Skip to content

A Thousand White Butterflies

2021

by Jessica Betancourt-Perez, Karen Lynn. Williams and Gina Maldonado

"As if being new to the United States wasn’t hard enough, Isabella’s first day of school is canceled due to snow! Isabella has recently arrived from Colombia with her mother and abuela. She misses Papa, who is still in South America. It’s her first day of school, her make-new-friends day, but when classes are canceled because of too much snow, Isabella misses warm, green, Colombia more than ever. Then Isabella meets Katie and finds out that making friends in the cold is easier than she thought!" -- publisher

Beautiful Life Cross Group

Aaron Slater, Illustrator

2021

by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts

"An uplifting story about the power of art, finding your voice, and telling your story even when you’re out of step with your peers from the #1 bestselling creators of Sofia Valdez, Future Prez and Ada Twist, Scientist! Aaron Slater loves listening to stories and dreams of one day writing them himself. But when it comes to reading, the letters just look like squiggles to him, and it soon becomes clear he struggles more than his peers. When his teacher asks each child in the class to write a story, Aaron can’t get a single word down. He is sure his dream of being a storyteller is out of reach . . . until inspiration strikes, and Aaron finds a way to spin a tale in a way that is uniquely his. Printed with a dyslexia-friendly font, Aaron Slater, Illustrator tells the empowering story of a boy with dyslexia who discovers that his learning disability may inform who he is, but it does not define who he is, and that there are many ways to be a gifted communicator." -- publisher

Any Child Cross Group

Alicia Alonso Dances On

2021

by Rose Viña and Gloria Félix

"As a young girl in Cuba, Alicia Alonso practiced ballet in tennis shoes. Within a few years, she was in New York City, with a promising ballet career. But her eyesight began to fail. When Alicia needed surgeries to save her vision, dancing was impossible, but she wouldn't give up her dream. She found the strength and determination to return to the stage and become a prima ballerina. This is the true story of a woman who overcame her challenges, mastered her art, and inspired others to dance and dream." -- publisher

Biography Cross Group

Amara’s Farm

2021

by JaNay Brown-Wood and Samara Hardy

"A young girl searches for pumpkins on her farm in this joyful celebration of cool-weather fruits and vegetables, from the new Where in the Garden? series. Amara is hosting a potluck for friends on her farm, and her snacks won’t be complete without pumpkins. She’s searched and searched, but she's grown so many plants that she needs help finding them. What do we know about pumpkins? They’re large, round, and orange—and, wait a minute, is that a pumpkin? No, that’s an apple. Where, oh, where could those pumpkins be? Author JaNay Brown-Wood uses simple, playful text to guide young readers through Amara’s farm, exploring the unique characteristics of the apples, cauliflower, eggplant, okra, persimmons, and more that grow there. Little gardeners will compare, contrast, and hunt for visual clues that eventually lead to the pumpkins and a fun potluck with Amara, her grandparents, and her diverse group of friends. Artist Samara Hardy brings this multi-layered story to life with vivid, cheerful illustrations created from layers of hand painted ink and watercolor texture. Back matter includes yummy molasses pumpkin bread recipe for little chefs to try. Amara’s Farm is the first entry in the Where in the Garden? series from author JaNay Brown-Wood and illustrator Samara Hardy. Featuring a diverse cast of characters, the books explore gardening and farming during every season of the year. Perfect for early childhood and elementary education units on agriculture, farming, gardening, and healthy eating." -- publisher

Any Child Cross Group Informational

Becoming Vanessa

2021

by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

"Get ready to go back to school with this inclusive, empathetic story that will help kids new to the classroom transform from timid caterpillars into beautiful butterflies who love exactly who they are! On Vanessa’s first day of school, her parents tell her it will be easy to make friends. Vanessa isn’t so sure. She wears her fanciest outfit so her new classmates will notice her right away. They notice, but the attention isn’t what she’d hoped for. As the day goes on, she feels more self-conscious. Her clothes are too bright, her feather boa has way too many feathers, and even her name is too hard to write. The next day, she picks out a plain outfit, and tells her mom that her name is too long. She just wants to blend in, with a simple name like the other girls—why couldn’t her parents have named her Megan or Bella? But when her mother tells her the meaning behind her name, it gives her the confidence she needs to introduce her classmates to the real Vanessa. Perfect for readers of Alma and How She Got Her Name and The King of Kindergarten." -- publisher

Any Child Cross Group

Birds On Wishbone Street

2021

by Suzanne Del Rizzo

"From the author of New York Times Notable picture book My Beautiful Birds, former Syrian refugee Sami finds a sense of home in a new place by caring for a bird with a new friend A simple act of neighborly kindness and a bird that needs their aid helps former refugee Sami settle into his new community with new-found friend Moe Moe’s neighbors on Wishbone Street come from all over the world, and she’s excited to meet the new boy who just arrived from Syria. Sami isn’t quite ready to talk about his past, but he loves birds just as much as Moe does. And who wouldn’t have fun in a parkette full of packing snow? When the children discover a female cardinal stunned by the cold, Sami uses his experience taking care of pigeons in Syria to help rescue the bird—an incident that helps Sami to feel more at home. In Birds on Wishbone Street, author/illustrator Suzanne Del Rizzo demonstrates the power of an act of kindness, telling a story about finding home and making friends in new places. Illustrated with her signature polymer clay art, the story revisits characters from Del Rizzo’s New York Times Notable My Beautiful Birds and reminds us that we’re all more similar than we are different." -- publisher

Cross Group

Change Sings

2021

by Amanda Gorman and Loren Long

"In this stirring, much-anticipated picture book by presidential inaugural poet and activist Amanda Gorman, anything is possible when our voices join together. As a young girl leads a cast of characters on a musical journey, they learn that they have the power to make changes—big or small—in the world, in their communities, and in most importantly, in themselves. With lyrical text and rhythmic illustrations that build to a dazzling crescendo by #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Loren Long, Change Sings is a triumphant call to action for everyone to use their abilities to make a difference." -- publisher

Any Child Cross Group

Charlotte Wants a B.F.F.

2021

by Simone E. Morris and Julie Kratz

"Meet Charlotte and Taylor. Like most kids, they have a lot in common, and also a lot of differences. In this charming story about their friendship, they become fast friends. BFF, best friends forever. And they also have challenges as they go through daily life as kids. For parents, caregivers, and educators, this story opens up the door for conversations about differences and how they make us stronger together as friends and allies. It is a story kids and adults will want to read together time and time again." -- publisher

Any Child Cross Group

Many of the cover images on this site are from Google Books.
Using Tiny Framework Log in