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Do Not Lick This Book: It's Full of Germs by Idan Ben-Barak, illustrated by Julian Frost

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Do Not Lick This Book: It's Full of Germs by Idan Ben-Barak, illustrated by Julian Frost

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The only non-fiction book I picked up, it was actually one of my favorites of the whole experience. It includes digital microscope photography and illustrated cartoon microbes that we later discover are E. coli, strep, and fungus. It would be a great tie-in to a science unit on the human body and I loved the hands-on elements. Read alouds for this would include lots of opportunity for kid inquiry and interactivity.

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Princess Hair, written & illustrated by Sharee Miller

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Princess Hair, written & illustrated by Sharee Miller

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From the author of "Don't Touch My Hair" (another wonderful book) comes a new story celebrating African American hair in all its many iterations. Normalizing differences in the community is hugely important to Miller and this is evident in "Princess Hair". My personal favorite quote was  a tie between "And princesses with FROHAWKS rock!" and "Not every princess has the same hair. But every princess LOVES her princess hair!"

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The Dark by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Jon Klassen

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The Dark by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Jon Klassen

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This is the story of Laszlo, the boy who had to overcome his fear of the dark in his large house, alone at night. While the illustrations are not very detailed, the message is a good one - everything has its function, including the dark.

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Noodle Magic by Roseanne Greenfield Thong, illustrated by Meilo So

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Noodle Magic by Roseanne Greenfield Thong, illustrated by Meilo So

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I appreciated this for the #OwnVoices impact and the layers of cultural diversity, none of which feels like appropriation. The details incorporated in Chinese cooking as well as the town's celebration of the emperor's birthday were vibrant and would likely engage readers of a broad age range.

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Herman and Rosie written and illustrated by Gus Gordon

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Herman and Rosie written and illustrated by Gus Gordon

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This adorable story of an alligator named Herman and a deer named Rosie was elevated by the illustrations and the mixed media elements. Some of the buildings are put together by sections of old New York Times pages and some illustration panels were set up like comic book sections on the backs of postcards. The two characters live two buildings away and are bound to be good friends, bonding over jazz music and ocean documentaries, if only they could somehow find each other.

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The Skin You Live In by Michael Tyler, illustrated by David Lee Csicsko

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The Skin You Live In by Michael Tyler, illustrated by David Lee Csicsko

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While I was not as much of a fan of the illustrations, wow - what an amazing message. I see students of all ages, especially older kids, already facing prejudice and colorism - self-conscious if they look "too dark" or "don't have good hair". I enjoyed the rhythm and rhyme elements as well - it would be a great way to teach figurative language elements in context and I also think kids and adults would find it memorable for that reason.

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Tell Me a Tattoo Story by Allison McGhee, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler

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Tell Me a Tattoo Story by Allison McGhee, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler

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This brought to mind everything we have been reading about visual literacy. So much is communicated in the illustrations in the same way a tattoo can tell a story that is personal to the man or woman who wears it on their body. It is also a very endearing story about a loving father and his relationship with his young son, whose birthday is his favorite tattoo.

I think it would also be a good lesson for students to see beyond stereotypes of what they see vs. the real person - don't be intimidated by that dude just because of his tattoos, boys and girls!

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Good Night, Wind by Linda Elovitz Marshall, illustrated by Maelle Doliveux

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Good Night, Wind by Linda Elovitz Marshall, illustrated by Maelle Doliveux

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In this fairy tale inspired by a Yiddish folk tale, the Winter Wind travels around, looking for a place to rest during the spring. The Wind is a character, made of separate paper strips moving and flowing across the pages with intricate beauty. Some of the pieces making the houses look like felt segments and the whole book feels very 3D without actually being a popup book. I would use this as a literary tie-in when covering weather in a science class, or to Literacy looking at story elements, how well-written characters are round and complex.

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This is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by James Ransome

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This is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by James Ransome

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This is a beautiful, eye opening educational story about the Great Migration, the movement of more than 6 million African Americans from the rural South to cities in the urban North for fair treatment and escape from Jim Crow laws. The narrator is the granddaughter of the main character, who moves from South Carolina to New York City. The rope mentioned in every stanza is what connects her to future generations, passed down to her daughter and then beyond. It also overlaps with Social Studies standards.

