animals that go on strike to demand better working conditions. Booklist
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: A funny read aloud book that has the formula twist at the end about trusting the messenger too much

38. Title: When Africa Was Home
Author: Karen Lynn Williams
Illustrator: Floyd Cooper
Publisher: Orchard Books
Publication Year: 1991

Brief Summary: When Africa Was Home is a beautiful story about a little boy named Peter who grew up in Africa. His parents are from America, and they are in Africa for his father’s job. Peter and his parents are Caucasian, and they live with a native African tribe. Child and Adolescent Literature
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: Useful for discussion about the differences in living in different countries and blending into a different culture. Also a great book just to have in a collection.


37. Title: Granpa
Author: John Burningham
Illustrator: John Burningham
Publisher: Crown Publishers
Publication Year: 1984

Brief Summary: About love and death.
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: Help explain about grandparents and their relationships and about death and life renewing.


36. Title: Old Henry
Author: Joan Blos
Illustrator: Stephen Gammell
Publisher: Mulberry Books
Publication Year: 1987

Brief Summary: When Old Henry sees a ramshackle house, he decides to move in, birds and all. But the neighbors expect Old Henry to fix up the house and yard, expectations he ignores, thank you very much. Publishers Weekly
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: Excellent book to lead a discussion that not all people are alike and that surprises come from the least expected places. And the adage, be careful what you wish for. Art work is splendid too.

35. Title: Never Forgotten
Author: Patricia McKissack
Illustrator: Leo and Diane Dillon
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books
Publication Year: 2011

Brief Summary: Set in West Africa, this a lyrical story-in-verse is about a young black boy who is kidnapped and sold into slavery, and his father who is left behind to mourn the loss of his son. Barnes and Noble.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: A powerful connection to families torn apart by kidnapping for the slave trade – they were not forgotten. Ideal for discussion in social studies or history classes.

34. Title: Matisse: The King of Color
Author: Laurence Anholt
Illustrator: Laurence Anholg
Publisher: Barrons
Publication Year: 2007

Brief Summary: The bright and cheerful illustrations draw heavily on Matisse’s drawings, paintings, and collages. Facts about the artist’s life and style are also skillfully woven into the story and illustrations. Whether in an art-themed storytime or one-on-one sharing, readers will find this book uplifting. School Library Journal
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: I would agree with the book reviewers; this book would be wonderful to share with art education classes or just to be uplifted about the story’s theme.

33. Title: Art & Max
Author: David Wiesner
Illustrator: David Wiesner
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication Year: 2010

Brief Summary: Art(ur) & Max are friends in the unusual way – a though-provoking, witty way to demonstrate how art is created and holds us together.
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: Useful for art classes, reading time, and more. And thought provoking about art.

32. Title: The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art
Author: Barb Rosenstock
Illustrator: Mary Grandpre
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Publication Year: 2014

Brief Summary: A stirring tribute to a prominent pioneer of abstract art, Paintbox follows the life of Russian-born artist Vasya Kandinsky from his childhood to adulthood, conveying the astounding imagery conjured in the painter’s (probably genetic) condition, synesthesia, which caused sensory fields to collide in explosions that enabled him, for example, to hear colors. School Library Journal
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: A great book to show how art influenced by what we feel; good discussion book with great illustrations. I can relate to the feelings of synesthesia, although, not in art.

31. Title: Enormous Smallness: A Story of E.E. Cummings
Author: Matthew Burgess
Illustrator: Kris di Giacomo
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books
Publication Year: 2015

Brief Summary: Burgess’s first picture book introduces readers to E.E. Cummings, exploring his development as a poet from the verse he dictated to his mother as a child through to his adulthood. Publisher Weekly
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: I will digress a little – e.e. cummings is one of my favorite poets. Any chance to allow young minds to learn about e.e. cummings, and to see and feel the off-beat rhythm; to see poetry differently, only expands their horizons of creativity.

30. Title: Flotsam
Author: David Wiesner
Illustrator: David Wiesner
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication Year: 2006
Brief Summary: A bright, science-minded boy goes to the beach equipped to collect and examine flotsam - anything floating that has been washed ashore. Amazon.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: An excellent wordless book that enhances fantasy as fate - great for young minds to explore. Also, worth a visit by art education classes.

29. Title: If Not for the Cat
Author: Haiku by Jack Prelutsky
Illustrator: Ted Rand
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Year: 2004

Brief Summary: Each of the 17 haiku in this collection explores the essence of an animal, the words forming a sort of riddle answered in Rand’s accompanying double-page illustration. School Library Journal
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: A great book to introduce the art of writing a haiku. The paintings by Rand are worth studying too in art education class.

