The Littlest Drop by Sascha Alper, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney and Brian Pinkney (Anne Schwartz Books, 40 pages, ages 4-9). Based on a story told by environmental activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, this folktale features a hummingbird whose new nest is threatened by a wildfire. The other animals run to the river, too terrified to move, but the hummingbird takes action to put out the fire, even though she can only carry a single drop of water in her beak. As the others watch her tirelessly carrying drop after drop to the fire, they ask her what she’s doing. “I am doing what I can.” Inspired, the animals start to think of what they can do, and before long, elephants, monkeys, leopards, giraffes, and even tiny ants are working to fight the fire. When the sun rises, they are all exhausted, but the hummingbird lets one more drop of water fall…and the fire is gone. Includes an author’s note tracing the origins of this folktale, and an illustrator’s note in which Brian Pinkney describes how he used sketches left by his late father Jerry to create the finished illustrations.

The Peddler of Puddles by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld (Clarion Books, 48 pages, ages 4-8). The peddler is a turtle whose puddle-making machine (complete with a cloud on a string like a balloon) allows him to make custom puddles for his customers, from a tiny one for a hummingbird to ones large enough for hundreds of frogs or for a child to sail a boat across. Everyone loves the peddler, but he’s constantly on the move, never staying in one place for long. One day, he goes to the seashore where he sees the biggest puddle ever and befriends a girl who shows him how to play in the ocean. When she tells him she has to go home, the peddler feels sad because he realizes he doesn’t have a home. Over the horizon appear his friends, looking for him. They help him dig his cart out of the sand and lead him back to their forest. There, they’ve dug a huge hole, which the peddler fills with water, and they all work together to turn his cart into a new house. His house and the pond become a home for the turtle and all of his friends.

Both books will appeal to kids with their lively and colorful (although very different) illustrations of animal communities, and each one carries a simple but effective message for our time: friendship, community, and how even small actions can make a big difference to people and issues that you care about.