Children's Picture Books: Community Helpers & Careers: Teachers & Librarians

Bobby thinks his teacher, Ms. Kirby, is horrible, but when he sees her outside of school and they spend a day in the park together, he discovers she might not be so bad after all.

Started by Dr. Seuss, finished by Jack Prelutsky, and illustrated by Lane Smith, Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! is a joyous ode to individuality starring unsinkable teacher Miss Bonkers and the quirky Diffendoofer School (which must prove it has taught its students how to think--or have them sent to dreary Flobbertown).

Little Critter has the best teacher around. Miss Kitty even makes math class fun!

The kids in Room 207 take advantage of their teacher's good nature until she disappears and they are faced with a vile substitute.

When their teacher has to go away for a week, the kids in room 207 plan to "really act up."

The notorious Miss Swamp reappears at the Horace B. Smedley School, this time to shape up the football team and make them win at least one game.

A boy contemplates all the horrible stories he has heard about the music teacher, Miss LaNote, and the ordeals she forces her students to endure.

It’s a spring morning, and Miss Mingo and her class are ready to hike up High Hill to visit the weather station. Groundhog, the new student, predicts that the weather will be perfect. But as the animals climb, the temperature does too, and Panda seeks a shady spot while Hippo starts sweating red (it’s normal, not blood!). And that’s just the beginning! From hail and swirling winds to pouring rain and a sudden chill, everyone from Ant to Alligator is learning about some crazy atmospheric changes. Sprinkled with fascinating facts about weather and animal habits, this charming, one-of-a-kind class trip is sure to bring sunny smiles.

Stop! Drop! Roll! Learning the rules of fire safety is a lot more fun (and less scary) when demonstrated by a charming and diverse group of animals. Alligator, Panda, Octopus, and the others work hard to master the rules of fire safety and perform the perfect fire drill, but thinking about fire is a bit nerve-wracking, and each of them reacts differently — often with hilarious results. Sprinkled with fascinating facts about animal behavior, this second story about the characters in Miss Mingo’s one-of-a-kind class is sure to appeal to readers of all stripes.

Filled with gratitude, Dear Teacher, thanks all the people that empower and inspire little ones to be themselves and overcome all of life’s obstacles. With the same tenderness as Dear Girl, and Dear Boy, Paris’s charming text and Holly Hatam’s stunning illustrations come together beautifully to express well-deserved appreciation for teachers of all kinds. Perfect for fans of the teacher appreciation classic Because I Had a Teacher who are looking for a new gift to give.

The story of RoseAleta Laurell who arrived in Lockheart, Texas to be the head of the Dr. Eugene Clark Library. The library was outdated so she spent a week on the library roof to raise money and interest in the library.

When a man brings to a remote village two burros, Alfa and Beto, loaded with books the children can borrow, Ana's excitement leads her to write a book of her own as she waits for the BibliBurro to return. Includes glossary of Spanish terms and a note on the true story of Columbia's BiblioBurro and mobile libraries in other countries.

When Carlo the giraffe and Crackers the cat visit the new library, they meet Mrs. Chinca, a very friendly and helpful librarian.

A lion starts visiting the local library but runs into trouble as he tries to both obey the rules and help his librarian friend. Miss Merriweather, the head librarian, is very particular about rules in the library., but when a lion comes to the library one day, no one is sure what to do. There aren't any rules about lions in the library. And, as it turns out, this lion seems very well suited to library visiting. But when something terrible happens, the lion quickly comes to the rescue in the only way he knows how. Michelle Knudsen's disarming story, illustrated by the matchless Kevin Hawkes in an expressive timeless style, will win over even the most ardent of rule keepers.

When the children discover a bear at the librarian's desk at story time, they think he's the new librarian. He's not!

When Miss Smith reads from her magical book, the worlds she describes come alive -- literally! Today Miss Smith is taking her class on a field trip to a deliciously spooky library. There the class meets librarian Virginia Creeper and settles down to listen to a few scary tales. Before long everyone's favorite creepy characters are stalking the library and a haunted party is in full swing. So...who's for taking a ride with the Headless Horseman?

Despite her status as the school librarian, Mrs. Beamster is known by all the kids as "The Laminator" because she is said to laminate anyone who is caught whispering.

A village is left in ruins after the bombs fall. The beloved library is burned to ash. Food is scarce. Danger is abundant. Every aspect of daily life is changed. How will home ever feel as it once did? But then one day, the Librarian emerges in the town square. Seated on a bench in front of the library's remains, she opens a book and begins to read aloud. The village children stop to listen. "Foolish woman," Papa says. "Too dangerous," Mama agrees, hurrying the children away. But day after day the librarian returns to her post, her voice carrying stories above the thunder of tanks and to the broken hearts of the people. Little by little, the persistent Librarian's stories seed hope in the people, and their village begins to mend. Inspired by the bombing of the National Library of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War, and bombing of the library at the University of Mosul in Iraq, The Librarian's Stories is a testament to the enduring connection between stories and hope.

2020 Honor Book. When she came to America in 1921, Pura carried the cuentos folklóricos of her Puerto Rican homeland. Finding a new home at the New York Public Library as a bilingual assistant, she turned her popular stories into libros and spread story seeds across the land. Today, these seeds have grown into a lush landscape as generations of children and cuentistas continue to share her stories and celebrate Pura’s legacy.