Welcome to the Bank Street Children's Book Committee's (CBC) Searchable Best Books List, a tool designed to help educators, families, librarians, and others access developmentally appropriate and engaging books for young readers (ages birth - 18).
Our online Searchable Best Books List draws from the committee's annual Best Children's Books of the Year-beginning with the list of books published in 2000-with each featuring more than 600 high-quality titles for young readers.
To share feedback about the tool, please feel free to email bookcom@bankstreet.edu. To learn more about the CBC, visit https://www.bankstreet.edu/cbc/.
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Peek-A-Boo Haiku (A Lift-the-Flap Book series)
Danna Smith
Illustrator: Teagan White
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Journey through the seasons with woodland creatures and haikus. Engaging digital art.
Danna Smith
Illustrator: Teagan White
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Journey through the seasons with woodland creatures and haikus. Engaging digital art.
Penny & Pip
Candace Fleming
Illustrator: Eric Rohmann
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
On a class field trip to the natural history museum, Penny, a brown-skinned child, meets Pip, a newly hatched dinosaur, and a beautiful friendship ensues. Imaginative pencil and digitally colored illustrations.
Candace Fleming
Illustrator: Eric Rohmann
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
On a class field trip to the natural history museum, Penny, a brown-skinned child, meets Pip, a newly hatched dinosaur, and a beautiful friendship ensues. Imaginative pencil and digitally colored illustrations.
Perfect Presents!
Anke Kuhl
Illustrator: Anke Kuhl
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Sometimes finding the right gift can be unexpectedly challenging. Humorous illustrations with perfectly matched spare text.
Anke Kuhl
Illustrator: Anke Kuhl
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Sometimes finding the right gift can be unexpectedly challenging. Humorous illustrations with perfectly matched spare text.
Puddle Song
Laura Purdie Salas
Illustrator: Monique Felix
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A puddle invites young friends to explore its delights. Poetic text and delicate detailed illustrations.
Laura Purdie Salas
Illustrator: Monique Felix
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A puddle invites young friends to explore its delights. Poetic text and delicate detailed illustrations.
Quiet Time with My Seeya
Dinalie Dabarera
Illustrator: Dinalie Dabarera
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A girl and her grandfather cross their language divide by joyfully sharing special activities together. Colored pencil art draws readers in.
Dinalie Dabarera
Illustrator: Dinalie Dabarera
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A girl and her grandfather cross their language divide by joyfully sharing special activities together. Colored pencil art draws readers in.
Reading Time!: A Tummy Time First Words Book for Babies
Mama Makes Books
Illustrator: Mama Makes Books
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Simple concepts and bright colors engage infants' eyes. In verse. A foldout book with mirror.
Mama Makes Books
Illustrator: Mama Makes Books
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Simple concepts and bright colors engage infants' eyes. In verse. A foldout book with mirror.
Real Story, The
Sergio Ruzzier
Illustrator: Sergio Ruzzier
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
When Cat finds the cookie jar broken and all the cookies gone, he asks Mouse what happened. Mouse comes up with some tall tales. Mixed-media illustrations.
Sergio Ruzzier
Illustrator: Sergio Ruzzier
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
When Cat finds the cookie jar broken and all the cookies gone, he asks Mouse what happened. Mouse comes up with some tall tales. Mixed-media illustrations.
Red Tin Box, The
Matthew Burgess
Illustrator: Evan Turk
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Accompanied by her granddaughter, a Black grandmother retrieves a time capsule she buried as a child and shares a lifetime of special memories. Luminous, painterly art.
Matthew Burgess
Illustrator: Evan Turk
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Accompanied by her granddaughter, a Black grandmother retrieves a time capsule she buried as a child and shares a lifetime of special memories. Luminous, painterly art.
Rosie Runs
Marika Maijala
Illustrator: Marika Maijala
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Rosie, a race track dog, makes an adventurous escape to freedom. Childlike crayon art.
Marika Maijala
Illustrator: Marika Maijala
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Rosie, a race track dog, makes an adventurous escape to freedom. Childlike crayon art.
Shape of You, The
Mượn Thị Văn
Illustrator: Miki Sato
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
In gentle flowing language, a mother tells a child about the shapes in their lives, from the concrete to intangible things, like learning and warmth. Exquisite dimensional collage art.
Mượn Thị Văn
Illustrator: Miki Sato
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
In gentle flowing language, a mother tells a child about the shapes in their lives, from the concrete to intangible things, like learning and warmth. Exquisite dimensional collage art.
Simon and the Better Bone
Corey R. Tabor
Illustrator: Corey R. Tabor
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Trying to retrieve his bone from another dog, Simon never realizes he's seeing his own reflection. Happily he finds sharing is the key to friendship. Mixed-media art.
Corey R. Tabor
Illustrator: Corey R. Tabor
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Trying to retrieve his bone from another dog, Simon never realizes he's seeing his own reflection. Happily he finds sharing is the key to friendship. Mixed-media art.
Slowly Slowly
Toni Yuly
Illustrator: Toni Yuly
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
As life changes all around them, a boy and his dog uncover wonders in their own backyard. Gentle mixed-media illustrations add much to discover.
Toni Yuly
Illustrator: Toni Yuly
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
As life changes all around them, a boy and his dog uncover wonders in their own backyard. Gentle mixed-media illustrations add much to discover.
