Books for Young Friends
Hannah's Favorite Seasonal Children's Books
Whether you have children or are looking to nurture your own inner child, picture books are an exceptionally evocative way to get into the spirit. Here are some of my favorites, in mostly chronological order! Check them out at your local library or go to Hannah's affiliate page on Bookshop.org for easy purchasing!
BONUS: You'll also find a list of books for older friends!
Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase
December
The Yule Tomte and the Little Rabbits by Ulf Stark and Eva Eriksson
Dusk by Uri Shulevitz
All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky
The Latke Who Could Not Stop Screaming by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Lisa Brown
The Story of Hanukkah by David Adler, illustrated by Jill Weber
Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mama by Selina Alko
Festive Flamingo: Meditations for Children (Calm, Create, Meditate.) by Shaula Maitland, illustrated by Kat Stock
How the Stars Fell Into the Sky: A Navajo Legend by Jerrie Oughton, illustrated by Lisa Desimini
The Night of Great Joy by Mary Engelbreit
Great Joy by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
The Return of Light by Dia Calhoun, illustrated by Lisa Falkenstern
The Wild Girl by Chris Wormell
Little Tree by E.E. Cummings and Chris Raschka
Red and Lulu by Matt Tavares
The Magical Christmas Store by Maudie Powell-Tuck, illustrated by Hoang Giang
A Christmas Too Big by Colleen Madden
The Carpenter's Gift: A Christmas Tale about the Rockefeller Center Tree by David Rubel,
illustrated by Jim LaMarche
The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola
Olive, the Other Reindeer by Vivian Walsh, illustrated by J.otto Seibold
The Little Reindeer by Nicola Killen
The Mitten Tree by Candace Christiansen, illustrated by Elaine Greenstein
Lucia and the Light by Phyllis Root, illustrated by Mary GrandPre
The Shortest Day by Wendy Pfeffer, illustrated by Jesse Reisch
Sun Bread by Elisa Kleven
Brother Sun Sister Moon by Katherine Paterson, illustrated by Pamela Dalton
The Christmas Visitors by Karel Hayes
Nine Days to Christmas: A Story of Mexico by Marie Hall Ets and Aurora Labastida
Circle of Wonder: A Native American Christmas Story by N. Scott Momaday
What's Cooking, Jamela? by Niki Daly
The Spider's Gift: A Ukrainian Christmas Story by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Katya Krenina
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story by Gloria Houston, illustrated by Barbara Cooney
Tree of Cranes by Allen Say
What the Little Fir Tree Wore to the Christmas Party by Satomi Ichikawa
The Day Santa Stopped Believing in Harold by Maureen Fergus, illustrated by Cale Atkinson
I Got the Christmas Spirit by Connie Schofield-Morrison, illustrated by Frank Morrison
When Christmas Feels Like Home by Gretchen Griffith, illustrated by Carolina Farias
A World of Cookies for Santa: Follow Santa's Tasty Trip Around the World by M.E. Furman, illustrated by Susan Gal
Native American Night Before Christmas by Gary Robinson, illustrated by Jesse T. Hummingbird
Louisa May Alcott's Christmas Treasury by Louisa May Alcott, edited by Stephen W. Hines, illustrated by C. Michael Dudash
The Star Child by Bernadette Watts
The Lump of Coal by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Brett Helquist
Santa Rex by Molly Idle
A Piñata in a Pine Tree: A Latino Twelve Days of Christmas by Pat Mora, illustrated by Magaly Morales
There Was No Snow on Christmas Eve by Pamela Munoz Ryan, illustrated by Dennis Nolan
My First Kwanzaa Book by Deborah M Newton Chocolate, illustrated by Cal Massey
The Nativity illustrated by Julie Vivas
Humphrey’s First Christmas by Carol Heyer
Christmas in the Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
January
The Night Before New Year's by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Amy Wummer
The Stars Will Still Shine by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke
Shante Keyes and the New Year's Peas by Gail Piernas-Davenport, illustrated by Marion Eldridge
Every Month Is a New Year: Celebrations Around the World by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Susan L. Roth
The Storyteller's Candle / La Velita De Los Cuentos by Lucia Gonzalez, illustrated by Lulu Delacre
Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston
Weatherford, illustrated by Ekua Holmes
The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles, illustrated by George Ford
What’s The Big Deal About First Ladies by Ruby Shamir, illustrated by Matt Faulkner
Sadie’s Snowy Tu B’Shevat by Jamie Korngold, illustrated by Julie Fortenberry
​
February
Will Spring be Early? By Crockett Johnson
