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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How to Potty Train Your Porcupine
Tom toro
Illustrator: Tom Toro
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
A sister and brother go to extreme measures in an attempt to potty train a porcupine. Rollicking antics ensue. Very entertaining color illustrations.
Tom toro
Illustrator: Tom Toro
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
A sister and brother go to extreme measures in an attempt to potty train a porcupine. Rollicking antics ensue. Very entertaining color illustrations.
I Am Brown
Ashok Banker
Illustrator: Sandhya Prabhat
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Children of varying brown hues celebrate and take pride in who they are and where they come from.
Ashok Banker
Illustrator: Sandhya Prabhat
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Children of varying brown hues celebrate and take pride in who they are and where they come from.
I Love My Tutu Too! (A Never Bored Book series)
Ross Burach
Illustrator: Ross Burach
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Join the counting fun with animals, word play, and tutus. Brightly colored cartoons display numerals, written out numbers, and dancing animals in tutus.
Ross Burach
Illustrator: Ross Burach
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Join the counting fun with animals, word play, and tutus. Brightly colored cartoons display numerals, written out numbers, and dancing animals in tutus.
I Love You Little Moo
Tilly Temple
Illustrator: Laura Deo
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
In this simple lift-the-flap board book, animal parents express their love for their children. Bold colorful illustrations.
Tilly Temple
Illustrator: Laura Deo
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
In this simple lift-the-flap board book, animal parents express their love for their children. Bold colorful illustrations.
In A Garden
Tim McCanna
Illustrator: Aimée Sicuro
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Critters, insects, and plantings abound as friends and neighbors come together in a community garden throughout the year. Colorful, playful mixed-media illustrations.
Tim McCanna
Illustrator: Aimée Sicuro
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Critters, insects, and plantings abound as friends and neighbors come together in a community garden throughout the year. Colorful, playful mixed-media illustrations.
In a Jar
Deborah Marcero
Illustrator: Deborah Marcero
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Wonderful watercolors show us the world of Llewellyn, a rabbit, who loves to collect things in jars. He meets Evelyn and sunsets, rainbows, and even heartbreak are collected and shared.
Deborah Marcero
Illustrator: Deborah Marcero
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Wonderful watercolors show us the world of Llewellyn, a rabbit, who loves to collect things in jars. He meets Evelyn and sunsets, rainbows, and even heartbreak are collected and shared.
In A Jar
written and illustrated by Deborah Marcero
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
When Llewellyn, a collector of everyday objects, meets a friend, they fill jars with their shared wondrous experiences, creating lasting memories. Cartoonish rabbits inhabit spread with insert panels.
written and illustrated by Deborah Marcero
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
When Llewellyn, a collector of everyday objects, meets a friend, they fill jars with their shared wondrous experiences, creating lasting memories. Cartoonish rabbits inhabit spread with insert panels.
In My Heart
MacKenzie Porter
Illustrator: Jenny Lovlie
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
A working mother reassures a child that she is always in her heart. Bold, textured illustrations
MacKenzie Porter
Illustrator: Jenny Lovlie
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
A working mother reassures a child that she is always in her heart. Bold, textured illustrations
In the City
Chris Raschka
Illustrator: Chris Raschka
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Ink and watercolor illustrations vividly capture the pulse of a busy city, where winged and two-legged creatures find and make friends. Rhyming text.
Chris Raschka
Illustrator: Chris Raschka
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Ink and watercolor illustrations vividly capture the pulse of a busy city, where winged and two-legged creatures find and make friends. Rhyming text.
I Promise
LeBron James
Illustrator: Nina Mata
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Extolling the joyful experience of learning together, this focuses on the activities at the school James started in Akron, OH. Exuberant colorful digital illustrations.
LeBron James
Illustrator: Nina Mata
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Extolling the joyful experience of learning together, this focuses on the activities at the school James started in Akron, OH. Exuberant colorful digital illustrations.
It is a Tree
Susan Batori
Illustrator: Susan Batori
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
When blindfolded animals must identify an elephant, their guess reflects their self-referenced perspective. This book, based on an ancient fable, has sparse repetitive text. Humorous digital illustrations.
Susan Batori
Illustrator: Susan Batori
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
When blindfolded animals must identify an elephant, their guess reflects their self-referenced perspective. This book, based on an ancient fable, has sparse repetitive text. Humorous digital illustrations.
It's My Tree
Olivier Tallec
Illustrator: Olivier Tallec
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Squirrel must figure out a way to keep everyone else away from "his" pinecones. Can he enforce his proclamation? Should he? Expressive illustrations with an emphasis on yellow and orange.
Olivier Tallec
Illustrator: Olivier Tallec
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Squirrel must figure out a way to keep everyone else away from "his" pinecones. Can he enforce his proclamation? Should he? Expressive illustrations with an emphasis on yellow and orange.
Ivy Bird
Tania McCartney
Illustrator: Jeff Racklyeft
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Ivy spreads her imaginary wings as she imitates the sounds and manners of twelve birds as she goes throughout her daily activities. Vivid playful illustrations.
