Ladybug Longlist: Family

The Interpreter by Olivia Abtahi

"Cecilia struggles to balance her desire to be a kid and play soccer with her "job" as the interpreter for her parents, who speak Spanish. She learns that she can ask for help from others, who form an interpretation team that allows her more time to be a kid, while still helping her family. There are bits of humor throughout that make a big topic approachable to younger children. A kid just wanting to be a kid but having to also help her non-English speaking parents. Shows a perspective and helps to teach empathy about others." -- nominators

We Could Fly by Rhiannon Giddens

"This picture book version of Giddens' song celebrates bonds of family and ancestry, inspired by Virginia Hamilton's "The People Could Fly." The moving dialogue between mother and daughter is complimented by lovely, dreamlike illustrations. " -- nominator

This post is one of a series of 14 "bite-sized" pieces into which we have divided the 2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award Long List to help NH librarians consider all the potential nominees. Please review the full list (or wait until we have covered all the titles) before you cast your vote as you can only vote once.