28. Title: Sector 7
Author: David Wiesner
Illustrator: David Wiesner
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication Year: 1999

Brief Summary: A playful mist transports a schoolboy from the observation deck of the Empire State Building to a colossal cloud factory. Library Journal
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: An excellent wordless book that gives a new defined meaning to follow your dreams in spite of what others may say. Also, worth a visit by art education classes.

27. Title: Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad
Author: Ellen Levine
Illustrator: Kadir Nelson
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Year: 2007

Brief Summary: Henry is a slave. He marries and has children, but his family is sold at the slave market. Henry decides to mail himself in a crate to the North.
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: A story worth repeating again for children (and adults) to hear about Henry Brown. The strong illustrations by Kadir Nelson places this book onto another level.

26. Title: A River Dream
Author: Allen Say
Illustrator: Allen Say
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Year: 1988

Brief Summary: Rainbow trout, rejoice. A River Dream joins Nathan’s Fishing Trip (Scholastic, 1988) in the genre of anti-killing-fish picture books. School Library Journal
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: This book has strong illustrations and a really good plot. I’m amazed it didn’t win any awards because the story line of fishing for fun; strange dreams when one is sick; and grand illustrations makes this a recommended book.

25. Title: Black and White
Author: David Macaulay
Illustrator: David Macaulay
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Year: 1990

Brief Summary: At first glance, this is a collection of four unrelated stories, each occupying a quarter of every two-page spread, and each a slight enough tale to seem barely worth a book–a boy on a train, parents in a funny mood, a convict’s escape and a late commuter train. The magic of Black and White comes not from each story, however, but from the mysterious interactions between them that creates a fifth story. Publisher Weekly
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: A challenging book to read which makes it great with a blended story making another story. The panel illustrations delivered the blended story well. Useful to expand the thought of creativity in young students.

24. Title: Tar Beach
Author: Faith Ringgold
Illustrator: Faith Ringgold
Publisher: Crown Publishers
Publication Year: 1991

Brief Summary: Ringgold recounts the dream adventure of eight-year-old Cassie Louise Lightfoot, who flies above her apartment-building rooftop, the ‘tar beach’ of the title, looking down on 1939 Harlem. Horn Book
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: A book usable to discuss urban life, family, recreation, dreaming and more. The first Faith Ringgold book that I read that I actually enjoyed reading.

23. Title: As Good as Anybody: Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel’s Amazing March toward Freedom
Author: Richard Michelson
Illustrator: Raul Colon
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Publication Year: 2008

Brief Summary: Martin Luther King, Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel. Their names stand for the quest for justice and equality. Barnes and Noble.com.  My personal summary: the quotes at the beginning set this book off strong! White man needs to free himself of bigotry – Rabbi Heschel Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: A powerful book to explore partnerships for the quest of social justice

22. Title: Looking Down
Author: Steven Jenkins
Illustrator: Steven Jenkins
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Year: 1995

Brief Summary: Wordless picture book looking down from each turn of the page – from space to a lady bug.
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: Excellent introduction to space and Earth relationships and magnifying-look connections.

21. Title: Abayomi the Brazilian Puma: The True Story of an Orphaned Cub
Author: Darcy Pattison
Illustrator: Kitty Harvill
Publisher: Mims House
Publication Year: 2014

Brief Summary: When a mother puma, an attempt to steal a chicken, she is caught in a trap and dies. The search is on for orphaned cubs. Will the scientists be able to find the cubs before their time runs out? Amazon.com
Accessed: Hodges Library, University of Tennessee

Justification: Powerful book to lead a discussion on the important roles other animals have, the consequences of urban growth, and ways to reduce the impact of urban growth

20. Title: Tuesday
Author: David Wiesner
Illustrator: David Wiesner
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication Year: 1991

Brief Summary: The whimsical account of a Tuesday when frogs were airborne on their lily pads will continue to enchant readers of all ages. Amazon.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification:  A fun read that even pigs can fly when trying to figure out adventurous frogs on lily pads.

19. Title: Patrol: An American Solider in Vietnam
Author: Walter Dean Myers
Illustrator: Ann Grifalconi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Year: 2002

Brief Summary: Vietnam War – In a gripping and powerful story-poem, the award-winning author takes readers into the heart and mind of a young soldier in an alien land who comes face-to-face with the enemy. Amazon.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: Very powerful lesson about Vietnam War from the point of view of a soldier in it -- a great discussion starter for adults and children about Vietnam and war.