Tania McCartney
Illustrator: Jeff Racklyeft
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Ivy spreads her imaginary wings as she imitates the sounds and manners of twelve birds as she goes throughout her daily activities. Vivid playful illustrations.
Julia's House Moves On
Ben Hatke
Illustrator: Ben Hatke
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Julia is faced with many challenges as she tries to move her house full of lost creatures. Beautiful exciting watercolor illustrations.
Ben Hatke
Illustrator: Ben Hatke
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Julia is faced with many challenges as she tries to move her house full of lost creatures. Beautiful exciting watercolor illustrations.
Keith Among the Pigeons
Katie Brosman
Illustrator: Katie Brosman
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Keith, the cat, wished he were a pigeon. Maybe if he pasted feathers on his body, he could become one. Bright color illustrations.
Katie Brosman
Illustrator: Katie Brosman
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Keith, the cat, wished he were a pigeon. Maybe if he pasted feathers on his body, he could become one. Bright color illustrations.
Knowing the Name of a Bird
Jane Yolen
Illustrator: Jori van der Linde
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Poetic language and vivid illustrations of birds gently deliver the important message that we cannot understand any living creature including a fellow human without striving to connect deeply.
Jane Yolen
Illustrator: Jori van der Linde
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Poetic language and vivid illustrations of birds gently deliver the important message that we cannot understand any living creature including a fellow human without striving to connect deeply.
Lali's Feather
Farhana Zia
Illustrator: Stephanie Fizer Coleman
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Set in India, this gentle story of a creative little girl who finds a stray feather tells how imagination can transform anything. Appealing illustrations of a rural community.
Farhana Zia
Illustrator: Stephanie Fizer Coleman
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Set in India, this gentle story of a creative little girl who finds a stray feather tells how imagination can transform anything. Appealing illustrations of a rural community.
Let's Swap For a Day
Shu-Ti Liao
Illustrator: Shu-Ti Liao
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
A child and her dog enjoy trading lives for a day until ... Child-friendly, energetic illustrations match a humorous, breezy tale.
Shu-Ti Liao
Illustrator: Shu-Ti Liao
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
A child and her dog enjoy trading lives for a day until ... Child-friendly, energetic illustrations match a humorous, breezy tale.
Lift
Minh Le
Illustrator: Dan Santat
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
The exuberant emotional maturing of a little girl is shown through the power of her imagination and an elevator button. Practically text-free, a graphic picture book of wonder.
Minh Le
Illustrator: Dan Santat
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
The exuberant emotional maturing of a little girl is shown through the power of her imagination and an elevator button. Practically text-free, a graphic picture book of wonder.
Little Baby's Busy Day (A Finger Wiggle Book)
Sally Symes
Illustrator: Nick Sharratt
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
A toddler's activities are enhanced by colorful cut-out illustrations that allow fingers to protrude through exit holes that represent legs.
Sally Symes
Illustrator: Nick Sharratt
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
A toddler's activities are enhanced by colorful cut-out illustrations that allow fingers to protrude through exit holes that represent legs.
Little Baby's Playtime (A Finger Wiggle Book)
Sally Symes
Illustrator: Nick Sharratt
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
A toddler's activities are enhanced by colorful cut-out illustrations that allow fingers to protrude through exit holes that represent legs.
Sally Symes
Illustrator: Nick Sharratt
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
A toddler's activities are enhanced by colorful cut-out illustrations that allow fingers to protrude through exit holes that represent legs.
Little Bear's Treasures
Stella Dreis
Illustrator: Stella Dreis
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
No one appreciates Little Bear's humble treasured objects until Little Bird comes along. Soft, muted pastels with accents of color magically capture the wonder of friendship.
Stella Dreis
Illustrator: Stella Dreis
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
No one appreciates Little Bear's humble treasured objects until Little Bird comes along. Soft, muted pastels with accents of color magically capture the wonder of friendship.
Little Duckling Who Wouldn't Get Wet, The
Gek Tessaro
Illustrator: Gek Tessaro
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
A duckling who refused to go in the water until he was good and ready is told in a humorous vein. Appealing illustrations.
Gek Tessaro
Illustrator: Gek Tessaro
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
A duckling who refused to go in the water until he was good and ready is told in a humorous vein. Appealing illustrations.
Little Penguin (Little Animal Friends series)
Julie Abery
Illustrator: Suzie Mason
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
An Emperor chick takes his first step in his journey to leave his mama. Beautiful, tonalistic illustrations.
Julie Abery
Illustrator: Suzie Mason
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
An Emperor chick takes his first step in his journey to leave his mama. Beautiful, tonalistic illustrations.
Little Wise Wolf
Gijs van der Hammen
Illustrator: Hanneke Siemensma
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Too busy to engage with others, a wolf with superior abilities is humbled by the kindness of friends. Words and illustrations add a touch of magic.
Gijs van der Hammen
Illustrator: Hanneke Siemensma
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Too busy to engage with others, a wolf with superior abilities is humbled by the kindness of friends. Words and illustrations add a touch of magic.