Are you looking for the best picture books to read in March 2021?
It’s March and there are some amazing new picture book releases to read. With this list of 20 picture books to read in March 2021, I’ll help you stay up to date on the most anticipated new book releases.
Whether you’re looking for new releases to read with your kids before bed, picture books to add to your classroom library, or a new read-aloud for class, this list of brand new picture book releases is for you!
From humourous stories to important themes and messages, there’s a book for everyone on this list.
March 2nd
This rambunctious and big-hearted story of kindness — reminiscent of the Crayons and Cindy Lou Who — is written by the bestselling author of Ordinary People Change the World and illustrated by the Caldecott Medal-winning creator of Beekle.
Sunday quit, just like that. She said she was tired of being a day. And so the other days of the week had no choice but to advertise: “WANTED: A NEW DAY. Must be relaxing, tranquil, and replenishing. Serious inquires only.” Soon lots of hopefuls arrived with their suggestions, such as Funday, Bunday, Acrobaturday, SuperheroDay, and even MonstersWhoResembleJellyfishDay! Things quickly got out of hand … until one more candidate showed up: a little girl with a thank-you gift for Sunday. The girl suggested simply a nice day — a day to be kind. And her gratitude made a calendar’s worth of difference to Sunday, who decided she didn’t need to quit after all.
When we appreciate each other a little bit more, all the days of the week can be brand-new days where everything is possible.
Emotions • Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
The newest picture book from the creators of All Are Welcome to help children navigate BIG FEELINGS!
I have big feelings
You have them too.
How can I help?
What can we do?
In their bestselling picture book All Are Welcome, Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman celebrate kindness, inclusivity, and diversity. Now with Big Feelings, they help children navigate the emotional challenges they face in their daily lives.
What should we do when things don’t go to plan? We may feel mad, frustrated, or overwhelmed, but by talking it through, compromising, and seeing another point of view, we can start fresh, begin anew.
Differences are gorgeously illustrated in a heartwarming picture book about a colorless peacock who learns to love himself in a jungle full of color.
Mo has always felt a little different. While all the other peacocks grew bright, bold, beautiful feathers in rich greens and vibrant blues, Mo’s feathers grew in a snowy white. And even though Mo’s friends try to include him in their playtime, Mo doesn’t like to be reminded that he’s different from his friends. But when a storm threatens to ruin the group’s annual celebration, Mo must learn to stand tall, strut his stuff, and shake his brilliantly glowing tail feathers — in a way only he can — to help his friends and set things right.
From debut author Sita Singh, and brought to life by Stephanie Fizer Coleman, comes a story about finding strength in the things that make us different, and beauty in all its forms.
Ducks take over one turtle’s pond in this hilarious rhyming tale!
When a flock of ducks arrives at an unsuspecting turtle’s pond, the turtle is mistaken for a green duck and can’t seem to convince anyone otherwise. Can the turtle find a way to take back the pond and get some peace and quiet once more?
The charming illustrations, simple text, and comic-like panels by J. E. Morris, author-illustrator of the Maud the Koala and Flubby books, make this a unique format with a narrative style perfect for storytime and progressing readers. Exciting, easy-to-read books are the stepping stone a young reader needs to bridge the gap between being a beginner and being fluent.
Emotions • Viking Books for Young Readers
From the winner of The Great British Baking Show and star of Nadiya’s Time to Eat comes a heartfelt story to help give children and parents the tools they need to talk about worries and anxiety.
A touching story about a little boy whose worry monster follows him everywhere he goes. It’s there when he gets dressed, when he wants to play with his toys, and even when his friends come over to visit. How can he escape his worries?
Having struggled with anxiety for as long as she can remember, Nadiya Hussain has written this heartfelt story to ensure that no child suffers in silence — no matter what shape their worry monster may take.
A gentle rhyming picture book that shows how color can be found all around us, whether there are raindrops falling or a bright rainbow high above.
Raindrops are falling outside, but there’s still a world of color to experience! Delightful rhymes and brilliant illustrations detail how a gloomy, rainy day might not actually be so gloomy after all when you get to spend time with Mom, Brown Bear, and the colors around you. And when a beaming rainbow, bold and bright cuts through the sky, everyone gets to experience the joy of all the colors that can only come after the rain.
