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/.
How to Perform a Search and Save a List
Search
Advanced Search
Dandelion's Dream
Yoko Tanaka
Illustrator: Yoko Tanaka
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Digitally colored charcoal illustrations depict the ethereal adventures of a flower transformed into a yellow-maned dandelion before it goes to seed.
Yoko Tanaka
Illustrator: Yoko Tanaka
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Digitally colored charcoal illustrations depict the ethereal adventures of a flower transformed into a yellow-maned dandelion before it goes to seed.
Do I Have to Wear a Coat?: A Journey through the Seasons
Rachel Isadora
Illustrator: Rachel Isadora
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Varied activities of multiracial children celebrate the seasons. Ink-and-watercolor illustrations.
Rachel Isadora
Illustrator: Rachel Isadora
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Varied activities of multiracial children celebrate the seasons. Ink-and-watercolor illustrations.
Don't Worry, Little Crab
Haughton, Chris
Illustrator: Haughton, Chris
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Gently encouraged by Very Big Crab, Little Crab finds the courage to overcome his fear of the ocean and discover a new world. Simple, colorful digital illustrations.
Haughton, Chris
Illustrator: Haughton, Chris
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Gently encouraged by Very Big Crab, Little Crab finds the courage to overcome his fear of the ocean and discover a new world. Simple, colorful digital illustrations.
Every Little Letter
Deborah Underwood
Illustrator: Joy Hwang Ruiz
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
In this "not an alphabet book," lower case letters successfully make their case to upper case letters to welcome strangers by breaking down barriers. Vibrant digital illustrations.
Deborah Underwood
Illustrator: Joy Hwang Ruiz
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
In this "not an alphabet book," lower case letters successfully make their case to upper case letters to welcome strangers by breaking down barriers. Vibrant digital illustrations.
Families Belong
Dan Saks
Illustrator: Brooke Smart
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Families of various configurations show many ways of being together. Colorful illustrations depict multiple racial representations.
Dan Saks
Illustrator: Brooke Smart
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Families of various configurations show many ways of being together. Colorful illustrations depict multiple racial representations.
Federico and the Wolf
Rebecca J. Gomez
Illustrator: Elisa Chavarri
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
A resourceful Latinx boy saves the day in this rollicking Red Riding Hood retelling. Central American-inflected Photoshop illustrations. Salsa recipe. Spanish/English glossary included.
Rebecca J. Gomez
Illustrator: Elisa Chavarri
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
A resourceful Latinx boy saves the day in this rollicking Red Riding Hood retelling. Central American-inflected Photoshop illustrations. Salsa recipe. Spanish/English glossary included.
Feel the Fog (Weather Walks series)
April Pulley Sayre
Illustrator: April Pulley Sayre
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Readers are fog-immersed in this poetic photographic volume. Extensive endnotes provide opportunities for further exploration of this surprisingly exciting meteorological phenomenon.
April Pulley Sayre
Illustrator: April Pulley Sayre
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Readers are fog-immersed in this poetic photographic volume. Extensive endnotes provide opportunities for further exploration of this surprisingly exciting meteorological phenomenon.
Fight the Night
Tomie dePaola
Illustrator: Tomie dePaola
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Animated, crosshatched black ink/color illustrations elevate the story of a young boy's struggle to resist sleep, revisiting a 1968 classic.
Tomie dePaola
Illustrator: Tomie dePaola
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Animated, crosshatched black ink/color illustrations elevate the story of a young boy's struggle to resist sleep, revisiting a 1968 classic.
Friday Night Wrestle Fest
J.F. Fox
Illustrator: Micah Player
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Rollicking text, vibrant digital art, and a diaper joke will have young readers sharing one family's rumpus—their weekly bedtime tradition.
J.F. Fox
Illustrator: Micah Player
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Rollicking text, vibrant digital art, and a diaper joke will have young readers sharing one family's rumpus—their weekly bedtime tradition.
Ghosts Went Floating, The
Kim Norman
Illustrator: Jay Fleck
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
All types of spooky creatures make their way across vivid, playfully illustrated pages in this Halloween counting book. Rhythm and rhyme inspired by “The Ants Go Marching.”
Kim Norman
Illustrator: Jay Fleck
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
All types of spooky creatures make their way across vivid, playfully illustrated pages in this Halloween counting book. Rhythm and rhyme inspired by “The Ants Go Marching.”
Green on Green
Dianne White
Illustrator: Felicita Sala
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Lyrical rhyming text describes the colors of passing seasons and a family's joyful experience of a pregnancy. Engaging watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil illustrations.
Dianne White
Illustrator: Felicita Sala
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Lyrical rhyming text describes the colors of passing seasons and a family's joyful experience of a pregnancy. Engaging watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil illustrations.
Heart of a Whale, The
Anna Pignataro
Illustrator: Anna Pignataro
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
A whale's song is filled with kindness, but takes another whale's friendship to bring happiness and fulfillment. Evocative watercolor illustrations.
Anna Pignataro
Illustrator: Anna Pignataro
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
A whale's song is filled with kindness, but takes another whale's friendship to bring happiness and fulfillment. Evocative watercolor illustrations.
Hidden Rainbow, The
Christie Matheson
Illustrator: Christie Matheson
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Colors, numbers, and the important work of bees coalesce engagingly in this interactive book. Inviting mix of watercolor and collage art. Endnote on bees.
Christie Matheson
Illustrator: Christie Matheson
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Colors, numbers, and the important work of bees coalesce engagingly in this interactive book. Inviting mix of watercolor and collage art. Endnote on bees.
How to be a Pirate
Isaac Fitzgerald
Illustrator: Brigette Barrager
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Can girls be pirates? Cece sets out to learn from her grandfather if she has what is needed. Bright, engaging illustrations.
Isaac Fitzgerald
Illustrator: Brigette Barrager
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2020
Can girls be pirates? Cece sets out to learn from her grandfather if she has what is needed. Bright, engaging illustrations.
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.