CHPL Staff Picks: Best Books of 2022 - Younger ReadersLike this list

22 items

• On Baba's Back

  Dubuc, Marianne, 1980-

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  Baby koala Koko takes his first step toward independence in this endearing board book made for reading together.

• Lionel Poops

  Veille, Eric,

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  An overenthusiastic, impulsive lion tests the limits, cheerfully trying all sorts of places to poop before ending up proudly on the potty. (Board book)

• Abuelita and Me

  Carranza, Leonarda,

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  Spending time at home with Abuelita means pancakes, puddle-jumping, and nail-painting. But venturing out into the city is not always as fun. On the bus and at the grocery store, people are impatient and suspicious--sometimes they even yell. Sad,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Mina

  Forsythe, Matthew, 1976-

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  Mina and her father live in a hollowed-out tree stump on the edge of a pond on the edge of a forest. Nothing ever bothers Mina, until one day, her father brings home a suspicious surprise from the woods. Should Mina trust her father--or listen to…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Apple and Magnolia

  Gehl, Laura,

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  The bond between two trees, Apple and Magnolia, takes center stage in this picture book that explores the power of unlikely friendships. Includes an author's note that further explores how trees communicate.

• See You Someday Soon

  Miller, Pat Zietlow,

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  In this heartfelt picture book, a child imagines ways to connect with a grandmother who lives far way. Whether by rocket ship or jet pack, train or in a plane, any journey is worth it to see someone you love. The book features clever and innovative…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Powwow Day

  Sorell, Traci,

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  River wants so badly to dance at powwow day as she does every year. In this uplifting and contemporary picture book perfect for beginning readers, follow River's journey from feeling isolated after an illness to learning the healing power of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Sun Is Late and So Is the Farmer

  Stead, Philip Christian,

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  On a peculiarly long night, three farm animals set off on a daring quest to bring the sunrise. After consulting barn owl (who always knows what to do), they take Rooster and set off on an epic journey further than they've ever gone before; through…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Year We Learned to Fly

  Woodson, Jacqueline,

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  On a dreary, stuck-inside kind of day, a brother and sister heed their grandmother's advice, and before they know it, their imaginations lift them up and out of their boredom. Lyrical text and dazzling art celebrate the extraordinary ability to lift…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• I Won't Give Up My Rubber Band

  Yoshitake, Shinsuke, 1973-

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  With signature humor, wit, and boundless creativity, this charming story celebrates the potential of everyday objects to become catalysts for curiosity and play, at once honoring a child's attachment to favorite objects and opening the door to a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Cornbread & Poppy

  Cordell, Matthew, 1975-

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  Cautious Cornbread and carefree Poppy are best friends, so when Poppy fails to prepare for winter, Cornbread ventures up Holler Mountain with her to help her find food. (Early reader)

• Gigi and Ojiji

  Iwai, Melissa,

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  Gigi can't wait for her Ojiji (Japanese grandpa) to move in. Gigi plans lots of things to do with him, like playing tag, reading books, and teaching Roscoe, the family dog, new tricks. But her plans don't work out quite the way she'd hoped. And her…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Sir Ladybug. 1

  Tabor, Corey R.,

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  Sir Ladybug never shies away from a quest, even when he'd rather be playing a video game or baking a cake. So when a caterpillar needs rescuing from a "monster" (a hungry chickadee), Sir Ladybug and his trusty friends--his herald, a roly-poly named…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Endlessly Ever After

  Choose Your Way to Endless Fairy Tale Endings! : a Story of Little Red Riding Hood, Jack, Hansel, Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, a Wolf, a Witch, a Goose, a Grandmother, Some Pigs, and Endless Variations

  Snyder, Laurel,

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  In this rhyming mash-up of many fairy tales, the reader is invited to follow Rosie down the many possible paths which may lead to a sleeping maiden, a hungry wolf, a girl locked in a tower, or a goose that lays golden eggs--but with some luck, and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Listen to the Language of the Trees

  a Story of How Forests Communicate Underground

  Kelley, Tera,

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  A nonfiction pick that captures the magic of talking trees that take care of their neighbors (not to mention the mysterious fungi that help them do it), making complex science understandable with scientifically accurate and visually appealing…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Late, Great Endlings

  Stories of the Last Survivors

  Kerbel, Deborah,

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  This STEM-based, illustrated nonfiction picture book introduces readers to several well-known animal and insect endlings, the last known survivors of a species, while discussing the mass extinction crisis facing our planet and what kids can do to…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Standing in the Need of Prayer

  a Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual

  Weatherford, Carole Boston, 1956-

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  From an award-winning author and critically acclaimed artist comes a stunning and deeply moving picture book based on the popular spiritual. The classic lyrics have been reworked to chronicle the milestones, struggles, tragedies, and triumphs of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Marshmallow Clouds

  Two Poets at Play Among Figures of Speech

  Kooser, Ted,

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  A freewheeling romp through the world of imagery and metaphor, this quietly startling collection of thirty poems, framed by the four elements, is about art and reality, fact and fancy.

• You Are the Loveliest

  Hagen, Hans, 1955-

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  Sometimes our feelings are so big, our dreams and our worries so wide, that we can't find the words to express them. These thoughts and questions are explored by Hans and Monique Hagen in poems pitched perfectly to the children who wonder.

• H Is for Harlem

  Johnson, Dinah,

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  A richly informative alphabet picture book celebrating Harlem's vibrant traditions, past and present.