The Pout-Pout Fish- Deborah Diesen 

Author: Deborah Diesen
Illustrator: Dan Hanna

The Pout-Pout Fish, by Deborah Diesen and illustrated by Dan Hanna, is a bestselling children's book about a gloomy fish who spreads "dreary wearies" until a kiss from a new fish turns him into a "kiss-kiss fish," teaching a lesson about changing your outlook. 

Just Ask

Author: Sonia Sotomayor

Illustrator: Rafael López

Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You is a children's book by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, illustrated by Rafael López, that celebrates diversity and encourages children to ask questions to understand differences, using a community garden project as a framework to explore various abilities and challenges like diabetes, asthma, dyslexia, and autism. The book promotes curiosity and empathy, showing how asking questions helps build understanding and makes the world a more interesting place, much like a garden with many different plants. 

Battle of the Butts

Author: Jocelyn Rish
Illustrator: David Creighton-Pester

Battle of the Butts: The Science Behind Animal Behinds by Jocelyn Rish is a humorous, non-fiction children's picture book that explores the surprising and scientific ways animals use their rear ends for survival, communication, and more, featuring ten animals with unique "posterior powers" like wombats using cube-shaped poop for territory marking or manatees using gas for buoyancy. 

The Reason for a Flower- Ruth Heller

Author/Illustrator: Ruth Heller

The Reason for a Flower by Ruth Heller is a children's nonfiction picture book that explains the science of flowers and plant reproduction in a rhythmic, rhyming style, teaching about pollination, plant parts (like anther, stamen, stigma), and seed development. Aimed at young readers (ages 4-8), the book uses colorful illustrations and engaging text to cover botany, the life cycle of plants, and even carnivorous plants, making it a popular and educational introduction to the topic. 

Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere

Author: Smriti Prasadam-Halls

Illustrator: Lorena Alvarez

Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere is a children's Halloween picture book by Smriti Prasadam-Halls, illustrated by Lorena Alvarez, that follows four trick-or-treaters on their way to a pumpkin parade, featuring rhyming text and colorful illustrations of various carved pumpkins. The book highlights different pumpkin faces (happy, sad, spooky) and shapes (spider, cat, wolf, bat) with simple, repetitive text, making it ideal for young readers to spot the pumpkins on each page.

We are Water Protectors- Carole Lindstrom 

Author: Carole Lindstrom

Illustrator: Michaela Goade

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade, is a Caldecott Medal-winning picture book inspired by Indigenous-led movements, particularly the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, that serves as a powerful call to action to protect Earth's water. Told from the perspective of a young Ojibwe girl, the book uses the metaphor of a "black snake" to represent the threat of pollution and corruption, urging readers to stand up for environmental justice and the sacredness of water.

Wintercake

Author/Illustrator: Lynne Rae Perkins

Wintercake by Lynne Rae Perkins is a children's picture book about friendship, community, and making assumptions, featuring woodland creatures Thomas and Lucy preparing for a winter celebration. When Thomas loses the dried fruit for his wintercake, Lucy follows a weasel she suspects of theft, only to discover he's returning the basket, leading to a new friendship and a shared holiday. The book is praised for its gentle humor, detailed illustrations, and themes of empathy and tradition, making it a popular choice for winter storytime.