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman, illustrated by Caroline Binch
Claudette Colvin: Twice Towards Justice by Phillip Hoose
Harlem's Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills by Renee Watson, illustrated by Christian Robinson
The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard, illustrated by Oge Mora
Sewing Stories: Harriet Powers' Journey from Slave to Artist by Barbara Herkert, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renée Watson, illustrated by Nikkolas Smith
A Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina's Dream by Kristy Dempsey, illustrated by Floyd Cooper
Leontyne Price: Voice of a Century by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Raul Colón
Ron's Big Mission by Rose Blue and Corinne Naden, illustrated by Don Tate
Art from Her Heart: Folk Artist Clementine Hunter by Kathy Whitehead, illustrated by Shane W. Evans
Sonny's Bridge: Jazz Legend Sonny Rollins Finds His Groove by Barry Wittenstein, illustrated by Keith Mallett
Born to Swing: Lil Hardin Armstrong's Life in Jazz by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Michele Wood
Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Eric Velasquez
Buzzing with Questions: The Inquisitive Mind of Charles Henry Turner by Janice N. Harrington, illustrated by Theodore Taylor
A Strong Right Arm: The Story of Mamie "Peanut" Johnson by Michelle Y. Green, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Lunar New Year by Hannah Eliot, illustrated by Alina Chau
Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities & Recipes by Nina Simonds and Leslie Swartz, illustrated by Meilo So
A New Year's Reunion: A Chinese Story by Yu Li-Qiong, illustrated by Zhu Cheng-Liang
This is NOT a Valentine by Carter Higgins, illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins
Love by Matt de la Pena, illustrated by Loren Long
Love Makes a Family by Sophie Beer
Love You, Hug You, Read to You! by Tish Rabe, illustrated by Frank Endersby
A Valentine for Uni the Unicorn by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Otter and Odder: A Love Story by James Howe, illustrated by Chris Raschka
In a Jar by Deborah Marcero
Love Is My Favorite Thing by Emma Chichester Clark
A Book of Love by Emma Randall
A Hat for Mrs. Goldman: A Story about Knitting and Love by Michelle Edwards, illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Make Magic! Do Good! by Dallas Clayton
Mimi's First Mardi Gras by Alice Couvillon and Elizabeth Moore, illustrated by Marilyn Rougelot
Cakes and Miracles: A Purim Tale by Barbara Goldin
The Story of Esther: A Purim Tale by Eric Kimmel, illustrated by Jill Weber
On Purim by Cathy Goldberg Fishman
​
March
Rejected Princesses: Tales of History's Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics by Jason Porath
Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas by Jim Ottaviani, illustrated by Maris Wicks
The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer by Sydney Padua
The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca, illustrated by Daniel Rieley
The Kite Princess by Juliet Clare Bell, illustrated by Laura-Kate Chapman
Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers by Lina Alhathloul & Uma Mishra-Newbery, illustrated by Rebecca Green
The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science by Joyce Sidman
Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Julie Morstad
A is for Awesome!: 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World by Eva Chen, illustrated by Derek Desierto
All the Way to the Top: How One Girl's Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything by Annette Bay Pimentel, illustrated by Nabi Ali, foreward by Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins
Molly, by Golly!: The Legend of Molly Williams, America's First Female Firefighter by Dianne Ochiltree, illustrated by Kathleen Kemly
Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 by Helaine Becker, illustrated by Dow Phumiruk
Hedy Lamarr's Double Life, Volume 4: Hollywood Legend and Brilliant Inventor by Laurie Wallmark, illustrated by Katy Wu
The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq by Jeanette Winter
I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy, illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley
Malala: Activist for Girls' Education by Raphaële Frier, illustrated by Aurélia Fronty
Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines by Jeanne Walker Harvey, illustrated by Dow Phumiruk
Red Bird Sings: The Story of Zitkala-Sa, Native American Author, Musician, and Activist by Gina Capaldi, illustrated by Q. L. Pearce
Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World by Susan Hood, illustrated by Lisa Brown, et al.
