CCBC Choices 2024 -- Young Children (ages 0-4)

The Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison compiles a yearly list of excellent books for young readers.

Showing 1 - 20 of 75  There are a total of 93 valid entries on the list.
Book cover for Afikomen.
Notes:
Seasons and Celebrations;4-8
Description:
"When a family settles at the table for Passover, their dog nabs the afikomen bag (containing matzah used for the seder) and dives under the tablecloth. The children follow him and find themselves transported to ancient Egypt. There, they see baby Moses’ mother and sister Miriam placing him in a reed basket. The baby’s journey down the Nile is hazardous — he encounters several obstacles along the way, including a wily crocodile. Thanks to the...
Book cover for All the faces of me.
Author:
Notes:
Picture Books;3-7
Description:
"Nana's nesting dolls are all exactly the same. White frills, rosy cheeks, and six perfect smiles. Except for the smallest one--unpainted, it is a raw peanut. So she decides to pull out her markers and give it a face. But then, looking at the others, she realizes all of their perfectly matching smiles don't feel quite right. She has many faces for each of her emotions. So, she decides to use her marker to fix them too. But, when Nana sees her dolls,...
Book cover for Alma and her family =.
Notes:
Picture Books;1-4
Description:
Conozca la familia de Alma...¡en dos idiomas! Meet Alma's family...in two languages! "How much does little Alma love her family? She kisses her daddy, squeezes her mommy, laughs with her grandma, and . . . paints on her artist grandpa (such a good sport!). Juana Martinez-Neal’s bilingual board book brings back familiar characters and introduces new ones in a conversational narration (shown in both languages on every spread) as well as gentle...
Book cover for Alma head to toe =.
Notes:
Picture Books;1-4
Description:
"The beloved star of Alma and How She Got Her Name now appears in a series of joy-filled bilingual board books featuring everyday words and simple phrases in English and Spanish--perfect for sharing with young language learners."-Back cover "La adorada estrella de Alma y como obtuvo su nombre ahora aparece en una divertida serie de libros de carton bilingues, ideal para compartir con ninos que estan aprendiendo ambos idiomas."--Contraportada
Book cover for At the drop of a cat.
Notes:
Picture Books;4-8
Description:
"A six-year-old boy loves nothing more than spending time with Luis, his immigrant grandfather, who teaches the boy about birds, plants, and the natural world." --
Book cover for The babka sisters.
Notes:
Picture Books;4-7
Description:
"Dueling baker sisters Esther and Hester meet their new neighbor Sylvester, who gladly becomes their babka tester, determining which shvester's (sister's) babka is the best"--
Book cover for Bear helps the forest (maybe you help, too).
Notes:
Picture Books;3-7
Description:
"Bear loves playing in the leaves in autumn; after winter hibernation the leaves are gone, and Bear learns they will return when autumn comes again. Includes author's note on ecology and the importance of leaf decomposition"--Provided by publisher. Baby Bear loves playing in the leaves in the autumn, but after his winter hibernation the piles of leaves are gone, and his mother explains that the forest needs time to do the work of decomposition--but...
Book cover for Beneath.
Notes:
Picture Books;4-7
Description:
Finn is in a horrible mood and doesn't want to talk about it. After some persuading, though, they agree to go for a hike with Grandpa. Throughout their forest walk, they see many different things: big, strong trees with networks of roots growing underneath, still water with schools of fish swimming below, and an expectant bird with eggs nestled under her. It’s when the pair pass fellow hikers that Finn realizes that people, just like the elements...

