There have been some incredibly wonderful picture books so far this year! I have to admit, it was kind of hard to narrow my favorites down to just ten. Sure, some of them stood out to me as clear favorites of ours, but then there was just a massive list for all the rest. But, after some deliberation, I think I am ready to share my top ten favorites. These books are special to me because not only do they have gorgeous illustrations, but the stories are wonderful! Even “Flyaway”, which has hardly any text, is extremely innovative in the way they join the flaps with the story. If you haven’t checked any of these books out I recommend that you do! Seriously worth a read, or two, or a hundred in my case! So here they are, in no particular order:
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Old MacDonald Had a Truck by Steve Goetz and Eda Kaban. If I didn’t include this one my toddler would be seriously upset. This is his favorite book right now and his favorite version of the Old MacDonald song. Instead of focusing on the animals at MacDonalds farm, this book is a twist on the song that focuses on equipment like steam rollers and bulldozers. It’s kinda amazing.
Dear Bunny by Katie Cotton and Blanca Gomez. I’m head-over-heels for this book! I adore the bright, graphic illustrations and the story is a love letter from a little girl to her favorite stuffed bunny. So precious! Simple text, simple feel, simply lovely. Oh, and the butterflies on the cover even shimmer!
Ooko by Esme Shapiro. “I am Ooko. I am a fox. I live here, under this log. I have stick. I have a leaf. I have a rock. But I do not have a friend to play with”. That’s Ooko, and in light of his predicament he heads out on a journey to find a friend and finds out what it means to “be yourself” along the way. The illustrations are creative and unique. I love how they are filled with a lot of colorful details and the “free style” font also has me in love.
A Brave Bear by Sean Taylor and Emily Hughes. This book is definitely one worth reading again and again. The illustrations are incredibly beautiful and the story is endearing. It is one I just knew we had to have. It’s about a little baby bear wanting to be big and strong like his dad. So cute! If you are a fan of A Little Gardener and Wild then you will definitely love this one!
Flyaway by Lesley Barnes. Confession: I bought this book based off the gorgeousness of the cover. But boy was I pleased that the inside is equally beautiful! Its about a princess who loves her bird and learns that to show her love she should set her free. There is simple repetitive text and flaps to lift so the reader can “set the birdie free”. The pages are nice and thick, there are ten items to count on each page, I love the tall shape, and did I mention the gorgeous illustrations? This book may become a go-to gift for me to take to little girl baby showers…
Hooray For Hat! Big Book by Brian Won. This is seriously one of the happiest books I have ever read! In fact, it is all about sharing happiness and celebration. Its about an animal that shares his hats and all along the way shares happiness. It has very simple text and a very clear message. The super bright and beautiful illustrations just add to the joy. Seriously, check it out if you need a smile. (Okay, you caught me, this one originally came out in 2014, but the “Big Book” version was just released this June so I figure it counts.)
If I had a Gryphon by Vikki VanSickle and Cale Atkinson. This book speaks to me because as a child I had just about every pet imaginable. Everything from cats to fire-bellied newts. It is about a little girl who gets a hamster and spends some time daydreaming that she had a magical mystical creature instead, like a Gryphon. In the end though she decides that she is in fact, after all, happy with her little hamster.
A Fairy Friend by Sue Fleiss and Claire Keane. This book is positively delightful! It has the enchanting illustrations we know Claire for and a beautiful narrative about how to meet a fairy friend done all in rhyme. This book makes me want to create a fairy garden with my littles and whip up our own batch of petal stew. Everything about this book is swoon-worthy!
Swatch: The Girl who Loved Color by Julia Denos. “In a place where colors ran wild, there lived a girl who was wilder still. Her name was Swatch, and she was a color tamer.” It is brilliantly written with eye-popping, frame-on-the wall, wildly creative illustrations. It’s all about a passionate young girl who learns about what it means to be beautifully wild. Seriously one of my top favorite books this year.
Miles of Smiles by Karen Kaufman Orloff, Luciano Lozano. This is another book about spreading happiness and joy, I guess I’m a real sucker for those. It is written all in rhyme about a smile that gets passed along from person to person and brightens everyones day. My favorite part is the culminating picture at the end which is a photo of a neighborhood party where everyone that participated in passing the smile is chatting and getting along. Such a lovely concept. Also, I love this style of illustration.
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