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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Ready for Anything!
written and ill. by Keiko Kasza
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Can a cheerful duck and a morose raccoon enjoy a picnic together? Animated gouache illustrations.
written and ill. by Keiko Kasza
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Can a cheerful duck and a morose raccoon enjoy a picnic together? Animated gouache illustrations.
Rhyming Dust Bunnies
written and ill. by Jan Thomas
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Why doesn't Bob “rhyme all the time” like the other dust bunnies? Colorful, cartoon-like illustrations add to the fun.
written and ill. by Jan Thomas
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Why doesn't Bob “rhyme all the time” like the other dust bunnies? Colorful, cartoon-like illustrations add to the fun.
Riki's Birdhouse
written and ill. by Monica Wellington
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Riki builds a birdhouse and watches the comings and goings of birds throughout the year. Colorful multimedia illustrations.
written and ill. by Monica Wellington
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Riki builds a birdhouse and watches the comings and goings of birds throughout the year. Colorful multimedia illustrations.
Shades of People
by Shelley Rotner
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Delightful photographs of active children of many nationalities explore the different shades of human skin.
by Shelley Rotner
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Delightful photographs of active children of many nationalities explore the different shades of human skin.
Simms Taback's City Animals
written and ill. by Simms Taback
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Large, colorful city animals are concealed under flaps with clues for little ones to guess. Board book.
written and ill. by Simms Taback
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Large, colorful city animals are concealed under flaps with clues for little ones to guess. Board book.
Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep!
by Maureen Wright
Illustrator: Will Hillenbrand
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
When winter arrives, Big Bear misunderstands its call and fights sleepiness as he follows exhausting directions through the cold and dark. Snowy illustrations.
by Maureen Wright
Illustrator: Will Hillenbrand
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
When winter arrives, Big Bear misunderstands its call and fights sleepiness as he follows exhausting directions through the cold and dark. Snowy illustrations.
Snow
by Cynthia Rylant
Illustrator: Lauren Stringer
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
A lyrical celebration of the many ways we enjoy different types of snow is accompanied by soft acrylic ilustrations.
by Cynthia Rylant
Illustrator: Lauren Stringer
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
A lyrical celebration of the many ways we enjoy different types of snow is accompanied by soft acrylic ilustrations.
Spells
written and ill. by Emily Gravett
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Using a shredded spell book, Frog has his work cut out for him when he tries to turn a prince into a frog . Multi-media illustrations.
written and ill. by Emily Gravett
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Using a shredded spell book, Frog has his work cut out for him when he tries to turn a prince into a frog . Multi-media illustrations.
Surprise Soup
by Mary Ann Rodman
Illustrator: G. Brian Karas
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Kevie, his big brother, and Dad make a special meal to welcome home Momma and the new baby. Gently humorous illustrations.
by Mary Ann Rodman
Illustrator: G. Brian Karas
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Kevie, his big brother, and Dad make a special meal to welcome home Momma and the new baby. Gently humorous illustrations.
Ten Days and Nine Nights
written and ill. by Yumi Heo
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
An older sister waits for her new baby, adopted from Korea. Child-like images in collage, oil, and pencil.
written and ill. by Yumi Heo
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
An older sister waits for her new baby, adopted from Korea. Child-like images in collage, oil, and pencil.
The Jungle Grapevine
written and ill. by Alex Beard
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
A cycle of panic among the various jungle animals is caused by misheard words. Pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations.
written and ill. by Alex Beard
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
A cycle of panic among the various jungle animals is caused by misheard words. Pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations.
The Lion and the Mouse
written and ill. by Jerry Pinkney
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Sumptuous illustrations in watercolor and pencil bring this nearly wordless Aesop's fable to life in the African Serengeti of Tanzania and Kenya.
written and ill. by Jerry Pinkney
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Sumptuous illustrations in watercolor and pencil bring this nearly wordless Aesop's fable to life in the African Serengeti of Tanzania and Kenya.
The Little Bit Scary People
by Emily Jenkins
Illustrator: Alexandra Boiger
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
A young girl observes that first impressions can sometimes be misleading. Expressive illustrations.
by Emily Jenkins
Illustrator: Alexandra Boiger
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
A young girl observes that first impressions can sometimes be misleading. Expressive illustrations.
