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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Smell of Wet Dog, The: And Other Dog Poems and Drawings
Barney Saltzberg
Illustrator: Barney Saltzberg
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Told from the perspectives of dogs and their owners, these 27 poems capture all the mixed emotions elicited by the canine/human relationship. Digital line illustrations.
Barney Saltzberg
Illustrator: Barney Saltzberg
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Told from the perspectives of dogs and their owners, these 27 poems capture all the mixed emotions elicited by the canine/human relationship. Digital line illustrations.
Sole Man, The: Jan Matzeliger's Lasting Invention
Shana Keller
Illustrator: Stephen Costanza
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
In the late 1800s, a bright and determined Black mechanic from South America arrived in the United States, and despite all odds, designed an intricate machine for making shoes. Colorful, stylized illustrations.
Shana Keller
Illustrator: Stephen Costanza
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
In the late 1800s, a bright and determined Black mechanic from South America arrived in the United States, and despite all odds, designed an intricate machine for making shoes. Colorful, stylized illustrations.
Something About the Sky
Rachel Carson
Illustrator: Nikki McClure
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
The legendary marine biologist and conservationist evoked what we experience when we look up at the sky and observe the natural world around us. Dramatic cut-paper illustrations. Detailed illustrator's note.
Rachel Carson
Illustrator: Nikki McClure
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
The legendary marine biologist and conservationist evoked what we experience when we look up at the sky and observe the natural world around us. Dramatic cut-paper illustrations. Detailed illustrator's note.
Somewhere for Little Bear
Britta Teckentrup
Illustrator: Britta Teckentrup
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
After a forest fire destroys his home, Little Bear goes in search of another one. Not welcomed anywhere, will he ever find a place to live? Earth-tone illustrations.
Britta Teckentrup
Illustrator: Britta Teckentrup
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
After a forest fire destroys his home, Little Bear goes in search of another one. Not welcomed anywhere, will he ever find a place to live? Earth-tone illustrations.
Soren's Seventh Song
Dave Eggers
Illustrator: Mark Hoffman
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
An eager young whale must revise his creative new song after friends politely reject his terrible first attempts. Uproarious deadpan writing sprinkled with scientific terminology. Zany digital art.
Dave Eggers
Illustrator: Mark Hoffman
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
An eager young whale must revise his creative new song after friends politely reject his terrible first attempts. Uproarious deadpan writing sprinkled with scientific terminology. Zany digital art.
Spark in Me, The
Miguel Tanco
Illustrator: Miguel Tanco
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
While searching for answers, a young brown-skinned girl discovers her interest in physics and begins to research her questions, entering them on notebook pages. Colorful, detailed ink and watercolor illustrations.
Miguel Tanco
Illustrator: Miguel Tanco
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
While searching for answers, a young brown-skinned girl discovers her interest in physics and begins to research her questions, entering them on notebook pages. Colorful, detailed ink and watercolor illustrations.
Star Shines Through, A
Anna Desnitskaya
Illustrator: Anna Desnitskaya
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A mother and daughter find little ways to feel less lost after the two are exiled to a strange, new country. Evocative mixed-media illustrations.
Anna Desnitskaya
Illustrator: Anna Desnitskaya
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A mother and daughter find little ways to feel less lost after the two are exiled to a strange, new country. Evocative mixed-media illustrations.
Stella & Marigold (Stella & Marigold series)
Annie Barrows
Illustrator: Sophie Blackall
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Freshly told adventures of sisters—imaginative Stella, 7, and spunky Marigold, 4— in seven episodic chapters. Captivating art on every page.
Annie Barrows
Illustrator: Sophie Blackall
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Freshly told adventures of sisters—imaginative Stella, 7, and spunky Marigold, 4— in seven episodic chapters. Captivating art on every page.
Still Sal (Miller Family series)
Kevin Henkes
Illustrator: Kevin Henkes
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Sal can't wait to start first grade, but not being in the same class as her best friend Griff is the first of some difficult disappointments. Black-and-white spot illustrations.
