Are you looking for the best picture books to read in May 2021?
Each month there are some amazing new releases and the picture books are no exception! This list of 20 picture books to read in May 2021 will help you stay up to date on the most anticipated books to read this year!
If 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!
Whether you need a humourous story or one with an important message, you’ll find a perfect book on this list.
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May 4th
When the boats in the harbor are feeling unwell, all they need is Hope to get back in ship shape.
From Geisel Honor Book author and artist Stephen Savage comes a new vehicle book for the very young, sure to provide comfort and reassurance, based on the true story of the S.S. Hope hospital ship!
The boats around the harbor haven’t been feeling too well lately. First, Barge got bonked. Then Submarine started shivering. Ferry came down with a fever, little Dory’s nose wouldn’t stop running, and even mighty Aircraft Carrier had developed a terrible cough! They sent out an S.O.S. for help, and then a ship called Hope came to the rescue.
With her team of tugboats at her side, Hope set about tending to the out of sorts boats. With her help, Barge gets a bandage, Submarine is soothed with a blanket, Aircraft Carrier is cured, and little Dory’s nose dries up. The boats are feeling fit again, but they know whenever they are feeling sick, Hope will always be there to take care of them.
The brightly-illustrated, kid-friendly picture book includes an essay about the real S.S. Hope and its service in humanitarian aid projects. Perfect for boat lovers of all ages!
Imagination • Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
From a New York Times bestselling author and Caldecott-honor winning artist comes an exuberant illustrated story about playing dress up, having fun, and feeling free.
The boy loves to be naked. He romps around his house naked and wild and free. Until he romps into his parents’ closet and is inspired to get dressed. First he tries on his dad’s clothes, but they don’t fit well. Then he tries on his mom’s clothes, and wow! The boy looks great. He looks through his mom’s jewelry and makeup and tries that on, too. When he’s discovered by his mother and father, the whole family (including the dog!) get in on the fun, and they all get dressed together.
This charming and humorous story was inspired by bestselling and award-winning author Peter Brown’s own childhood, and highlights nontraditional gender roles and self-expression.
A joyfully poetic board book that delivers an ode to the beautiful light of African American boys.
I shine night too
smooth brown
glow skin
This simple, playful, and elegant board book stars a young boy who joyfully celebrates his dark skin with a bright moon at the end of a perfect day.
Diversity, Family • Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
A Sikh father and daughter with a special hair bond proudly celebrate and share a family tradition in this charming story perfect for fans of Hair Love and I Love My Hair!
Every morning Papa combs through his daughter’s waves like he does his own — parting it down the middle, using coconut oil to get all the tangles out.
Some days he braids her hair in two twists down the side of her face. Other days he weaves it into one long braid hanging down her back, just like a unicorn tail.
But her favorite style is when he combs her hair in a tight bun on the top of her head, just like the joora he wears every day under his turban. They call this their hair twin look!
When his sugary dreams don’t go according to plan, Oliver learns that the wide world around him might just be the sweetest thing of all.
Oliver finds the perfect lollipop on his birthday trip to the zoo, and it’s all he can think about! Forget riding the carousel — he might drop his precious treat. No point roaring at the lions with his brother or engaging with any of the animals. After all, who needs the peacocks’ beautiful feathers or the flamingoes’ brilliant hues when there’s a colorful swirly lollipop to admire?
But when one particular zoo animal threatens to ruin the fun, Oliver learns that there’s plenty more to see than the candy he’d been coveting. And sharing the day — and his sweets — with his brother might just be the most special treat of all.
Animals, Humour • Disney-Hyperion
Bruce is a bear who struggles with fun.
When Bruce says no to fun one too many times, Nibbs, Thistle, and Rupert secretly wish Bruce was more fun. And the geese secretly wish for sandwiches. The next morning, all their wishes come true. Bruce is cheerful. Bruce is adventurous. Bruce has pizzazz … and a basket of sandwiches.
Except Bruce is not exactly Bruce. He’s Kevin, Bruce’s fun cousin. Nobody knows that Bruce has gone fishing. Nobody knows that Kevin is coming. Nobody even knows who Kevin is. But, everyone quickly learns one thing: Kevin LOVES fun.
Is it possible that too much fun is no fun at all?
Social Themes • Philomel Books
The crayons are back in this board book all about feelings from the creators of the #1 New York Times bestselling The Day Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home!
