These picture books mix in a message with a good story
Of course, children want a good story and engaging pictures. But there’s nothing wrong with a lesson, too. These picture books celebrate nature, applaud diversity and protest racism.
‘Sarah Rising,’ by Ty Chapman, illustrated by DeAnn Wiley (Beaming Books, $18.99, ages 5-8):
One morning, Sarah’s father stops her before school. “We’re going to a protest,” he tells her. A crowd has gathered at the police station; the police, Sarah’s father explains, have killed another Black man. As the crowd shouts for justice, Sarah dives to save an injured butterfly and is separated from her father. Chapman threads the needle beautifully in this book, which shows the father’s calm and the crowd’s intensity — and Sarah’s compassion.
‘Today Is Different,’ by Doua Moua, illustrated by Kim Holt (Carolrhoda Books, $17.99, ages 5-9):
Every day, Mai and her friend Kiera go to school together, eat lunch together, come home on the bus together. But not today — this day Kiera is missing. She’s protesting with her family after the death of George Floyd, and Mai decides to protest, too. Moua has told an inspiring story of family togetherness and community support. Holt’s digital paint illustrations have wonderful details.
‘We Belong,’ by Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Carlos Velez Aguilera (Carolrhoda Books, $17.99, ages 4-8):
Salas has written an anthem to multiculturalism and inclusiveness in rhymes as catchy as those of Dr. Seuss. “There are boys. There are girls. And even more choices,” she writes. “Let’s build a world where there’s room for all voices.” The colored pencil and digital media illustrations by Aguilera explode with energy.
‘Love in the Library,’ by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, illustrated by Yas Imamura (Candlewick Press, $18.99, ages 6-9):
Based on the author’s grandparents, “Love in the Library” takes place during World War II at a Japanese internment camp in the American West. Tama tries not to look at the armed guards as she walks to the library where she works. George stops by to check out books and eventually it becomes clear — he’s not there for the books, he’s there for her. Imamura’s gouache and watercolor illustrations show the bleakness of the camp as well as the beauty and love of the people inside it.
‘Frogness,’ by Sarah Nelson, illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes (Owlkids Books, $17.95, ages 3-7):
Drawn by the noisy YEEP YEEP YEEP of the spring peepers, Sammy and his dog slip into the woods to see if they can catch one. They search, eventually growing muddy and tired. They lie down and “fade off into frogness.” And then the pond erupts with frogs! Nelson tells a cheerful story about the lure of the wild. Fernandes’ illustrations are, like the child and dog, bright, messy and happy.
‘Celia Planted a Garden,’ by Phyllis Root and Gary D. Schmidt, illustrated by Melissa Sweet (Candlewick, $18.99, ages 5-9):
Celia Laighton Thaxter grew up on an island off the coast of Maine. As a young woman, she moved to the mainland but never abandoned her island home; she became a poet and an artist. Root has teamed up with Newbery Honor winner Schmidt in this inspiring biography of Celia. Sweet’s watercolor, gouache and mixed-media collage illustrations depict the gardens, blossoms and sea to perfection.
‘Mouse’s Wood: A Year in Nature,’ by Alice Melvin, text by William Snow (Thames & Hudson, $19.95, ages 5 and up):
On his forest strolls over the course of a year, Mouse passes snowdrops and forsythia, daffodils and bluebells, ripe apples and falling leaves. Melvin’s lush mixed-media illustrations are an absolute showstopper. Die-cut holes provide peeks at other pages, and folded flaps allow readers to peer into the charming woodland homes.
‘A Warbler’s Journey,’ by Scott Weidensaul, illustrated by Nancy Lane (Gryphon Press, $17.99, ages 3 and up):
Weidensaul — a Pulitzer finalist for “Living on the Wind,” his book on bird migration — has had no trouble simplifying his knowledge for children. This book follows a yellow warbler as it crosses the Gulf of Mexico and heads north. Lane’s paintings are gorgeous.