Kevin Henkes
Illustrator: Kevin Henkes
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Sal can't wait to start first grade, but not being in the same class as her best friend Griff is the first of some difficult disappointments. Black-and-white spot illustrations.
Stitches of Tradition (Gashkigwaaso Tradition)
Marcie Rendon
Illustrator: Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
With love, an Ojibwe grandmother creates vibrant traditional ribbon skirts for her growing granddaughter, passing on traditions and the resilience of her people. Rich digital art. Back matter.
Marcie Rendon
Illustrator: Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
With love, an Ojibwe grandmother creates vibrant traditional ribbon skirts for her growing granddaughter, passing on traditions and the resilience of her people. Rich digital art. Back matter.
Storyteller, The
Lindsay Bonilla
Illustrator: Noar Lee Naggan
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Through the gift of his grandmother's marvelous stories, Griffin learns to make sense of the world and finds enduring purpose in his life. Rich, inviting mixed-media illustrations.
Lindsay Bonilla
Illustrator: Noar Lee Naggan
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Through the gift of his grandmother's marvelous stories, Griffin learns to make sense of the world and finds enduring purpose in his life. Rich, inviting mixed-media illustrations.
Table, The
Winsome Bingham and Wiley Blevins
Illustrator: Jason Griffin
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Forced to move, a loving family leaves their table, the center of family life, by the side of the road. Luckily, it is found by another loving family. Mixed-media illustrations.
Winsome Bingham and Wiley Blevins
Illustrator: Jason Griffin
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Forced to move, a loving family leaves their table, the center of family life, by the side of the road. Luckily, it is found by another loving family. Mixed-media illustrations.
Tala Learns to Siva
Kealani Netane
Illustrator: Dung Ho
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Tala, a little girl in Hawai'i, yearns to dance as gracefully as Aunty Sina, but finds that the traditional Samoan taualuga dance is very difficult. Detailed digital illustrations. Back matter.
Kealani Netane
Illustrator: Dung Ho
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Tala, a little girl in Hawai'i, yearns to dance as gracefully as Aunty Sina, but finds that the traditional Samoan taualuga dance is very difficult. Detailed digital illustrations. Back matter.
Taro Gomi's Big Book of Words
Taro Gomi
Illustrator: Taro Gomi
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Bright, playful illustrations of people, animals, and objects with informative labels that include names and conversational phrases help simplify the complexities of language and communication.
Taro Gomi
Illustrator: Taro Gomi
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Bright, playful illustrations of people, animals, and objects with informative labels that include names and conversational phrases help simplify the complexities of language and communication.
Thank You, Everything
Icinori
Illustrator: Icinori
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
In this ode to gratitude, everyday objects morph into a child's fantastic odyssey around the world. Bright, bold tricolor printed art reveals one marvel after another.
Icinori
Illustrator: Icinori
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
In this ode to gratitude, everyday objects morph into a child's fantastic odyssey around the world. Bright, bold tricolor printed art reveals one marvel after another.
That Day
Pierre-Emmanuel Lyet
Illustrator: Pierre-Emmanuel Lyet
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A boy leaves the mourners' room to find solace in the outdoors, remembering precious moments with his departed grandmother. Impressionistic-style, vivid color illustrations.
Pierre-Emmanuel Lyet
Illustrator: Pierre-Emmanuel Lyet
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A boy leaves the mourners' room to find solace in the outdoors, remembering precious moments with his departed grandmother. Impressionistic-style, vivid color illustrations.
There's That Sun Again
Mk Smith Despres
Illustrator: Julie Benbassat
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Lyrical text conjures the sensory experiences of two children over the course of a day. Luminous graphite and digital art, tinged with surrealism and fantasy.
Mk Smith Despres
Illustrator: Julie Benbassat
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Lyrical text conjures the sensory experiences of two children over the course of a day. Luminous graphite and digital art, tinged with surrealism and fantasy.
