How does ReadingList choose similar books?

Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Books like Whirligigs: The Wondrous Windmills of Vollis Simpson's Imagination

If you liked Whirligigs: The Wondrous Windmills of Vollis Simpson's Imagination, read Ice Cream Everywhere: Sweet Stories from Around the World, R-E-S-P-E-C-T, or Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.

Looking for books like Whirligigs: The Wondrous Windmills of Vollis Simpson's Imagination by Carole Boston Weatherford (Picture Book Nonfiction · grades K–3)? The 10 titles below are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, shared award lists, 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.

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Why each is a match

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Ice Cream Everywhere: Sweet Stories from Around the Worldgrades K–3: Both on the North Carolina Children's Book Award list, same genre (Picture Book Nonfiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
R-E-S-P-E-C-Tgrades K–3: Is by Carole Boston Weatherford, the same author, overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Librarygrades K–5: Is by Carole Boston Weatherford, the same author, overlapping grades (K–5), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcasgrades K–3: Both on the North Carolina Children's Book Award list, same genre (Picture Book Nonfiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
Zap! Clap! Boom!: The Story of a Thunderstormgrades K–3: Both on the North Carolina Children's Book Award list, same genre (Picture Book Nonfiction), and overlapping grades (K–3). Amazon → books like this →
A Seed Growsgrades K–1: Same genre (Picture Book Nonfiction), overlapping grades (K–1), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Action!: How Movies Begangrades 2–3: Same genre (Picture Book Nonfiction), overlapping grades (2–3), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Skygrades 2–3: Same genre (Picture Book Nonfiction), overlapping grades (2–3), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Brave Baby Hummingbirdgrades K–2: Same genre (Picture Book Nonfiction), overlapping grades (K–2), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →
Building an Orchestra of Hope: How Favio Chavez Taught Children to Make Music from Trashgrades K–1: Same genre (Picture Book Nonfiction), overlapping grades (K–1), and the same era (2020s). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Whirligigs: The Wondrous Windmills of Vollis Simpson's Imagination for younger readers (K–2)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps K–2— same scoring, different audience.

Concrete: From the Ground Up by Larissa Theule · grades 2–3 — Same genre (Picture Book Nonfiction), overlapping grades (2–3), and the same era (2020s).
Daughter of the Light-Footed People by Belen Medina · grades K–2 — Same genre (Picture Book Nonfiction), overlapping grades (K–2), and the same era (2020s).
Gifts from the Garbage Truck by Andrew Larsen · grades K–2 — Same genre (Picture Book Nonfiction), overlapping grades (K–2), and the same era (2020s).
Growing an Artist: The Story of a Landscaper and His Son by John Parra · grades 2–3 — Same genre (Picture Book Nonfiction), overlapping grades (2–3), and the same era (2020s).
Jose Feeds the World by David Unger · grades K–2 — Same genre (Picture Book Nonfiction), overlapping grades (K–2), and the same era (2020s).

Books like Whirligigs: The Wondrous Windmills of Vollis Simpson's Imagination for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 3–5— same scoring, different audience.

Concrete: From the Ground Up by Larissa Theule · grades 2–3 — Same genre (Picture Book Nonfiction), overlapping grades (2–3), and the same era (2020s).
Growing an Artist: The Story of a Landscaper and His Son by John Parra · grades 2–3 — Same genre (Picture Book Nonfiction), overlapping grades (2–3), and the same era (2020s).
Symphony for a Broken Orchestra: How Philadelphia Collected Sounds to Save Music by Amy Ignatow · grades 2–3 — Same genre (Picture Book Nonfiction), overlapping grades (2–3), and the same era (2020s).
Where Butterflies Fill the Sky: A Story of Immigration, Family, and Finding Home by Zahra Marwan · grades 2–3 — Same genre (Picture Book Nonfiction), overlapping grades (2–3), and the same era (2020s).
100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli by David LaRochelle · grades K–3 — Both on the North Carolina Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (K–3), and the same era (2020s).

Books like Whirligigs: The Wondrous Windmills of Vollis Simpson's Imagination for middle school (grades 6–8)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 6–8— same scoring, different audience.

Ferris by Kate DiCamillo · grades 3–6 — Both on the North Carolina Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2020s).
Haiku, Ew! Celebrating the Disgusting Side of Nature by Lynn Brunelle · grades 3–6 — Both on the North Carolina Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2020s).
Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd · grades 3–8 — Both on the North Carolina Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (3–8), and the same era (2020s).
Narwhal: Unicorn of the Arctic by Candace Fleming · grades 3–6 — Both on the North Carolina Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (3–6), and the same era (2020s).
Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy by Angie Thomas · grades 3–7 — Both on the North Carolina Children's Book Award list, overlapping grades (3–7), and the same era (2020s).

Common questions

What books are similar to Whirligigs: The Wondrous Windmills of Vollis Simpson's Imagination?: The 10 closest matches to Whirligigs: The Wondrous Windmills of Vollis Simpson's Imagination by Carole Boston Weatherford on ReadingList include Ice Cream Everywhere: Sweet Stories from Around the World, R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library, Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas, and Zap! Clap! Boom!: The Story of a Thunderstorm. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades K–3), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Whirligigs: The Wondrous Windmills of Vollis Simpson's Imagination reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades K–3), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.
How does ReadingList choose similar books?: Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Book data last updated 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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