Children's Book Suggestions | Spring Holidays

There are so many holidays in March & April that we could barely fit them on this month's display sign! Here are a few of our favorite books for the 8 holidays coming up:


March 11 | Ramadan Begins

March 19 | Nowruz (Persian New Year)

March 19 | Spring Equinox

March 23 | Purim

March 25 | Holi

March 31 | Easter

April 9 | Eid al-Fitr (Ramadan Ends)

April 22 | Passover

May 5 | Pascha (Orthodox Christian Easter)

Updated February 16, 2024
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Ramadan
Eliot, Hannah
Paper Book
Learn all about the traditions of Ramadan with this first book in the brand-new board book series Celebrate the World, which highlights celebrations across the globe. In the ninth month of the year, when the first crescent moon rises in the sky, it's time to celebrate Ramadan! In...

A simple introduction to the holiday for the youngest readers. (Board Book Age 0-2)

March 11 | Ramadan Begins

Lailah's lunchbox : a Ramadan story
Faruqi, Reem
Paper Book
Lailah solves her problem with help from the school librarian and her teacher and in doing so learns that she can make new friends who respect her beliefs. This gentle, moving story from first-time author Reem Faruqi comes to life in Lea Lyon's vibrant illustrations. Lyon uses decorative...

A story exploring the dynamics of fasting in an elementary school environment. (Holiday Picture Book Age 7-10)

March 11 | Ramadan Begins

Moon's Ramadan
Kazi, Natasha Khan
Paper Book
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection A School Library Journal Best Book A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book A Bank Street Best Children's Book With radiant and welcoming art, Natasha Khan Kazi's debut picture book is a modern holiday classic that...

A moon's eye view of the monthlong holiday, which begins on the first night of the crescent moon and ends one lunar cycle later with Eid al-Fitr. (Holiday Picture Book Age 4-8)

March 11 | Ramadan Begins

The gift of Ramadan
Lumbard, Alexis York
Paper Book
Sophia wants to fast for Ramadan this year. Her grandma tells her that fasting helps make a person sparkly--and Sophia loves sparkles. But when her attempt at fasting fails, Sophia must find another way to participate. This lovely multigenerational family story explores the many ways to take part in...

A family helps a child who's too young to fast find other ways to observe Ramadan. (Holiday Picture Book Age 4-8)

March 11 | Ramadan Begins

Ramadan Kareem
Yuksel, M. O./ Aly, Hatem (ILT)
Paper Book
From M. O. Yuksel and Hatem Aly, the acclaimed creators of the award-winning In My Mosque, comes Ramadan Kareem--a delightful, diverse celebration of Ramadan around the world. Don't miss this modern classic that celebrates the emotions and joy of this important holiday. Come in and...

A global look at one of the most important months for Muslims around the world. (Holiday Picture Book Age 4-8)

March 11 | Ramadan Begins

The wheel of the year : an illustrated guide to nature's rhythms
Cook, Fiona
Paper Book
A beautifully illustrated, interactive guide to ancient, nature-based holidays and customs. Through themed meditations, crafts, and rituals, young readers can learn about old and new ways of honoring the seasons--and create their own! Each "spoke" in The Wheel of...

A great resource for families who celebrate nature-based holidays with ties to pre-Christian European traditions, which includes activity ideas for the 8 major spokes in the Wheel of the Year--including Ostara or the Spring Equinox. (Holiday Book Age 8-12)

March 19 | Spring Equinox

Once upon an Eid : stories of hope and joy by 15 Muslim voices
Saeed, Aisha
Paper Book
A joyous short story collection by and about Muslims, edited by New York Times bestselling author Aisha Saeed and Morris finalist S. K. Ali Once Upon an Eid is a collection of short stories that showcases the most brilliant Muslim voices writing today, all about the most joyful holiday of the year:...

Short stories about Eid provide a wonderful sampler platter-style introduction to 15 contemporary Muslim authors. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

April 9 | Eid al-Fitr

And then it's spring
Fogliano, Julie.
Paper Book
Following a snow-filled winter, a young boy and his dog decide that they've had enough of all that brown and resolve to plant a garden. They dig, they plant, they play, they wait . . . and wait . . . until at last, the brown becomes a more hopeful shade of brown, a sign that spring may finally be...

My favorite spring readaloud, written by acclaimed children's poet Julie Fogliano and illustrated by Caldecott Medal winner Erin E. Stead. (Picture Book Age 4-8)

March 19 | Spring Equinox

Spectacular spring
Goldstone, Bruce
Paper Book
Spring is a season of beginnings, from blooming flowers to active animals. People spend more time outdoors, days grow longer, and umbrellas pop open as the weather shifts from snow to rain. There's so much to see and do in spring--and this book will prepare you for all of it! With...

