The upcoming season of gift-giving is the perfect excuse to introduce the kids in your life to some new stories.

Southland authors and illustrators published books this year that expand our understanding of nature, explore how friendships weather tough times, illuminate the warmth and strength within families, and invite us on amusing adventures.

Los Angeles librarian Basya Samuels says children who pick up a book about a character or a family that looks like theirs feel a sense of connection.

“We want them to be literate, we want them to grow in their education,” Samuels says. “This is how you do it, by giving them books that speak directly to their hearts.”

And books are also a window onto lives that are different from our own, but no less interesting, important or special.

Built to Last

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Knopf Books for Young Readers / Random House Children’s Books

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San Diego author Minh Lê and Los Angeles illustrator Dan Santat team up to tell the story of two inventive friends who “build things we could never have dreamt up on our own.” Santat’s illustrations transform the boys’ tinkerings into sprawling fantastical landscapes inhabited by dragons, skyscrapers and flying sea turtles.

“You see … what they're working on looks like in their imagination and it's just extraordinary,” says L.A. County Library children’s fiction selector Grisel Oquendo.

But as the boys’ creations and ambitions grow, so do the scale of their catastrophes. They discover what it takes to repair the most important group project — friendship.

Bye Land, Bye Sea

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Roaring Brook Press/ Macmillan Children's

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The magic of this book starts with the cover, says Once Upon a Time Bookstore Manager Jessica Palacios. The cutouts in the binoculars give the reader a peek at the pages inside where a mysterious boat in the distance captained by a young girl.

She lands on the beach and greets the boy behind the binoculars with a “hi.” He responds with “hola.” Los Angeles husband-and-wife duo René Spencer and Rodolfo Montalvo narrate their adventure in English and Spanish, but without direct translation from one language to the other. Monolingual readers can still understand the story with clues from the dialogue and imagery.

“It’s basically talking about communication past barriers of language through nature, and connection and developing a friendship in a beautiful story,” Palacios says.

Can You Hear the Plants Speak?

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HarperCollins

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LAist met Nicholas Hummingbird earlier this year as he taught Indigenous youth how to fold native plant seeds into clay “bombs” that can regenerate the landscape with flora that feeds birds, bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

“As a Native person, seeing little to none of our native plants anymore is part of an erasure,” the Ventura-based Cahuilla educator says. “Here's a way that we continue to resist by simply existing and being where we have every right to be — and not giving up.”

“Can You Hear the Plants Speak?” is Hummingbird’s first book and co-written with Los Angeles educator Julia Wasson. Hummingbird shares the story of how his great-grandparents taught him about California’s natural world, from the towering oak to fragrant white sage and blooming buckwheat. That knowledge lay dormant and then re-emerged as Hummingbird navigated adult- and fatherhood. Readers learn not only to identify native plants, but also the role they might play in helping protect and revitalize them.

The Dream Catcher

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Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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Miguel and his abuelito make a living selling fresh coconuts and handmade dream catchers along the Oaxacan coast. The young boy imagines flying high in an airplane, while others around him long for a colorful world, a hot meal and to reconnect with those they’ve lost.

Abuelito protects his grandson’s soaring wishes, while also grounding him in the beauty of the present and the reality that not every dream comes true.

Los Angeles based teacher Marcelo Verdad has said the story’s colorful, textured illustrations and bittersweetness are rooted in his relationship with his home country, Mexico.

“Life itself … can be both beautiful yet heartbreaking,” Verdad told Latinos in Publishing. “And that’s the story that I wanted to tell this time, about life on Earth.”

The book is also available in Spanish as El Atrapasueños.

From Park to Playa

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Abrams Books for Young Readers

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Culver City author Nell Cross Beckerman takes readers on a hike inspired by the 13-mile trail that links islands of green space from Baldwin Hills to the ocean at Playa Del Rey.

This book dispels any misconception that our urban landscape is devoid of wildlife. Along the way, we meet the animal neighbors who live underfoot, overhead, and in the sea. There are also cameos of other iconic L.A. sights (beach bonfires), sounds (buzzing helicopters) and tastes (chile-lime drenched fruit).

Maybe the book will inspire your family to take a field trip. “It's actually something that I've added to my bucket list because of this picture book,” Oquendo says.

The Home We Make

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Lee & Low Books

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The young girl at the center of the story leaves home with her family in search of safety and a “life full of hope and wonder.” They pass through landscapes tinged red with conflict, cross a wide blue sea, find the color of community at a refugee camp and finally arrive in an unfamiliar place that will become home.

The book balances the wrenching emotions and challenges of the journey with the warmth found in connection and the gift of safety. Los Angeles illustrator Daby Zainab Faidhi dedicates the book to “those who’ve left home, those who stayed, and those who have known the shelter of untroubled times, acknowledging the shared struggles and stories that connect us all.”

The House Before Falling Into The Sea

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Dial Books

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This book follows a family that opens their home to Northerners seeking refuge during the Korean War, a generous act that is not without challenges for the young girl at the center of the story.

The experiences of Southern California author Ann Suk Wang’s mother and grandparents inspired "The House Before Falling Into The Sea."

Children’s librarian Soo Jin Kim, who is Korean American, says the book offers another perspective on a challenging chapter in history.

“You always hear about the hardships of the war, the difficulties,” Kim said. “But you don't hear much about the kindness that came out through all that.”

