“The Wild Garden” by Cynthia Cliff (Prestel, ages 5-9)

Compare a wild countryside with a cultivated garden, and follow Jilly and Grandpa through the seasons. This book is downright luscious in its rich illustrations.

“What's Cooking in Flowerville? Recipes from Garden, Balcony or Window Box” by Felicita Sala (Prestel, ages 5-9)

Keep the garden interest going (and growing) with this beautifully illustrated book that might also get kids in the kitchen. Go month-by-month through the simple but taste-expanding recipes. And don’t miss the gardening actions and guide to what to plant at the end.

“Big Hedgehog and Little Hedgehog Take An Evening Stroll” by Britta Teckentrup (Prestel, ages 3-7)

This beautiful story of the senses is an ideal tale for drifting off to sleep, just like Little Hedgehog. Twilight turns to night as sights and sounds accompany this pair on their walk.

“Paint Brushes for Frida” by Veronique Massenot and Elise Mansot (Prestel, ages 4 – 8)

Inspired by Frida Kahlo’s 1943 painting “Self-Portrait with Monkeys,” little readers – especially those who love to paint and create – might get the giggles as the elements of this work of art come together.

“The Rooster of Notre Dame” by Geraldine Eischner and Remi Saillard (Prestel, ages 4 – 8)

When the iconic spire of Notre Dame collapsed during the cathedral fire in 2019, exactly what happened to the weathervane rooster on top? Get the story from the rooster himself in this book that tells how the many treasures of the site were saved that day.

“American Desi” by Jyoti Rajan Gopal, illustrated by Supriya Kelkar (Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers, ages 4 – 8)

With rhyming text and sweeping, colorful illustrations, little readers can see how it is not only possible, but quite beautiful to bridge two cultures and find the strengths and joy of both.