While CGPL's youth librarians and schoolteachers everywhere may have mixed emotions...it's true. The 2024-25 school year is looming close. Peruse our list of picture books that tackle pertinent topics such as being confident, doing your best, and showing kindness to others at school.
The Cool Bean by Jory John
Everyone knows the cool beans. They’re sooooo cool.
And then there’s the uncool has-bean . . .
Always on the sidelines, one bean unsuccessfully tries everything he can to fit in with the crowd—until one day the cool beans show him how it’s done.
With equal measures of humor, wit, and charm, the #1 New York Times bestselling duo Jory John and Pete Oswald craft another incredible picture book, reminding us that it’s cooler to be kind.
Take a Kiss to School by Angela McAllister
There is so much to learn on Digby's first day at school. Will he remember where to hang his jacket and to listen for his name? Digby's mother has some special help for her boy who doesn't feel quite brave enough for school. This reassuring story with winsome illustrations is just right for kids starting school―and those who need a little encouragement once they've begun!
The Day You Begin by Jaqueline Woodson
National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson and two-time Pura Belpre Illustrator Award winner Rafael Lopez have teamed up to create a poignant, yet heartening book about finding courage to connect, even when you feel scared and alone.
There will be times when you walk into a room
and no one there is quite like you.
There are many reasons to feel different. Maybe it's how you look or talk, or where you're from; maybe it's what you eat, or something just as random. It's not easy to take those first steps into a place where nobody really knows you yet, but somehow you do it.
Jacqueline Woodson's lyrical text and Rafael Lopez's dazzling art reminds us that we all feel like outsiders sometimes-and how brave it is that we go forth anyway. And that sometimes, when we reach out and begin to share our stories, others will be happy to meet us halfway.
Back to School Tortoise by Lucy M. George
It's time to go back to school. But Tortoise is worried. What if he falls down? What if he doesn't like lunch? What if the kids are mean to him? What if he falls down, doesn't like lunch, and the kids are mean to him? The perfect back-to-school book about being brave, with a surprise at the end!
I Got the School Spirit by Connie Schofield-Morrison
Summer is over, and this little girl has got the school spirit! She hears the school spirit in the bus driving up the street--VROOM, VROOM!--and in the bell sounding in the halls--RING-A-DING! She sings the school spirit in class with her friends--ABC, 123!
The school spirit helps us all strive and grow. What will you learn today?
Our Class is a Family by Shannon Olsen
Teachers do so much more than just teach academics. They build a sense of community within their classrooms, creating a home away from home where they make their students feel safe, included, and loved. With its heartfelt message and colorfully whimsical illustrations, “Our Class is a Family” is a book that will help build and strengthen that class community. Kids learn that their classroom is a place where it’s safe to be themselves, it’s okay to make mistakes, and it’s important to be a friend to others. When hearing this story being read aloud by their teacher, students are sure to feel like they are part of a special family. “Family isn’t always your relatives. It’s the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what.” -Unknown
Pete the Cat: Rocking in my School Shoes by Eric Litwin
Time to head back to school with this bestselling groovy Pete the Cat book!
Pete the Cat is rocking in his school shoes. Pete discovers the library, the lunch room, the playground, and lots of other cool places at school. And no matter where he goes, Pete never stops moving and grooving and singing his song...because it’s all good.
The fun never stops—download the free groovin’ song.
Your Name is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
Frustrated by a day full of teachers and classmates mispronouncing her beautiful name, a little girl tells her mother she never wants to come back to school. In response, the girl's mother teaches her about the musicality of African, Asian, Black-American, Latinx, and Middle Eastern names on their lyrical walk home through the city. Empowered by this newfound understanding, the young girl is ready to return the next day to share her knowledge with her class. Your Name is a Song is a celebration to remind all of us about the beauty, history, and magic behind names
The Crayons Go Back to School by Drew Daywalt
The crayons are getting ready to go back to school, and each crayon has a subject they're looking forward to the most. They're also ready to meet new friends. . . and let loose during their very favorite time of day: art class. A humorous, small hardcover back-to-school story from everyone's favorite school supplies.
Little Ghoul Goes to School by Jeff Czekaj
Perfect for back-to-school and Halloween promotions, this is a funny and sweet story about a monster’s first day of school by Jef Czekaj, the popular author-illustrator of Cat Secrets.
Little Ghoul is nervous about her first day of school. Her mom assures her that it will be great: The teachers will be scary. The lunch will be revolting! And the other classmates will be spine-tingling and creepy.
But what if Little Ghoul’s greatest fears come true—and everyone is nice?
In this hilariously silly take on a monster’s first day, Little Ghoul learns that school can be fun for creatures of every kind.