The message of generosity and empathy resonates in a moment when so many people around the world, and in our own neighborhoods, are searching for safety.

Imagine You and Me

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Dial Books

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Randall (bear, real) and Parker (human, imaginary) are inseparable sand castle-building, jungle-exploring, dragon-riding best friends. That is, until Randall starts spending more time with a new crew.

“Their friendship changes, but they always have the memories of the time that they spent together,” Kim said.

Disney animator and illustrator Bensom Shum’s story reminds us that past joy offers a wellspring of comfort in the midst of transition.

Into The Mighty Sea

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HarperCollins

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Mariel’s family is colorful, loud, loving and at times — overwhelming. But with the help of her parents, she learns how to paint herself into a calmer state.

San Gabriel Valley author Arlene Abundis grew up confronting feelings like Mariel’s and looking for a way to feel safe in her mind and body.

“My most vivid childhood memories are of escaping from social gatherings to my father’s garden,” Abundis writes in the author's note. “Even today, I still escape to his garden for peace when I feel my inner world spiraling out of control.”

Mama’s Panza

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Kokila/Penguin Young Readers

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Inland Empire author Isabel Quintero honors all midsections in a story centered around the connection between a young boy and his Mamá. We see how bellies can be soft, strong, miraculous, musical and comforting.

L.A. Public Library’s Basya Samuels says she noticed the theme of body positivity in the “sweet, but joyful” pages.

“Everybody has a different panza and they're all perfect and they're all beautiful,” Samuels says. “They bring joy and that's the feeling that you get through the book.”

This book is also published in Spanish as La Panza de Mamá.

Miso Magic

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Albert Whitman & Company

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Los Angeles author Moni Ritchie Hadley invites us into the warm, steamy, tradition-steeped process that is making miso.

We follow little Chiyoko through her first winter in the family barn where the kōji mold transforms rice and soybeans into savory miso. Though at first, she’d much rather be making a snowman.

“I like how she learns to appreciate the hard work and patience that goes into making miso,” librarian Kim said. “It kind of feels like magic in the end, how it all comes together.”

Our Nipa Hut

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Barefoot Books

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Yelena’s home is little different than those you might find in L.A. with its sturdy bamboo stilts and and palm leaf roof. Southern California author Rachell Abalos’ debut picture book is inspired by a Filipino song her grandmother sang to her about these traditional structures and her own experience weathering a volcanic eruption on Luzon as a child.

“The art in that is just so bright and interesting,” Palacios said. “It really grabs, like, your attention with all the little animals and the details.”

In the end, Yelena learns that the key to weathering storms lies not only in the strength of the hut, but of her family.

The book includes additional information about tropical storms, climate change, architecture and the Philippines and would be a good starting point for a conversation on any of these topics.

The Thingamajig

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Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

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An enthusiastic young elephant sets out on a quest to recover their parent’s lost “thing-a-ma-jig.” As the search party grows, so does the list of missing items — a shell-less green snail is looking for a hoo-pull-dee-pewp, a squirrel is in search of a shis-moo and a butterfly needs their doop-ee-dit back asap!

Los Angeles creator Rilla Alexander explains in the final pages that each one of these tongue-twisters is a word that stands in for that name you can’t remember in different countries and languages.

This book would make a riotous read-aloud! And while these words sound silly, they can help your child practice an important skill. Learning how to read and say “nonsense” words is one way to practice decoding the sounds of letters— an important building block of literacy.

Some of our favorite places to shop for children's books

Children’s Book World
A longstanding and vast west L.A. outpost for children’s books.

Gallery Nucleus
There’s an eclectic shelf of books and gifts for kids at this art gallery that often highlights pop culture and also carries prints from children’s illustrators.

LA Librería
The Mid-City organization specializes in Spanish-language books for kids and also hosts workshops and other events to share the diversity of Spanish-speaking cultures.

Malik Books 
This bookstore’s two locations focus on African American books and gifts, including for children.

MiJa Books
An online Lakewood-based bookseller focused on multicultural children’s books. Watch their website for appearances at school book fairs and pop-up events.

Octavia’s Bookshelf
This Pasadena bookstore is named for one of the city’s most famous authors, Octavia Butler, and carries titles mainly from authors of color.

Once Upon A Time Bookstore
The nation's oldest continuously running children’s book purveyor.

The Salt Eaters Bookshop
This bookstore focused on works by and about Black women, girls and gender expansive people has a small, but colorful children’s book section.

Tía Chucha’s Centro Cultural and Bookstore
The shop focuses on Xicanx, Latinx, and Indigenous stories. The multi-use space also hosts arts workshops and other community gatherings.

LAist reviewed dozens of books to make this list and got recommendations from several kind folks. Thanks to Octavia E. Butler Magnet librarian Natalie Daily, Once Upon A Time Bookstore manager Jessica Palacios, MiJa Books owner Stephanie Moran Reed, L.A. County Library Children’s Fiction Selector Grisel Oquendo, Leland R. Weaver Library Children’s Librarian Stephanie Lien, and Los Angeles Public Library’s Joanna Fabicon, Basya Samuels, Luz Sandoval, Soo Jin Kim, Llyr Heller, Emily Meehan, Lisa Nena, Philip Levia and Loren Spector.