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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Digger and the Butterfly, The
Joseph Kuefler
Illustrator: Joseph Kuefler
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Trucks discover a caterpillar in their work area and slow down to feed it. Digger then patiently supports his new friend's metamorphosis. Colorful artwork.
Joseph Kuefler
Illustrator: Joseph Kuefler
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Trucks discover a caterpillar in their work area and slow down to feed it. Digger then patiently supports his new friend's metamorphosis. Colorful artwork.
Dim Sum, Here We Come!
Maple Lam
Illustrator: Maple Lam
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A young girl loves going to the dim sum restaurant every Sunday, eating and sharing lots of delicious dishes with her extended family. Bright watercolor and color pencil illustrations.
Maple Lam
Illustrator: Maple Lam
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A young girl loves going to the dim sum restaurant every Sunday, eating and sharing lots of delicious dishes with her extended family. Bright watercolor and color pencil illustrations.
Disagreement
Nani Brunini
Illustrator: Nani Brunini
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A dispute between two people builds to a mighty neighborhood quarrel, but a lone person shows a way toward possible reconciliation and collaboration. Wordless. Sweeping mixed-media illustrations.
Nani Brunini
Illustrator: Nani Brunini
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A dispute between two people builds to a mighty neighborhood quarrel, but a lone person shows a way toward possible reconciliation and collaboration. Wordless. Sweeping mixed-media illustrations.
Doris
Sarah Jacoby
Illustrator: Sarah Jacoby
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A performing show horse leaves the safety of home to explore the world beyond and discovers a kindred spirit. Expressive watercolor and digital illustrations.
Sarah Jacoby
Illustrator: Sarah Jacoby
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A performing show horse leaves the safety of home to explore the world beyond and discovers a kindred spirit. Expressive watercolor and digital illustrations.
Do You Remember?
Sydney Smith
Illustrator: Sydney Smith
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
In a series of snapshot memories, a boy and his mother in their new home recall the peace and turmoil of their lives. Warm, hazy paintings.
Sydney Smith
Illustrator: Sydney Smith
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
In a series of snapshot memories, a boy and his mother in their new home recall the peace and turmoil of their lives. Warm, hazy paintings.
Eat Your Superpowers!: How Colorful Foods Keep You Healthy and Strong
Toni Buzzeo
Illustrator: Serge Bloch
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Twenty-five nutritious foods are organized by color, each introduced by a simple sentence, providing information about the health benefits of each. Humorous line drawings, clear photographs.
Toni Buzzeo
Illustrator: Serge Bloch
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Twenty-five nutritious foods are organized by color, each introduced by a simple sentence, providing information about the health benefits of each. Humorous line drawings, clear photographs.
Elbert in the Air
Monica Wesolowska
Illustrator: Jerome Pumphrey
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Elbert can float, but as everyone else tries to keep him on the ground, his mother unfalteringly encourages him to be himself. Digitally created vintage-style art.
Monica Wesolowska
Illustrator: Jerome Pumphrey
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Elbert can float, but as everyone else tries to keep him on the ground, his mother unfalteringly encourages him to be himself. Digitally created vintage-style art.
Elena Rides
Juana Medina
Illustrator: Juana Medina
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
With encouragement from a bird friend, an elephant, frustrated by many attempts to ride a two-wheeler, finally succeeds. Simple rhymed couplets. Bold digital illustrations.
Juana Medina
Illustrator: Juana Medina
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
With encouragement from a bird friend, an elephant, frustrated by many attempts to ride a two-wheeler, finally succeeds. Simple rhymed couplets. Bold digital illustrations.
Everybody Has a Body
Molli Jackson Ehlert
Illustrator: Lorian Tu
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Examples of differences in appearances are linked by what they have in common: we all have bodies. Expressive drawings of bodies engaged in many activities.
Molli Jackson Ehlert
Illustrator: Lorian Tu
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Examples of differences in appearances are linked by what they have in common: we all have bodies. Expressive drawings of bodies engaged in many activities.
Finding Papa
Angela Pham Krans
Illustrator: Thi Bui
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Years after Mai's father leaves Vietnam for a better life in America, she and her mother make the dangerous journey to join him. Muted pastel illustrations. Back matter.
Angela Pham Krans
Illustrator: Thi Bui
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Years after Mai's father leaves Vietnam for a better life in America, she and her mother make the dangerous journey to join him. Muted pastel illustrations. Back matter.
Fix and Stitch
Barbara Nass
Illustrator: Liza Woodruff
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Squirrel tries to prepare for the coming winter, but he is constantly interrupted by friends who need help. Will he be ready in time? Expressive color illustrations.
Barbara Nass
Illustrator: Liza Woodruff
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Squirrel tries to prepare for the coming winter, but he is constantly interrupted by friends who need help. Will he be ready in time? Expressive color illustrations.
Forever Our Home
Tonya Simpson
Illustrator: Carla Joseph
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Enter the prairie with this gentle lullaby honoring the land and First Nations people of North America. Vibrant acrylic art with close-ups of wildlife and expansive landscape imagery. Also available in Plains Cree and English.
Tonya Simpson
Illustrator: Carla Joseph
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Enter the prairie with this gentle lullaby honoring the land and First Nations people of North America. Vibrant acrylic art with close-ups of wildlife and expansive landscape imagery. Also available in Plains Cree and English.
Full Moon Pups
Liz Garton Scanlon
Illustrator: Chuck Groenink
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A litter of wolves born under a full moon learn the ways of the world in their first month of life. Glowing mixed-media art. Engaging back matter.