Sneak! (Slide-and-See series)
Beatriz Giménez de Ory
Illustrator: Paloma Valdivia
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Guess the camouflaged animals from their descriptions. Slide-and-see pages. Colorful folk-art-like illustrations.
Beatriz Giménez de Ory
Illustrator: Paloma Valdivia
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Guess the camouflaged animals from their descriptions. Slide-and-see pages. Colorful folk-art-like illustrations.
Sometimes I Cry
Jess Townes
Illustrator: Daniel Miyares
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Soothing, lyrical text and expressive, realistic illustrations provide assurance that tears are a normal part of both the happy and sad events in our lives.
Jess Townes
Illustrator: Daniel Miyares
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Soothing, lyrical text and expressive, realistic illustrations provide assurance that tears are a normal part of both the happy and sad events in our lives.
Sometimes It's Nice to Be Alone
Amy Hest
Illustrator: Philip Stead
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A celebration of a child's rich imagination during solitary activities. Serene yet lively mixed-media illustrations.
Amy Hest
Illustrator: Philip Stead
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A celebration of a child's rich imagination during solitary activities. Serene yet lively mixed-media illustrations.
Soon, Your Hands
Jonathan Stutzman
Illustrator: Elizabeth Lilly
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Three diverse families, all neighbors, savor time with their young children even as they foresee them growing less dependent. Colorful watercolor illustrations. American Sign Language glossary.
Jonathan Stutzman
Illustrator: Elizabeth Lilly
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Three diverse families, all neighbors, savor time with their young children even as they foresee them growing less dependent. Colorful watercolor illustrations. American Sign Language glossary.
Spicy Spicy Hot!
Lenny Wen
Illustrator: Lenny Wen
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Lintang perseveres until she is able to eat her grandmother's spicy traditional Indonesian dish, bridging their cultural divide. Bright humorous mixed-media art. Includes recipe for sambal.
Lenny Wen
Illustrator: Lenny Wen
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Lintang perseveres until she is able to eat her grandmother's spicy traditional Indonesian dish, bridging their cultural divide. Bright humorous mixed-media art. Includes recipe for sambal.
Stay My Baby
Lana Button
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Parents express love for their little ones. Told in verse. Illustrated with photographs of diverse families.
Lana Button
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Parents express love for their little ones. Told in verse. Illustrated with photographs of diverse families.
Stinkbird Has a Superpower
Jill Esbaum
Illustrator: Bob Shea
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A father hoatzin explains their unique features to his chick. Bright digital illustrations.
Jill Esbaum
Illustrator: Bob Shea
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A father hoatzin explains their unique features to his chick. Bright digital illustrations.
This Is a Story
John Schu
Illustrator: Lauren Castillo
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
The joy and life-changing power of reading shine in this ode to libraries, librarians, and young readers. Immersive watercolor and pastel artwork.
John Schu
Illustrator: Lauren Castillo
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
The joy and life-changing power of reading shine in this ode to libraries, librarians, and young readers. Immersive watercolor and pastel artwork.
Three Little Mittens, The
Linda Bailey
Illustrator: Natalia Shaloshvili
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Celebrate differences when mismatched, lone mittens pair up. Socks, shoes, and children follow suit. Soft mixed-media art.
Linda Bailey
Illustrator: Natalia Shaloshvili
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Celebrate differences when mismatched, lone mittens pair up. Socks, shoes, and children follow suit. Soft mixed-media art.
Time to Move South for Winter
Clare Helen Welsh
Illustrator: Jenny Løvlie
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Follow the tiny arctic tern on the world's longest animal migration, as it passes species like humpback whales and caribou, all searching for a warmer home. Lyrical text. Exquisite blue-toned illustrations.
Clare Helen Welsh
Illustrator: Jenny Løvlie
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Follow the tiny arctic tern on the world's longest animal migration, as it passes species like humpback whales and caribou, all searching for a warmer home. Lyrical text. Exquisite blue-toned illustrations.
Together We Swim
Valerie Bolling
Illustrator: Kaylani Juanita
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Spare text and mixed-media and digital illustrations tell the almost step-by-step process of a Black mother teaching her son to swim. A simple ode to overcoming fear.
Valerie Bolling
Illustrator: Kaylani Juanita
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Spare text and mixed-media and digital illustrations tell the almost step-by-step process of a Black mother teaching her son to swim. A simple ode to overcoming fear.
Together with You
Patricia Toht
Illustrator: Jarvis
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A grandmother and grandchild frolick through four seasons. Rhymed verse and colorfully illustrated activities depict joy and a loving relationship
Patricia Toht
Illustrator: Jarvis
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A grandmother and grandchild frolick through four seasons. Rhymed verse and colorfully illustrated activities depict joy and a loving relationship
Too Green! (Feelings & Firsts series)
Sumana Seeboruth
Illustrator: Maribel Castells
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
After a little taste, a toddler finds that the green soup is yummy! Amusing detailed illustrations depict a biracial family with two moms. Also available in a bilingual Spanish-English edition.
Sumana Seeboruth
Illustrator: Maribel Castells
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
After a little taste, a toddler finds that the green soup is yummy! Amusing detailed illustrations depict a biracial family with two moms. Also available in a bilingual Spanish-English edition.