Powerful Picture Books 

These picture books pack a lot more punch than just pictures. Each holds a powerful story that is more impactful than your normal tale. 

Between Us and Abuela 

Perkins, Mitali. Illustrated by Sara Palacios. Between Us and Abuela. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2019. $11.99. ISBN 9780374303730. 

The space between Abuela and her family is dark and desolate, but their love for one another shines through the tall fences of the border between the United States and Mexico. Perkins holds no emotions back in the making of the scarf and picture for Abuela. Her storytelling is masterful and her flowery language is fun for adults and relatable for the children being read to. Palacios' ability to make warm colors feel cool and calming makes each scene feel warm and cozy. Centered around seeing Abuela for Christmas, Perkins reminds us the importance of family, no matter how far away and the magic everyone feels in the air around the holidays. 

We Are Water Protectors 

Lindstron, Carole. Illustrated by Michaela Cole. We Are Water Protectors. Roaring Book Press, 2020. $17.99. ISBN 978-1-250-78099-7. 

We all know water has importance, but did we know this much? Lindstrom does a phenomenal job of capturing your attention and emotions in this powerful picture book. Taking us through the journey of water and life, we gather much more on water than drinking, and more about keeping it peaceful and clean. The storyline is strong and impactful, yet soft enough for little ones to understand. Goade makes the transition from the cool waters colors  to the dark, black snake surrounded by res  and that transition does more than make your heart drop into your stomach. With a powerful message behind lyrical words, We are Water Protectors and its power will be one to remember for a long time. 

Drawn Together 

Le, Minh. Illustrated by Dan Santant. Drawn Together. Disney Hyperion, 2018. $17.99. ISBN 978-148476760-3.

The generational differences in family members always makes things difficult to relate to. With the magic power of drawing, a grandfather and his grandson find the way to each other's hearts through drawing. Illustrator Dan Santant masterfully draws each scene in reality, and imaginations. The contrast of grandfather’s black and white sketches to his grandson’s color, not only illustrates their differences in views, but brings together their interests. Minh Le writes a fantastic family love story of having an open mind with our loved ones, and cherishing time with them no matter what differences there may be. 

The Year We Learned to Fly 

Woodson,Jaqueline . Illustrated by Rafael Lopez. The Year We Learned to Fly. Nancy Paulsen Books, 2022. $18.99. ISBN 978-0-399-54553-5.

Jaqeuline Woodson shows to the world a retelling of Virginia Hamilton’s The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales. Woodson writes among the children, getting down to their level before soaring above into another world filled with imagination and a powerful history. The colorful and simple block-like illustrations by Lopez pull out the brightness and power of imagination, even in the toughest of times in history, and in the bored minds of children. Woodson expertly crafts a story any child can relate to,and brings it into a place of learning of historical lives and true empathy. 

Hot Dog 

Salati, Doug. Hot Dog. Alfred A. Knopf, 2022. 38 pages. $12.09. ISBN 978-0-593-30844-8. 

Doug Salati does a perfect job of taking us through a hot summer day. From hitting the steamy sidewalk to feeling the water on our toes, to a cool bed in the city at night, there is nothing more I want to be than this hot dog. With beautiful strokes of color, outlined in some black, the colors pop off the page and the simple words stand out even more because of them. Salati captures the perfect summer day in very few words and a lot of creative colors.