Bestselling Picture Books | September 2020

The Children’s Book Review

The Children’s Book Review’s Best Selling Picture Book

This month the best selling picture book from our affiliate store is a book featured in our list 5 Books for Teaching Your Kids About Body Safety and Consent:

My Body! What I Say Goes!

Written by Jayneen Sanders

Illustrated by Anna Hancock

Publisher’s Synopsis: The crucial skills taught in this book will help children to protect their bodies from inappropriate touch. Children will be empowered to say in a strong and clear voice, “This is my body! What I say goes!” Through age-appropriate illustrations and engaging text this book, written by the author of ‘No Means No!’ and ‘Some Secrets Should Never Be Kept’, will teach children the following crucial and empowering skills in personal body safety: • identifying safe and unsafe feelings • recognizing early warning signs • developing a safety network • using the correct names for private parts • understanding the difference safe and unsafe touch • understanding the difference between secrets and surprises • respecting body boundaries. Approximately 20% of girls and 8% of boys will experience sexual abuse before their 18th birthday (Pereda, et al, 2009). Parents, caregivers, and educators have a duty of care to protect children by teaching them Body Safety skills. These skills empower children and go a long way in keeping them safe from abuse – ensuring they grow up as assertive and confident teenagers and adults. Also included in this book are in-depth Discussion Questions to further enhance the learning and to initiate important family conversations around body autonomy.

Buy the Book

Ages 3-10 | Publisher: Educate to Empower Publishing | 2016 | ISBN: 978-1925089264

Nationwide Best Selling Picture Books

You’ll also find our hand-selected titles of the most popular picture books from the nationwide best-selling picture books listed by The New York Times. We’re happy to see Mo Willems’ new Pigeon story on this list—everyone loves Pigeon!

The Day You Begin

Written by Jacqueline Woodson

Illustrated by Rafael López

Publisher’s Synopsis: National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson and two-time Pura Belpré Illustrator Award winner Rafael López have teamed up to create a poignant, yet heartening book about finding the courage to connect, even when you feel scared and alone.

There will be times when you walk into a room
and no one there is quite like you.

There are many reasons to feel different. Maybe it’s how you look or talk, or where you’re from; maybe it’s what you eat, or something just as random. It’s not easy to take those first steps into a place where nobody really knows you yet, but somehow you do it.

Jacqueline Woodson’s lyrical text and Rafael López’s dazzling art reminds us that we all feel like outsiders sometimes-and how brave it is that we go forth anyway. And that sometimes, when we reach out and begin to share our stories, others will be happy to meet us halfway.

(This book is also available in Spanish, as El Día En Que Descubres Quién Eres!)

Ages 4-8 | Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books | Aug. 28, 2017 | ISBN-13: 978-0399246531

The Pigeon Has to Go to School

Written and Illustrated by Mo Willems

Publisher’s Synopsis: Why does the Pigeon have to go to school? He already knows everything! And what if he doesn’t like it? What if the teacher doesn’t like him? What if he learns TOO MUCH!?!

Ask not for whom the school bell rings; it rings for the Pigeon!

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Ages 4-7 | Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children | July 2, 2019 | ISBN-13: 978-1368046459

All Are Welcome

Written by Alexandra Penfold

Illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman

Publisher’s Synopsis: A warm, welcoming picture book that celebrates diversity and gives encouragement and support to all kids.

Follow a group of children through a day in their school, where everyone is welcomed with open arms. A school where kids in patkas, hijabs, and yarmulkes play side-by-side with friends in baseball caps. A school where students grow and learn from each other’s traditions and the whole community gathers to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

All Are Welcome lets young children know that no matter what, they have a place, they have a space, they are welcome in their school.

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Ages 4-8 | Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers | July 10, 2018 | ISBN-13: 978-0525579649

Hair Love

Written by Matthew A. Cherry

Illustrated by Vashti Harrison

Publisher’s Synopsis: It’s up to Daddy to give his daughter an extra-special hairstyle in this ode to self-confidence and the love between fathers and daughters, from Academy-Award winning director and former NFL wide receiver Matthew A. Cherry and New York Times bestselling illustrator Vashti Harrison.

Zuri’s hair has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way. Zuri knows it’s beautiful. When Daddy steps in to style it for an extra special occasion, he has a lot to learn. But he LOVES his Zuri, and he’ll do anything to make her — and her hair — happy.

Tender and empowering, Hair Love is an ode to loving your natural hair — and a celebration of daddies and daughters everywhere.

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Ages 4-8 | Publisher: Kokila | May 14, 2019 | ISBN-13: 978-0525553366

Waiting Is Not Easy!

Written and Illustrated by Mo Willems

Publisher’s Synopsis: Gerald is careful. Piggie is not.
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.

Gerald and Piggie are best friends.

In Waiting Is Not Easy!, Piggie has a surprise for Gerald, but he is going to have to wait for it. And Wait. And wait some more…

Buy the Book

Ages 6-8 | Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children | November 4, 2014 | ISBN-13: 978-1423199571

The information for the best-selling picture books was gathered from the New York Times Best Sellers list, which reflects the sales of picture books sold nationwide, including independent and chain stores. It is correct at the time of publication and presented in random order. Visit www.nytimes.com for their most current and up-to-date list.

For more books like these best-selling picture books, follow along with our Picture Book category!