Holiday Gift Recommendations: 18 Children’s Books for Every Kid On Your List

Now that December is upon us, many people start to stress about gift giving. What will they like? How can I give a great gift, but not break the bank? Never fear! LEE & LOW BOOKS is here to save the holidays! 

We’ve compiled a list of LEE & LOW titles that’ll be sure to please everyone, from the science lover to the musician!

For the animal lover

1. Parrots Over Puerto Rico With striking collage illustrations, a unique format, and engaging storytelling, this book invites readers to witness the amazing recovery efforts that have enabled Puerto Rican parrots to fly over their island once again.
2. Adventures Around the World series From Caldecott Honor-winning authors Ted and Betsy Lewin, readers can visit India, Uganda, Botswana, Mongolia, Iceland, and Australia in these delightful nonfiction books.
3. Cat Girl’s Day Off In this hilarious YA novel, Nat Ng comes from a family of the super-Talented: levitation, lie-detecting, chameleon-like blending into one’s surroundings. Her own power? Talking to cats. But when a celebrity blogger is kidnapped, it’s only Nat who can see the true story.

For the world traveler

1. Water Rolls, Water Rises/El agua rueda, el agua sube Here is a poetic ode to the beauty of the natural world as expressed by the movement and moods of water in different locations across the Earth.
   

   from Water Rolls, Water Rises

2. Poems in the Attic Master poet Nikki Grimes creates a tender intergenerational story about growing up in a military family that speaks to every child’s need to hold onto special memories of home, no matter where that place might be.
3. How Far Do You Love Me? Based on a bedtime game author/illustrator Lulu Delacre played with her young daughters, How Far Do You Love Me? is an “I love you” book with a twist.

For the musician 

1. Finding the Music/En pos de la música When Reyna accidentally breaks Abuelito’s vihuela—a small guitar-like instrument—she ventures out into the neighborhood determined to find someone who can help her repair it.
2. Little Melba and Her  Big Trombone Brimming with ebullience and the joy of making music, Little Melba and Her Big Trombone is a fitting tribute to a trailblazing musician and a great unsung hero of jazz.
3. Drummer Boy of John John Musical text and sun-drenched paintings joyously transport readers to the Caribbean, and to this exuberant story inspired by the early life of Winston “Spree” Simon, a pioneer in the development of the steel drum.

For the crafter

1. Maya’s Blanket/La manta de Maya Inspired by the traditional Yiddish folk song “Hob Ikh Mir a Mantl” (“I Had a Little Coat”), this delightful bilingual story puts a child-focused, Latino spin on the tale of an item that is made into smaller and smaller items.
2. Sunday Shopping Overflowing with whimsy and a sweet grandmother-granddaughter relationship, Sunday Shopping is a fun-filled celebration of imagination and family love.
   

   from Sunday Shopping

3. Etched in Clay This moving, award-winning novel in verse explores the life of Dave the Potter, an enslaved young man who created beautiful pottery etched with sayings and poems that reflected his daily life and experiences. In simple, powerful words, including some of Dave’s original writings, we learn his extraordinary story of courage, creative inspiration, and triumph.

For the aspiring actor or actress

1. Ira’s Shakespeare Dream This book is a captivating tribute to the inspiring life of actor Ira Aldridge, and to the renowned works of William Shakespeare which he brought to life onstage.
2. Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story Anna May Wong—the first Chinese American movie star—was a pioneer of the cinema. Her spirited determination in the face of discrimination is an inspiration to all who must overcome obstacles so that their dreams may come true.
3. Baby Flo: Florence Mills Lights Up the Stage Baby Flo went on to become an international superstar during the Harlem Renaissance—but first she had to overcome a case of stage fright and discover that winning wasn’t everything.

For the history buff

1. Hammer of Witches This YA novel follows Baltasar Infante, a bookmaker’s apprentice
   

   from Seven Miles to Freedom

   living in 1492 Spain, who can weasel out of any problem with a good story. But when he finds himself on Columbus’s ship to America, he may be in trouble that even he can’t talk his way out of.

2. Seven Miles to Freedom This book is the compelling account of the daring escape of Robert Smalls, an enslaved steamboat wheelman from South Carolina who became one of the Civil War’s greatest heroes.
3. Irena’s Jars of Secrets Motivated by conscience and armed with compassion and a belief in human dignity, Irena Sendler confronted an enormous moral challenge and proved to the world that an ordinary person can accomplish deeds of extraordinary courage by helping the sick and starving Jews who were imprisoned in the Warsaw Ghetto.

Happy gifting!