18. Title: Knock Knock: My Dad’s Dream for Me
Author: Daniel Beaty
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Year: 2013

Brief Summary: But what happens when, one day that “knock knock” doesn’t come? This powerful and inspiring book shows the love that an absent parent can leave behind, and the strength that children find in themselves as they grow up and follow their dreams. Amazon.com Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: Such a moving text and illustrations that so many children (and adults) can learn from. To me, required in every elementary school and children’s library.

17. Title: A Mother’s Journey
Author: Sandra Markle
Illustrator: Alan Marks
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Publication Year: 2005

Brief Summary: Here, Markle follows a female from the nursery, over 50 miles of rugged Antarctic ice to open water and then deep into the sea, braving leopard seals and other dangers in a sustained effort to stockpile nourishment for the hungry chick that will, if all has gone well, be waiting on her return. Kirkus Reviews
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: This first-hand observation written into a picture book is almost a required text for elementary children to understand science, environment and penguins.

16. Title: Four Feet, Two Sandals
Author: Karen Lynn Williams & Khadra Mohammed
Illustrator: Doug Chayka
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
Publication Year: 2007

Brief Summary: This poignant story of loss, friendship, and sharing introduces readers to the realities of children growing up in refugee camps. School Library Journal
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: Based on the author’s experience of living in a refugee camp, this powerful story of sharing to survive the trauma of loss is a great lead to discussion about children around the world living as refugees. Highly recommended for social studies classroom.

15. Title: Each Kindness
Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Illustrator: E. B. Lewis
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Publication Year: 2012

Brief Summary: With its powerful anti-bullying message and striking art, it will resonate with readers long after they've put it down. Chloe and her friends won't play with the new girl, Maya. Every time Maya tries to join Chloe and her friends, they reject her. Eventually, Maya stops coming to school. Barnes and Noble.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: A book worthy of any elementary classroom to lead a discussion on how to treat other people and that caring is good for both the sender and the receiver.

14. Title: Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Author: Doreen Rappaport
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
Publication Year: 2001

Brief Summary: This picture-book biography is an excellent and accessible introduction for young readers to learn about one of the world's most influential leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: Not only for Black History Month and MLK Day; this book can be used in any historical drama in elementary grades to depict the short amount of time into the past that this happened in our American history timeline.

13. Title: A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin
Author: Jen Bryant
Illustrator: Melissa Sweet
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Publication Year: 2013

Brief Summary: Even during W.W.I, Horace filled his notebooks with drawings from the trenches … until he was shot. Upon his return home, Horace couldn’t lift his right arm, and couldn’t make any art. Slowly, with lots of practice, he regained use of his arm, until once again, he was able to paint—and paint, and paint! Barnes and Noble.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: Teach about perseverance and about overcoming poverty. With some history too.

12. Title: The Wall: Growing up Behind the Iron Curtain
Author: Peter Sis
Illustrator: Peter Sis
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication Year: 2007

Brief Summary: Through annotated illustrations, journals, maps, and dreamscapes, Peter Sís shows what life was like for a child who loved to draw, proudly wore the red scarf of a Young Pioneer, stood guard at the giant statue of Stalin, and believed whatever he was told to believe. But adolescence brought questions. Amazon.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: “Peter Sís [is a] master of the not-necessarily-for-children picture book.” (The Los Angeles Times Book Review). Succinctly put – this is a great book to depict what it was like behind the Iron Curtain – stifling creativity. Should be required for any middle school social studies.

11. Title: Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring
Author: Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
Illustrator: Brian Floca
Publisher: Flash Point
Publication Year: 2010

Brief Summary: Authors Greenberg and Jordan are less concerned with presenting the ballet (although readers do get a strong sense of it) and more interested in how such an extraordinary collaboration came to be. How does an idea go from a jotted note on choreographer Martha Graham’s pad to a fierce triumph? Booklist
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: I never heard of Appalachian Spring or any of the characters in this book but I know now. A personal expression that this book needs to be in every elementary classroom at some point. Floca is masterful with the illustrations.

10. Title: Animal Poems
Author: Valerie Worth
Illustrator: Steve Jenkins
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication Year: 2007

Brief Summary: Vivid imagery and an expert command of sound and meter distinguish this collection of poems about animals. Booklist
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: Poetry like no other – the crisp, cutting-like-knife-through-soft-butter descriptions – for any classroom; for any poetry class to read good, no, great writing. From the “Whale”  “…..His whole hill of flesh; Flesh floats easily; In the sea, light as; Dust in sun-baths ….”
Like I wrote on number 62, Worth’s poetry should be required reading for ANY level English class.