Everyone knows the crayons love to color, but did you know that crayons have feelings too? Sometimes they are happy and sometimes they feel downright blue.
From the creative minds behind the The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home, comes a fun board book to help young readers understand and express their feelings.
Social Themes • Feiwel & Friends
International superstar Channing Tatum’s picture book debut is a charming ode to self-esteem and the love between a father and daughter.
Ella is excited for her first day at a new school.
Glimmering pencil case? Check!
Shimmering backpack? Check!
Glittery ribbons in her hair? Check!
But her first day doesn’t go quite as planned: Her new classmates don’t like her disco-ball shoes, her PB&J-with-sprinkles sandwich, or her rainbow-y unicorn painting.
Ella decides to try to be less sparkly at school the next day so the other kids won’t make fun of her. But with a little help from her dad, she soon learns the importance of just being herself, no matter what other people say.
People & Places • Orchard Books
An arresting, poetic journey and a moving reflection on immigration, family, and home, from an acclaimed creative team.
Wishes tells the powerful, honest story about one Vietnamese family’s search for a new home on the other side of the world, and the long-lasting and powerful impact that makes on the littlest member of the family. Inspired by actual events in the author’s life, this is a narrative that is both timely and timeless. Told through the eyes of a young girl, the story chronicles a family’s difficult and powerful journey to pack up what they can carry and to leave their world behind, traveling to a new and unknown place in a crowded boat. With sparse, poetic, and lyrical text from acclaimed author Muon Thi Van, thoughtful back matter about the author’s connection to the story, and luminous, stunning illustrations from Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree Victo Ngai, Wishes tells a powerful and timely story in a gentle and approachable way for young children and their families.
With themes of kindness, bravery, hope, and love running throughout, Wishes is a must-have book for every child’s bookshelf.
May 11th
Bedtime • Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Send little spies to sleep with this hilarious, tongue-in-cheek lullaby set to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
Dear Fellow Agents:
Your mission — should you choose to accept it — is to join Secret, Secret Agent Guy on his bedtime assignment, code name: Operation Lollipop. Equipped with night-vision goggles, a jetpack, and grappling hook, he is prepared for every eventuality … or is he?
Will this 007-year-old complete his covert quest, or will he be outsmarted by an adversary he never saw coming?
Animals • G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
From the bestselling author of The Apothecary series comes a poignant, lyrical tale about nature’s great escape artist.
The octopus is happy in his undersea cave until one day, a diver captures him and takes him to live in an aquarium. The humans give him food and tests that look like toys. But every day is the same, and the octopus soon tires of captive life. And so, under the cover of darkness, he makes his daring escape …
Maile Meloy and Felicita Sala bring us a story full of excitement and heart, about the thrill of hard-won freedom and the pull of home.
May 18th
Charlie has a hard time choosing. It doesn’t matter if the choice is between flavors of ice cream, pairs of underwear, or whether to sleep with the lights on or off — the options are always overwhelming. In fact, it’s easier when Charlie doesn’t choose at all. However, with Charlie’s birthday fast approaching, he is determined to choose the absolute best gift for himself: a dog! And when a furry friend chooses him instead, making decisions suddenly becomes a little bit easier.
A unique solution is found when a little girl dreams of getting a pet.
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. And once Gwendolyn gets savvy about seeds and soil, sun and shade, she finds they are right. The dirt starts performing some amazing tricks, and soon she has a whole pet garden of her very own — it might not have “any legs at all, but it was alive, and Gwendolyn could talk to it, care for it, and watch it grow.”
Dynamic illustrations full of funny details show the love Gwendolyn puts into caring for her “pet,” and her enthusiasm and pride are sure to inspire gardeners and aspiring gardeners alike.
Humour, Unicorns • Beach Lane Books
Fern isn’t your usual unicorn … she loves chemistry and math more than glitter or flowers — and she refuses to change who she is in this sweet and empowering picture book about being yourself — and standing up for yourself, too!
Meet Fern! She’s a smart, creative unicorn who prefers building robots and coding software to jumping through shimmering rainbows and splashing in majestic waterfalls. Even though Fern is a good friend and always willing to help others, the other unicorns tease her and call her a nerdycorn.
One day, Fern has had enough and decides to stop fixing her friends’ broken things. But then the confetti machine, the rainbow synthesizer, and the starlight bedazzler all go haywire during the biggest Sparkle Dance Party of the year! Fern can certainly fix them … but will she?
