Author: Karina Glaser

This is a perfect book for kids who have lots of questions, such as How big is the sun? How many stars are there in the sky? Is it cold in outer space? Is travel to Jupiter possible? The text is accompanied by charming illustrations.

Two friends, a bear and a rat, wonder whether they will always hold hands even when they are old and gray and wrinkly. This is a sweet bedtime book about sticking with each other through the best and worst times.

Sometimes a question you have when you’re young becomes a question that you spend your life trying to figure out. This was the case for Fred Urquhart, who had been fascinated by insects — particularly the monarch butterfly — since a child. When he got older, he decided to study the monarch butterfly’s migration patterns. With help from a community of people stretching from Canada to Mexico, he unlocks the mystery of the monarchs.

I remember when I was a child, I wondered a lot about water. This was probably because I grew up in a drought area of southern California, and our schools always taught us how to conserve water when brushing our teeth and showering. When the World Runs Dry is a very informative book that covers a lot of water-related topics, including lead and water infrastructure problems, pollution, fracking contamination, harmful algal blooms, water supply issues, rising sea levels, and potential solutions

Keyana wants to plan a backyard soiree…all by herself! But things keep going wrong no matter how hard she tries, and she realizes that getting help from others is a gift, especially when she has a family who loves her and wants to support her.

I love this cheerful, fun book about a hedgehog who comes across a letter. But it’s not just any letter, it’s a love letter! He goes about his business feeling oddly cheerful, and the letter somehow gets into the hands of Bunny, and then Squirrel finds it…you see where this is going? I adore these delightful illustrations and the humor.

Hayley loves giving hugs, and she is darn good at it, too. But the one person she can’t hug all she wants is her grandma, and that is why she has to send her hugs through the mail. This sweet book is right up my alley because it involves mail, and you all know how much I love mail…

Baking is a joy, especially when you’re always taught to add a pinch of love to the cookies you’re making. Giving out those cookies can brighten anyone’s day, and it can even be a powerful way to make change in your community.

The illustrations in this beautiful book shine as they tell the story of the time-honored tradition of weaving. As a young girl learns how to weave, she reflects on the craftsmanship and how it’s been a part of her past and will be a part of her future.

This playful and fun book reimagines great artwork integrated with…cats? I enjoyed every page turn. Trust me, you haven’t experienced the fullness of life until you’ve seen Under The Wave Off Kanagawa with cats fishing in the roaring sea.

Creator of The Cardboard Kingdom, Chad Sell is back with the second installment of Doodleville. When her doodles start creating mayhem at the Art Institute of Chicago, Drew finds herself as Public Enemy #1. Can Drew and the Art Club make things right before priceless artwork is destroyed forever?

Torrey Maldonado is one of my favorite middle grade authors (check out the book Tight!). In Hands, Trev is stressed because his violent stepdad is coming back, and Trev knows he needs to protect his mom. He decides to learn how to box, but not everyone thinks this is a great idea. Trev is a gifted artist, and his hands are an important path to a better future. But what choice does Trev have?

This stunning picture book relates the history of books created in Mesoamerica, starting with the use of plants to make paper. These beautiful painted manuscripts, or codices, told the story of their people’s way of life, documenting their history, science, tributes, and sacred rituals.

Adapted from a traditional Buddhist tale, this story of the fabled nine color deer is about promises made, greed, forgiveness, and conservation. The illustration style evokes the artwork found in the Mogao caves, located along the Silk Road in China.

From a traditional Irish storyteller Marianne McShane comes a tale of intrigue, lore, and bravery. When the Fog Catcher goes missing, the Eily must venture into the waters surrounding the enchanted isle of Lisnashee to find him.

This picture book imagines a day in Japanese American artist Isamu Noguchi’s life when he was a young boy growing up in Japan. He walks through a market and through a forest and along an ocean, always seeing the objects he passes through an artist’s lens. In reading this book, I looked up more about this artist and he has a museum right here in New York City. I am planning a visit!

This great picture book is adapted from one of Bob Marley’s legendary song. With bright illustrations by John Jay Cabuay, this is sure to be a favorite among young readers.

Taro Gomi is one of my favorite illustrators. I love him for his vibrant colors and fun, interesting story lines. Join the bus as it weaves through town!

This board book consists of pages of adorable babies doing all the adorable baby things. Babies will like it, and parents will LOVE it.

This is an adorable book about mistaken identity! When the delicious smell of freshly made latkes lures a bear out of hibernation, Bubba Brayna, a fabulous cook whose eyesight is not so great, invites the bear in to spin the dreidel, light the menorah, and enjoy the latkes. When her guests and the rabbi arrive, they find that the meal they were so looking forward to has disappeared!

