Top Toddler Books of the Year

Little Blue Truck and his good friend Toad are excited to meet a bright yellow school bus on the road.

They see all the little animals lined up in the school bus’s many windows, and Blue wishes he could be a school bus too.

What a fun job—but much too big for a little pickup like Blue. Or is it?

When somebody misses the bus, it’s up to Blue to get his friend to school on time. Beep! Beep! Vroom!

A Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year * A School Library Journal Best Book of 2021 * Included in NPR’s 2021 Books We Love List * and More!

This lyrical, stunning picture book tells a story about learning to love and celebrate your Asian-shaped eyes, in the spirit of Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, and is a celebration of diversity.

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 and glow like warm tea, crinkle into crescent moons, and are filled with stories of the past and hope for the future.

Drawing from the strength of these powerful women in her life, she recognizes her own beauty and discovers a path to self-love and empowerment.

The construction team is taking on their biggest challenge yet — building a brand-new superhighway!

With the help of new rough-and-tough road-building machines, the crew gears up for an action-packed day of rolling, building, paving, painting, and all the jobs that go into making a strong new road that will get everyone home safe in time for bed!

Playful rhyming text from the bestselling team behind Construction Site on Christmas Night, Three Cheers for Kid McGear!, and Construction Site Mission: Demolition! make this thrilling tale of teamwork a must-have read-aloud for construction fans everywhere.

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.

Comic genius Bob Shea cooks up a tasty tale that proves anyone, even hungry alligators, can have a change of heart and learn to be a good friend.

Welcome to Chez Bob, which seems like a real restaurant... until you realize it's on an alligator's NOSE!

Bob's got a hidden plan for his customers: "Birds will come to eat, but I will eat the birds!" 

As they fly in from all over the world to dine on Bob's face, something starts to happen that takes the lazy, hungry reptile by surprise -- the birds stay. "More yummy birds!" he rejoices -- he'll want for nothing!

But when the time is right, will Bob make the right choice?

Ryan T. Higgins’ signature wit, whimsy, and humor brilliantly explore the depths and complexities of friendship.

Norman is a porcupine. Mildred is a tree. Norman and Mildred are best friends. Just the two of them. And only the two of them.

When a surprise pops up, life will never be the same again.

A whimsical and elegantly illustrated picture book about community, art, the importance of giving back — and the wonder that fell from the sky.

It fell from the sky on a Thursday. None of the insects know where it came from, or what it is.

Some say it’s an egg. Others, a gumdrop. But whatever it is, it fell near Spider’s house, so he’s convinced it belongs to him.

Spider builds a wonderous display so that insects from far and wide can come look at the marvel.

Spider has their best interests at heart. So what if he has to charge a small fee? So what if the lines are long? So what if no one can even see the wonder anymore?

But what will Spider do after everyone stops showing up?

A young boy on a crowded bus discovers that, after some wiggles and giggles, there’s room for everyone in this lighthearted rhyming picture book set in Zanzibar.

The dala dala rumbles and roars as Musa and Dada drive off to the shore — but the bus stops for multiple detours: “Do you need a ride? It’s hotter than peppers out there in the sun! Come in, there’s room for everyone!”

One stop becomes two stops which soon becomes ten, and Musa wonders when it will end: “How can any more people get in? We’re already smushed like sardines in a tin!”

There's always room for one more, if you make the room, which is the heartwarming take-away from this bouncy, joyous tale in rhyme.

When we appreciate each other a little bit more, all the days of the week can be brand-new days where everything is possible.

Sunday quit, just like that. She said she was tired of being a day. And so the other days of the week had no choice but to advertise.

Soon lots of hopefuls arrived with their suggestions, such as Funday, Bunday, Acrobaturday, SuperheroDay, and even MonstersWhoResembleJellyfishDay!

Things quickly got out of hand . . . until one more candidate showed up: a little girl with a thank-you gift for Sunday.

The girl suggested simply a nice day -- a day to be kind. And her gratitude made a calendar's worth of difference to Sunday, who decided she didn't need to quit after all.

Meet Zubi: a joyful Bangladeshi girl excited about her first day of school.

But when Zubi sees her mother frowning in the mirror and talking about being “too big,” she starts to worry about her own body and how she looks.

As her day goes on, she hears more and more people being critical of each other’s and their own bodies, until her outburst over dinner leads her family to see what they’ve been doing wrong — and to help Zubi see that we can all make the world a more beautiful place by being beautifully ourselves.

From the mega-best-selling author of Dragons Love Tacos and the mega-best-selling illustrator of The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors comes this hilarious new book about an irresistible chicken who unexpectedly finds herself on an epic journey during ancient times.

Gladys the chicken must be magic. After all, for everyone who encounters her, a wish is granted.

But...is Gladys really magic? Or is everyone making their own fortune?

Either way, it adds up to one heck of an adventure for a chicken named Gladys.

Blending a classic storybook feel with a thoroughly modern sense of humor, this side-splitting listen is perfect for anyone who wishes to see magic in the world - even if they are only looking at a chicken.

Special Agent Bubble07 is undercover on planet Earth.

His mission: to decide whether his team of alien unicorns should invade Earth.

Posing as a stuffed animal, he infiltrates the home of Earthling Daughter, where he puts up with dog slobber, tea parties, and show and tell.

Will the unicorn blow his cover and call for backup? Or will his alien heart be won over by storytime, snow days, and snuggles?

A heartwarming text honoring the ever-evolving relationship of a parent and child across time, with visually striking art by bestselling and award-winning artist Rafael López. 

This poetic and tender story celebrates the parent-and-child bond in its many forms and offers gentle assurance of love across a lifetime.

Two parents' dreams of the future with their children — from early dependence for nourishment and basic needs, to the parent as home base for a child in later life — mirror an always-changing but unbreakable relationship. 

A magical story from the critically acclaimed author of Nana Akua Goes to School and a Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award winning illustrator.

Illuminating this vivid cast of characters are vibrant, joyful illustrations that make this neighborhood -- based on the Roxbury neighborhood in Boston where the author and illustrator grew up together as cousins -- truly sing.

This book is a perfect way for parents to share with their children the importance of community.

Join an exuberant, boundary-pushing pup and her exasperated boy in this reassuring story about unconditional love and the challenges of trying to always be on your best behavior.

This playful puppy thinks she’s having the best day ever!

She's so happy to be out with her friend, she doesn't even realize that she's being a little naughty.

But then he scolds her, and suddenly — Worst. Day. Ever.

Will puppy be able to make amends and turn their day back around?

A picture book about finding strength in unlikely places from the team behind the hugely popular New York Times bestseller Be Kind.

When her gym class must face the school rock-climbing wall, Tanisha is discouraged. Her muscles are weak, and she knows she'll never reach the top like Cayla.

Maybe strength is about more than just muscles.

With help from her family, Tanisha learns that by showing up, speaking up, and not giving up, she can be strong, too.

And that people are the strongest when they work together and trust each other.

Follow the trail of good deeds in this beautiful wordless picture book to learn how small acts of kindness can make all the difference!When one act of kindness sparks another, anything is possible!

As a girl searches for her lost dog, a simple act of generosity ripples into a wave of good deeds. In the course of a single day, each considerate action weaves lives together and transforms a neighborhood for the better.

This wordless story, told in beautiful illustrations reminiscent of a graphic novel, demonstrates how every little kindness, shared from person to person, can turn a collection of strangers into a community, and—even though we might not always see it—make the world a more vibrant and compassionate place to be.

As Ruffles learns about the world around him, he discovers there are lots of things he likes . . . and some things he doesn't!

He loves scratching, digging, and chewing, but he does not like wearing his red coat on rainy days. No, no, no, no, NO!

When Ruffles wants to splash in puddles with his best friend, Ruby, he soon learns that sometimes wearing a raincoat is a very good idea after all.

This story of a boy's first ballet recital celebrates gender-creativity, the joy of dance, and being yourself

Téo loves to dance, whether it's the cumbia with Papí, the bhangra with Amma, or ballet class with Miss Lila.

He also loves the way his tutu makes him feel, inside and out.

But when it comes time to decide which outfit to wear in the big dance recital -- a sparkly tutu or shimmering silver pants -- Téo wonders if being his most authentic self on stage will put him too much in the spotlight.

An Amazon Best Book of the Month

One fine morning, the people of Puddletrunk wake up to find their bridge has collapsed.

They are not surprised. After all, termites have destroyed the last 200 or so bridges.

Luckily, the people of Puddletrunk have a bridge-building expert in their town: the fabulous Mortimer Gulch, who will gladly rebuild their bridge for a pretty penny. But when a newcomer to Puddletrunk does not want to pay for the repairs, Mortimer is displeased.

To make matters worse, this unusual foreigner has some innovative ideas that threaten to upend Mortimer Gulch's entire business . . .