9. Title: Officer Buckle and Gloria
Author: Peggy Rathman        
Illustrator: Peggy Rathman
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Year: 1995

Brief Summary: Officer Buckle, a mustachioed policeman who wears a crossed-out-banana-peel patch on his sleeve, has a passion for teaching students about safety, but his audiences tend to doze off during his lectures. They awaken, however, when police dog Gloria joins Buckle onstage. Publishers Weekly
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: As a parent reading this book to my then two, young children in 1995, we all loved the pictures, the text, and the safety lessons – even to this day. A required book in any collection.

8. Title: Me … Jane
Author: Patrick McDonnell
Illustrator: Patrick McDonnell
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Year: 2011

Brief Summary: In this picture book biography, McDonnell (Wag!) examines Goodall’s very English childhood and her unexpected wish—nurtured by early exposure to Tarzan—to live and work in Africa. Publisher’s Weekly
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: About Jane Goodall, this book can not only demonstrate following a goal but that one person can change things. A synthesis of text and art as well.

7. Title: The Biggest Bear
Author: Lynd Ward
Illustrator: Lynd Ward
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Year: 1952

Brief Summary: Johnny found a bear. The bear loved to eat and became a local nuisance. Johnny finally had to shoot him but the bear was saved by a trap set up by a local zoo.
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: Nostalgia plays a part in this justification. I loved reading this book when I was just old enough to read. The biggest lesson is that a plan can be changed and that a goal can be changed for the better. A required book for any book collection.

6. Title: Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave
Author: Laban Carrick Hill
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Year: 2010

Brief Summary: Dave was an extraordinary artist, poet, and potter living in South Carolina in the 1800s. He combined his superb artistry with deeply observant poetry, carved onto his pots, transcending the limitations he faced as a slave. Amazon.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: A powerful book of love and wonderment that should be in every school and library. Useful to connect the past to the present.

5. Title: A Boy and a Jaguar
Author: Alan Rabinowitz
Illustrator: CaTia Chien
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Year: 2014

Brief Summary: Alan Rabinowitz, a noted conservationist, provides children with a moving autobiography, detailing his struggles with stuttering and how his love for animals, particularly for jaguars, provided liberation. Children’s Literature
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: Ever read a book so profound that it affects your thoughts? This is one of those books. Learn how children are not broken inside, about conservationist themes, and about a picture book that is just an all-around fantastic one and would be worth having in any collection.

4. Title: Where the Wild Things Are
Author: Maurice Sendak
Illustrator: Maurice Sendak
Publisher: Harper & Row
Publication Year: 1963

Brief Summary: Max's room transforms into a magical portal to the land where the wild things are.
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: A picture book so overwhelmingly good that it should be a crime not having it in all book collections.

3. Title: This is not my Hat
Author: Jon Klassen
Illustrator: Jon Klassen
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Year: 2012

Brief Summary: When a tiny fish shoots into view wearing a round blue topper (which happens to fit him perfectly), trouble could be following close behind. Amazon.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: This is a great book! Every elementary school should have this book in their collections. The artwork is so good that the book almost doesn’t need words. One can tell by the eyes what is happening – thus the quality of the artist and his work. And the ending is open-ended to where the small fish might be?

2. Title: Grandfather’s Journey
Author: Allen Say
Illustrator: Allen Say
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Year: 1993

Brief Summary: At once deeply personal, yet expressing universally held emotions, this tale of one man’s love for two countries and his constant desire to be in both places captured readers’ attention and hearts. Amazon.com
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State

Justification: One of those books that belongs in every class room because the story reads so well and the illustrations are so stunning and support the text exclusively. Useful to discuss about family dreams and family relations and about culture.

1. Title: Math Curse
Author: Jon Scieska
Illustrator: Lane Smith
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Publication Year: 1995

Brief Summary: From the inventive minds of Scieszka and Smith comes an unusual take on the subject of mathematics. School Library Journal
Accessed: Kolwyck Library, Chattanooga State
Justification: Hey, I’m a science and math subject liaison librarian – what would you expect to be the number one book on my list! All kidding aside, sort of, this is a classic picture book for math class in elementary school that is filled with stunning illustrations, math equations, and applicable to daily life  – recommended for any school to have in collection. Even adults would enjoy reading this one.