A good picture book can do what a pep talk can’t. It can calm first-day nerves, bring a family’s language into the classroom and show a child that kids like them belong in the story.

By our editors · Picks checked October 9, 2026. Product details and availability change, so check the listing before you buy.

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Disclosure: KidBrief earns a small commission when you buy books through our Bookshop.org links. Bookshop shares its profits with independent bookstores. Treehouse Learning Center, which publishes KidBrief, chose these books. No publisher paid to be here. How we make money.

These are books our teachers recommend, plus a few straight off our classroom shelves. You’ll find them all in the KidBrief shop on Bookshop.org.

For first days and goodbyes

Teachers recommend

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

Chester the raccoon is nervous about school, so his mother gives him a kiss in his palm to carry with him. Families copy the ritual at drop-off for years. Find it on Bookshop.org (paid link).

Teachers recommend

Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney

Llama’s first day of preschool, missed mama and all. It ends with a reunion and a classroom full of new friends. Find it on Bookshop.org (paid link).

Teachers recommend

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell

Three baby owls wake up and their mother is gone. She comes back, just like grown-ups do at pickup. Find it on Bookshop.org (paid link).

Teachers recommend

The Invisible String by Patrice Karst

An invisible string of love connects us to the people we miss. For kids old enough to worry while they’re apart. Find it on Bookshop.org (paid link).

Teachers recommend

Bye-Bye Time by Elizabeth Verdick

A sturdy board book that walks toddlers through a short goodbye routine. It also comes in an English-Spanish edition. Find it on Bookshop.org (paid link).

Struggling with drop-off? Read our guide to the goodbye routine that actually helps.

A woman and a child lying on the floor reading a picture book together
Photo: Vitaly Gariev / Unsplash

In English and Spanish

Teachers recommend

¡Pío Peep! Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes, selected by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy

Classic rhymes many grandparents know by heart, in Spanish with English versions on the same page. Find it on Bookshop.org (paid link).

Teachers recommend

Counting with / Contando con Frida by Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein

A bilingual counting board book from the Lil’ Libros series, built around the world of artist Frida Kahlo. Find it on Bookshop.org (paid link).

Teachers recommend

Bebés del mundo / Global Babies

Photos of babies from around the world. Babies love looking at other babies, and this one comes with words in both languages. Find it on Bookshop.org (paid link).

Where every kind of kid belongs

Teachers recommend

All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold

A school where every child and every family is welcome. A favorite for the first week of school. Find it on Bookshop.org (paid link).

Teachers recommend

Just Ask! by Sonia Sotomayor

Kids with different abilities and conditions plant a garden together, and each one shares what makes them who they are. The message: if you’re curious, just ask. Find it on Bookshop.org (paid link).

Teachers recommend

A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey

Henry, an autistic boy, is looking for a friend in his classroom. A gentle look at friendship from his point of view. Find it on Bookshop.org (paid link).

Teachers recommend

We’ll Paint the Octopus Red by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen

Emma learns her new baby brother has Down syndrome and figures out they can still do everything she dreamed of, just maybe a little differently. Find it on Bookshop.org (paid link).

Straight off our classroom shelves

Treehouse classrooms bought these for babies and toddlers. Trucks, planes and community helpers never get old.

Want to build reading at home? See our science-backed plan for teaching your child to read.