Children’s Book List for Oprah.com
April 2010
This list was developed by the Quicklists Consulting Committee of the Association for
Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association
Ages 0-2
Baby Bathtime! by Dawn Sirett. DK Publishing, 2009. ISBN: 9780756659165.
This lift-the-flap board book helps babies explore the world around them.
Higher! Higher! by Leslie Patricelli. illus. by the author. Candlewick, 2009. ISBN:
9780763632410.
When her dad pushes a young girl in a swing, she goes “higher, higher,” until she reaches
fantastical heights and meets an airplane, a rocket, and even an alien!
Rhymes Round the World compiled by Kay Chorao. illus. by the author. Dutton, 2009.
ISBN: 9780525478751.
Rhymes and songs from across the globe will delight young children. Full-page
illustrations dramatize the sense of play.
Shades of People by Shelley Rotner and Sheila M. Kelly. Photos by Shelley Rotner.
Holiday, 2009. ISBN: 9780823421916.
Beautiful full-color photographs of children, along with a simple text, highlight the many
shades of skin color.
The Sleepy Little Alphabet: A Bedtime Story from Alphabet Town by Judy Sierra.
illus. by Melissa Sweet. Knopf, 2009. ISBN: 9780375840029.
Parents try to round up the letters of the alphabet as they “skitter-scatter, helter-skelter.”
Rhyming text and humorous illustrations highlight each letter until they are all finally
asleep in bed.
Ten Tiny Babies by Karen Katz. illus. by the author. Simon & Schuster/Margaret K.
McElderry, 2008. ISBN: 9781416935469.
Babies from one to ten enjoy a bouncy, noisy day until they are finally fast asleep at
night.
Classics:
I Heard a Little Baa by Elizabeth MacLeod. illus. by Louise Phillips. Kids Can, 1998.
ISBN: 9781550744965.
This lively rhyming book gives readers a chance to practice animal sounds, identify
animals and guess what animal is coming up next.
Mr. Gumpy’s Outing by John Burningham. illus. by the author. Holt, 1971. ISBN:
9780805007084.
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On a perfect summer day, Mr. Gumpy decides to take a ride on the river in his small boat.
First he adds a boy and girl, and then an array of animals until the goat’s kick causes a
cumulative effect and everyone lands in the water. The book ends with a tea party for all.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. illus. by the author. Collins, 1979. ISBN:
9780529007759.
A very hungry caterpillar works his way through holes cut into the pages as he eats a
variety of food, spins his cocoon, and emerges as a beautiful butterfly.
Ages 3-5
All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon. illus. by Marla Frazee. Beach Lane, 2009.
ISBN: 9781416985808.
Follow a circle of family and friends through a day of enjoying the world around them
and their many connections.
Boo Hoo Bird by Jeremy Tankard. illus. by the author. Scholastic, 2009. ISBN:
9780545065702.
When Bird gets a boo-boo, his friends all try to figure out a way to make him happy
again.
Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children’s Day/Book Day/Celebremos El día de los niños/El
día de los libros: A Bilingual Picture Book by Pat Mora. illus. by Rafael López. Rayo,
2009. ISBN: 9780061288777.
Colorful illustrations complement the bilingual text celebrating children and books.
Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy. illus. by Polly Dunbar. Clarion, 2009. ISBN:
9780547074214.
In a humorous, rhyming text, Little Mabel blows a bubble that encases her baby brother.
He happily floats through the neighborhood as everyone follows along trying to figure
out how to rescue him.
Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. illus by Tom Lichtenheld. Chronicle, 2009.
ISBN: 9780811868655.
It’s a duck! No, it’s a rabbit! Clever illustrations lead the reader to wonder, is it a duck
or a rabbit? Could it be both?
My Garden by Kevin Henkes. illus. by the author. Greenwillow, 2010. ISBN:
9780061715174.
A young girl imagines her dream garden complete with jellybean bushes, chocolate
rabbits, and tomatoes the size of beach balls.
Opuestos: Mexican Folk Art Opposites in English and Spanish by Cynthia Weill.
illus. by Martín Santiago and Quirino Santiago. Cinco Puntos, 2009. ISBN:
9781933693569.
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Mexican folk art of hand-carved wood sculptures show opposites, labeled in both Spanish
and English.
Wee Little Bunny by Lauren Thompson. illus. by John Butler. Simon & Schuster, 2010.
ISBN: 9781416979371.
A young rabbit enjoys a "busy, dizzy" day of playing in the meadow near his home.
What Can You Do with a Paleta?/¿Qué Puedes Hacer con una Paleta? by Carmen
Tafolla. illus. by Magaly Morales. Tricycle, 2009. ISBN: 9781582462899.
