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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Penguin of Ilha Grande, The: From Animal Rescue to Extraordinary Friendship
Shannon Earle
Illustrator: Renato Alarcão
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
When Seu João rescued a penguin, the two formed a deep relationship. Vivid watercolor illustrations capture the tenderness. Back matter.
Shannon Earle
Illustrator: Renato Alarcão
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
When Seu João rescued a penguin, the two formed a deep relationship. Vivid watercolor illustrations capture the tenderness. Back matter.
Plátanos Go with Everything
Lissette Norman
Illustrator: Sara Palacios
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Yesenia, a young Dominican American girl, relates the ways her family uses plátanos to feel close to home. Vibrant digital illustrations. Plátanos recipe included. Bilingual edition in Spanish and English also available.
Lissette Norman
Illustrator: Sara Palacios
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Yesenia, a young Dominican American girl, relates the ways her family uses plátanos to feel close to home. Vibrant digital illustrations. Plátanos recipe included. Bilingual edition in Spanish and English also available.
Poop for Breakfast: Why Some Animals Eat It
Sara Levine
Illustrator: Florence Weiser
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A highly informative explanation of various animals' propensity to eat their own excrement. Pencil, paper, and digital illustrations add to the fun. Back matter.
Sara Levine
Illustrator: Florence Weiser
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A highly informative explanation of various animals' propensity to eat their own excrement. Pencil, paper, and digital illustrations add to the fun. Back matter.
Power of Snow, The
Bob Raczka
Illustrator: Bryony Clarkson
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Rhyming text and paper collage/digital illustrations introduce a landscape growing increasingly snow-covered as snowflakes multiply exponentially. Math formulas on each page. Endnotes.
Bob Raczka
Illustrator: Bryony Clarkson
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Rhyming text and paper collage/digital illustrations introduce a landscape growing increasingly snow-covered as snowflakes multiply exponentially. Math formulas on each page. Endnotes.
Promise, The
Bridget Hodder and Fawzia Gilani-Williams
Illustrator: Cinzia Battistel
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
In Morocco, Jacob, who is Jewish, and Hassan, who is Muslim, tend their garden together until World War II threatens. Will the garden and their friendship survive? Expressive color illustrations.
Bridget Hodder and Fawzia Gilani-Williams
Illustrator: Cinzia Battistel
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
In Morocco, Jacob, who is Jewish, and Hassan, who is Muslim, tend their garden together until World War II threatens. Will the garden and their friendship survive? Expressive color illustrations.
Rainbow Shopping
Qing Zhuang
Illustrator: Qing Zhuang
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A girl discovers the wonders of Chinatown as she shops with her mother for dinner for her Chinese American family who are recent immigrants. Impressionistic illustrations. Back matter.
Qing Zhuang
Illustrator: Qing Zhuang
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A girl discovers the wonders of Chinatown as she shops with her mother for dinner for her Chinese American family who are recent immigrants. Impressionistic illustrations. Back matter.
Ready, Set, Run!: The Amazing New York City Marathon
Leslie Kimmelman
Illustrator: Jessica Hartland
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Playful illustrations and lively language evoke the spirit of an annual athletic event in the Big Apple. Includes a hand-drawn city map.
Leslie Kimmelman
Illustrator: Jessica Hartland
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Playful illustrations and lively language evoke the spirit of an annual athletic event in the Big Apple. Includes a hand-drawn city map.
Red Jacket, The
Bob Holt
Illustrator: Bob Holt
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A gift of outerwear gives seagull Bob a new sense of style, helping him become recognized as an individual. Bright pencil and digital cartoons.
Bob Holt
Illustrator: Bob Holt
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A gift of outerwear gives seagull Bob a new sense of style, helping him become recognized as an individual. Bright pencil and digital cartoons.
Reina Ramos Meets a BIG Puppy (Reina Ramos series/I Can Read! series)
Emma Otheguy
Illustrator: Andrés Landazábal
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Reina is afraid of her friend Lila's big dog. Lila is scared to try Reina's signature cartwheels. Can they overcome their fears? Colorful illustrations. Spanish glossary. Also available in Spanish.
