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Theme Resources

The EJK Foundation has identified themes that may be of interest because of the universal experience of the subjects and therefore the rich possibilities for animated student discussion. Please choose a theme to see a synopsis of that theme and the associated list of books.


Community

These books introduce communities in which people live, work, and play together in beneficial ways that aid, support, and encourage their members. The characters value one another and their shared spaces.


Emotions and Feelings

Social emotional learning builds on recognizing and managing one’s emotions. These books introduce characters who are feeling intense emotions, both positive and negative, and who find ways to respond to their feelings constructively, either on their own or with the help of other people.


Families

The books portray relationships and interactions among young characters and their parents, grandparents, siblings, and other individuals who comprise their closest communities. The families are different, but each one radiates love, support, and encouragement.


First Day of School

These books share the anticipations and anxieties of children and parents who are beginning a new school year, providing validation of the characters’ feelings and reassurance that the first day may not be as scary as they initially thought.


Friendship

These books honor friends who help, teach, encourage, and play with one another, showing how essential true friendships are to a full life.


Identity

Discovering who you are is an essential component of social emotional learning and gaining independence and confidence. In these books, characters explore their personal, familial, and cultural identities and become proud to express who they are.


Immigrants and Refugees

These stories highlight aspects of the immigrant and refugee experience, such as leaving behind relatives and friends, learning new languages, and adjusting to new cultures and circumstances. They are told through the perspectives of first and second generation immigrants.


Loss

These books feature characters responding to loss, such as the loss of a family member, friend, pet, or home. Learning to grieve is a difficult but essential part of social emotional learning.


Pets and Farm Animals

These books depict the joys and responsibilities of caring for animals at home and on farms, as well as the companionship, entertainment, and love provided by the animals.


Poetry

These stories offer different examples of poetry, such as rhymes, list poems, cumulative poems, and odes, while also expanding the possibilities of what a poem can be and how it can be portrayed visually, as well as textually.


Seasons and Nature

These stories celebrate the wonders of nature and the four seasons, while also recognizing the sometimes harsh realities that are part of the natural world.


Self-Esteem

A positive self-image provides a foundation for social emotional learning. As the characters in these books navigate difficult or unfamiliar situations and master new skills, they develop greater self-knowledge, accompanying confidence, and increased independence.


Social Justice & Equity

These books present social justice issues, including slavery, suppression of speech, racism, and gender discrimination, as well as stories of individuals who endured and challenged social inequities.


Strong Girls

These books feature female protagonists who demonstrate strength of mind and spirit in a variety of ways, situations, times, and places.


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2023 Illustrator Award

Doug Salati
Hot Dog

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2023 Illustrator Honor

Chioma Ebinama
Emile and the Field

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2023 Illustrator Honor

Zahra Marwan
Butterflies Fill the Sky

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2023 Writer Honor

Juliana Perdomo
Sometimes All I Need is Me

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2023 Writer Honor

Pauline David-Sax
Everything in its Place

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2023 Writer Award

Kari Percival
How to Say Hello to a Worm

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2022 Illustrator Award

Gracey Zhang
Lala's Words

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2022 Illustrator Award

Kenesha Sneed
Many Shapes of Clay

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2022 Illustrator Honor

Marta Bartolj
Every Little Kindness

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2022 Writer Honor

Anne Wynter
Everybody in the Red Brick Building
Illustrated by Oge More

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2022 Writer Honor

Joanna Ho
Playing at the Border
Illustrated by Teresa Martinez

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2022 Writer Award

Paul Harbridge
Out Into the Big Wide Lake

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2021 Illustrator Award

Steve Small
I'm Sticking With You
Written by Smriti Prasadam-Halls

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2021 Illustrator Award Winner