Set in the barrio, a young Latina girl explores the question “What Can You Do with a
Paleta?” The warm acrylic paintings, reminiscent of Mexican folk art, reflect the various
colors of this favorite frozen treat.
Wombat Walkabout by Carol Diggory Shields. illus. by Sophie Blackall. Dutton, 2009.
ISBN: 9780525472131.
Children count backward from number six when they join these adorable wombats on
their walkabout. When a hungry dingo captures four of the wombats, the two that are left
have to figure out how to outsmart him to save their mates.
Classics:
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell. Four Winds, 1982. ISBN: 978059007689.
The zoo sends a series of animals as possible pets to a youngster, until they find one that
turns out to be perfect.
The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney. Little, Brown, 2009. ISBN: 9780316013567.
Set in the African Serengeti, this is a wordless retelling of the classic fable of the lion and
the mouse.
The Mitten by Jim Aylesworth, reteller. illus. by Barbara McClintock. Scholastic, 2009.
ISBN: 9780439925440.
In this retelling of the classic Ukrainian folktale, a boy loses his mitten, which becomes
home to a host of animals until the mitten is so crowded that it bursts into shreds of “bits
and pieces of yarn.”
“More, More, More,” Said the Baby: 3 Love Stories by Vera B. Williams. illus. by
the author. Greenwillow, 1990. ISBN: 9780688091736.
Three babies are caught up in the air and given loving attention by a father, grandmother,
and mother.
Ages 6-9
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters by Lenore
Look. illus by LeUyen Pham. Schwartz & Wade, 2009. ISBN: 9780375857058.
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When Alvin's father takes him camping to instill a love of nature, like that of their hometown hero Henry David Thoreau, Alvin makes a new friend and learns that he can be
brave despite his fear of everything.
Button Up! Wrinkled Rhymes by Alice Schertle. illus. by Petra Mathers. Harcourt,
2009. ISBN: 9780152050504.
Children will relate to these poems about clothing from "hang loose laces," to "Emily's
undies/fit for a queen," to "Rick's Wool Sweater,” which makes Rick itchy and twitchy.
All of the clothes are worn by animal characters and the poems are told from the point of
view of the clothing.
I Am Going (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems. illus by the author.
Hyperion, 2010. ISBN: 9781423119906.
Piggie ruins a perfectly good day by telling Gerald that she is going, causing him to
panic.
My Abuelita by Tony Johnston. illus. by Yuyi Morales. Harcourt, 2009. ISBN:
9780152163303.
With lyrical language and a sprinkling of Spanish, a young boy tells us about his amazing
grandmother. The eye-catching, pastel colored illustrations created in mixed media
enhance this story of a much loved grandmother.
My People by Langston Hughes. Photographs by Charles R. Smith Jr. Simon &
Schuster/Atheneum, 2009. ISBN: 9781416935407.
Sepia photographs complement the words of the classic poem by Langston Hughes and
celebrate the uniqueness of black people who come in all shapes, sizes, shades, and ages.
The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz. illus by Angela Barrett. Candlewick, 2010.
ISBN: 9780763636746.
Wingless and alone, Flory the young fairy must learn to make it on her own while
learning the value of good friends.
Sojourner Truth’s Step-Stomp Stride by Andrea Davis Pinkney. illus. by Brian
Pinkney. Hyperion/Jump at the Sun Books, 2009. ISBN: 9780786807673.
This biography, written in poetic text and illustrated with paintings in a golden, hopeful
hue, relates the life of Sojourner Truth: “Big. Black. Beautiful. True. That was
Sojourner.” The climax of the book depicts Sojourner’s rousing “And ain’t I a woman?”
speech at the 1851 women’s rights convention in Akron, Ohio.
Willow by Denise Brennan-Nelson and Rosemarie Brennan. illus. by Cyd Moore.
Sleeping Bear, 2008. ISBN: 9781585363421.
Miss Hawthorn, a strict and orderly art teacher, meets her match in the free-spirited
Willow, whose creativity and kindness transform her teacher and their classroom.
Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales by Lucy Cousins. illus by the author.
Candlewick, 2009. ISBN: 9780763644741.
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This is a collection of classic fairy tales drawn in the familiar style of Lucy Cousins,
author/illustrator of the Maisy Mouse books.
Classics:
John Henry by Julius Lester. illus. by Jerry Pinkney. Dial, 1994. ISBN: 9780803716063.
This retelling adds some modern twists to the classic legend of the African American
hero who races against a steam drill to cut a path through a mountain for the railroad.
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren. illus. by Lauren Child. trans. by Tiina
Nunnally. Viking, 2007. ISBN: 9780670062768.
