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COURAGE BOOK LIST
This list includes picture books and read alouds for all ages.
Click the button below to download the PDF version of this list.
MY TOP FIVE
by Corey Tabor
Readers will delight in turning their book sideways and upside down to follow Mel on her journey from downward fall to triumphant flight in this tale of self-confidence and taking a leap of faith.
by Barbara Cooney
Henry Brown doesn't know how old he is. Nobody keeps records of slaves' birthdays. All the time he dreams about freedom, but that dream seems farther away than ever when he is torn from his family and put to work in a warehouse.
by Robert Coles
The year is 1960, and six-year-old Ruby Bridges and her family have recently moved from Mississippi to New Orleans in search of a better life. When a judge orders Ruby to attend first grade at William Frantz Elementary, an all-white school, Ruby must face angry mobs of parents who refuse to send their children to school with her.
by Corey Tabor
Readers will delight in turning their book sideways and upside down to follow Mel on her journey from downward fall to triumphant flight in this tale of self-confidence and taking a leap of faith.
by Nikki Samuels
It starts as a small song, faint at first, as the wind picks up speed. Leaves, whirling and twirling. Next a rock starts to roll as it finds the rhythm of the woods. Birds join, a bee's wings flit. Soon the whole forest is filled with magnificent sights and sounds. But who is there to hear it?
by Julie Fogliano
Following a snow-filled winter, a young boy and his dog decide that they've had enough of all that brown and resolve to plant a garden. They dig, they plant, they play, they wait . . . and wait . . . until at last, the brown becomes a more hopeful shade of brown, a sign that spring may finally be on its way.
by Janet Stevens
Hare solves his family’s problems by tricking rich and lazy Bear in this funny, energetic version of an old slave story. With roots in American slave tales, Tops & Bottoms celebrates the trickster tradition of using one’s wits to overcome hardship.
by Ann Renaud
Gwendolyn longs for a pet. What kind? Any kind! How many legs? Two, four, ten--she's not picky! But her parents have other ideas, and instead they give her . . . a box of dirt. "It smells of swamp," Gwendolyn says--but her parents say it smells of possibilities.
by Alice Schertle
Beep! Beep! Little Blue Truck is out for a ride with his good friend Toad. The sun is shining and the flowers are blooming—it's a beautiful spring day! Who will they see along the way?
by Charlotte Zolotow
A young girl and her older companion watch birds, fly a kite, plant flowers, and play in the snow, watching flowers bloom and leaves fall as the year passes.
by Kadir Nelson
If you plant a carrot seed...a carrot will grow. If you plant a cabbage seed...a cabbage will grow. But what happens if you plant a seed of kindness...or selfishness?
by Joanna Gaines
We Are the Gardeners is a whimsical picture book perfect for young children and families interested in gardening and plants. In We Are the Gardeners, Joanna Gaines and the kids chronicle the adventures of starting garden.
by Laurel Snyder
Every day, Honey tends her garden, thinning the lettuces, pulling up beets, and even singing to the kale. Laurel, the little girl who lives next door, likes to help, weeding the rows, washing vegetables under the pump, and gathering speckled eggs from the chicken coop.
by Mary Ann Hoberman
All those involved with the garden, including the gardener, the woodchuck, the bee, and the squash bug, think that the garden belongs to them and set forth to explain how such a beautiful place couldn't exist without their unique talents and gifts.
by Phyllis Root
You might think a farm means fields, tractors, and a barnyard full of animals. But you can plant a farm anywhere you like! A box or a bucket, a boot or a pan — almost anything can be turned into a home for green, growing things. Windows, balconies, and front steps all make wonderful spots to start.
by Kallie George
A little girl is always missing out on the wonderful things her family gets to see and do, just because she is the youngest and smallest. She misses seeing shooting stars because she goes to bed too early; she can't pick the first apple of autumn because she's too short; and, this morning, everyone else got to see a deer except her.
by Edith Pattou
Mrs. Spitzer is a wise teacher who knows many things. She knows about gardens. She knows about children. She knows how similar they are, and how both will flourish if tended lovingly.
by Sarah Stewart
Lydia Grace Finch brings a suitcase full of seeds to the big gray city, where she goes to stay with her Uncle Jim, a cantankerous baker. There she initiates a gradual transformation, bit by bit brightening the shop and bringing smiles to customers' faces with the flowers she grows.
by Joseph Anthony
One tiny dandelion seed wants to hold onto its dandelion home, until the winter wind carries it away. The seed worries it won't be able to find its place in such a vast and frightening world. But everything is much more beautiful than it ever thought, and perhaps finding a new home isn't such a bad thing after all.
by Dianna Hutts Aston
From tiny bee hummingbird nests to orangutan nests high in the rainforest canopy, an incredible variety of nests are showcased here in all their splendor. Poetic in voice and elegant in design, this carefully researched book introduces children to a captivating array of seed and plant facts and will spark the imaginations of children.
by Julia Rawlinson
Fletcher enjoys the sunny weather and the warmth of spring. But when he stumbles across snowy flakes gently floating to the ground, he spreads the news of winter’s return to all his friends. But spring is full of wonderful surprises for Fletcher and his friends.
