Books like Dadaji's Paintbrush
Looking for books like Dadaji's Paintbrush by Rashmi Sirdeshpande (Picture Book · grades K–3)? It’s most often read for its themes of grief, family, and art. The 10 titlesbelow are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, genre, and reading level, and each linked to the curricula, states, and grades where it’s assigned, with primary sources.
These are reading-level matches, not just topical ones — so the picks stay grade-appropriate for a grades K–3 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.
10 books similar to Dadaji's Paintbrush
Fowl PlayKristin O'Donnell Tubb
Hope in the ValleyMitali Perkins
How Dinosaurs Went Extinct: A Safety GuideAme Dyckman
Night in the CityJulie Downing
The Labors of Hercules BealGary D. Schmidt
When Sea Becomes SkyGillian McDunn
Make Way for DucklingsRobert McCloskey · 730L
A Mischief of MiceChristie Matheson
A Plate of Hope: The Inspiring Story of Chef José Andrés and World Central KitchenErin Frankel
A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry HallJasmine Warga
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Why each is a match
- Fowl Playgrades 3–6
- Shares themes of grief and family and overlapping grades (3–6).
- Hope in the Valleygrades 3–6
- Shares themes of grief and family and overlapping grades (3–6).
- How Dinosaurs Went Extinct: A Safety Guidegrades K–2
- Shares themes of family, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–2).
- Night in the Citygrades K–2
- Shares themes of family, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–2).
- The Labors of Hercules Bealgrades 3–7
- Shares themes of grief and family and overlapping grades (3–7).
- When Sea Becomes Skygrades 3–6
- Shares themes of family and art and overlapping grades (3–6).
- Make Way for Ducklings730L
- Shares themes of family, same genre (Picture Book), and overlapping grades (K–3).
- A Mischief of Micegrades K–3
- Same genre (Picture Book), overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (2020s).
- A Plate of Hope: The Inspiring Story of Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchengrades 3–6
- Same genre (Picture Book), overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2020s).
- A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hallgrades 3–6
- Shares themes of art and overlapping grades (3–6).