Local Picture Books for Little Readers

No More Tantrums
Help your child tame her tantrums with a fun read that helps little ones learn the tools that big kids can use to calm down. Alameda mom and author-illustrator Maria van Lieshout uses bold illustrations, simple language and just the right amount of humor in the latest title in the Big Kid Power series, which also includes Bye-Bye Binky and I Use the Potty. Chronicle Books, 2017. $9.99.
Sleep Train
Young railroad fans will drift off to sleep with the soothing rhymes and counting cars from Sonoma County’s Jonathan London, author of the beloved Froggy series. Make sure to look closely at the breathtaking visuals by illustrator Lauren Eldridge – they’re actually photographs of painstakingly detailed 3D dioramas. Viking, 2018. $17.99.
Bunny Built
What’s an industrious bunny to do when he grows a ridiculously enormous carrot? Follow along on the adventure of handy LaRue, written and illustrated by Michael Slack of Lafayette, as he uses his ingenuity to solve problems and strengthen friendships. Henry Holt and Co., 2018. $17.99.
10 Gulab Jamuns
Learn to count while savoring Indian culture with this picture book written by Sandhya Acharya of Santa Clara. Inspired by her childhood sweet tooth, with characters based on her two young sons, Acharya introduces readers to an Indian treat of fried dough soaked in syrup – with a dash of subtraction skills as they quickly disappear. A bonus recipe is included in the back. Mascot Books, 2017. $14.95.
Janine DeFao is an associate editor at Bay Area Parent and editor of Preschool & Childcare Finder.