They Call Me Teach: Lessons in Freedom
Lesa Cline-Ransome
Illustrator: James E. Ransome
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Having secretly learned to read and write, a young Black enslaved boy surreptitiously teaches those skills to others in stables, moonlit fields, and cabins. Realistic watercolor illustrations. Back matter.
Lesa Cline-Ransome
Illustrator: James E. Ransome
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Having secretly learned to read and write, a young Black enslaved boy surreptitiously teaches those skills to others in stables, moonlit fields, and cabins. Realistic watercolor illustrations. Back matter.
This Is My Treehouse
Guillaume Guéraud
Illustrator: Alfred
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A child's hidden retreat provides a sanctuary for richly imagined worlds of wonder and enchantment. Text and spot illustrations opposite dramatic full-page art in pencil, watercolor, and ink.
Guillaume Guéraud
Illustrator: Alfred
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
A child's hidden retreat provides a sanctuary for richly imagined worlds of wonder and enchantment. Text and spot illustrations opposite dramatic full-page art in pencil, watercolor, and ink.
This Rock Is Mine!
Kaye Umansky
Illustrator: Alice McKinley
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Two frogs fight over a living space until they realize the best way to survive is to partner and collaborate. Mixed-media illustrations.
Kaye Umansky
Illustrator: Alice McKinley
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Two frogs fight over a living space until they realize the best way to survive is to partner and collaborate. Mixed-media illustrations.
This Wolf Was Different
Katie Slivensky
Illustrator: Hannah Salyer
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
In prehistoric times, a gentle wolf pup separates from her pack and forges a powerful connection with a human. Softly textured charcoal, pencil, and digital art.
Katie Slivensky
Illustrator: Hannah Salyer
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
In prehistoric times, a gentle wolf pup separates from her pack and forges a powerful connection with a human. Softly textured charcoal, pencil, and digital art.
Three Little Tardigrades, The: A Slightly Scientific Fairy Tale
Sandra Fay
Illustrator: Sandra Fay
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
When Mother Tardigrade sends her three microscopic children away from their water drop home, each one thrives in a new environment. Comical illustrations. Back matter.
Sandra Fay
Illustrator: Sandra Fay
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
When Mother Tardigrade sends her three microscopic children away from their water drop home, each one thrives in a new environment. Comical illustrations. Back matter.
Time to Make Art
Jeff Mack
Illustrator: Jeff Mack
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Through questions to a diverse group of artists, a young girl prepares to create her own artwork. Digital mixed-media illustrations. Back matter profiles artists featured in text.
Jeff Mack
Illustrator: Jeff Mack
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Through questions to a diverse group of artists, a young girl prepares to create her own artwork. Digital mixed-media illustrations. Back matter profiles artists featured in text.
Too Many Golems
Jane Yolen
Illustrator: Maya Shleifer
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Abi, eager to learn Hebrew, steals a synagogue scroll for practice, inadvertently summoning Jewish folklore monsters and redirecting their powers to tutor him. Humorous animated illustrations. Legend explained.
Jane Yolen
Illustrator: Maya Shleifer
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Abi, eager to learn Hebrew, steals a synagogue scroll for practice, inadvertently summoning Jewish folklore monsters and redirecting their powers to tutor him. Humorous animated illustrations. Legend explained.
Trim Sails the Storm (Adventures of Trim series)
Deborah Hopkinson
Illustrator: Kristy Caldwell
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Trim watches as everyone on board a ship prepares for a storm, but he's still scared. He finds an albatross in a lifeboat, and the two ride out the gale together. Humorous illustrations.
Deborah Hopkinson
Illustrator: Kristy Caldwell
Ages: 6+
Published: 2024
Trim watches as everyone on board a ship prepares for a storm, but he's still scared. He finds an albatross in a lifeboat, and the two ride out the gale together. Humorous illustrations.