12 Best Books About Names

Your Name Is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, illustrated by Luisa Uribe
I love this beautiful, beautiful story that helps a little girl find the song in her own name. When her teacher can’t say her name, a boy looks scared when she says her name, or the kids at recess say her name sounds made up, Kora-Jalimuso’s momma helps her notice and feel the heart, the beat, the love, in all people’s names, including Kora-Jalimuso’s own name. Her wise momma encourages Kora-Jalimuso to see that names are the songs of dreamers; names like Lamika, Ta’jae, and Ahlam. Kora-Jalimuso returns to school with bravery and confidence…then she shows everyone, including her teacher, how to sing her name correctly…KO-raj DJAAAA-lee-MOOOO-so.

My Name is Saajin Singh by Kuljibder Kaur Brar, illustrated by Samrath Kaur
When Saajin goes to school, his teacher says his name incorrectly and so do his classmates. At home, Saajin’s parents tell him that even grown-ups make mistakes. The next day, he tells the teacher the correct pronunciation of his name, and the teacher apologizes.

The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name by Sandhya Parappukkaran, illustrated by Michelle Pereira
This is a good book about a boy with a long name. He learns to skateboard step by step and then teaches a new friend how to say his long name in the same way, syllable by syllable.

Kantinga Finds the Perfect Name written by Mabel Mnensa, illustrated by Chantelle Burgen Thorne
NAME
Kantinga, a South African girl, wants to change her name. When she tells her grandmother, her grandmother shares a folktale about a village ruler who walked to get water with two pots, one of which was cracked. When questioned about the waste of water, the village leader shows the path she’s walked from the well to her home that is filled with flowers and plants that grow new fruits and vegetables every day that her dripping pot watered. The water gains magical powers through the crack in the clay pot, called a Kantinga. After hearing the story about her name, Katinga embraces her name.

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
Chrysanthemum LOVES her name! When she gets to school and her classmates make fun of her name. Poor Chrysanthemum feels wilted…until she meets her music teacher!

Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal
Alma Sofia Esperanza Jose Pura Candela thinks her name is too long …until her father explains about each person she was named for — like Esperanza, Alma’s great-grandmother who hoped to travel. This helps Alma make a personal connection to each person she’s named for. With Esperanza, she says, “The world is so big! I want to go see it, Daddy!” Names are important. This story would be a wonderful way to talk with your child about not just your child’s name but the names in your family, too. Soft, muted colors give this story a nostalgic atmosphere.

My Name is Elizabeth by Annika Dunklee, illustrated by Matthew Forsythe
Elizabeth loves her name — “I like that it’s nine letters long…And I like all the neat things my mouth does when I say it.” But she doesn’t like when people call her Lizzy or Beth or Betsy. She’s had enough and announces to the world that her name is Elizabeth, “But you may call me Elizabeth.” Blue and white backgrounds with white and orange characters give this book a unique retro feel. It’s a book for anyone who loves their given name — and doesn’t want to be called anything else.

Millions of Maxes by Meg Wolitzer, illustrated by Micah Player
What do you do when you find out other kids have YOUR same name? The one and only Max goes to the park where he discovers that he is NOT the only Max in the world. He befriends two other Maxes who, he realizes, are different than him. Together, they search for one of the Max’s pink pinecone and meet yet another Max — a dog Max. Later at bedtime, Max tells his parents his realizations that he’s not the only Max but that they’re all unique so it’s okay with him. Read this with children to introduce the idea of other people having the same name, I predict it will spark important conversations.

That’s Not My Name by Annosha Syed
Mirha is so excited to go to her first day of school. When she gets there, the other kids say her name wrong which hurts her feelings. Her mom helps Mirha understand the importance and meaning of her name. This empowers MIrha to return to school and correct her classmates’ pronunciation.

My Name is Yoon by Helen Recorvits, illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska
Yoon loves writing her name in Korean, but her father insists she must write her name in English. Yoon decides she isn’t sure about her name in English and wonders if another name would be better.

Thunder Boy by Sherman Alexie, illustrated by Yuyi Morales
Thunder Boy wants a name all his own, not just a smaller version of his dad’s name. So he begins brainstorming the best name, all the while figuring out who he is. The story is humorous and playful while placing importance on knowing yourself.

“You’re Called What?” by Kes Gray, illustrated by Nikki Dyson
And for something different, silly, and animal-related, this is a goofy book about unique animal names.