People & Places • Roaring Brook Press
The heartwarming story of a package that gets lost, then found, and an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at what happens at the post office.
Not all packages make it to where they’re meant to go.
This package starts at the post office. It’s measured, weighed and placed on a truck with care. But on its way to its destination … it gets lost.
All packages are sent with intention but sometimes, they need a litle help making it to their destinations.
Follow one package that loses its way and discover a friendship tale that proves distance can’t always keep us apart.
A beautiful and inclusive picture book all about celebrating being yourself from Down syndrome advocate and viral sensation Sofia Sanchez!
It can be hard to be different-whether because of how you look, where you live, or what you can or can’t do. But wouldn’t it be boring if we were all the same? Being different is great! Being different is what makes you YOU.
This inclusive and empowering picture book from Sofia Sanchez-an 11-year-old model and actress with Down syndrome-reminds readers how important it is to embrace your differences, be confident, and be proud of who you are. Imagine all of the wonderful things you can do if you don’t let anyone stop you! You are enough just how you are.
Sofia is unique, but her message is universal: We all belong. So each spread features beautiful, full-color illustrations of a full cast of kid characters with all kinds of backgrounds, experiences, and abilities.
This book also includes back matter with a brief bio of Sofia and her journey so far, as well as additional information about Down syndrome and how we can all be more accepting, more inclusive, and more kind.
March 9th
Emotions • Alfred A Knopf Books for Young Readers
A fresh, funny, and timely picture book about a fuzzy chick navigating autonomy and consent. The perfect conversation starter on the topic for young children.
Daisy happens to be fluffy — she’s a young chick after all. Her friends can’t help but want to pet her, squeeze her, and tell her how cute she is. But Daisy doesn’t want to be hugged or kissed. She’s not just fluff; Daisy has substance! But how can she tell everyone to give her some space without hurting their feelings?
A timely and funny book that encourages kids to establish and respect boundaries — perfect for reading aloud and shared story time!
Animals • Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
This charming and timeless tale of a beetle searching for a missing friend gently shows that true friendship endures through even the biggest of changes.
Beetle and Caterpillar are best friends. Every day, they sit together on a big rock, sharing a picnic and looking out over the forest. But one day, Caterpillar goes missing and Beetle cannot find her.
Beetle sets out on a long journey through the forest, but Caterpillar is nowhere to be seen. Beetle’s just about to give up when a friendly (and rather familiar) butterfly appears out of nowhere. Can it be Beetle’s friend? She may look different, but the love they feel for one another is the same as ever.
Nature • Crown Books for Young Readers
This adorable picture book illustrates the life of a tiny acorn growing up to be a tall oak tree. A wonderful introduction to nonfiction for curious, nature-loving kids!
Hello, world! This little acorn is so excited to grow!
Told in the diary entries of an acorn, this picture book follows a young acorn and its long life as an oak tree, from being buried by a squirrel to towering over other trees. The text communicates the basic science simply and with humor, and the illustrations up the fun factor! Parents will love the sweet story and charming illustrations, and teachers and librarians will love the extra resources at the back.
March 16th
Emotions, Friendship • Tundra Books
Bianca likes stamps and writing letters and going to the post office … she does not like Yolanda, who works there. A relatable story about facing your fears and giving people a second chance for fans of Miss Nelson Is Missing and My Teacher is a Monster.
When Bianca gets stuck in Yolanda’s line at the post office, she expects the worst: scowls, claws, teeth …
This is what she gets for having a five-letter day.
She might not survive …
Or will Yolanda surprise her?
This hilarious story explores fear and kindness, in that order, when Bianca decides to overcome her terror and ask Yolanda very nicely how her weekend was … and learns that Yolanda is not scary, she’s a delight! A truly lovely book about questioning your assumptions and reaching out to another person, no matter how scary they might be.
New Experiences • Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
With the whimsy of Oliver Jeffers, the accessibility of Todd Parr, and empowerment of Peter Reynolds, this crossover gift book invites readers to ponder and celebrate the magic of being alive.
Beginning with the birth of a baby, the story takes the reader on a journey through life, navigates the ups and downs, and culminates in a deeply satisfying sense of the wonder and awe in being human.