Vibrant photo collages describe the changes in the natural world that happen every spring, along with activity ideas for younger children. (Children's Nonfiction Age 4-8)

Happy springtime!
McMullan, Kate
Paper Book
When winter is at its coldest and darkest, take heart! Every day the sun shines longer, Spring is on its way! All winter, the days grow a little bit longer, The nights grow a little bit shorter, until the day becomes exactly as long as the night. On that day we...

A celebration of spring by the beloved author of I Stink! (Picture Book Age 4-8)

March 19 | Spring Equinox

Snowman - cold = puddle : spring equations
Salas, Laura Purdie
Ebook
Poetry + Math + Science = A new way of looking at spring Math meets metaphor in this eye-opening exploration of spring. Each clever equation is a tiny, perfect poem that prompts readers to look at the ordinary and see the miraculous. Can you look at an egg in a nest and see a...

Poetry and math combine in this concept book about the changes that occur as spring brings warmer weather. (Children's Nonfiction Age 4-8)

March 19 | Spring Equinox

The royal recipe : a Purim story
Rubinstein, Elana
Paper Book
Named a 'BEST BOOK of 2023' by School Library Journal! An Association of Jewish Libraries "Holiday Highlights" Title for Spring 2023! "Will enhance multicultural literature collections of early reader chapter books"  --School Library Journal<...

A Jewish girl accidentally summons a modern-day Haman and must save her grandparents' restaurant in time for their Purim celebration. (Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4)

March 23 | Purim

Holi colors
Singh, Rina
Paper Book
Experience Holi with every color of the rainbow! This Hindu celebration known as the festival of colors and the festival of love signifies the end of winter, the arrival of spring and the victory of good over evil. A time to laugh, play, visit friends and get messy! Little ones will love...

This concept book uses the Hindu festival to help the littlest readers learn their colors. (Board Book Age 0-2)

March 25 | Holi

Festival of colors
Sehgal, Kabir
Paper Book
Learn all about Holi, the Indian Festival of Colors, in this lush picture book from bestselling mother/son duo Surishtha Sehgal and Kabir Sehgal. Spring is here, and it's almost time for Holi, the Indian Festival of Colors. Siblings Mintoo and Chintoo are busy gathering flowers...

A brother and sister duo prepare for Holi, including harvesting flowers and crushing the dried petals to make colorful powder to toss during the celebrations. (Holiday Picture Book Age 2-8)

March 25 | Holi

Holi hai!
Soundar, Chitra
Paper Book
"Soundar's clear, concise text provides an excellent introduction to Holi and its significance, as well as a beautiful story about love and forgiveness, making it a great choice for reading alone or sharing with family."--Booklist Celebrate the...

A young girl struggles with disappointment when she isn't able to toss her favorite color in the Holi celebrations. (Children's Picture Book Age 4-8)

March 25 | Holi

We're going on an egg hunt
Hughes, Laura (Illustrator of children's books)
Paper Book
A perfect story for Easter and springtime, this delightful read-aloud also features ten lift-the-flaps! We're going on an egg hunt. We're going to find them all. We're REALLY excited. Hooray for Easter Day! Join a family of bunnies...

An Easter egg hunt twist on the classic rhyme "We're Going on a Bear Hunt." (Holiday Picture Book Age 4-8)

March 31 | Easter

Elijah's easter suit
Jackson, Brentom
Paper Book
In a story full of style, sass, and significance, ayoung boy goes on a quest for the perfect Easter church outfit, inspired by elders from his community. Along the way learns about the importance of Easter traditions to his family, his ancestors, and the Black church. Elijah is...

A young boy searches for the perfect Easter suit, a Christian tradition with historical resonance in his Black church. (Holiday Picture Book Age 4-8)

March 31 | Easter

Minerva Louise and the colorful eggs
Stoeke, Janet Morgan.
Paper Book
Minerva Louise, the feather-brained fowl Publishers Weekly called "unquestionably a star," is enjoying springtime on the farm . . . until she finds some very peculiar eggs. Blue eggs, pink eggs, striped and spotted eggs.And they're in the strangest places--which hen is laying her eggs on top...

The Amelia Bedelia of fictional chickens solves the mystery of colored eggs on the farm. (Holiday Picture Book Age 4-8)

March 31 | Easter

Max's chocolate chicken
Wells, Rosemary.
Paper Book
Max and his sister Ruby go on an egg hunt and vie with each other for the prize--a chocolate chicken.

In possibly the greatest Easter book of all time, Max can't keep his bunny paws off the chocolate chicken prize for the Easter egg hunt winner. (Holiday Picture Book Age 3-7)

March 31 | Easter

Here comes the Easter Cat!
Underwood, Deborah.
Paper Book
ThisNew York Times bestseller brings acat with flair to spare, an Easter Bunny with a job to do, and a hilarious break from sticky-sweet Easter fare-for fans of Patrick McDonnell, Mo Willems'sElephant and Piggie, and Ben Clanton's Narwhal and Jelly. Why should the Easter...