Emma Otheguy
Illustrator: Andrés Landazábal
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Reina is afraid of her friend Lila's big dog. Lila is scared to try Reina's signature cartwheels. Can they overcome their fears? Colorful illustrations. Spanish glossary. Also available in Spanish.
Remember
Joy Harjo
Illustrator: Michaela Goade
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
An adaptation of a renowned poem that explores how deeply we are interconnected with the earth. An homage to nature and Indigenous culture. Watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations.
Joy Harjo
Illustrator: Michaela Goade
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
An adaptation of a renowned poem that explores how deeply we are interconnected with the earth. An homage to nature and Indigenous culture. Watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations.
Remembering
Xelena González
Illustrator: Adriana M. Garcia
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
On the Day of the Dead, a young girl collects favorite items to make an ofrenda for her beloved pet dog who has passed away. Bold acrylic illustrations. Author's and illustrator's notes.
Xelena González
Illustrator: Adriana M. Garcia
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
On the Day of the Dead, a young girl collects favorite items to make an ofrenda for her beloved pet dog who has passed away. Bold acrylic illustrations. Author's and illustrator's notes.
Rise to the Sky: How the World's Tallest Trees Grow Up
Rebecca E. Hirsch
Illustrator: Mia Posada
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
How do sunlight, water, and carbohydrates produce immensely tall trees? The growth process of arboreal giants is presented in poetic text. Textured cut-paper collage and watercolor illustrations. Back matter.
Rebecca E. Hirsch
Illustrator: Mia Posada
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
How do sunlight, water, and carbohydrates produce immensely tall trees? The growth process of arboreal giants is presented in poetic text. Textured cut-paper collage and watercolor illustrations. Back matter.
River of Dust, A: The Life-Giving Link between North Africa and the Amazon
Jilanne Hoffmann
Illustrator: Eugenia Mello
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Follow the surprising and important journey of dust across the planet from the Sahara to the Amazon rainforest. Lyrical text. Vibrant digital art. Extensive back matter.
Jilanne Hoffmann
Illustrator: Eugenia Mello
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Follow the surprising and important journey of dust across the planet from the Sahara to the Amazon rainforest. Lyrical text. Vibrant digital art. Extensive back matter.
River That Flows beside Me, The
Charlotte Guillain
Illustrator: Jo Empson
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Journey down a river from its source to the sea, exploring wildlife and history along the way. Concertina-style format with bright, mixed-media art.
Charlotte Guillain
Illustrator: Jo Empson
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Journey down a river from its source to the sea, exploring wildlife and history along the way. Concertina-style format with bright, mixed-media art.
Rivka's Presents
Laurie Wallmark
Illustrator: Adelina Lirius
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
When her father's illness keeps her from school, disappointment can't keep a young girl from fulfilling her desire to learn. Realistic artwork captures scenes of 1918 New York City. Yiddish glossary.
Laurie Wallmark
Illustrator: Adelina Lirius
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
When her father's illness keeps her from school, disappointment can't keep a young girl from fulfilling her desire to learn. Realistic artwork captures scenes of 1918 New York City. Yiddish glossary.
Rock, Rosetta, Rock! Roll, Rosetta, Roll!: Presenting Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Godmother of Rock & Roll
Tonya Bolden
Illustrator: R. Gregory Christie
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A little girl with a big guitar and a big voice grew up to blend many musical traditions, inspiring the birth of a new genre. Exuberant gouache artwork. Back matter.
Tonya Bolden
Illustrator: R. Gregory Christie
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A little girl with a big guitar and a big voice grew up to blend many musical traditions, inspiring the birth of a new genre. Exuberant gouache artwork. Back matter.
Rock, Rosetta, Rock! Roll, Rosetta, Roll!: Presenting Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Godmother of Rock & Roll
Caitlin DeLems
Illustrator: Alison Jay
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Folk-art-style illustrations and lively text introduce a musical prodigy whose impact and reputation were diminished by 19th-century attitudes toward women.
