The 2022 Good Housekeeping Kids' Book Awards

Written by Alex Boniello, and April Lavalle, illustrated by James Kwan

Coauthored by the producers of the musical Hadestown, this book addresses anxiety through the story of a robot who gets “the zaps” sometimes. At first, the robot tries to ignore his anxiety, but when things get worse, his parents take him to Dr. Bleep Boop, from whom he learns coping strategies. The futuristic setting and use of humor sets this story, reviewed by the Child Mind Institute, apart from other mental health books for kids.
Ages 4 – 8

Tester Note: “My 4-year-old asks to read this book over and over and has talked about how he feels when he gets the zaps,” said one teacher mom.

Written by Avery Monsen, illustrated by Abby Hanlon

Each sentence in this story is set up to end in an easy rhyme, but since Chester doesn’t remember how to do it, he uses a synonym that falls flat. Example: “He played it real cool and picked up his backpack and walked to his and walked to his...learning place with his teachers and stuff." Kids testers laughed, and helped Chester out with the right word (school!). “It’s a spectacular read-aloud,” says judge Jules Danielson, a children’s book blogger.
Ages 4 – 8

Tester Note: Take a close look at the illustrations, such as the objects scattered in Chester’s room. They’re all rhyming pairs.

Written and illustrated by Joseph Kuefler

When a lost duckling wanders onto a construction site, most of the equipment thinks she has to go. But a yellow digger shows kindness, and eventually the duckling endears its way into everyone’s hearts. For any kid obsessed with construction vehicles, this book is a stellar way to promote acceptance and cooperation while discussing what really constitutes a family. “Construction and baby animals are always a big hit with kids, so a book that combines both is sure to be popular, says librarian Nikki Glassley of the Nashville Public Library. “This story about creating your own family is engaging enough for kids, but touching enough to win over any grown-up.”
Ages 4 – 8

Tester Note: “The artwork was great!” noted one reviewer. “The colors and characters felt fresh, and my son had fun identifying each truck as we read the story.”

By Sophie Blackall

Parents’ choice: While kids liked this story about a once bustling nineteenth-century farmhouse where 12 children were raised, grown-ups got choked up about how the property lives on in a most unexpected way. No spoilers (read the author’s note), but let’s just say it involves wallpaper and a bird’s nest rather than a reno.
Ages 4 – 8

Tester Note: “I was totally amazed by the backstory to this book, and the creative process she used in making it,” said one reviewer. “The story is lovely too, and reads much like a poem.”

Written by Anita Sanchez, illustrated by Luisa Uribe

Sanchez, an environmental educator, crafts a wondrous book about the puddle at the end of her driveway. The book opens with a child asking “Hello, puddle! Who’s here?” The following pages highlight the living creatures that the puddle supports throughout the seasons from ducks taking baths to snails making tracks. The text is designed so that only the larger type could be read to younger kids, while older ones enjoy the extra details in smaller print. “I love that the author provides a glossary and two experiments to encourage further exploration!” says librarian Hanson.
Ages 4 – 7

Tester Note: Expect that kids will pick up on different things on subsequent reads. “The second time I read the story, my kids understood how the different animals all relied on or contributed to the puddle in different ways,” said one dad.

By Shannon Anderson, illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett

A multi-layered story about a resourceful girl who is determined to grow strawberries received the highest scores from parents and kids of all the books tested. A series of handwritten diary entries, along with a bit of regular text, chronicle (often with humor) the girl’s efforts to convince her parents that she’s mature and hard-working enough to raise berries. “This book explores themes of responsibility, passion and entrepreneurship while explaining the process of growing one's own food and the lifecycle of a plant,” says judge Sandhya Nankani, founder of The Story Seeds Podcast. Bonus: The publisher is a nonprofit!
Ages 4 – 7

Tester Note: Look at the dates on each diary entry. “My son loved how it showed the garden over time,” said one reviewer.

Written by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Kate Berube

Let’s have a round of applause for a book about a boy ballet dancer without any hint of commentary about gender stereotypes. Through watercolor illustrations and text that’s anything but heavy-handed, little readers learn that John wants to perform at his school assembly, but he’s nervous — at least until he actually starts dancing and his classmates support him.
Ages 4 – 8

Tester Note: “An absolute must-own for every teacher in the world. Kids will learn to love the differences we all have, and see the importance of celebrating each person for who they are,” said Colby Sharp, a fifth-grade teacher, father of five and co-founder of the Nerdy Book Club.

Written and illustrated by Christopher Denise

Starring a tiny owl who yearns to be a real knight and guard a castle, this King Arthur-esque story has a cool twist that appealed to all our testers. When a giant dragon approaches the castle and wants to eat the owl, he comes up with, let’s just say, a wise yet deliciously cheesy solution. The plot delivers an important message of finding common ground.
Ages 4 – 8

Tester Note: “My 4-year-old learned that knights and heroes come in all shapes and sizes,” said one mom. Another added, “I liked the clever play on words and how it teaches that you can be small and still be brave.”

Written by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Dan Santat

The choose-your-own-adventure format applied to fairytales is pure magic. First, kids decide whether the main character, Rosie, should wear her red cape or coziest faux fur coat. Then kids flip to the designated pages where they make more choices and may encounter the big bad wolf, princesses, a little pig, and so forth. There are around a dozen possible endings, which means this book will be read over and over again. “It’s a great tool to illustrate how stories progress from beginning, middle, to end,” says judge Lauren Bercuson, a school librarian.
Ages 5 – 8

Tester Note: There are some scary endings, so the book is best for kids who don’t frighten easily.

Written by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Leo Espinosa

Filled with jump ropes, hopscotch boards and ice-cream trucks, this joyful story transports kids to the care-free summers in Brooklyn that the legendary author had growing up. It’s a welcome dose of nostalgia for parents (and grandparents) as well as an eye-opener for kids that the most fun screen might just be the one on your porch.
Ages 5 – 8

Tester Note: “It’s a fresh way to teach children about the past, about making the best out of your time with friends,” said one mom. Her 7-year-old daughter added, “The art reminded me of a cartoon because it’s so colorful.”

Written by Maudie Smith, illustrated by Jen Khatun

Who would have thought that a book about upcycling could give you all the feels? Yet here it is: Jake’s mom is always making something new out of discarded items, and he worries that she’ll eventually want to change him too. In a tender ending, mom explains to Jake, “There is not a thing about you that I would change.”
Ages 6 – 10

Tester Note: The mom uses a wheelchair, but it’s not mentioned in the story. “The wheelchair was just there,” said one reviewer. “No one had to explain it. It was normalized and accepted.”

Written and illustrated by Kelly Crull

The tiger shark on the cover is one of 14 sculptures of sea creatures featured in this book — and they’re all made out of plastic collected during ocean cleanups. Text about how plastic impacts that animal’s environment will fascinate budding naturalists. The bottom of each page challenges kids to find objects, lip balm, hangers and plastic toys among them, used to make the sculpture.
Ages 6 – 10

Tester Note: If younger kids are enjoying the book with their older siblings, engage them with the seek-and-find element while you read the text.