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
Sixteen Runaway Pumpkins
by Dianne Ochiltree
Illustrator: Anne-Sophie Lanquetin
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Lively rhyme and colorful, amusing illustations intoduce young readers to the concept of doubling numbers.
by Dianne Ochiltree
Illustrator: Anne-Sophie Lanquetin
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Lively rhyme and colorful, amusing illustations intoduce young readers to the concept of doubling numbers.
Skin Again
by bell hooks
Illustrator: Chris Raschka
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Look deep inside, past the outer skin color, to discover the real person. Loose energetic paintings.
by bell hooks
Illustrator: Chris Raschka
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Look deep inside, past the outer skin color, to discover the real person. Loose energetic paintings.
Sleeping Cutie
by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Illustrator: Brian Pinkney
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
An almost perfect little girl has trouble sleeping until her new stuffed owl shows her another world.
by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Illustrator: Brian Pinkney
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
An almost perfect little girl has trouble sleeping until her new stuffed owl shows her another world.
Smile, Lily!
by Candace Fleming
Illustrator: Yumi Heo
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Each member of Lily's family engages in efforts to stop her from crying, but only her brother knows just what to do.
by Candace Fleming
Illustrator: Yumi Heo
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Each member of Lily's family engages in efforts to stop her from crying, but only her brother knows just what to do.
Snow Dude
written and ill. by Daniel Kirk
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
In a retelling of The Gingerbread Man, a snowman comes to life. Humorous illustrations.
written and ill. by Daniel Kirk
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
In a retelling of The Gingerbread Man, a snowman comes to life. Humorous illustrations.
Someone Bigger
by Jonathan Emmett
Illustrator: Adrian Reynolds
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
A little boy saves the day when a strong wind pulls his father and his kite into the sky.
by Jonathan Emmett
Illustrator: Adrian Reynolds
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
A little boy saves the day when a strong wind pulls his father and his kite into the sky.
Sparky
written and ill. by Flora McDonnell
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Sparky the dog assumes that Mary is a puppy, too, because they communicate so well.
written and ill. by Flora McDonnell
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Sparky the dog assumes that Mary is a puppy, too, because they communicate so well.
Splash, Joshua, Splash
by Malachy Doyle
Illustrator: Ken Wilson-Max
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
A day out for Joshua and his grandmother discovering things that splash. Simple read-aloud with colorful illustrations.
by Malachy Doyle
Illustrator: Ken Wilson-Max
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
A day out for Joshua and his grandmother discovering things that splash. Simple read-aloud with colorful illustrations.
Tanka Tanka Skunk!
written and ill. by Steve Webb
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Rhythmic word play and whimsical illustrations.
written and ill. by Steve Webb
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Rhythmic word play and whimsical illustrations.
Teaching Your Baby to Sign
by Lora Heller
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Photos of young children signing with explanatory text.
by Lora Heller
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Photos of young children signing with explanatory text.
The Attic Christmas
by B.G. Hennessy
Illustrator: Dan Andreasen
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
When no baking smells mark the beginning of Christmas, the ornaments know something is wrong and set out to make their own holiday.
by B.G. Hennessy
Illustrator: Dan Andreasen
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
When no baking smells mark the beginning of Christmas, the ornaments know something is wrong and set out to make their own holiday.
The Babysitter Sings
by Phillis Gershator
Illustrator: Mélisande Potter
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
A loving babysitter plays and sings until mommy and daddy come home. Illustrations with Spanish, African and Caribbean influence.
by Phillis Gershator
Illustrator: Mélisande Potter
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
A loving babysitter plays and sings until mommy and daddy come home. Illustrations with Spanish, African and Caribbean influence.
The Big Trip
written and ill. by Valeri Gorbachev
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
When pig plans a big trip, goat predicts one disaster after another. Amusing ilustrations.
written and ill. by Valeri Gorbachev
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
When pig plans a big trip, goat predicts one disaster after another. Amusing ilustrations.
The Cabbage Soup Solution
written and ill. by Erika Oller
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
When cabbages mysteriously disappear from Elsie's garden, her cats, happily, get to the bottom of the mystery.
written and ill. by Erika Oller
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
When cabbages mysteriously disappear from Elsie's garden, her cats, happily, get to the bottom of the mystery.
The Daddy Mountain
written and ill. by Jules Feiffer
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
A small girl bravely reaches the summit. Simple energetic illustrations contrast color with gray tones.
written and ill. by Jules Feiffer
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
A small girl bravely reaches the summit. Simple energetic illustrations contrast color with gray tones.
The Girl on the Yellow Giraffe
written and ill. by Ronald Himler
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Parallel stories of a girl's travels through the city brilliantly captured in realistic watercolors and imaginative text.
written and ill. by Ronald Himler
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Parallel stories of a girl's travels through the city brilliantly captured in realistic watercolors and imaginative text.
The Noisy Way to Bed
by Ian Whybrow
Illustrator: Tiphanie Beeke
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
A young boy gathers farmyard animals on his way to bed.
by Ian Whybrow
Illustrator: Tiphanie Beeke
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
A young boy gathers farmyard animals on his way to bed.
The Snail and the Whale
by Julia Donaldson
Illustrator: Axel Scheffler
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
A tiny snail hitches a ride with a humpback whale and helps to save him. Told in rhyme.
by Julia Donaldson
Illustrator: Axel Scheffler
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
A tiny snail hitches a ride with a humpback whale and helps to save him. Told in rhyme.
The Train to Glasgow
by Wilma Horsbrugh
Illustrator: Paul Cox
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Antics on a train. The classic English cumulative rhyme with new, lively watercolor illustrations.
by Wilma Horsbrugh
Illustrator: Paul Cox
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Antics on a train. The classic English cumulative rhyme with new, lively watercolor illustrations.
Tick-Tock, Drip-Drop!
by Nicola Moon
Illustrator: Eleanor Taylor
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Many noises prevent Rabbit from getting to sleep.
by Nicola Moon
Illustrator: Eleanor Taylor
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Many noises prevent Rabbit from getting to sleep.
Time for Ballet
by Adele Geras
Illustrator: Shelagh McNicholas
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Tilly loves ballet class, her tutu and trying new positions, but she discovers she is nervous as final recital time comes.
by Adele Geras
Illustrator: Shelagh McNicholas
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Tilly loves ballet class, her tutu and trying new positions, but she discovers she is nervous as final recital time comes.
Tiny's Big Adventure
by Martin Waddell
Illustrator: John Lawrence
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Two mice explore their farm world. Colorful vinyl engravings.
by Martin Waddell
Illustrator: John Lawrence
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Two mice explore their farm world. Colorful vinyl engravings.
T Is for Terrible
written and ill. by Peter McCarty
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Simple spare text and soft gentle pencil art tell why the Tyrannosaurus Rex behaved as he did.
written and ill. by Peter McCarty
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Simple spare text and soft gentle pencil art tell why the Tyrannosaurus Rex behaved as he did.
Too Big To Dance
by Doug Anderson
Illustrator: Sara Anderson
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Eloise, the zebra, is too big to join her friends at the country dance, so her friends bring the dance to her. Cut paper illustrations.
by Doug Anderson
Illustrator: Sara Anderson
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
Eloise, the zebra, is too big to join her friends at the country dance, so her friends bring the dance to her. Cut paper illustrations.
Wake Up, City
written and ill. by Susan Verlander
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
A lively depiction of city life through rhyming words and pictures.
written and ill. by Susan Verlander
Ages: 5 & Under
Published: 2004
A lively depiction of city life through rhyming words and pictures.