Heidi Woodward Sheffield
Brick by Brick

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2021 Writer Honor

Jarrett & Jerome Pumphrey
The Old Truck

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2021 Writer Honor

Raymond Antrobus
Can Bears Ski?
Illustrated by Polly Dunbar

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2021 Writer Award

Tricia Elam Walker
Nana Akua Goes to School
Illustrated by April Harrison

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2021 Illustrator Honor

Victoria Tentler-Krylov
The Cyclops of Central Park
Written by Madelyn Rosenberg

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2020 Writer Honor

Matthew Farina
Lawrence in the Fall
Illustrated by Doug Salati

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2020 Writer Honor

Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie
Layla's Happiness
Illustrated by Ashleigh Corrin

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2020 Illustrator Honor

Doug Salati
Lawrence in the Fall
Written by Matthew Farina

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2020 Illustrator Honor

Kate Read
One Fox: A Counting Book Thriller
Written by Kate Read

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2020 Illustrator Honor

Zeke Peña
My Papi Has a Motorcycle
Written by Isabel Quintero

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2020 Illustrator Award

Ashleigh Corrin
Layla's Happiness
Written by Mariahdessa Ekere Tallie

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2020 Writer Award

Sydney Smith
Small in the City
Illustrated by Sydney Smith

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2019 Writer Honor

Juana Martinez-Neal
Alma
Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

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2019 Illustrator Honor

Jane McGuinness
Prickly Hedgehogs!
Written by Jane McGuinness

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2019 Writer Honor

Keith Calabrese
Lena’s Shoes are Nervous
Illustrated by Juana Medina

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2019 Writer Honor

Matt James
The Funeral
Illustrated by Matt James

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2019 Illustrator Honor

Jessica Love
Julián is a Mermaid
Written by Jessica Love

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2019 Writer Award

John Sullivan
Kitten and the Night Watchman

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2019 Illustrator Award

Oge Mora
Thank you, Omu!

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2018 Writer Honor and Illustrator Honor

Bao Phi / Thi Bui
A Different Pond

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2018 Writer Honor

Rachael Cole
City Moon
Illustrated by Blanca Gómez

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2018 Illustrator Honor

Gordon C. James
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut
Written by Derrick Barnes

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2018 Writer Award

Derrick Barnes
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut
Illustrated by Gordon C. James

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2018 Illustrator Award

Evan Turk
Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters
Written by Michael Mahin

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2018 Writer Honor

Jessixa Bagley
Laundry Day

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2018 Illustrator Honor

Bianca Diaz
The One Day House

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2018 Writer Honor

Elaine Magliaro
Things to Do
Illustrated by Catia Chien

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2018 Illustrator Honor

E.B. Goodale
Windows
Written by Julia Denos

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2017 Illustrator Honor

Daisy Hirst
The Girl with the Parrot on Her Head
Written by Daisy Hirst

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2017 Illustrator Award

Micha Archer
Daniel Finds a Poem

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2017 Writer Honor and Illustrator Honor

Francesca Sanna
The Journey

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2017 Writer Honor

Stacy McAnulty
Excellent Ed
Illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach

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2017 Writer Award

Jeri Watts
A Piece of Home
Illustrated by Hyewon Yum

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2016 Writer Honor

Don Tate
Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton

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2016 Illustrator Honor

Ryan T. Higgins
Mother Bruce

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2016 Illustrator Honor

Rowboat Watkins
Rude Cakes

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2016 Writer Honor

Megan Dowd Lambert
A Crow of His Own

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2016 Writer Honor

Julia Sarcone-Roach
The Bear Ate Your Sandwich

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2016 Illustrator Award

Phoebe Wahl
Sonya's Chicken

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2015 Writer Award

Chieri Uegaki
Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin

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2015 Illustrator Award

Chris Haughton
Shh! We Have a Plan

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2015 Illustrator Honor

Mike Curato
Little Elliot, Big City

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2015 Illustrator Honor

Evan Turk
Grandfather Gandhi

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2015 Writer Honor

Misty Copeland
Firebird

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2015 Writer Honor

Alan Rabinowitz
A Boy and a Jaguar

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2015 Writer Honor

Adam Auerbach
Edda: A Little Valkyrie’s First Day of School

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2014 Illustrator Honor

Aaron Meshon
Take Me Out to the Yakyu

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2014 Writer Award

Ame Dyckman
Tea Party Rules

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2014 Illustrator Award

Christian Robinson
Rain

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2014 Illustrator Honor

Marta Altés
My Grandpa

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2014 Illustrator Honor

K.G. Campbell
Tea Party Rules

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2014 Writer Honor

Linda Davick
I Love You, Nose! I Love You, Toes!

