Category: PB

picture books

Cover of Courage Hats - Two characters looking out a train window, a child in a paperbag bear hat, and a bear in a paperbag human hat.
Posted in PB, So Many Good Books

Courage Hats

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Perfect Picture Book Friday

Courage Hats (Chronicle Books, 2022) by Kate Hoefler and illustrated by Jessixa Bagley is a fun read about courage and making friends.

Some don’t like train travel…
Mae is afraid because “the train went deep into bear places.”
Bear is afraid because “the train went deep into people places.”
They both create courage hats to wear. Guess where they each end up sitting?

I love the innocence of each character. And especially the phrase “…when you take your hat off, someone else will, too.”

Read about the author here and check out her books here. Kate’s newest book is The Couch in the Yard.

Jessixa is an author and an illustrator. Read about her here, see her books here, and illustration samples here.

cover of At Night, they Danced - boy dancing with Mom and girl dancing with Dad (black family)
Posted in PB, So Many Good Books

At Night, They Danced

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Perfect Picture Book Friday

At Night, They Danced (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025) by Victoria Scott-Miller and illustrated by Toni D. Chambers is a sweet story with a touch of humor. It reminded me of how our children practically pushed us out the door when we had a babysitter.

Date night for their parents makes for a fun night for the kids. Langston and Emerson look forward to helping their parents get ready and their favorite babysitter arriving. Then there’s cheese pizza, popcorn, and fruit leather. No bedtime and pillow fights, and even jumping on the couch. But tonight, their parents are staying home. Has a monster disaster happened? Emerson and Langston come up with a master plan–their parents must go out.

Read about the author here. She also has another book out: Miss Edmonia’s Class of Wildfires.

cover of picture book, "Because of You, I'm a Sister"
Posted in PB, So Many Good Books

Because of You, I’m a Sister

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Perfect Picture Book Friday

Because of You, I’m a Sister (Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2026) by Jen Fier Jasinski and illustrated by Lisa Chow is a delight. The story is full of humor and heart and is told from the point of view of the big sister. I wish I’d had it when my girls were little as it definitely captures the relationship between close siblings.

Read about Jen here and see all her books here. She also offers critiques. And she is a thoughtful critiquer–I met her at the 2026 Big Sur Children’s Workshop–as well as a nice lady.

See Lisa’s illustrations here, her books here, and read about her here.

cover of picture book titled "Between Us and Abuela"
Posted in PB, So Many Good Books

Between Us and Abuela

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Perfect Picture Book Friday

Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2019) by Mitali Perkins and illustrated by Sara Palacios is a good story to introduce what’s it like to have family on opposite sides of the line between two countries. And it’s still a timely story.

Maria and her little brother Juan have not seen their grandmother for five years. Maria and her mother knit a scarf for Abuela and Juan makes a picture. But when they are at the fence of the border and get to see their grandmother nothing can be passed through. Juan is brokenhearted. Maria turns his picture into a kite and they fly it across the border.

Mitali has lived in six countries and knows what it is like to leave people behind. Read about her here and check out her books here. Plus, she’s one really nice lady–I got to meet her in February.

See Sara’s illustrations here. Read about her here and see her many books here.

cover of What Is Hope?
Posted in PB, Read-aloud, So Many Good Books

What Is Hope?

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Perfect Picture Book Friday

What Is Hope? (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2023) by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic and illustrated by Kelsey Buzzell is an encouraging book of hope. And good for spring too.

In this rhyming story hope is compared to colorful poppies, riding a bike, a treehouse, hearing music, and more. One favorite line is “Hope is a sentence, reading all the words through.” My favorite spread is the one with kitties purring “in a fur-covered coat.” And I love the ending.

Read about the author here and see her books here.

I love Kelsey’s illustrations here. Check out her books here.