Children

From acclaimed creators Jessica Young and Chelsea O'Byrne comes a heartening picture book about evolving families and enduring love.

Two parents, one me.

Are we still a family

Living in two homes can be a big adjustment, but it can also present opportunities for growth. Jessica Young's poignant story and Chelsea O'Byrne's tender illustrations offer gentle reassurance to kids navigating separation or divorce and remind us that while families change, love is constant.

A young boy passes a painting of a hand on a wall in his neighborhood and watches others placing their own hands against it. The act means something different for each of them: Ms. Iris tells him it is a link to her home country; for Devin, it connects him to his older sister, who just left for college; for Savannah, it reminds her of her grandmother who passed away. The boy thinks of those who are on the other side of the mural, of loved ones lost or lonely or far away, and of his own mother, who is currently incarcerated. While he waits for her to come home, the hand is there to connect them to each other and remind them that they are not alone.

Monumental, moving, and hopeful, Place Hand Here is a masterful work that honors the way art and love are bridges between us.

2026 ALSC Notable Children's Book 

6 STARRED REVIEWS * AMAZON BEST BOOK OF THE MONTH * KIDS' INDIE NEXT PICK * 2025 GOOD HOUSEKEEPING KIDS BOOK AWARD WINNER

"An unforgettable story about change with a loving father-daughter bond at its heart."--Matt de la Peña, Newbery Medal-winning author of Last Stop on Market Street

Newbery Medalist Rebecca Stead's first picture book is a transporting tale about the power of an honest wish, the courage to speak it out loud, and the imagination to bring it to life.

What's more powerful than a secret wish? A wish you say out loud.



Anything paints a tender picture of a father and daughter moving into a new home. Dad brings a birthday cake for the new apartment to celebrate their new beginning and tells his daughter she can wish for anything (or, more precisely, "three Anythings"). Over the course of the day, she wishes for some of her favorite things, including a rainbow and "the biggest slice of pizza in the whole world."



But she keeps some of her wishes inside. Because what she really wants is to go back home to their old apartment, with its big blue bathtub and space in the closet for hide-and-seek. When she finally admits this last wish, her dad takes her on a journey, and by the book's final pages, she is home . . . in every way that matters.



Pairing an enchanting story from Rebecca Stead (author of the Newbery Medal-winning When You Reach Me) with delightful artwork from Gracey Zhang (illustrator of the Caldecott Honor-winning Noodles on a Bicycle), Anything is pure magic. A story that will resonate with every young reader, it is a powerful reminder that sometimes making a wish is a way of telling ourselves we're ready for something new.



BIG FEELINGS: Change can feel hard or even scary. This book about moving is for anyone facing new beginnings or uncertainty and the emotions that come with navigating the unknown, from fear and anxiety to excitement and hope. It's a reassuring and uplifting read that shows a child--and her dad--using their imaginations and emotional connection to make room for something new.



FATHER-DAUGHTER LOVE: This is a heartwarming portrait of a beautiful father-daughter relationship built on love and trust. By the end of the story, she follows his example of generosity and is able to grant his wish, however small. This pitch-perfect ending will stay with readers long after the last page turns.



Perfect for:

• Kids facing change, new beginnings, or uncertainty
• Parents seeking a comforting, uplifting book to share with children
• Educators and therapists looking for resources to coach young readers through challenges and change
• Father's Day or birthday gift for dad
• Fans of Rebecca Stead books, including When You Reach Me, The List of Things That Will Not Change, and The Lost Library
• Fans of Gracey Zhang books, including Noodles on a Bicycle, Lala's Words, and The Upside Down Hat

The new baby is coming soon . . . but Monkey is NOT ready. Acclaimed author and illustrator Marc Brown (Arthur) offers a fun and reassuring story about becoming a big brother.

Monkey is very nervous about the new baby. He likes being a little brother! Before the big arrival, Monkey must learn about what it means to be a big brother. Mommy, Daddy, and Brother show Monkey how to prepare for the baby: Monkey can share his old baby things with his new little sibling. He can go to the hospital with Mommy to feel the baby kicking! Monkey can even help Mommy pick out all of the things that the baby will need, and get her packed and ready for the hospital. Finally, Monkey may just be ready to be a big brother!

Praise for Monkey: Not Ready for Kindergarten

"Brown's hand-scrawled text and childlike pencil-and-gouache artwork give the impression that he's on Monkey's side--and that of readers--from the very first page, creating an eminently reassuring and empathetic resource for kindergarteners-to-be." --Publishers Weekly, Starred review

Celebrate what it means to be an older sibling with this joyful and colorful board book! Watch as an older sibling's funny faces make the baby laugh. Look on as tummy time becomes a sweet way to connect with the new baby. Enjoy the many ways love is shown in The Baby and Me.

“Before…You were a song in our hearts, a star in our eyes.” 

Told from the perspective of new parents welcoming their baby to the world, this touching love letter to young children by Governor General’s Literary Award–nominated author Deborah Kerbel describes with lyrical grace all of the promise held by new life. As the seasons change from fall through winter and into spring, the expectant parents’ anticipation over the baby’s arrival is mirrored in the animals around the family’s seaside home, marrying the natural world to the family’s experience.

Suzanne Del Rizzo, author-illustrator of My Beautiful Birds — a New York Times Notable Children’s Books selection and winner of the 2018 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award — adds an intricately tactile element with her lush illustrations rendered in polymer clay and acrylic wash, depicting the animals in scenes at times playful and other times serene.