Liz Garton Scanlon
Illustrator: Chuck Groenink
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A litter of wolves born under a full moon learn the ways of the world in their first month of life. Glowing mixed-media art. Engaging back matter.
Giraffe Is Too Tall for This Book
DK Ryland
Illustrator: DK Ryland
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Can you help the cramped animals fit in this interactive topsy-turvy book? Fun for everyone! Bright cartoon-style digital art.
DK Ryland
Illustrator: DK Ryland
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Can you help the cramped animals fit in this interactive topsy-turvy book? Fun for everyone! Bright cartoon-style digital art.
Good Morning, Good Night
Anita Lobel
Illustrator: Anita Lobel
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A young child walks through a French city with his parents, discovering myriad items to compare and contrast. Full-page boldly colored scenes.
Anita Lobel
Illustrator: Anita Lobel
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A young child walks through a French city with his parents, discovering myriad items to compare and contrast. Full-page boldly colored scenes.
Gray Fox in the Moonlight
Isaac Peterson
Illustrator: Isaac Peterson
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A mother fox explores the sights and sounds of the forest at night before returning to her sleeping kits. Pensive, minimalist text and cool, two-toned illustrations.
Isaac Peterson
Illustrator: Isaac Peterson
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A mother fox explores the sights and sounds of the forest at night before returning to her sleeping kits. Pensive, minimalist text and cool, two-toned illustrations.
Gustav Is Missing!: A Tale of Friendship and Bravery
Andrea Zuill
Illustrator: Andrea Zuill
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Little Cap, a mushroom, expands his comfort zone for the sake of his true friend, a slug named Gustav. Engaging ink and Photoshop illustrations.
Andrea Zuill
Illustrator: Andrea Zuill
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Little Cap, a mushroom, expands his comfort zone for the sake of his true friend, a slug named Gustav. Engaging ink and Photoshop illustrations.
Hamza Attends a Janaza
Shabana Hussain
Illustrator: Atefeh Mohammadzadeh
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
When a friend and neighbor passes away, Hamza must forgo a fun day with his grandparents to attend an Islamic funeral. Stylized illustrations. Extensive back matter.
Shabana Hussain
Illustrator: Atefeh Mohammadzadeh
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
When a friend and neighbor passes away, Hamza must forgo a fun day with his grandparents to attend an Islamic funeral. Stylized illustrations. Extensive back matter.
Hanukkah Upside Down
Elissa Brent Weissman
Illustrator: Omer Hoffmann
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Two cousins who live on opposite sides of the globe compete about whose holiday celebration is best. Urbane, witty illustrations.
Elissa Brent Weissman
Illustrator: Omer Hoffmann
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Two cousins who live on opposite sides of the globe compete about whose holiday celebration is best. Urbane, witty illustrations.
Happy
Mies van Hout
Illustrator: Mies van Hout
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
An exuberant parade of two-page spreads: on one side, a one-word emotion, and on the other, a colorful, expressively drawn fish, rendered in chalk and pastel on paper.
Mies van Hout
Illustrator: Mies van Hout
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
An exuberant parade of two-page spreads: on one side, a one-word emotion, and on the other, a colorful, expressively drawn fish, rendered in chalk and pastel on paper.
Happy Birthday to Me
Thao Lam
Illustrator: Thao Lam
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A girl's special day with diverse party guests brings a racing range of emotions, and ultimately, the comfort of her mom. Vibrant detailed cut-paper collage art.
Thao Lam
Illustrator: Thao Lam
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
A girl's special day with diverse party guests brings a racing range of emotions, and ultimately, the comfort of her mom. Vibrant detailed cut-paper collage art.
Hidden Gem
Linda Liu
Illustrator: Linda Liu
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
An ordinary looking pebble tumbles into a Museum of Rocks, and while wondering at the marvels there, finds worth in his plain self. Handsome design, striking digital and watercolor art.
Linda Liu
Illustrator: Linda Liu
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
An ordinary looking pebble tumbles into a Museum of Rocks, and while wondering at the marvels there, finds worth in his plain self. Handsome design, striking digital and watercolor art.
Hidden World of Gnomes, The
Lauren Soloy
Illustrator: Lauren Soloy
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
This guide book introduces a merry band of gnomes, following their lunar calendar, customs, values, and joyful interactions with nature. Busy little figures inhabit earth-toned digital spreads.
Lauren Soloy
Illustrator: Lauren Soloy
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
This guide book introduces a merry band of gnomes, following their lunar calendar, customs, values, and joyful interactions with nature. Busy little figures inhabit earth-toned digital spreads.
Holey Moley
Bethan Clarke
Illustrator: Anders Frang
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
An overly exuberant goat, using cumulative, silly, rhyming suggestions, insists on trying to guess where a mole lives. Engaging, amusing text and playful illustrations.
Bethan Clarke
Illustrator: Anders Frang
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
An overly exuberant goat, using cumulative, silly, rhyming suggestions, insists on trying to guess where a mole lives. Engaging, amusing text and playful illustrations.
House with 100 Stories, The
Toshio Iwai
Illustrator: Toshio Iwai
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Tochi climbs a tower with 100 floors to meet a new friend, encountering many busy creatures along the way. Detailed, colorful illustrations. Vertical format.
Toshio Iwai
Illustrator: Toshio Iwai
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2023
Tochi climbs a tower with 100 floors to meet a new friend, encountering many busy creatures along the way. Detailed, colorful illustrations. Vertical format.