A lovely story showing a child coping with bullying for being overweight. Francis loves words and the class’s weekly word day. The teacher always has the class review earlier letters; ” A is for antelope…R is for rainbow.” When two of her classmate giggle F is for fat, like Francis, all Francis’s joy in words is frozen. Francis had associated her size and the word fat with positive things like puppies, cuddling, and family. Jericho and Tabitha made fat feel cold and small. The required apology didn’t help Francis let go of her feeling. It followed her all through school and to the park after school. After sitting for a while with her Baba, their conversation turned to “possible.” In their exploration of possible, Francis again found joy and acceptance of the world around her and her place in that world.

This book shows how small acts of bullying can greatly impact a child and their self perception. Wisely the story doesn’t show a fix, but rather shows that true recovery takes space, time, and caring which allows the child to process and recover.

Written by Padma Lakshmi, the host of Top Chef and Taste the Nation, Tomatoes for Neela is a reminder that food brings us together, transcending time and place. Young Neela enjoys working in the kitchen with her amma (mother) where they share the recipes and customs passed down from her grandmother in India.

The story of Neela’s tomato sauce reinforces the benefits of local sourcing, home cooking and preserving. The simple, when done right, nourishes the spirit and the connectedness of family and community. Enjoying the preserved fruits of the kitchen in winter brings back the sense of fulfillment and family mixed into each jar of sauce.

Endnotes include paati’s (grandmother’s) child friendly tomato sauce and tomato chutney recipes as well as Tomato Fun Facts, About Farmworkers, and Author’s Note.

Stuck inside because of rainy weather, a young boy is bored with his same old inside toys. Making the most of it, he decides to “make something really tough – like a whole new world in a different place.”

To get to this new place, he needs a rocket ship. He uses a rocking chair, a box, and some socks for a ship and swimming trunks with goggles for a space suit. Mom and dad are supporting in the background as the boy zooms off to Planet XYZ and arrives at B-E-D in the Land of ZZZZZZs.

A celebration of imagination and imaginative play.

A joyful relationship between a young boy in a wheelchair and his energetic dog told from the point of view of the dog. All everyday activities that excite a dog; morning greeting, digging in the yard, chasing a cat, frisbee are the things that make “the best day ever”. The vigor the dog displays with every new experience and the evident connection to his person reinforces the sense of joy found in the relationship between a child and pet. Even when a table is knocked over and the child yells in anger, all is forgiven. An apology and a commitment to work together on training reinforces the growth mindset message and the determination to find joy in all the moments of life.

A positive and natural portrayal of a child with a disability illustrated by a woman who also uses a wheelchair.

A young child visits his first art museum with his parents. The things that intrigue Simon aren’t necessarily the art. He notices the the marble floors perfect for sock skating, the pigeons, and the cheesecake. The whole day seems both boring and a bit overwhelming through the eyes of a young child. The illustrations portray a variety of art types and a diverse museum visitors. Simon finally finds a piece of art that speaks to him – a painting of a young red-haired boy chasing pigeons.

Recommended as a field trip teaser or a sweet family day adventure.