Picture Book Recommendations for March 📚

and some graphic novels for older kids 😎

Here are some picture book suggestions that go along with themes of springtime, attentiveness, and even Pi Day! I included some great biographies too. The books in this list are loosely ordered from the fewest words per page to the most, and I shared some Older Kid and Readaloud suggestions at the bottom. I hope your family enjoys!

Picture Book Suggestions

Spot and Dot by Henry Cole is a sweet wordless book about a cat and dog who are lost (and found.) Your kids will search the streets and parks of a big city while looking for the cat and dog through the detailed black-and-white illustrations. I love books like this that encourage kids to pay attention.

Press Here by Hervé Tullet is a fun way to be present with your toddler or young child—and to help them be active participants. Interactive books like this feel like a toy! (There are more in this series and genre that are even better, but this is a good introduction if you haven’t done one before.)

Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall is a beautiful book about the passing of time, and the illustrations are just incredible. The little glimpses into the lighthouse home are great inspiration for drawing a dream house. (See also the Brambly Hedge books by Jill Barklem; super detailed home layouts inside trees!)

Full, Full, Full of Love by Trish Cooke and illustrated by Paul Howard is a sweet story about family love (in particular, grandma love.) This book was helpful as I responded to my 4-year-old’s innocently rude question about why an older person had such a “squishy” neck. “When people get older, they get softer, because then it’s easier for snuggling kids like you! We are full, full, full of love!” (Thanks for this book suggestion, Sarah.)

Jack’s Garden by Henry Cole is an educational peek into how gardens work, but it’s still written in a way that’s very interesting to kids. Your kids will have plenty of things to point at and ask “What’s this called?”

Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi by Cindy Neuschwander and illustrated by Wayne Geethan is a witty medieval story that explains Pi in a way that kids can understand (Pi Day is March 14th.) And yes, “math readers” are a whole genre of children’s literature, and there are some artful, fun, and sneakily educational books out there!

If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson is a wonderful story about what happens when you plant seeds, but even moreso the consequences when you plant metaphorical seeds of selfishness…or of kindness. It’s a quick, gorgeous, compelling read.

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown is a whimsical tale about a boy whose investment of love transformed his whole city. Sigh, it makes you daydream. (And it’s very reminiscent of the High Line in NYC.)

Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie DePaola - Before there were stories of heroes like Superman, there were legends of saints. Patrick was an escaped slave who had compassion for people who were mean to him. He supposedly did some miraculous stuff too. Whether you venerate saints or not (our family doesn’t), many of these stories about St. Patrick are inspiring and interesting to read!

The Oldest Student by Rita Hubbard and illustrated by Oge Mora is the powerful true story of Mary Walker, who was born into slavery and learned to read at the age of 116. She is such an inspiration! (I’m proud to say that both Mary Walker and the author of this book are from my city: Chattanooga, TN!)

Annie and Helen by Deborah Hopkinson and Raul Colón is the remarkable story of Helen Keller and how her teacher, Annie Sullivan, figured out how to show her the world despite her deafness and blindness. I love how the snippets from Annie’s journals show us how Helen taught her to see the world, too. This story makes you want to go outside and truly notice things as if you were explaining them to someone who couldn’t see or hear them.

For Older Kids

If you’re trying to get your kids to find more screen-free things to enjoy, graphic novels are not just a good segue into reading, but an incredible art and literature medium of their own. When my kids and I read through a graphic novel—usually in one or two long sittings—we find that we had been holding our breath the whole time! The visuals just capture you.

However, since your kids’ attention is so valuable, I don’t suggest giving young readers free reign over the “graphic novel” section at the library or bookstore without checking Common Sense Media or reading them yourself. For example, I let my daughter read the graphic novel for Dune, and it ended up having scarier images (and a less redemptive storyline) than I expected. It’s difficult for eyes—especially little eyes—to un-see some things. Many graphic novels have way more romance and relationships than you might prefer, too. You might even find the stories below to be too dark or scary for your kids.

Some graphic novels our family has enjoyed:

Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke is a sweet story with creepy monsters, a brave heroine, and strong themes of friendship. (My kids eat up anything by Ben Hatke.)

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau (art by Niklas Asker) is such an interesting and original concept, and the ending made us all feel so grateful and alive. (The novel and sequels, of course, immerse you into this world and the characters further.)

Cardboard by Doug TenNapel is extremely creative and has a philosophical twist at the end. It’s scary, for sure, but…cardboard that comes alive? Incredible for the imagination.

We’ll share more graphic novel recommendations in the months to come! Sarah Mackenzie shared a booklist here. Brightly has a lot of lists of graphic novels, but I haven’t read all of them so I can’t vouch for their quality or content.

Read-Aloud

As the weather warms up later this month, are there any days when you can bring the kids to a contained area outside and read to them as they play? Early last spring, we read E.L. Konigsburg’s classic From the Mixed-Up Files of Basil E. Frankweiler in less than 24 hours; we just didn’t want to stop! It’s about an ornery brother-sister duo who run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I’m not sure if there’s a big moral lesson—and running away to a fun place probably doesn’t set a great example—but it’s such a charming story that it can help you and your kids fall in love with books all over again.

I hope you get to read some really good books this month!

Warmly,

Hope from Family Scripts