9. Big

Book cover for Big.
Notes:
Understanding Oneself and Others;4-8
Description:
The first picture book written and illustrated by award-winning creator Vashti Harrison traces a child’s journey to self-love and shows the power of words to both hurt and heal. With spare text and exquisite illustrations, this emotional exploration of being big in a world that prizes small is a tender portrayal of how you can stand out and feel invisible at the same time.
Book cover for Boyogi.
Notes:
Understanding Oneself and Others;4-8
Description:
"Ever since Daddy returned from overseas, he’s been different. At first, Butta Bean thinks it’s his fault—that maybe his daddy doesn’t love him anymore. But Mama explains that Daddy’s mind is hurt from things that happened while he was away. When Mama takes them all to yoga class at their local YMCA, Daddy doesn’t want to go at first, and Butta Bean thinks it looks weird. But as Daddy and Butta Bean get better...

11. Cape

Book cover for Cape.
Notes:
Understanding Oneself and Others;4-8
Description:
"When a child loses the person in his life that he loves more than anything, he uses his cape as protection from his grief. On the day of the funeral, he uses it to block out the pictures and stories people share, refusing to acknowledge the memories that keep bubbling up. He won't think about them. He doesn't want to. He avoids the memories, until he no longer can. He remembers then. Their laugh, their smile, the moment they gave him the cape. The...
Book cover for The christmassy cactus.
Author:
Notes:
Seasons and Celebrations;4-7
Description:
"Tiny Cactus loves Christmas! But she doesn’t love that her little girl seems to be spending more time with the giant sparkly tree in the living room than with her. Maybe if she were decorated like the Christmas tree, her little girl would notice her again." --
Book cover for Dim Sum Palace.
Author:
Notes:
Picture Books;4-7
Description:
"Liddy is so excited about going to the Dim Sum Palace tomorrow with her family that she can't sleep. So when a delicious smell wafts into her room, she hops out of bed, opens her door and steps into... an actual palace of dim sum! There are dumplings, baos, buns and more delicious treats than one girl can possibly eat. Liddy just has to take a bite, but she slips and falls... into a bowl of dumpling filling. The chefs are so busy rolling, folding...
Book cover for Do you remember?.
Notes:
Picture Books;4-8
Description:
A mother and son trade reassuring memories during a time of change and upheaval.
Book cover for Elena rides.
Notes:
Books for Beginning Readers;3-6
Description:
"Elena wants to ride her bike. She steadies, she readies. She wobbles, she bobbles . . . KA-BANG! Learning to ride a bike is hard. But Elena can do it. She just has to try, try again." -- Publisher's website.
Book cover for Evergreen.
Notes:
Picture Books;4-8
Description:
To deliver her mother's delicious soup to her sick Granny Oak, Evergreen the squirrel must face her fears and make the journey, during which she meets other forest dwellers, including some who want to get their hands on her soup!
Book cover for The fastest tortoise in town.
Notes:
Picture Books;4-7
Description:
Barbara Hendricks, a tortoise, has entered a road race, but what was she thinking? With only a week to go before the big day, she worries that she doesn't stand a chance against the other animals competing. Barbara's friend and owner, Lorraine, inspires her to train a little bit more each day and coaxes her out of her shell when the race day arrives. How intimidating to line up next to the slow loris, the snail, the sloth, and the walrus! But Barbara...
Book cover for Fox has a problem.
Notes:
Books for Beginning Readers;4-7
Description:
"Fox has a not-so-new problem, and every possible solution leads to more problems for the other animals, until they all come together with the ultimate fix." --
Book cover for Frank and Bert.
Series:
Frank and Bert volume 1.
Notes:
Picture Books;3-6
Description:
This laugh-out-loud picture book follows best friends Frank and Bert as they play hide-and-seek, but when Bert isn't so good at hiding (despite thinking he is), Frank must decide between winning or making Bert happy.
Book cover for Gigi and Ojiji.
Notes:
Books for Beginning Readers;4-8
Description:
"Gigi wants to go by something besides her baby name-but her full name, Geraldine, is too long to write and Hanako, her middle name, doesn't feel quite right. Will Gigi find the perfect name? Gigi and Ojiji: What's in a Name? is a Level Three I Can Read book. Level 3 includes many fun subjects kids love to read about on their own. Themes include friendship, adventure, historical fiction, and science. Level 3 books are written for early independent...