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This is Not a Valentine by Carter Higgins, illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins

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This is Not a Valentine by Carter Higgins, illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins

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I found this story to be utterly adorable. Two earnest children like each other, but can't get past the overloaded expectations of Valentine's Day. She may not like pink and glitter, but she is your hero. What if he doesn't draw or make crafts well? Can he still tell you he likes you? I thought it was a cute tale kids would find relatable - after all, traditional Valentine's Day is mostly for grownups and the teacher just makes you create those cards.

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Tomorrow Most Likely by Dave Eggers, illustrated by Lane Smith

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Tomorrow Most Likely by Dave Eggers, illustrated by Lane Smith

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Eggers's book is a sweet bedtime story that is about how tomorrow will bring some expected things and some things that are not, a new smell, a weird bug, or your odd cousin Todd. You never know what the next day will bring and that, in and of itself, is kind of beautiful and worthy of hopeful anticipation.

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Lucia the Luchadora and the Million Masks by Cynthia Leonor Garza, illustrated by Alyssa Bermudez

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Lucia the Luchadora and the Million Masks by Cynthia Leonor Garza, illustrated by Alyssa Bermudez

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I loved the first book - a story about female empowerment and Latina wrestler heroes. This one was even better, because of course your annoying younger sister wants in on the fun if you have a cool mask. Eventually Lucia has to learn to share and allow her sister to develop her own brave identity. Sometimes your family is made up of role models and even your younger siblings can lend a hand.

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Lucia the Luchadora and the Million Masks cover

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Dreamers, written & illustrated by Yuyi Morales

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Dreamers, written & illustrated by Yuyi Morales

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This book is beautifully written and illustrated, ostensibly an immigration story, but also so much more than that. The unnamed main character is a mother traveling to America with her baby and they learn to read, speak, and write English at their friendly neighborhood library. For this family, the public library becomes the land of possibility and connection.

Notably, the story includes a multitude of diverse children's book Easter Eggs in the library illustrations. So it also develops into a to-be-read list for children and adults who want to learn more about immigrant experiences. Highly recommended for readers of all ages - meets AASL, ELA, and Social Studies standards.

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Charlotte and the Quiet Place by Deborah Sosin, illustrated by Sara Woolley

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Charlotte and the Quiet Place by Deborah Sosin, illustrated by Sara Woolley

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This is a great story about mindfulness, finding a quiet space in your head when the world feels far too loud and overwhelming. So many of our students and their family members struggle with anxiety and coping strategies like those suggested in the book would be helpful for families.

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Say Something! written & illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

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Say Something! written & illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

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So I won't lie - this book about activism for kids almost made me tear up just with the dedication page (to Emma Gonzalez). It contains a lot of social messages on how children can make a small difference that ripples to become bigger. The story advocates for ways to stand up to bullies, be creative, open up about your feelings with friends, and inspire people.

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Lyric McKerrigan, Secret Librarian by Jacob Sager Weinstein, illustrated by Vera Brosgol

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Lyric McKerrigan, Secret Librarian by Jacob Sager Weinstein, illustrated by Vera Brosgol

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This book was just silly and fun. Who doesn't like a book about a purple-haired kid librarian who saves the day from villains? I enjoyed the puns on regular titles. However, after reading so many picture books, I wish the author had included more of an origin story for the protagonist, even if it was a page or two long. That would have tied it more to the comic book world and given the reader more to chew on in terms of character.

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Lyric McKerrigan, Secret Librarian cover

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Made by Maxine by Ruth Spiro, illustrated by Holly Hatam

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Made by Maxine by Ruth Spiro, illustrated by Holly Hatam

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This book screams, "Read me aloud to the class who wants to know what a makerspace is!!" I especially liked the section on making instruments out of vegetables (someone has clearly used Makey Makey or at least seen it online). Get this book for the creative child engineer in your life.