This joyful picture book taps into the rich African American tradition of family reunions, with delicious food at the heart of the celebration. Perfect for fans of the Caldecott Honor Book Going Down Home with Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons.
Once a year, each of Ruby’s relatives prepares a special dish to share at their family reunion. Daddy calls it their “signature dish” — and Ruby wants one of her own. She wanders through the bustling kitchen looking for inspiration. As she watches Pop-Pop’s chicken sizzling in the skillet, Uncle G slicing onions, and Auntie Billie cooking corn on the hot grill, she wonders if she’s just too young to have a signature dish. That’s when she finds it — the perfect solution!
Angela Dalton’s warm text is perfectly paired with Jestenia Southerland’s beautiful art in this sweet picture book, filled with the tenderness and warmth of this multigenerational extended family and the food they share.
A starry-eyed ode to self-expression and staying true to yourself, inspired by the life and lyrics of beloved icon David Bowie.
For as long as David could remember, he felt like a stranger on his own planet.
As if he’d fallen to Earth from outer space …
David Bowie is one of the most influential artists of our time, beloved for his joyful self-expression and fierce individuality. But how did he come to be this iconic Starman, celebrated by millions around the world?
Inspired by the life and lyrics of David Bowie, author-illustrator Jami Gigot imagines the story of a lonely young boy enchanted by the music of the stars — yet no one else can hear the shimmy-shake rhythm that moves through his body. At first misunderstood and ignored, David ultimately finds the courage to be true to himself, sparking a dazzling revolution …
At once vibrantly imaginative and true to the spirit of Bowie, Starboy is about embracing your individuality and discovering the cosmic rhythm that hums within each of us.
May 25th
The friendship of a goldfish and a mouse is in jeopardy when three not-so-friendly felines want to play too. This gorgeously illustrated picture book reminds us of the importance of bravery and friendship.
A goldfish and a mouse become fast friends as they play in and around the goldfish’s bowl.
But when three cats crash the party and terrify the poor goldfish, the brave little mouse gets an idea. She leads the three black cats on a wild and epic chase up and down and over and around until they find themselves surrounded by absolutely irresistible food in the pantry. The cats gorge themselves so much that they fall into a deep sleep, but the mouse knows they won’t sleep forever. So the brave little mouse gets another idea to keep the goldfish out of harm’s way for good!
This is a heartwarming story with a simple text and gorgeous illustrations about the lengths one brave mouse will go to in order to save her friend.
A young girl finds a clever way to keep her favorite things — and people — close to her forever in Memory Jars, from Caldecott Honoree Vera Brosgol.
Freda is devastated when she can’t eat all the delicious blueberries she’s picked. She has to wait a whole year before they’re back, and she doesn’t want to lose them! Then Gran reminds her that they can save blueberries in a jar, as jam. So Freda begins to save all her favorite things. But it turns out that saving everything also means she can’t enjoy anything, and Freda realizes that some things are best saved as memories.
Humour, Space • Viking Books for Young Readers
What if summer camp was in outer space?
Summer is here! But Jake doesn’t want to go to summer camp. Even if camp is on the moon. Sure enough, he gets lost during the nature hike, his air canoe springs a leak, there’s scary noises at night, and he’s pretty sure he’s allergic to moon dust. The worst part? He misses home.
But then Sam arrives and maybe Moon Camp isn’t so bad after all? Full of out-of-this-world humor, Moon Camp is a celebration of new adventures and the unexpected friends you make along the way.
LGTBQ+ • Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Follow Ari through their neighborhood as they try to find their words in this sweet, accessible introduction to gender-inclusive pronouns that is perfect for readers of all ages.
Whenever Ari’s Uncle Lior comes to visit, they ask Ari one question: “What are your words?” Some days Ari uses she/her. Other days Ari uses he/him. But on the day of the neighborhood’s big summer bash, Ari doesn’t know what words to use. On the way to the party, Ari and Lior meet lots of neighbors and learn the words each of them use to describe themselves, including pronouns like she/her, he/him, they/them, ey/em, and ze/zir. As Ari tries on different pronouns, they discover that it’s okay to not know your words right away — sometimes you have to wait for your words to find you.
Filled with bright, graphic illustrations, this simple and poignant story about finding yourself is the perfect introduction to gender-inclusive pronouns for readers of all ages.
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