Best of the Best Picture Books of 2021Like this list

19 items

• The 1619 Project

  Born on the Water

  Hannah-Jones, Nikole,

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  A young student receives a family tree assignment in school, but she can only trace back three generations. Grandma gathers the whole family, and the student learns that 400 years ago, in 1619, their ancestors were stolen and brought to America by…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Big Bath House

  Maclear, Kyo, 1970-

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  In this celebration of Japanese culture and family and naked bodies of all shapes and sizes, join a little girl--along with her aunties and grandmother--at a traditional bath house. Once there, the rituals leading up to the baths begin: hair…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Change Sings

  a Children's Anthem

  Gorman, Amanda, 1998-

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  "I can hear change humming In its loudest, proudest song. I don't fear change coming, And so I sing along." In this stirring, much-anticipated picture book by presidential inaugural poet and activist Amanda Gorman, anything is possible when our…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Dad Bakes

  Yamasaki, Katie,

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  Dad wakes early every morning before the sun, heading off to work at the bakery. He kneads, rolls, and bakes, and as the sun rises and the world starts its day, Dad heads home to his young daughter. Together they play, read, garden, and―most…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Eyes That Kiss in the Corners

  Ho, Joanna,

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  A young Asian girl notices that her eyes look different from her peers'. They have big, round eyes and long lashes. She realizes that her eyes are like her mother’s, her grandmother's, and her little sister's. They have eyes that kiss in the corners…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Little Witch Hazel

  a Year in the Forest

  Wahl, Phoebe

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  Little Witch Hazel is a tiny witch who lives in the forest, helping creatures big and small. She's a midwife, an intrepid explorer, a hard worker and a kind friend. In this four-season volume, Little Witch Hazel rescues an orphaned egg, goes…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Longest Storm

  Yaccarino, Dan,

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  No one knew where the strange storm came from, or why it lasted so long. The family at the center of this timely story has to hunker down together, with no going outside - and that's hard when there's absolutely nothing to do, and everyone's getting…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Mel Fell

  Tabor, Corey R.,

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  Readers will delight in turning their book sideways and upside down to follow Mel on her journey from downward fall to triumphant flight in this tale of self-confidence and taking a leap of faith. An especially enjoyable and satisfying…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Milo Imagines the World

  de la Peña, Matt,

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  Milo is on a long subway ride with his older sister. To pass the time, he studies the faces around him and makes pictures of their lives. There's the whiskered man with the crossword puzzle; Milo imagines him playing solitaire in a cluttered…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• My First Day

  Phung, Nguyen Quang,

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  This is no ordinary first journey. The rainy season has come to the Mekong Delta, and An, a young Vietnamese boy, sets out alone in a wooden boat wearing a little backpack and armed only with a single oar. On the way, he is confronted by giant…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Nicky & Vera

  a Quiet Hero of the Holocaust and the Children He Rescued

  Sís, Peter, 1949-

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  In December 1938, a young Englishman canceled a ski vacation and went instead to Prague to help the hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Nazis who were crowded into the city. Setting up a makeshift headquarters in his hotel room, Nicholas…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Night Walk

  Dorléans, Marie,

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  Excited, the sleepy family step outside into a beautiful summer night. The world is quiet and shadowy, filled with fresh smells and amazing sights. Is this what they miss when they're asleep? Together, they walk out of their sleeping village. What…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Nina

  a Story of Nina Simone

  Todd, Traci N.,

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  Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon in small town North Carolina, Nina Simone was a musical child. She sang before she talked and learned to play piano at a very young age. With the support of her family and community, she received music lessons that…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Rock From the Sky

  Klassen, Jon,

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  There is a spot. It is a good spot. It is the perfect spot to stand. There is no reason to ever leave. But somewhere above there is also a rock. A rock from the sky. Here comes The Rock from the Sky, a hilarious meditation on the workings of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Someone Builds the Dream

  Wheeler, Lisa, 1963-

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  Gorgeously written and illustrated, this is an eye-opening exploration of the many types of work that go into building our world--from the making of a bridge to a wind farm, an amusement park, and even the very picture book that you are reading. An…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Unspeakable

  the Tulsa Race Massacre

  Weatherford, Carole Boston, 1956-

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  Celebrated author Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrator Floyd Cooper provide a powerful look at the Tulsa Race Massacre, one of the worst incidents of racial violence in our nation's history. The book traces the history of African Americans in…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Watercress

  Wang, Andrea,

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  Driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girl's parents stop suddenly when they spot watercress growing wild in a ditch by the side of the road. Grabbing an old paper bag and some rusty scissors, the whole family wades into the muck to…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• We All Play

  Kimêtawânaw

  Flett, Julie,

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  Animals and kids love to play! This wonderful book celebrates playtime and the connection between children and the natural world. Beautiful illustrations show: birds who chase and chirp! bears who wiggle and wobble! whales who swim and squirt! owls…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Wishes

  Van, Muon

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  Wishes tells the powerful, honest story about one Vietnamese family's search for a new home on the other side of the world, and the long-lasting and powerful impact that makes on one of the youngest members of the family. Inspired by actual events…Read moreRead more of this annotation