Kidlit: In Praise of the Humble Puddle

Spring is finally here, and with it comes every kid's springtime best friend: the puddle. Pull on your rain boots and jump into our favorite books about an unsung childhood hero.

Little Bird Takes a Bath by Marisabina Russo

The morning after a big storm, Little Bird soars over all of Manhattan trying to find the perfect puddle.

This book is: colorful, a good read-aloud, playful.
 

Puddle Pug by Kim Norman, art by Keika Yamaguchi

How can one librarian even write an annotation that captures the adorableness for this book? I mean, it's a pug... in a puddle... it doesn't get better than that.

This book is: an adventure story, silly, sweet.

Puddle by Hyewon Yum

An ingenious mom uses the magic of drawing to turn one kid's grouchy rainy day into a happy one.

This book is: artistic, colorful, upbeat.

Mudkin by Stephen Gammell

When a mischevious new friend emerges from a puddle, a little girl learns the endless possibilities of playing with mud. 

This book is: almost wordless, creative, imaginative.

Estamos en Primavera = It's Spring by Jackie Heckt, art by Aurora Aguilera

Puddle season is the best season of all!

This book is: bilingual, bright, easy to read.

The Deep Deep Puddle by Mary Jessie Parker, art by Deborah Zemke

A quirky counting book! Starting with one shaggy dog, everyone begins falling into a gigantic puddle on a city street. Two cats, three squirrels, four pigeons... where will the silliness end?  

This book is: funny, offbeat, visually stimulating.

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Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you'd recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!