Yayoi Kusama: From Here to Infinity! by Sarah Suzuki, illustrated by Ellen Weinstein and Yayoi Kusama
And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliono, illustrated by Erin E. Stead
Birdsong by Julie Flett
The Spring Visitors by Karel Hayes
Like A Windy Day by Frank Asch
Dear Bunny by Katie Cotton, illustrated by Blanca Gomez
The Spring Equinox by Ellen Jackson, illustrated by Jan Davey Ellis
A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox by Wendy Pfeffer, Linda Bleck
If you Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson
Little Frog and the Spring Pollywogs by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Ellen Shi
The Story of Passover by David Adler, illustrated by Jill Weber
Hooray! It's Passover! by Leslie Kimmelman, illustrated by John Himmelman
Amma Tell Me About Holi! by Bhakti Mathur
April
Worm Weather by Jean Taft, illustrated by Matt Hunt
Flowers Are Calling by Rita Gray, illustrated by Kenard Pak
Bats at the Ballgame by Brian Lies
Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities & Recipes by Nina Simonds and Leslie Swartz, illustrated by Meilo So
The Story of Easter by Jean Miller, illustrated by Jerry Smath
The Water Princess by Susan Verde and Georgie Badiel, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
Ramadan Moon by Na'ima B. Robert, illustrated by Shirin Adl
The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin
The Honeybee by Kristen Hall, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever by H. Joseph Hopkins, illustrated by Jill McElmurry
Love the Earth by Julian Lennon, illustrated by Smiljana Coh
The One-Stop Story Shop by Tracey Corderoy, illustrated by Tony Neal
Princess Hyacinth (the Surprising Tale of a Girl who Floated) by Florence Parry Heide, illustrated by Lane Smith
No Tooting at Tea by Alastair Heim, illustrated by Sara Not
May
On the Morn of Mayfest by Erica Silverman, illustrated by Marla Frazee
That's Me Loving You by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
To the Moon and Back for You by Emilia Bechrakis Serhant, illustrated by Eg Keller
You Belong Here by M.H. Clark, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault
Marco's Cinco de Mayo by Lisa Bullard, illustrated by Holli Conger
The Best Eid Ever by Asma Mobin-Uddin, illustrated by Laura Jacobsen
The Whole Wide World and Me by Toni Yuly
Anywhere Farm by Phyllis Root , illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Look Up!: Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard by Annette LeBlanc Cate
The Poppy Lady: Moina Belle Michael and Her Tribute to Veterans by Barbara E. Walsh, illustrated by Layne Johnson
The Wall (Reading Rainbow Books) by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Ronald Himler
A Day for Rememberin': The First Memorial Day by Leah Henderson, illustrated by Floyd Cooper
​
June
And Then Comes Summer by Tom Brenner, illustrated by Jaime Kim
Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders, illustrated by Steven Salerno
Florette by Anna Walker
Mommy, Mama, and Me by Leslea Newman, illustrated by Carol Thompson
I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas
When You Look Out The Window: How Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin Built a Community by Gayle E. Pitman PhD, illustrated by Christopher Lyles
Princess Princess Ever After by Katie O'Neill
Summertime in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder, illustrated by Renee Graef
Pearl by Molly Idle
Bats at the Beach by Brian Lies
The Summer Visitors by Karel Hayes
Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities & Recipes by Nina Simonds and Leslie Swartz, illustrated by Meilo So
Juneteenth by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and Drew Nelson, illustrated by Mark Schroder
My Daddy Rules the World: Poems about Dads by Hope Anita Smith
Dad and the Dinosaur by Gennifer Choldenko, illustrated by Dan Santat
My Dad Thinks He's Funny by Katrina Germein, illustrated by Tom Jellett
The Longest Day: Celebrating the Summer Solstice by Wendy Pfeffer, illustrated by Linda Bleck
The Little Gardener by Emily Hughes
National Parks of the USA by Kate Siber, illustrated by Chris Turnham
My Awesome Summer by P. Mantis (A Nature Diary) by Paul Meisel
July
My Grown-Ups by Kate Costigan, illustrated by Sarah Turner
Sybil Ludington’s Midnight Ride by Marsha Amstel, illustrated by Ellen Beier
This Land is Your Land by Woodie Guthrie and Kathy Jakobsen
Founding Mothers: Remembering the Ladies by Cokie Roberts, illustrated by Diane Goode
Anna Strong: A Spy During the American Revolution by Sarah Glenn Marsh, illustrated by Sarah Green
A Kite for Moon by Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple, illustrated by Matt Phelan
Mouse's First Summer by Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Buket Erdogan
Ice Cream Summer by Peter Sis
Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
And Shira Imagined by Giora Carmi
Nature's Day: Discover the World of Wonder on Your Doorstep by Kay Maguire, illustrated by Danielle Kroll
Splash, Anna Hibiscus! by Atinuke, illustrated by Lauren Tobia
Blackout by John Rocco
Summer Days and Nights by Wong Herbert Yee
Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan
Finding Wild by Megan Wagner Lloyd, illustrated by Abigail Halpin
Hike by Pete Oswald
The Night Walk by Marie Dorleans
August
Wild Symphony by Dan Brown, illustrated by Susan Batori
One Hot Summer Day by Nina Crews
Where Wonder Grows by Xelena Gonzalez, illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia
Tiny T Rex and the Impossible Hug by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrated by Jay Fleck
My Voice is a Trumpet by Jimmie Allen, illustrated by Cathy Ann Johnson
Petra by Marianna Coppo
Niko Draws a Feeling by Bob Raczka, illustrated by Simone Shin
It's a Firefly Night by Dianne Ochiltree, illustrated by Betsy Snyder
Mermaid School by Joanne Stewart Wetzel, illustrated by Julianna Swaney
How To by Julie Morstad
Lawn to Lawn by Dan Yaccarino
Tomorrow I'll Be Kind by Jessica Hische
Whale in a Fishbowl by Troy Howell, illustrated by Richard Jones
Seeds and Trees: A children's book about the power of words by Brandon Walden, illustrated by Kristen and Kevin Howdeshell
The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
The Truth About My Unbelievable School by Davide Cali, illustrated by Benjamin Chaud
​
September
Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak
When Autumn Falls by Kelly Nidey, illustrated by Susan Swan
Flower Fairies of the Autumn by Cicely Mary Barker
Fall Mixed Up by Robert Raczka, illustrated by Chad Cameron
Fancy Party Gowns: The Story of Fashion Designer Ann Cole Lowe by Deborah Blumenthal
I Had a Favorite Dress by Boni Ashburn
The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story by Aya Khalil
Stitchin' and Pullin' by Patricia McKissack
Sewing Stories: Harriet Powers' Journey from Slave to Artist by Barbara Herkert
¡Si, Se Puede! / Yes, We Can!: Janitor Strike in L.A. by Diana Cohn, illustrated by Francisco Delgado
Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
New Year at the Pier: A Rosh Hashanah Story by April Halprin Wayland
On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur by Cathy Goldberg Fishman, illustrated by Melanie W. Hall
Sound the Shofar!: A Story for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur by Leslie Kimmelman, illustrated by John Himmelman
The Night Box by Louise Greig, illustrated by Ashling Lindsay
The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj Muhammad, illustrated by S. K. Ali Hatem Aly
The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger
A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
Apples by Jacqueline Farmer, illustrated by Phyllis Limbacher Tildes
Johnny Appleseed: The Legend and the Truth by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Jim Burke
The Apple Pie That Papa Baked by Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Jonathan Bean
The Mysterious Guests: A Sukkot Story by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Katya Krenina
Night Lights: A Sukkot Story by Barbara Diamond Goldin, illustrated by Laura Elizabeth Sucher
Ella's Night Lights by Lucy Fleming
Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities & Recipes by Nina Simonds and Leslie Swartz, illustrated by Meilo So
By the Light of the Harvest Moon by Harriet Ziefert
​
October
I Know It's Autumn by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Nancy Hayashi
The Autumn Visitors by Karel Hayes
Bats at the Library by Brian Lies
Little Frog and the Scary Autumn Thing by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Ellen Shi
Fancy Nancy's Fabulous Fall Storybook Collection by Jane O'Connor, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson, illustrated by Julie Flett
Sweetest Kulu by Celina Kalluk, illustrated by Alexandria Neonakis
Gaawin Gindaaswin Ndaawsii / I Am Not a Number (English and Ojibwa Edition) by Dr. Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer, illustrated by Gillian Newland, translated by Muriel Sawyer and Geraldine McLeod
When I Was Eight by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard
The People Shall Continue by Simon J Ortiz, illustrated by Sharol Graves
Scarecrow by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Lauren Stringer
Creepy Pair of Underwear! by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Peter Brown
Maurice the Unbeastly by Amy Dixon, illustrated by Karl James Mountford
Stumpkin by Lucy Ruth Cummins
I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll, illustrated by Howard McWilliam
Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Peter Brown
Ghosts in the House! by Kazuno Kohara
The Scariest Book Ever by Bob Shea
By the Light of the Halloween Moon by Caroline Stutson, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Vampirina Ballerina by Anne Marie Pace, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
The Super Tiny Ghost by Marilee Joy Mayfield, illustrated by Catty Flores
Poesy the Monster Slayer by Cory Doctorow, illustrated by Matt Rockefeller
The Teeny Tiny Ghost by Kay Winters, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger
Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago
November
Equality's Call: The Story of Voting Rights in America by Deborah Diesen, illustrated by Magdalena Mora
Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
What Does It Mean to Be American? by Rana DiOrio and Elad Yoran, illustrated by Nina Mata
Skyward: The Story of Female Pilots in WWII by Sally Deng
Amma, Tell Me About Diwali! by Bhakti Mathur
It's Diwali! by Richard Sebra
Ask Me by Bernard Waber, illustrated by Suzy Lee
Awesome Autumn by Bruce Goldstone
Owl Sees Owl by Laura Godwin and Rob Dunlavey
Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Kana Urbanowicz
Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao by Kat Zhang, illustrated by Charlene Chua
Tea Cakes for Tosh by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by E. B. Lewis
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
A Moon of My Own by Jennifer Rustgi, illustrated by Ashley White
In the Leaves by Huy Voun Lee
First Peoples series (Cheyenne, Shawnee, Inuit, Comanche, Seminole, Hopi, Nez Perce, Apache, Sioux, Navajo, Iroquois, Cherokee) by Valerie Bodden
Bowwow Powwow by Brenda J. Child, translated by Gordon Jourdain, illustrated by Jonathan Thunder
Josie Dances by Denise Lajimodiere, illustrated by Angela Erdrich
The Twelve Days of Christmas in Florida by Frank Remkiewicz
History Smashers: The Mayflower by Kate Messner, illustrated by Dylan Meconis
Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo
We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Frane Lessac
How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman
Strega Nona's Harvest by Tomie dePaola
Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet
Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp, illustrated by Erwin Printup, Jr.
Thankful by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Archie Preston
Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende Devlin and Harry Devlin
We Gather Together: Celebrating the Harvest Season by Wendy Pfeffer, illustrated by Linda Bleck