picture books
To contact the kiBooka creators or to order their books, please click through to their websites.
“… an affecting story of Jennifer’s fears and joys when her Korean halmoni, or grandmother, flies from her peaceful village to take part in a school Grandparents’ Day program. … Halmoni captivates her audience, as she will the audience for this stellar debut.” (Kirkus Reviews)
Caldecott Honor Book 2024. Brought to life with lavish and ornate illustrations, The Truth About Dragons follows a young child on a journey guided by his mother’s bedtime storytelling. He quests into two very different forests, as his two grandmothers help him discover two different, but equally enchanting, truths about dragons.
From the ocean’s surface, all the way to its deepest depths, this immersive picture book will teach little sea lovers new words, facts, and concepts, while also encouraging them to see God’s creativity, playfulness, power, and love in every splash and every wave.
“A delightful tale of fostering connection through art.” (Kirkus Reviews) “Readers will easily connect with Jihun’s melancholy from missing a dear friend and celebrate his joy in expressing that love and finding hope in a budding friendship.” (School Library Journal) 2025 CLEL Bell Awards honor.
“Instant child appeal. Heo adds to the fun with her unique illustrations.” (Horn Book, starred review)
1964–2016
author-illustrator
So-Hee is lonely. She doesn’t have a brother or sister, nor does she have many friends. More than anything, she longs for a pet she can hold and love. The trouble is, she’s allergic to just about everything. When So-Hee meets a snake named Lowy, all at once, her life starts to change in unexpected ways.
“Kim’s exquisite artwork renders distinct personalities and characters represented by diverse skin colors and hairstyles, priceless expressions, and irrepressible energy. An endearing and hopeful expression of spontaneous fun and togetherness.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)
“An enchanting look at a child’s quest for belonging. … Kim’s mixed-media art is dynamic, subtly blending realism with touches of whimsy and lush naturalistic detail. This understated and creative picture book takes on the theme of being true to oneself and ends with the realization that ‘there’s no place like home.’” (Horn Book Magazine)
“Lovingly rendered chalky illustrations bring to life this tale in a well-paced balance of spot art and spreads … Shy human children—especially those who feel more outgoing in a familiar environment—will be reassured that they will most certainly not be the only ones nervous about their first day of school. … Encouragement for those who are exuberant, loud, and full of energy … but only at home. (Kirkus Reviews)
“Drawn and painted in writing ink, to show different qualities of light, it’s astonishing to behold.” (The New York Times) “A wordless ode to the serenity of breathing deep in nature… A simple yet marvelous musing on the beauty of the great outdoors.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) “The pages within showcase spectacular illustrations and, without a single word, gorgeously reveal a story of family, nature and discovery… a wordless picture book masterpiece.” (Shelf Awareness, starred review)
“A Where’s Waldo? for lovers of trains and travel, this look-and-find by Brooklyn-based illustrator Kim takes readers into bustling subway systems in 10 of the world’s great metropolises. At each “stop,” we first see the subway station platform and train, with facts and figures about the transportation system. Children will love searching for these beautiful foreign items while indulging in the common kid obsession over locomotives” (Booklist)
Most people either can or cannot hear sound … but some people can do both! Meet a deaf boy with cochlear implants as he moves about his day. Sometimes he prefers not to hear, but when he wants to connect with the hearing world, he puts on his cochlear implants. How could he explain to his hearing parents what the absence of sound is like? Suddenly he has an idea—the best way he knows how to share this part of him with those he loves. With whimsical, bright illustrations and lyrical words, Sound Switch Wonder is a sweet and gentle story about sharing and embracing differences.
“Willow is a timid white rabbit who prefers staying home—an abandoned mailbox—where it’s cozy and quiet. There she sketches and dreams, but her comfortable routine is interrupted when a letter flutters through the mail slot one day. A warm and wondrous adventure for armchair, or high chair, travelers.” (Booklist, starred review)
“Eye-catching illustrations feature expansive double-page spreads of the neighborhood shops, drawing readers in to explore each tiny detail. The pictures resonate with love, complementing the predominant theme of family closeness and the book’s casual diversity.” (The Horn Book, starred review)
“Na’s whimsical illustrations vibrantly convey the cacophony present in many Cage compositions. Employing a vocabulary of images (squiggles, slashes, lines) representing sounds and emotions identified on the endpapers, Na clearly represents the unique and experimental nature of Cage’s work. Many scenes portray cityscapes and crowded concert halls. Blues and grays predominate, although Na effectively uses explosions of intense color to represent some sounds.” (Booklist, starred review)
“…Translated from Korean, this beautiful fable explores the need for companionship and the inevitability of death. With a mix of panels and full-page spreads, Lee’s loose, digital art makes fantastic use of the format, capturing both the exuberance of the good times and Tiger’s grief. The narrative is bookended by an East Asian-presenting elder who eagerly tells the tale. A gorgeously told story of the people who come into your life for a reason.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)
Winner, Little Brown New Voices, New World Multicultural Fiction Contest; Smithsonian Notable Book; Notable Children’s Trade Book in Social Studies; Horn Book Magazine Best Holiday Book
Parents Choice Gold Award; “This is an important story, full of drama and emotion and it is here given its proper recognition and tribute in both words and glorious art. Perhaps it will encourage other grandparents to share their family history as well. Masterful.” (Kirkus Reviews)
“Wang has crafted a lyrical gem of a story. Adopting a child’s perspective, the author manages to make topics such as warfare and loss of one’s home comprehensible to a young audience, while Cha’s bold strokes and splashes of color convey movement and enhance the emotional weight of the subject.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review); The Horn Book starred review; Junior Library Guild, Gold Standard Selection Book distinction
Poems about things we love to eat from A to Z, by diverse, established and new voices: Gail Aldous, Rebecca Balcárcel, David Bowles, Sandy Brehl, Carol Bullman, Yangsook Choi, Kelly Conroy, Nicola Davies, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Linda A. Dryfhout, Theresa Gaughan, Mary Lee Hahn, Georgia Heard, George Ella Lyon, JoAnn Early Macken, Elisabeth Norton, Lisa Varchol Perron, Jama Kim Rattigan, Joan Riordan, Pamela Ross, Donna JT Smith, April Halprin Wayland, Vicki Wilke, Janet Wong, Jacqueline Woodson, and Sarah Ziman.
Appa is coming home tomorrow after a long time away, and sisters Haejin and Hanna want to make something very special to greet his return. They spend the day preparing their favorite treat―hotteok, a brown-sugar-filled Korean pancake. But when their batter is ruined, how will they make something special for tomorrow?
Boston Globe Horn Book Honor • “Ode to a Bad Day is wholly relatable and highly engaging, with lively, rolling poetry and rich, charming illustrations. No matter what kind of day it has been, don’t be surprised if young readers want to read this book over and over.” (Book Page)