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2014 Writer Honor

Pat Zietlow Miller
Sophie’s Squash

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2013 Writer Honor

Don Tate
It Jes’ Happened

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2013 Illustrator Award

Hyewon Yum
Mom, It’s My First Day of Kindergarten!

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2013 Writer Honor

Jennifer Lanthier
The Stamp Collector

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2013 Writer Award

Julie Fogliano
And Then It’s Spring

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2013 Writer Honor

Mara Rockliff
My Heart Will Not Sit Down

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2013 Illustrator Honor

Sanjay Patel
Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth

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2013 Illustrator Honor

K.G. Campbell
Lester’s Dreadful Sweaters

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2012 Illustrator Honor

David Ercolini
Not Inside this House!

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2012 Illustrator Award

Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
Same, Same but Different

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2012 Writer Honor

Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
Same, Same but Different

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2012 Writer Award

Meg Medina
Tía Isa Wants a Car

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2012 Writer Honor

Nicola Winstanley
Cinnamon Baby

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2012 Writer Honor and Illustrator Honor

Anna Witte (writer) and Micha Archer (illustrator)
Lola’s Fandango

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2011 Writer Award

Laurel Croza
I Know Here

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2011 Illustrator Award

Tao Nyeu
Bunny Days

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2010 Illustrator Award

Taeeun Yoo
Only a Witch Can Fly

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2010 Writer Award

Tonya Cherie Hegamin
Most Loved in All the World

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2009 Illustrator Award

Shadra Strickland
Bird

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2009 Writer Award

Stian Hole
Garmann's Summer

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2008 Writer Award

David Ezra Stein
Leaves

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2008 Illustrator Award

Jonathan Bean
The Apple Pie that Papa Baked

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2007 Writer Award

Kelly Cunnane
For You Are a Kenyan Child

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2007 Illustrator Award

Kristen Balouch
Mystery Bottle

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2006 Writer Award

Mary Ann Rodman
My Best Friend

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2006 Illustrator Award

Yunmee Kyong
Silly Chicken

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2005 Illustrator Award

Ana Juan
The Night Eater

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2005 Writer Award

Janice N. Harrington
Going North

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2004 Illustrator Award

Gabi Swiatkowska
My Name Is Yoon

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2004 Writer Award

Jeron Ashford Frame
Yesterday I Had the Blues

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2003 Writer Award

Shirin Yim Bridges
Ruby's Wish

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2003 Illustrator Award

Sophie Blackall
Ruby's Wish

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2002 Writer Award

Deborah Wiles
Freedom Summer

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2002 Illustrator Award

Jerome Lagarrigue
Freedom Summer

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2001 Illustrator Award

Bryan Collier
Uptown

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2001 Writer Award

D.B. Johnson
Henry Hikes to Fitchburg

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2000 Writer Award

Soyung Pak
Dear Juno

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1999 Writer Award

Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen
Elizabeti's Doll

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1997 Writer Award

Juan Felipe Herrera
Calling the Doves (El canto de las palomas)

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1995 Writer Award

Cari Best
Taxi! Taxi!

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1995 Writer Award

Cari Best
Taxi! Taxi!

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1993 Writer Award

Faith Ringgold
Tar Beach

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1991 Writer Award

Angela Johnson
Tell Me a Story, Mama

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1989 Writer Award

Yoriko Tsutsui
Anna's Special Present

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1987 Writer Award

Juanita Havill
Jamaica's Find

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1986 Writer Award

Valerie Flournoy
The Patchwork Quilt

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Writer Honor

Yoriko Tsutsui
Anna's Special Present

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