With a charming gift book trim size, a unique and inspiring message delivered in an artful, accessible package, Spark will strike a chord with both children and adults.
March 23rd
Family • Random House Books for Young Readers
Actress, singer, and mother Hilary Duff offers a beautiful and inspiring picture book about bravery and love.
A poetic text encourages girls to reach higher, dream bigger, and approach the world with their hearts wide open. This love letter to little girls was inspired by Hilary Duff’s own experience as a mother as she considered all the ways her daughter had to be brave even as an infant. With lush illustrations and an empowering message, My Little Brave Girl is the perfect gift for baby showers, birthdays, Mother’s Day, graduation, and any time a girl — or woman — is embarking on a new chapter of her life!
“The world is big, my little brave girl.
It’s all here for you.”
Humour • Farrar, Straus and Giroux
A hilarious picture book from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jory John, paired with new illustrator Erin Kraan, about a bear whose friends help him make it through a bad day!
Jeff the bear has definitely forgotten something. He ate his breakfast, he watered his plant, he combed his fur … what could it be? Why does he feel so oddly off? So he asks his friend Anders the rabbit what could possibly be wrong. It couldn’t have anything to do with the fact that he’s wearing underwear … over his fur … could it?
Something’s Wrong! is another read-out-loud, laugh-out-loud picture book from bestselling and beloved author Jory John, about that horrible nagging feeling that it just might not be your day — but you know you have a friend to support you no matter what.
Values & Virtues • Albert Whitman & Company
Sometimes being nice means being patient with your little brother who doesn’t know how to treat your favorite things.
Being nice can mean going to your sister’s boring dance recital. Or tasting a tuna noodle casserole your grandma made — when you can’t stand tuna noodle casserole. Being nice takes practice, and that’s okay.
You just keep trying, and soon you discover how GREAT it feels … to be nice!
Mr. Tiffin and his students from the perenially popular How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? and The Dinosaur Expert are back in this picture book about a wood-working project that helps a young student become a book lover.
Everyone in Mr. Tiffin’s class couldn’t be more excited that the new school library has finally opened. Everyone except Jake. Jake is a slow and careful reader. Sometimes he reads the same page more than once to figure everything out. And he often feels left behind on class Library Day. All that changes when Librarian Beck notices Jake running his fingers across the grooves of a brand-new bookshelf and offers him an old, worn book: Woodworking for Young Hands. Jake checks the book out, studies the pictures and instructions, and renews the book again and again. When the school year comes to an end, Jake has the perfect gift idea for the librarian who changed his life — and he makes it with his own two hands.
March 30th
An immigrant family embarks on their first camping trip in the Midwest in this lively picture book by Ambreen Tariq, outdoors activist and founder of @BrownPeopleCamping.
Fatima Khazi is excited for the weekend. Her family is headed to a local state park for their first camping trip! The school week might not have gone as planned, but outdoors, Fatima can achieve anything. She sets up a tent with her father, builds a fire with her mother, and survives an eight-legged mutant spider (a daddy longlegs with an impressive shadow) with her sister. At the end of an adventurous day, the family snuggles inside one big tent, serenaded by the sounds of the forest. The thought of leaving the magic of the outdoors tugs at Fatima’s heart, but her sister reminds her that they can keep the memory alive through stories — and they can always daydream about what their next camping trip will look like.
Ambreen Tariq’s picture book debut, with cheerful illustrations by Stevie Lewis, is a rollicking family adventure, a love letter to the outdoors, and a reminder that public land belongs to all of us.
Hugo has one goal — to conquer the Impossible Thing.
At the edge of the forest stood the Impossible Thing. All animals in the forest often wondered what was beyond the Impossible Thing, but no one had ever tried because getting through it would be … impossible. So why even bother?
That’s when a brave little bulldog named Hugo decides he just might be up for the challenge. With determination and some unexpected help from his friends, Hugo learns that what may seem impossible might just be possible after all.
See a duck take to the water of friendship in this gorgeously warm, funny book about the joy of making an unexpected connection.
Duck is not like other ducks. Duck doesn’t like water and is perfectly fine alone, thank you very much. But then, one dark and stormy night, an outgoing, water-loving, and very lost Frog turns up at Duck’s door. Can this odd couple find Frog’s home? And will they find friendship along the way?
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