Caitlin DeLems
Illustrator: Alison Jay
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Folk-art-style illustrations and lively text introduce a musical prodigy whose impact and reputation were diminished by 19th-century attitudes toward women.
Rooting for Plants: The Unstoppable Charles S. Parker, Black Botanist and Collector
Janice N. Harrington
Illustrator: Theodore Taylor III
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Lyrical text and eye-catching cartoon-style illustrations introduce a pioneering Black botanist whose extensive study of plants and their diseases inspired young Black science students. Extensive back matter.
Janice N. Harrington
Illustrator: Theodore Taylor III
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Lyrical text and eye-catching cartoon-style illustrations introduce a pioneering Black botanist whose extensive study of plants and their diseases inspired young Black science students. Extensive back matter.
Salat in Secret
Jamilah Thompkins Bigelow
Illustrator: Hatem Aly
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A Muslim boy receives a prayer rug for his seventh birthday and becomes empowered by his faith. Digital illustrations.
Jamilah Thompkins Bigelow
Illustrator: Hatem Aly
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A Muslim boy receives a prayer rug for his seventh birthday and becomes empowered by his faith. Digital illustrations.
Science, Matter and the Baseball Park
Catherine Ciocchi
Illustrator: Chantelle Thome and Burgen Thome
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Action-oriented illustrations and rhyming text link matter—solid, liquid, and gas—to a baseball game.
Catherine Ciocchi
Illustrator: Chantelle Thome and Burgen Thome
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Action-oriented illustrations and rhyming text link matter—solid, liquid, and gas—to a baseball game.
Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish, The
Chloe Savage
Illustrator: Chloe Savage
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Dr. Morley and her crew search the Arctic Ocean in hopes of encountering the fabled giant jellyfish. Meticulously detailed ink and watercolor illustrations.
Chloe Savage
Illustrator: Chloe Savage
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Dr. Morley and her crew search the Arctic Ocean in hopes of encountering the fabled giant jellyfish. Meticulously detailed ink and watercolor illustrations.
See the Ghost: Three Stories about Things You Cannot See
David LaRochelle
Illustrator: Mike Wohnoutka
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
An invisible ghost scares a yellow dog and a blue cat. The arrival of a tiny fairy causes real havoc for the three. Comical gouache illustrations.
David LaRochelle
Illustrator: Mike Wohnoutka
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
An invisible ghost scares a yellow dog and a blue cat. The arrival of a tiny fairy causes real havoc for the three. Comical gouache illustrations.
Sejal Sinha Swims with Sea Dragons (Sejal Sinha series)
Maya Prasad
Illustrator: Abira Das
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A science loving South Asian Indian American girl goes on magical adventures with her marine biologist aunt. Black-and-white illustrations.
Maya Prasad
Illustrator: Abira Das
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
A science loving South Asian Indian American girl goes on magical adventures with her marine biologist aunt. Black-and-white illustrations.
Sensitive
Sara Levine
Illustrator: Mehrdokht Amini
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Other people's words crowd inside a sensitive child, but with time and creativity she rearranges them, revealing hidden strength. Mixed-media collage blends text and illustrations.
Sara Levine
Illustrator: Mehrdokht Amini
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Other people's words crowd inside a sensitive child, but with time and creativity she rearranges them, revealing hidden strength. Mixed-media collage blends text and illustrations.
Shade Tree, The
Suzy Lee
Illustrator: Suzy Lee
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Capitalizing on the greed of a man who's monopolizing the shade of a large tree, a traveler secures shade for all in the community. A retelling of a Korean folktale. Spare, painterly illustrations.
Suzy Lee
Illustrator: Suzy Lee
Ages: 6+
Published: 2023
Capitalizing on the greed of a man who's monopolizing the shade of a large tree, a traveler secures shade for all in the community. A retelling of a Korean folktale. Spare, painterly illustrations.