This book is a celebration of how a black barbershop plays an important role in the black community. The ‘shop is a sound booth, a gallery, a sports show, a comedy club, a playground, a showroom, a classroom, and a studio where community shares wisdom, joy, and love. Each spread begins with, “The ‘shop is our…” and continues with a description. Word choice and cadence reflect the culture of a black urban barbershop.

The illustrations are bright and cheerful and depict the shared experiences at the barbershop. Characters are mainly brown skinned boys and men with a variety of hair styles..

Jenny Chow just can’t get the hang of chopsticks and everyone in her family knows it. Her struggle has her feeling like an outsider in her extended family. Jenny’s cousin is having a party featuring the family’s annual chopstick challenge. Some onomatopoeia and Chinese characters accompany her unsuccessful practice attempts. Jenny realized that trying the same thing again and again will not help her improve.

Jenny gains inspiration from a set of tongs and fashions her chopsticks with a rubber band and folded star; acting like a training wheels. Through persistence and practice Jenny successfully participates in the chopstick challenge, an important family tradition. Her family is there to cheer on her success.

Tricky Chopsticks is a story highlighting family traditions and ingenuity when faced with a challenge.

Neighbors Sophia and May are best of friends who know they can always rely on each other to be there. One day their adventures together take them beyond their yards to a nearby field. There they find a wild blooming field of sourgrass. May shares, “My mom says it show up every spring, keeping a promise.” Sharing sourgrass becomes a sweet representation of their deep bond.

May moves away, straining their bonds of friendship, withering their joyful connection, and leaving Sophia with only their imaginary friends. Frequent letters soon dwindled to nothing. Sofia begins to wonder if she has been forgotten. Spring brings the promised return of the sourgrass and with it all of her wonderful memories. Inspired by the sourgrass’s promised return, Sophia reaches out again to May by letter hoping that the promise of their friendship will also be kept. The story ends with a return letter from May and a glimpse of a little redheaded girl who could fill the void of May’s absence.

Sophie is a dark skinned girl with cornrows and May, a light skinned girl with brown hair. Pastel illustrations convey the connection and the feelings of the two friends.

Cranky Chicken and Speedy the worm are back with more fun and silly adventures! This book has three stories about friendship, caring, and going on a camping trip.

In the first story, a new little turtle joins their family, but Cranky Chicken isn’t sure how to be her friend. Then Speedy gets hurt and becomes cranky, so Cranky has to cheer him up. Finally, they all go camping and face funny challenges like bugs and strange night sounds.

With lots of jokes and cute pictures, this book is great for kids who love stories about friends helping each other. It’s perfect for young readers who enjoy funny graphic novels.

Hope in a Jar is another picture book that follows Llewellyn the bunny and his friends as they collect their hopes and dreams—big and small—in jars. Their dreams range from learning new skills to imagining faraway adventures, showing children the importance of aspiration.

When a storm destroys their jars, the bunnies face loss and wonder if dreaming is worth it at all. This story explores themes of setback, grief, and resilience, emphasizing the power of friendship and support to help us start again.

This book is an excellent tool for teaching social-emotional skills such as coping with loss, perseverance, and hope. It offers educators a sensitive way to discuss challenges and encourage students to keep believing in their dreams.

Home is a touching and beautiful picture book by Newbery Medal winner Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long. This book explores the many ways we can think about “home”—not just as a place, but as a feeling.

The text is poetic, helping readers see that home can be a sound, a smell, or a moment with someone you love. It can be a family sharing a meal, a grandparent fishing, or even nature itself. The pictures are full of emotion, showing many different types of homes and families.

This book is a great way to start classroom discussions about what home means to each student. It encourages empathy, reflection, and appreciation for both differences and shared experiences. The rich language also makes it useful for lessons on poetry and descriptive writing.

Home is a warm and thoughtful addition to any classroom library, perfect for building community and making students feel seen and valued.

The Monarch is a beautiful picture book about the amazing journey of the monarch butterfly. Written by Kirsten Hall and illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault, this book uses fun, rhyming words and bright, colorful pictures to tell the story.

Students will enjoy following the butterfly as it flies through the sky. The words are simple and poetic, great for reading out loud. The pictures show nature in a soft, gentle way that keeps young readers interested.

This book is a good way to teach about butterflies, their life cycle, and why we need to protect them. It also helps children care about nature and the world around them.

The Monarch is perfect for lessons in science, reading, and art. It’s a lovely and meaningful book to add to your classroom.

The Most Magnificent Team is another book by Ashley Spires about a girl and her dog who want to build something. But when they get to their favorite spot, they find the neighbor and her cat are already there! So they decide to work together.

At first, it seems like a great idea. But the two girls work very differently. One likes to move fast and just try things. The other likes to measure and plan. Soon, they start to get frustrated.

This story shows that working as a team can be hard, but it’s also worth it. The girl learns that mistakes are okay and teamwork takes patience. With funny pictures and an important message, this book is a great way to learn about trying your best, not giving up, and working together.

Chalk the Walk is a fun and happy book about two kids who use chalk to make art on the sidewalk. As they draw, more people from the neighborhood join in. Everyone works together to make something beautiful. The words in the book rhyme, and the pictures get more colorful as the story goes on. The drawings show how art can bring people together. This book is great for young kids. It shows how a simple piece of chalk can help you use your imagination and have fun with others.

Wren’s Nest is a heartwarming picture book about a girl named Wren who loves watching birds with her grandpa. When she was a baby, wrens built a nest outside her window. Every spring, she and her grandpa watched baby birds grow. But when Wren moves to the city, she misses the meadow and the wrens—until she finds a new bird family nesting on their porch.

This story is about change, love, and the beauty of nature. The soft, colorful pictures help tell the story in a calm, peaceful way. The book also includes facts and tips about birdwatching and what to do if you find a nest. Great for lessons on nature, birds, and family connections.

Robots Don’t Make You Go to Bed by Laurel Gale, illustrated by Susanna Covelli, is a humorous and heartfelt story that encourages students to reflect on the value of family and the emotional support caregivers provide. When Owen builds a robot mom to escape rules and routines, he soon learns that while robots might skip bedtime and chores, they can’t offer the love, comfort, and connection that real parents do.

With its engaging illustrations and light science-fiction twist, this book is a great tool for discussions about family roles, emotions, and even early STEM topics. It’s especially effective when exploring themes of empathy and gratitude.

Lights Out by Jessica Stremer is a simple story with a big message. It tells the story of a young girl who finds a bird that got lost in the bright lights of the city. She learns that too much light at night can confuse birds that are trying to fly home. So, she asks her neighbors to turn off their lights—and they do!

This story shows how small actions, like turning off a light, can help animals and protect nature. With beautiful pictures and an easy-to-follow message, Lights Out is a great book to start conversations about helping the environment.

Megan Fullmer Perry’s The Overlook Book uses layered paper collage and shifting visual viewpoints to help students understand how perspective shapes understanding. By showing scenes from multiple angles, the book encourages critical thinking, empathy, and open-minded discussion around themes like friendship, inclusion, and kindness. A valuable resource for social-emotional learning and classroom conversations about seeing beyond first impressions. This book is a creative tool for teaching perspective and empathy.

Where to Hide a Star by Oliver Jeffers is a heartwarming tale perfect for sparking classroom conversations about friendship, imagination, and empathy. When a beloved star goes missing, the Boy embarks on a space-bound adventure that introduces a new character and a powerful message about sharing what brings us joy. With its rich illustrations and gentle humor, this book is an ideal read-aloud and a valuable addition to social-emotional learning lessons. Where to Hide a Star is a stellar story of friendship and wonder.