The Little Dump Truck
by Margery Cuyler
Illustrator: Bob Kolar
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Follow the dump truck as it goes through its work day. Simple rhymes and bright detailed illustrations.
by Margery Cuyler
Illustrator: Bob Kolar
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Follow the dump truck as it goes through its work day. Simple rhymes and bright detailed illustrations.
The Littlest Dinosaur's Big Adventure
written and ill. by Michael Foreman
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
After a day of exciting adventures and with courage in his heart, the littlest dinosaur overcomes his fear of the dark. Gentle watercolor and ink illustrations.
written and ill. by Michael Foreman
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
After a day of exciting adventures and with courage in his heart, the littlest dinosaur overcomes his fear of the dark. Gentle watercolor and ink illustrations.
The Mitten
retold by Jim Aylesworth
Illustrator: Barbara McClintock
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
A lost mitten warms up a group of woodland animals in this retelling of an old story. Mixed-media illustrations.
retold by Jim Aylesworth
Illustrator: Barbara McClintock
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
A lost mitten warms up a group of woodland animals in this retelling of an old story. Mixed-media illustrations.
The Night Before Christmas
retold and ill. by Rachel Isadora
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Set in Africa, the famous poem is retold with exuberant cut-paper illustrations.
retold and ill. by Rachel Isadora
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Set in Africa, the famous poem is retold with exuberant cut-paper illustrations.
The Odd Egg
written and ill. by Emily Gravett
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
The only bird without an egg, Duck luckily finds a giant speckled one. Inventive flaps with playful watercolors show all the eggs hatching in sequence.
written and ill. by Emily Gravett
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
The only bird without an egg, Duck luckily finds a giant speckled one. Inventive flaps with playful watercolors show all the eggs hatching in sequence.
The Strange Case of the Missing Sheep
written and ill. by Mircea Catusanu
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
When wolf lures the sheep from Happy Valley to the dark forest, Doug, the superdog, hurries to the rescue. Humorous monochromatic illustrations.
written and ill. by Mircea Catusanu
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
When wolf lures the sheep from Happy Valley to the dark forest, Doug, the superdog, hurries to the rescue. Humorous monochromatic illustrations.
Tillie Lays an Egg
by Terry Golson
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Where on the farm will Tillie lay her egg today? Try to spot each one in these eye-catching photos.
by Terry Golson
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Where on the farm will Tillie lay her egg today? Try to spot each one in these eye-catching photos.
Toot Toot Zoom!
by Phyllis Root
Illustrator: Matthew Cordell
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
After crossing a mountain in search of a friend, Pierre realizes that he has found perfect friends along the way. Ink and watercolor illustrations.
by Phyllis Root
Illustrator: Matthew Cordell
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
After crossing a mountain in search of a friend, Pierre realizes that he has found perfect friends along the way. Ink and watercolor illustrations.
Two at the Zoo
by Donna Smith
Illustrator: Valeria Petrone
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Rhyming text and bold digital and gouache illustrations help in counting the animals at the zoo from one to ten.
by Donna Smith
Illustrator: Valeria Petrone
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Rhyming text and bold digital and gouache illustrations help in counting the animals at the zoo from one to ten.
Violet and Winston
by Sonya Sones
Illustrator: Chris Raschka
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Three humor -filled episodes define the close friendship between a swan and a duck. Colorful watercolor and ink illustrations.
by Sonya Sones
Illustrator: Chris Raschka
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
Three humor -filled episodes define the close friendship between a swan and a duck. Colorful watercolor and ink illustrations.
When I Grow Up
written and ill. by Leonid Gore
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
A boy considers different possibilities for growing up, but wants to be just like his father. Colorful, acrylic illustrations.
written and ill. by Leonid Gore
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
A boy considers different possibilities for growing up, but wants to be just like his father. Colorful, acrylic illustrations.
When I Visit the Farm
written and ill. by Crystal Beshara
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
A simple text accompanied by bright, vividly delineated illustrations, celebrates a child's sensory experiences as she visits a farm.
written and ill. by Crystal Beshara
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2009
A simple text accompanied by bright, vividly delineated illustrations, celebrates a child's sensory experiences as she visits a farm.