Rachel Isadora
Recognized in the Creative Minds Montessori 2026 Teacher’s Choice list.
Rachel Isadora is one of roughly one hundred authors whose work was selected by the Montessori-certified teachers at Creative Minds Montessori for the 2026 Teacher’s Choice list — 120 books chosen across four reading stages, from first lap-reads to first chapter books. The selected book was chosen for how precisely it meets children at a real developmental moment. This recognition cannot be bought: no author or publisher paid to appear on our lists, and we take no commission on any book sale.
About Rachel Isadora
Rachel Isadora began studying dance at six and trained at the School of American Ballet with George Balanchine, then danced professionally with the New York City Ballet and the Boston Ballet before turning to art. She has written and illustrated more than 150 children's books; Ben's Trumpet received a Caldecott Honor.
Of painting she says: "With a brush, I am free to improvise and move at the whim of my imagination. Unchoreographed, unrehearsed."
Also by this author: Ben's Trumpet · Max · Peekaboo Bedtime
Official website: www.rachelisadora.com
Selected for the 2026 Teacher’s Choice list
Part of The Best Children’s Books by Age, chosen by the teachers at Creative Minds Montessori in Frisco, TX.