Bank Street’s Children’s Book Committee selects 20 Stimola titles for their 2026 Best Children’s Books of the Year list
UNDER FIVE
Every Monday Mabel written and illustrated by Jashar Awan
Fireworks by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Cátia Chien
Bear in the Air by Allison Wortche, illustrated by Cat Min
Broken written and illustrated by X. Fang
Under Anna’s Umbrella by Amanda Driscoll, illustrated by Luisa Uribe
AGE FIVE TO NINE
To See an Owl written and illustrated by Matthew Cordell
A Place for Us: A Story in Pictures written and illustrated by James E. Ransome
Rabbit’s Feat written and illustrated by Barney Saltzberg
Dasher and the Polar Bear (Dasher series) written and illustrated by Matt Tavares
Henry’s Picture-Perfect Day (Henry series) by Jenn Bailey, illustrated by Mika Song
The Bi Book by A. J. Irving, illustrated by Cynthia Alonso
The Blue Jays That Grew a Forest by Lynn Street, illustrated by Anne Hunter
The Lonely Goose by Lela Nargi, illustrated by Anne Hunter
AGE NINE TO TWELVE
Words with Wings and Magic Things by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Doug Salati
The Five Sides of Marjorie Rice: How to Discover a Shape by Amy Alznauer, illustrated by Anna Bron
Smash, Crash, Topple, Roll!: The Inventive Rube Goldberg: A Life in Comics, Contraptions, and Six Simple Machines by Catherine Thimmesh, illustrated by Shanda McCloskey
AGE TWELVE TO FOURTEEN
All the Blues in the Sky by Renée Watson
Sunrise on the Reaping (Hunger Games series) by Suzanne Collins
Tell Me Every Lie by Ellen Hagan and David Flores
American Spirits: The Famous Fox Sisters and the Mysterious Fad That Haunted a Nation by Barb Rosenstock