When a father dies, his seven sons are given an unusual request: they must make gold out of seven spools of thread by sunset or they will be cast out of the family penniless. The brothers must work together in harmony to fulfill their father’s request, and the author incorporates the seven principles of Kwanzaa in the story.

This delightful book is filled with Clarice Bean’s amusing musings complemented with sweet illustrations. Clarice Bean is ready for Christmas, but it seems as if she’s the only one. Her parents are too exhausted to host their annual holiday party and her neighbors are grouchy. This is a year like no other, but can Clarice bring the Christmas spirit back?

It’s five days before Christmas, and the Vanderbeekers should be dreaming of sugar plums and candy canes. Instead, they find out they have to leave their home by the end of the year. Can they convince their recalcitrant upstairs neighbor/landlord to let them stay?

This adorable board book by Miguel Ordóñez is sure to be a favorite among the youngest readers. Watch how shapes make strawberries and hamburgers and see little critters try to sneak off with the food!

My parents grew up in Hong Kong, so I loved seeing this beautiful picture book, which is set in the alley of Tai Yuen Street. When an exhausted stranger collapses in the street, a little girl has to decide whether to share her precious (double yolk!) mooncake with the man. I LOVED the illustrations in this book!

This stunning picture book tells the origin story of fry bread in the Native American community. Fry bread is food, time, history, and so much more, as expressed in this lovely book.

In this vibrant picture book, a grandmother shows her grandson how to cook the family meal. He washes greens and grates cheese, and even has his own contribution to sweeten up the Sunday gathering.

In this sci-fi-ish (or realistic?) picture book, Bix lives in a city where no one talks to each other or reads books. They just stare at portable devices all monitored by the Big Eye. In an attempt to escape from the intrusive Eye, Bix finds a way under the city where he discovers an abandoned city…one that has a library! Can Bix find a way to bring back books, and defeat the Big Eye for good?

Cities are known for diversity, and this picture book perfectly captures how people can all be unique and add different gifts to a place. The illustrations are vibrant and full of energy!

I love so many things about this book! Farrell’s humor and illustrative style remind me of Richard Scarry. Etta the Elephant is off to her aunt’s house, and along the way she encounters a bicycle parade! Check out all the funny and silly bikes Etta sees in this delightful picture book.

Living in a big building has its challenges, especially when noise wakes up residents one by one, setting off a chain reaction so no neighbor is unaffected! But calm and quiet return to the city, and slowly the residents of the red brick building find rest again. Are you tired of me recommending books by Oge Mora yet??? I just love her illustrations!

I am so happy that this book was made! Shaun Tan is one of the world’s most visionary artists, capturing so much beauty in his narrative illustrations (like in his Caldecott winner The Arrival). This collection of sketches, illustrations, and illuminating essays make this a powerful and thrilling book for all fans of Shaun Tan.

As much as I love the Ramona Quimby stories, I do think the iconic illustrations and covers play a huge part of what made this series such an incredible success. Go back in time and check out the five different illustrators — Louis Darling, Alan Tiegreen, Joanne Scribner, Tracy Dockray, and Jacqueline Rogers — who helped bring Ramona to life!

Alice and Martin Provensen are a beloved husband-and-wife team who created the art for over 40 books, many of which ended up on the New York Times Best Illustrated Books of the Year lists. One of the books they illustrated, The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot, won the Caldecott Award. Check out this gorgeous book that showcases so much of their beautiful artwork over the course of 70 years.

I first came across this book in a museum, and I immediately longed to buy it. It is filled with so much gorgeous art from beloved filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki who creates stories that feature characters navigating unfamiliar terrain and looking out on a challenging and complicated world. This book is an immersion into his world and creative process.

When the pilgrims arrived in North America, they were given the gift of the Wampanoag’s care. Without the Wampanoag, the pilgrims would not have made it through their first winter. In particular, the Wampanoag’s cultivation of Weeâchumun (corn) was integral to their thanksgiving story. This book comes with a pronunciation key and definitions.

This is one of my favorite picture books by one of my favorite author/illustrators! In this story, a young child watches as their grandmother prepares an aromatic stew that has everyone knocking on their door for a taste! With Omu giving away all of their food, will there be anything left for them?

This is one of my absolute favorite picture books about giving generously even when it’s difficult. When a neighbor loses everything in a fire, the community comes together to provide for their neighbor’s needs. But what does James have that is worth giving?

As someone who volunteers regularly at a soup kitchen, I really appreciated this book and how it shows all the ways people come together to use what they have to make meals for people who might be hungry.