It’s been another crazy year of reading, with my current total at 343. Much of that has been kids/teens reading through homeschooling and Cybils Awards first round panelist reading. So, like last year, I’m not picking favorites but highlighting my 5 star reads by category. Let’s start with Elementary Picture Books (fiction) that I rated 5 * on Goodreads.

I’m recommending you put these under the tree for your littles, middles or put them on hold at your library. If you head over to my Instagram I’ll be including a quick video of each so that you can see some of the pages inside.

Your kid is never to old to read picture books. Give them one at breakfast and talk about it. Read it before dinner and discuss. So many picture books have great things to discuss. In particular, Addy’s Cup of Sugar and Last Flight will benefit older kids and the discussion will probably stick with them.

As I ‘tallied’ this list I was pleasantly surprised at how many countries are represented!

The Yellow Ao Dai by Hanh Bui, illustrated by Minnie Phan. 40 pages, 2023

A beautiful story on so many fronts. It showcases the history of the Vietnamese Fan Dance and the girl’s connection to it through her mother and grandmother. The small girl tries to hide something from her mother and the resolution of this was my favorite part and further enriched the circle of past and present. And to top it off, the illustrations are so colorful and fun. A perfect read aloud for elementary kids. (Amazon)

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Addy’s Cup of Sugar: Based on a Buddhist Story of Healing by Jon J Muth. 32 pages. 2020

Have you had to deal with the death of a pet (or even a loved one) with a child? It’s tough enough for adults and a child has little way of making sense of it.

Addy’s cat was killed by a car and she asks Stillwater to help bring him back to life. Stillwater says he can help, but first Addy needs to borrow a cup of sugar from a neighbor, but not from any home who has lost a loved one. Sounds easy enough but as Addy learns, loss is a part of everyone’s life.

It’s based on the Buddhist legend, The Mustard Seed, but it is a book for any faith (or none at all). (Amazon)

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Endlessly Ever After: Pick Your Path to Countless Fairy Tale Endings! by Laurel Snyder and Dan Santat. 92 pages. 2022

This oversized picture book is gorgeous. Gage loves choose your own adventure books and when I saw this I knew it would be fun lunchtime browsing material. After he chose at least a half a dozen endings he rated it a 10 out of 10.

There are a few favorite fairytale characters you can run into and some of them are scary 🐺. The illustrations are great and the reading level is maybe 3rd grade? It’s a great gift for your younger readers and one they can proudly display on their bookshelves. (Amazon)

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Sister Bear: A Norse Tale adapted by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Linda Graves. 32 pages. 2011

This troll book based on a Noregian folktale about Halva and her foundling pet polar bear is a Christmas story sure to entertain the older elementary set. The troll illustrations alone are worth a look. (Amazon)

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Rainbow Weaver by Linda Elovita Marshall and Elisa Chavarri. 34 pages. 2016

This is everything a kids picture book should be. A story set in modern day Guatemala about a little girl born of the Mayan weavers who finds a very timely and creative way to solve more than one problem. Based on what’s really happening. Gorgeous artwork and told in both English and Spanish 😍 (Amazon)

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The Fantastic Bureau of Imagination by Brad Montague and Kristi Montague. 40 pages. 2023

A very creative story that will engage the older elementary kid. Ideas weren’t being shared and the inventions, songs, and performances were overwhelming the Cave of Untold Stories. Encourages creativity and putting thoughts and ideas out into the world. (Amazon)

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The Pear Tree. A folktale retold by Luli Gray, illustrator Madelyn Goodnight. 40 pages. 2019

A great folktale about when Death comes to visit. I’m a sucker for a these folk retellings and this was well done. I’ll admit that the adult reading this to/with their child will get more out of it than the child. You’re welcome. This retelling is based on an old folk tale called Miseria y la Muerte. (Amazon)

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Varenka by Bernadette Watts. 32 pages. 1971

A Russian folktale with the miracles of faith and the horrors of war. (Amazon)

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One Little Bag: An Amazing Journey by Henry Cole. 42 pages. 2020

I’m not the biggest fan of wordless books, but this is the exception. It’s a fantastical story of a tree that’s made into a brown paper bag and given to a boy at the store. It’s conservation at its finest and will make kids think about reusing instead of throwing away or even recycling. (Amazon)

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My Dragon Boat Festival by Bing Ge, illustrator Li Li. 32 pages. 2021

Every year a boy and his parents visit his grandparents for the Dragon Boat Festival. The festival honors the patriotic port Qu Yuan. I love the inclusion of so many Chinese traditions and foods as well as the end pages that give more information. For the older elmentary kiddo. (Amazon)

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Last Flight by Kristen Mai Giang, illustrator Dow Phumiruk. 56 pages. 2023

Historical fiction at its finest. In 1975 the last flight out of Saigon, over 400 children flew out of war torn Vietnam. This is written by one of the children on that flight. This is mostly fact, not fiction, so please share with your child when discussing the Vietnam War or that some heroes you’ve never heard of do miraculous things, like Allan Topping and his adoption of 463 children so that they could escape the country before its surrender. There is additional historical information in the last few pages. This is for older elementary kids because of its length. (Amazon)

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Come back tomorrow for more 5* recommendations!