September’s Best New Picture Books to Gift

Max and Bird, by Ed Vere
Max is a kitten, and Bird, well, he’s a bird. Kittens chase birds. Birds get chased by kittens. It’s a fact of nature. But what if they’re friends? Bird asks his new pal Max to teach him to fly before he considers chasing him and eating him for a “tasty snack.” After days and weeks of trying together, Bird finally takes flight. A bird of his word, he tells Max he can finally chase him. But after some serious thinking, Max decides he’d rather not eat his good friend. The third installment in the Max series is a cute, quirky, and playful tale of an unlikely friendship.

Come With Me, by Holly M. McGhee and Pascal Lemaitre
Sometimes it can be hard to understand your place in this big scary, fearful world of ours. This sweet and simple book is a great way to help kids understand that we are all simultaneously different and the same, that kindness matters, and that one person’s seemingly small gestures really can make a difference. A young girl asks her father what she can do to make the world a better place, and he simply replies, “Come with me.” They board the subway and nod and smile at all the commuters. When her mother responds to that question the same way, they go to a grocery store, where she sees and learns that collectively all people and cultures come together in harmony. Later, she asks her parents to walk the dog alone, and reaches out to a neighborhood boy—and simultaneously the reader—saying, “Come with me.” Together, they will take small steps to make big changes in the world around them.

50 Cities of the USA, by Gabrielle Balkan and Sol Linero
Chock full of fun facts and quirky tidbits, this colorful and intricately illustrated book takes kids on a wild and explorative tour through 50 of the most beloved cities in the United States, in an A to Z format. From skyscrapers to museums to famous food trucks, readers get the lowdown on all the local must-see sites.

Her Right Foot, by Dave Eggers and Shawn Harris
This is a book about the Status of Liberty. But more specifically, it’s about her right foot—which, as you may not have previously realized, is actually in mid-stride. Think about it: freedom, the pursuit of happiness, and the end of oppression are not things that can be accomplished by standing still. In fact, these very virtues of the United States require movement and action and courage above all else. And so, while Lady Liberty may technically remain static, she is actually always in motion.

Smoot: A Rebellious Shadow, by Michelle Cuevas and Sydney Smith
It’s no fun living in someone else’s shadow. And Smoot, the shadow, is tired of following the lead of his boy who never plays or leaps or runs or dances or acts wild in any way. So one day, Smoot “pops free, and goes on an independent quest to live his own exciting life.” Soon, other shadows see his courageous action and break free too. But what about their human companions? How do they fare? And will Smoot’s boy ever gain the fortitude to live his life to the fullest too?