This book is a new translation of the adventures of Pippi, a young girl with strength and
imagination, who lives with her horse and monkey without adult supervision. The
artwork is cleverly integrated into the text.
Swamp Angel by Anne Isaacs. illus. by Paul O. Zelinsky. Dutton, 1994. ISBN:
9780525452713.
In this literary legend, Angelica Longrider becomes the most famous woodswoman in
Tennessee when she defeats Thundering Tarnation, “a huge bear with a bottomless
appetite for settlers’ grub.”
Ages 10-12
The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo. illus. by Yoko Tanaka. Candlewick,
2009. ISBN: 9780763644109.
Ten-year-old Peter meets a fortune teller in the market and she tells him that his sister,
who is presumed dead, is in fact alive. He then begins a series of adventures as he
desperately tries to find her.
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. Amistad, 2010. ISBN: 9780060760885.
Three sisters find themselves dropped into the midst of Black Panther San Francisco in
1968 and struggle to make sense of the time and their aloof poet mother.
Tofu Quilt by Ching Yeung Russell. Lee & Low, 2009. ISBN: 9781600604232.
This collection of poems provides vivid snapshots of the experiences of daily life of a
young girl growing up in Hong Kong in the 1960’s.
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. Wendy Lamb, 2009. ISBN: 9780385737425.
A 12-year-old girl in New York tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes
received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space.
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. illus by the author. Little, Brown,
2009. ISBN: 9780316114271.
Chinese folklore and original storytelling combine with beautiful illustrations in this
magical tale of a girl, a dragon, and a quest.
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Classics:
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson. Crowell, 1978. ISBN:
9780690038378.
Gilly, an 11-year-old foster child, who refuses to bond with anyone, meets her match
with Mrs. Trotter, a wise and kind foster mother.
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. Houghton, 1989. ISBN: 9780395510605.
During the German occupation of Denmark in 1943, ten-year-old Annemarie shows great
courage when she helps her Jewish friend escape from the Nazis.
Ages 12 and Up
The Beautiful Stories of Life: Six Greek Myths, Retold by Cynthia Rylant. illus. by
Carson Ellis. Harcourt, 2009. ISBN: 9780152061845.
In a readable, compassionate style, Rylant offers modern retellings of classic myths, such
as “Pandora,” “Orpheus,” and “Psyche.” The illustrations invite young readers into each
of the stories.
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose. Farrar/ Melanie Kroupa,
2009. ISBN: 9780374313227.
A biography of Claudette Colvin, the incredibly courageous teenager who stood up for
her constitutional rights when she was just sixteen years old. She refused to give up her
seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus nine months before the more famous case of Rosa
Parks.
Crossing Stones by Helen Frost. Farrar/Frances Foster, 2009. ISBN: 9780374316532.
This historical novel, written in free verse and “cupped hand”sonnets, is set on the home
front of World War I. The themes of love and war are reflected with historical detail and
universal sorrows and hope.
Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman. Holt, 2009.
ISBN: 9780805087215.
A biographical love story of Charles Darwin and his cousin EmmaWedgwood, who have
a successful marriage despite fundamental philosophical and religious differences.
Emma, strong in her religious faith, shapes her husband’s theories of evolution.
Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Cinco Puntos, 2009.
ISBN: 9781933693583.
Eighteen-year-old Zach doesn’t remember much before he woke up in drug and alcohol
treatment, but with the help of therapy and the many people he meets there, he starts to
piece together the horrible events that led to his amnesia and to find a way to begin
recovery.
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Northward to the Moon by Polly Horvath. Schwartz & Wade, 2010. ISBN:
9780375861109.
Jane and the rest of the family set off on a car trip after her stepfather loses his job,
ending up in Nevada after being given a bag full of possibly stolen money.
Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez. Knopf, 2009. ISBN: 9780375858383.
When his family hires migrant Mexican workers to help save their farm, 11-year-old
Tyler befriends the oldest daughter and discovers they may not be in the country legally.
Serendipity Market by Penny Blubaugh. HarperTeen, 2009. ISBN: 9780061468759.
When the world tilts off its axis, storytellers from around the world must gather and share
their versions of folk and fairy stories to help get the world back in balance.
Classics:
The Dream Keeper and Other Poems by Langston Hughes. illus. by Brian Pinkney.
Knopf, 1994. ISBN: 9780679844211.
Langston Hughes selected this collection of poems, first published in 1932, especially
for young readers. From “The Dream Keeper,” to “The Weary Blues,” to “As I Grew
Older,” these poems reflect Hughes’ pride in his race, yet provide universal themes and
messages for all children.
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