A cheeky cat makes his case for taking over for the Easter bunny. (Holiday Picture Book Age 4-8)

March 31 | Easter

Petook : an Easter story
Houselander, Caryll.
Paper Book
The birth of new chicks underscores the joyous message of new life.

Illustrated by the wonderful Tomie dePaola, this modern folktale celebrates the Easter story. (Holiday Picture Book Age 4-8)

March 31 | Easter

Ali the Great and the Eid party surprise
Faruqi, Saadia
Paper Book
Eid Mubarak! Can Ali Tahir use his creative powers to save the holiday party? It's Eid--Ali's favorite day of the year! The family has fun plans for this special day after the Muslim holiday Ramadan. But Ali's brother, Fateh, is being cranky and keeps spoiling everything! Can Ali find a way to cheer...

Ali helps his little brother enjoy their family's Eid party. (Easy Reader Grades K-2)

April 9 | Eid al-Fitr

The Passover guest
Kusel, Susan
Paper Book
Sydney Taylor Award Winner A girl's kindness to a mysterious magician leads to a Passover miracle. Beautifully illustrated and deftly told, this story full of hope, tradition-- and just a touch of magic-- is a new Passover classic in the making. It...

A young girl in 1930s Washington, D.C. experiences a bit of Passover magic in this historical fiction tale. (Holiday Picture Book Age 4-8)

April 22 | Passover

An invitation to Passover
Olitzky, Kerry M.
Paper Book
When Hannah's extended family isn't able to join her for their traditional Passover seder, she invites her diverse group of friends to experience the holiday with her. From Ha-joon's Korean kimchi, to Monique's hymn lyrics, each friend brings a bit of their own culture to the celebration. And with...

A group of diverse classmates join their Jewish friend Hannah for a Passover seder at home. (Holiday Picture Book Age 4-8)

April 22 | Passover

Welcoming Elijah : a Passover tale with a tail
Newman, Lesléa
Paper Book
Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award and the National Jewish Book Award, Welcoming Elijahby celebrated author Leslea Newman, unites a young boy and a stray kitten in a warm, lyrical story about Passover, family, and friendship. Inside, a boy and his family sit around the...

A boy preparing to welcome Elijah for the Passover celebration finds a stray kitten outside his home. (Holiday Picture Book Age 4-8)

April 22 | Passover

More than enough : a passover story
Wayland, April Halprin
Paper Book
A family's Passover celebration is equal parts warmth and charm in this cozy picture book, with the traditional seder song "Dayenu" as the grateful refrain In this story told in spare, lyrical prose, a Jewish family prepares their Passover seder, visiting the farmer's market for...

The traditional song "Dayenu" shapes this gentle story about a family preparing their Passover seder. (Holiday Picture Book Age 4-8)

April 22 | Passover

Beni's tiny tales : around the year in Jewish holidays
Zalben, Jane Breskin
Paper Book
Join Beni and his family as they celebrate a year in Jewish Holidays, including all their favorite craft activities, recipes, songs, and stories for each occasion. The perfect gift book that gives all year long. Chronicling a full year of Jewish festivities--from...

Jane Breskin Zalben introduces a new generation of her Beni stories with Beni's children, nephews, and nieces with stories, recipes, and activities for each of the Jewish holidays--including Passover. (Holiday Picture Book Age 4-8)

April 22 | Passover

Beautiful eggs : a journey through decorative traditions from around the world
Lindstrom, Alice
Paper Book
A large-format board book for Easter that celebrates traditions of egg-decorating from around the world in exquisite cut-paper illustration. Discover a world of beautiful pattern and color! Decorated eggs are found all over the world in many different countries. They are a wonderful...

Explore different methods of egg-decorating around the world, including spectacular pysanky from Ukraine. (Holiday Picture Book Age 4-8)

May 5 | Pascha (Orthodox Christian Easter)

P. Zonka lays an egg
Paschkis, Julie.
Paper Book
When dreamy hen P. Zonka starts laying eggs, the other chickens are in for a spectacular surprise! Extraordinary hen P. Zonka spends her time taking in the beauty around her- the shiny green of the grass, the buttery yellow of the dandelions, the deep blue of the sky. The other...

A farmyard chicken lays a spectacular egg inspired by the Ukrainian egg decorating tradition. (Holiday Picture Book Age 4-8)

May 5 | Pascha (Orthodox Christian Easter)

Rechenka's eggs
Polacco, Patricia.
Paper Book
Old Babushka, known throughout all of Moskva for her beautifully painted eggs, is preparing her eggs for the Easter Festival when she takes in an injured goose. She names the goose Rechenka, and they live happily together until one day when Rechenka accidentally overturns a basket, breaking all of...

A beloved Ukrainian-American illustrator pays homage to art of pysanky in this story about a grandmother who takes in an injured goose while preparing eggs for Easter. (Holiday Picture Book Age 4-8)

May 5 | Pascha (Orthodox Christian Easter)


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