Aim High, Little Giant, Aim High!
by Bobbito Garcia
Picture book · ages 6–9 · grades 1–4 · 450L · 2022
A vibrant celebration of skate culture that turns the fear of falling into a lesson about grit and self-expression.
For a reader who just finished
Books like Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee
after Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee by Julie Leung · ages 4–8
Picture book · grades K–3 · 350L
A vital, under-read biography that pairs a compelling WWII aviation story with strong representation for Asian American girls.
Same style
Flight: The Journey of Charles Lindbergh
Picture book · ages 6–10 · grades 1–5 · 520L · 1997
A poetic, precisely illustrated account of the Spirit of St. Louis flight that captures both the wonder and genuine peril of early aviation without melodrama — the language is sophisticated enough to reward a strong reader aloud.
Rooster who set out to see the world
by Eric Carle
Picture book · ages 4–8 · grades K–3 · 320L · 2013
A warm, gently philosophical Carle with his trademark collage art—the rooster's wanderlust feels earned, and the homecoming lands because we've felt his genuine discovery.
Stretch them up
Grandfather's Journey
by Allen Say
Picture book · ages 4–8 · grades K–3 · 550L · 2013
A Caldecott winner that earns it—Say's watercolors and mirrored structure teach perspective-taking without sermon, and kids grasp the paradox of home better than most adults.
Mango, Abuela, and Me
by Meg Medina
Picture book · ages 4–8 · grades K–3 · 550L · 2019
A quiet, luminous picture book about what gets carried across generations—language, memory, resilience—told through a mango tree; the illustrations by Angela Dominguez are essential to the emotional weight.
Le petit prince
Picture book · ages 4–8 · grades K–3 · 550L · 2021
A genuine masterpiece that reads as allegory to adults and pure story-magic to kids; the watercolor and poetic language linger long after the last page.
Complementing on courage
Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist
by Julie Leung
Picture book · ages 6–10 · grades 1–5 · 620L · 2019
A vivid picture-book biography that centers an overlooked artist's refusal to abandon his culture; the illustrations honor Tyrus's own artistic eye and give younger kids a concrete, stirring entry to immigration stories.
John Henry
Picture book · ages 4–8 · grades K–3 · 1998
Pinkney's watercolors transform the folk ballad into a visually luminous, emotionally serious meditation on dignity and human worth—the kind of picture book that deepens with rereading and holds up for adult readers.
Mirandy and Brother Wind
Picture book · ages 4–8 · grades K–3 · 620L
A stunning picture book that weaves African American folklore, Southern rural life, and genuine emotional stakes—Pinkney's illustrations alone are worth revisiting, and Mirandy's problem-solving arc models courage without sentimentality.
We'd skip — for now
My father's dragon
by Ruth Stiles Gannett
A step up — ages 9–12 · grades 4–7
Skip it if your child has strong separation anxiety or is unsettled by a young child away from parents for an extended journey.