by Marsha Diane Arnold
Badger is ready to plant the perfect garden. He has spent months gathering and sorting seeds. It's been a lot of work but it's worth it. His friends come to help. But then a rainstorm comes and washes away the beautiful seeds.
by Gaia Cornwall
Jabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board. He’s finished his swimming lessons and he’s a great jumper, so he’s not scared at all. “Looks easy,” says Jabari, but when his dad squeezes his hand, Jabari squeezes back.
by William Steig
Irene's mother, Mrs. Bobbin, isn't feeling so well and can't possibly deliver the beautiful ball gown she's made for the duchess to wear that very evening. So plucky Irene volunteers to get the gown to the palace on time, in spite of the fierce snowstorm that's brewing.
by Emily Arnold McCully
One day, a mysterious stranger arrives at a boardinghouse of the widow Gateau- a sad-faced stranger, who keeps to himself. When the widow's daughter, Mirette, discovers him crossing the courtyard on air, she begs him to teach her how he does it.
But Mirette doesn't know that Bellini has been stopped by a terrible fear. And it is she who must teach him courage once again.
by Eliza Wheeler
Miss Maple gathers lost seeds that haven’t yet found a place to sprout. In her cozy maple tree house, she nurtures them; keeping them safe and warm until it's time for them to find roots of their own, and grow into the magnificent plants they’re destined to become.
by Karma Wilson
Upon overhearing the story of how springtime rain and sunshine nurture little seeds to grow into great big green plants, Mortimer is skeptical but decides to plant one of his seeds, just to see if such a miracle really can happen. Mortimer finds a perfect sport to plant the seed, and then...he waits.
by Kate Messner
Explore the secret realm beneath the dirt that brings the world of nature to life: Follow a young girl and her grandmother on a journey through the year planning, planting, and harvesting their garden—and learn about what's happening in the dirt to help make it all happen.
by Katy Hudson
Rabbit loves carrots a little too much. In fact, his carrots are crowding him out of his cozy burrow. When his friends offer to help, they're just asking for trouble, a lot of trouble!
by Celia Krampien
Most people would say there is nothing good about trudging to school on a rainy day. Most people would say that being carried away by the wind and dropped into the middle of a tumultuous sea is a very bad sort of situation.
by Sean Taylor
Follow two children and their father through their backyard as they discover all the different ways nature wakes up from its long winter sleep. Spot the busy creatures and plants as the tale unfolds.
by Nicola Davies
The buzz of bees in summertime. The tracks of a bird in the winter snow. This beautiful book captures all the sights and sounds of a child’s interactions with nature, from planting acorns or biting into crisp apples.
by Yael Werber
Sophie listens and watches for the signs of spring. Day after day, the same snow is frozen outside her window and the skies above are as gray as the day before. And then Sophie thinks will spring ever come and how will she know it is here?
by Stella Fry
This beautifully told story follows Billy from early spring to late summer as he helps his grandpa on his vegetable patch. They dig the hard ground, sow rows of seeds, and keep them watered and safe from slugs.
by Laura Knowles
As the tree grows, it is joined by well-loved woodland creatures—squirrels and rabbits, butterflies and owls—who make it their home. A rhyming poem builds page on page, echoing the rings of a growing tree.
by Martin Jenkins
It’s time for Bird to build her nest! Follow her as she pulls a worm out of the ground, lifts some twigs that are just the right size, and pushesthe twigs into place. Uh-oh — one of the twigs fallsto the ground! But after a day of hard work, Bird’s nest is ready and waiting. Can you guess what it’s waiting for?
by Anna McQuinn
Book-loving Lola is inspired by a collection of garden poems that she reads with her mommy. She wants to plant her own garden of beautiful flowers, so she and Mommy go to the library to check out books about gardening. They choose their flowers and buy their seeds. hey dig and plant. And then they wait.
by Christie Matheson
Beautiful collage-and-watercolor art follows the seed through its entire life cycle, as it grows into a zinnia in a garden full of buzzing bees, curious hummingbirds, and colorful butterflies. Children engage with the book as they wiggle their fingers to water the seeds and shoo away a hungry snail.
by Jim Averback
He stretches his wings the width of his boring cage and notices the tree outside stretching its branch. And on the end of that branch? Another canary! But he’s so shy and quiet. Trevor knows just how to make him feel comfortable.
by Joseph Kuefler
Each day, the trucks go to work. They scoop and hoist and push. But when Digger discovers something in the rubble, he sets in motion a series of events that will change him, and the city, forever.
by Jef Aerts
Adin and Dina are best friends. They live in the beautiful countryside surrounded by cherry trees. Their favorite game is to plant cherry pits around their little village. Then one day Adin and his family move away to the city. Will Adin and Dina's friendship survive the new distance between them?
by Dianna Hutts Aston
From tiny bee hummingbird nests to orangutan nests high in the rainforest canopy, an incredible variety of nests are showcased here in all their splendor. Poetic in voice and elegant in design, this carefully researched book introduces children to a captivating array of nest facts and will spark the imaginations of children.
by Kenard Pak
Join a boy and his dog as they explore nature and take a stroll through the countryside, greeting all the signs of the coming season. In a series of conversations with everything from the melting brook to chirping birds, they say goodbye to winter and welcome the lushness of spring.