A 2019 New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book 
For fans of Ed Young and Peter Sis, this breathtaking picture book, from LBYR's first Emerging Artist Award Winner, Jin Xiaojing, is the perfect read for anyone who has lost a loved one. 
A young girl has never met her grandpa. He passed away before she was born, but she misses him every day. She often wonders...what did he look like? 
Grandma says: His face was shaped like the moon, his mouth was good at telling stories, and his hair was as curly as a bird's nest.
With the help of her grandma and the rest of her loving family, will this young girl be able to imagine her grandpa's face in her mind--and feel the love that he shared with others?
 

It’s the dry, dusty winter season in Nigeria, and Anna Hibiscus is getting ready to visit her Canadian grandmother in the third adventure of Atinuke’s lively chapter-book series. 

Anna Hibiscus can’t wait to visit her grandmother in faraway Canada, where she will see snow for the first time! But before she goes, there’s much to do—including searching in a department store for clothes to keep her warm in cold weather and saying goodbye to the big family she loves. Atinuke’s inviting text and Lauren Tobia’s expressive drawings capture Anna’s life with her parents and grandparents, baby brothers and cousins, aunties and uncles during the Harmattan season, when dust from the Sahara Desert blows everywhere. To conserve water, the family uses leftover wash water for their garden, but Anna learns that some children outside their gate have no water at all. Can she do anything to help? “Once again, Anna demonstrates a growing social consciousness,” said Kirkus Reviews of this third adventure in a warm series that is sure to captivate.

Is it possible to leave a piece of you wherever you go? Violet Mackerel thinks so in this fourth illustrated chapter book of a charming series.

Violet Mackerel believes that wherever you leave something small, a tiny part of you gets to stay too—like how the little piece of green sea glass under the mattress at the beach house means that a little piece of Violet gets to stay on summer holiday.

Violet’s theory is put to the test when Mama and Vincent announce some very special news: They are going to get married. And they are all going to move. Violet is excited for the wedding, but Dylan is angry about the move. Normally, it is nice to be inside with your family when there is a big noisy storm outside and there is pumpkin soup for dinner and something on TV about penguins. But it is hard to enjoy it when your brother is outside in the garden in a leaky tent.

When Dylan won’t budge, the wedding preparations feel a bit sad. But just in time, Violet thinks of the perfect way to help Dylan feel better about moving. And her Theory of Leaving Small Things Behind is going to come in handy!

Henry Cooper and his dog Pomegranate have two houses. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and every other weekend, they live with Mama in her new apartment, but on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and every other weekend, they live with Papa in his new house. 

Henry and Pomegranate are happy as they dance with Mama and sing with Papa, but Henry knows that sometimes Pomegranate gets confused and just wants to go . . . home.

This gentle and accessible story about dealing with the many changes that come with divorce is beautifully brought to life by author Karen Stanton's vivid and memorable illustrations.

The wonder of being a dad is on display in this touching tribute to fathers. After all, the connection between a father and child yields a lifetime of learning and love. In You and Me, Me and You, that special bond is honored through poignant, tenderly rendered illustrated vignettes: a father and son walk together, discuss life amid a city's bustle, play, and, perhaps most profoundly, grow, side by side. Bright pops of Pantone yellow infuse each spread with joy, and a cloth spine adds an irresistible specialness. At once a treasured Father's Day gift and a year-round "I love you," parents and children will delight in this celebration of a supremely meaningful relationship.

Winner of the American Library Association's Asian/Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature 

Perfect for fans of Mexikid and Uprooted!

With a Thai mother and an American father, Kathy lives in two different worlds. She spends most of the year in Bangkok, where she’s secretly counting the days till summer vacation. That’s when her family travels for twenty-four hours straight to finally arrive in a tiny seaside town in Maine.

Kathy loves Maine’s idyllic beauty and all the exotic delicacies she can’t get back home, like clam chowder and blueberry pie. But no matter how hard she tries, she struggles to fit in. She doesn’t look like the other kids in this rural New England town. Kathy just wants to find a place where she truly belongs, but she’s not sure if it’s in America, Thailand...or anywhere.

From the award-winning author and illustrator of Standing in the Need of Prayer comes a joyous picture book about an intergenerational Black family cooking a delicious feast and appreciating their quality time together.

Aunts, uncles, cousins, all pitch in. 
Hustle, bustle in the kitchen.

Catching up, shooting the breeze, 
sharing stories and recipes.

When it comes to a family feast, it’s all hands on deck! Big Ma and Pops have been up early in anticipation of everyone’s arrival. Aunts, uncles, and cousins gather from all over to help prepare their big meal. Clanging pots, chopping vegetables, sharing recipes, and swiping little treats are part of the fun! After the cooking is done, all of the relatives come together to pray, eat, and enjoy their special moment as a family. 

Newbery Honor and Children's Literature Legacy Award winner Carole Boston Weatherford and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner Frank Morrison deliver a heartwarming peek at the love and the chaos that ensue when a family comes together and connects through food.

A zombie-tastic take on a favorite fairy tale! 



"A horror spoof with a big heart: Lorenzo's acrylic and colored pencil cartooning offers a warm glow, and readers will cheer for this undead family that finally feels complete." --Publishers Weekly



Forget Goldilocks and the three bears--MOLDILOCKS and the THREE SCARES are here, in a delightful new version of the popular story. Papa Scare (a monster), Mama Scare (a mummy), and Baby Scare (a vampire) live in a haunted house where they eat finger sandwiches and alpha-bat soup. One night, they go out to walk their dog (a bloodhound, of course) to let their soup cool down. While they're away, in walks the zombie Moldilocks, looking for food, a chair, and a bed that's just right. Kids will love this hauntingly funny story with its surprise ending!

My Big Boy Potty

My Big Girl Potty

When You Were Inside Mommy

Sharing is Fun