March Book Madness 2022

I am thrilled to share our family's choices for this year's March Book Madness! I hope you'll join us. 

My children and I have selected 16 picture books we hope you'll love, and we've put them into brackets in a printable format.

Here's what you do: download the bracket here. Print it out, then during the month of March, read the books aloud at your own pace. Let your children vote on their favorites, and add each favorite to the line in the next round. Keep reading and voting until you agree on an overall winner! 

Check these out from your local library, or purchase from Amazon (see affiliate links below) or another bookseller of your choice. We're hoping some of these titles become beloved family favorites! These books are primarily for ages 5-10, but there's a little bit of everything here! My children are 2, 4, 7, and 9 and love all of these stories.

You can also print out a blank bracket in case you want to use books you already have!
   
I would love to see your brackets. If you choose to participate, tag @brighterdaypress or use the hashtag #brighterdaymarchmadness on social media. 
   
Who's in??
   
Here are the books we chose: 

Art-inspired, color-filled stories:
The Noisy Paint Box by Barb Rosenstock
   
Heartwarming multicultural tales:  
The Story of Little Babaji by Helen Bannerman
vs. Mama Panya's Pancakes by Mary and Rich Chamberlin
   
Creative builders: 
If I Built a House by Chris Van Dusen
vs. Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty 
   
Food-inspired classics:
The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman
vs. Stone Soup by Marcia Brown
   
Inspiring true stories:
The Boy Who Grew a Forest by Sophia Gholz
vs. Shark Lady by Jess Keating
   
Wordless books:
The Fisherman and the Whale by Jessica Lanan 
vs. One Little Bag by Henry Cole
   
Delightfully funny animal stories: 
A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker
vs. Escargot by Dashka Slater
   
Amazing innovators:
vs. The Crayon Man by Natascha Biebow
   
If you're unable to locate some of the books above, here are some alternate suggestions:
 
For children interested in the childhoods of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis:
John Ronald's Dragons by Caroline McAlister
vs. Through the Wardrobe by Lina Maslo
   
Adorable books about pigs for emerging readers:
Poppleton by Cynthia Rylant
vs. Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo