Great Picture Books (36)

Hi everyone! While on vacation visiting family, I have been happily zipping my way through some fantastic picture books, and while thinking about those and some recent reads, I thought it might be best to share them all in a round-up post. I hope you enjoy- and happy reading!

In no particular order, let’s take a look: Casey Lyall is a Canadian author whose work I have been following and enjoying tremendously since their middle grade debut, Howard Wallace, P.I. Casey Lyall has also written multiple picture books, and her latest, Whale, That Was Unexpected, illustrated to perfection by Kathryn Durst, is phenomenal- wry, laugh out loud funny, and will likely make for an incredible read aloud option of storytimes. In the book world and in the children’s lit sphere in particular, there was a lot of excited chatter surrounding Sarah Howden and Sabina Hahn’s The Wise Pickle– so I immediately added it to my reading list. And goodness, is this a wonderful surprise of a picture books- so beautifully odd, melancholy, deeply funny, and yes, WISE beyond words. Felicita Sala’s work in children’s lit is a rich treasure trove (and highly renowned!), and her latest picture book Boredis splendid. Felicita Sala’s Boredfollows a young child named Rita who is withering away from an intense boredom; so intense and dire that…actually…it may cause an exciting turn of events? You may recognize artist Linzie Hunter from the delightfully sweet picture book What If, Pig?. In a new picture book, Linzie Hunter teams up with prolific children’s author Scott Rothman for the wonderfully entertaining (and adorable!) Judgy Bunny and the Terrible Beach. I book-talked this super appealing story and its relatable, lovable main character for summer reading and it has been lovely to see this dear gem of a summer-themed read getting love from younger readers! (Also, Judgy Bunny is indeed returning for more!). Canadian author and artist Cybèle Young joins forces with Nell Jocelyn for the mesmerizing Eon: My Pet Tardigrade,in which an inquisitive child discovers a tiny pink water bear she names Eon. In this book, readers not only learn fascinating facts about tardigrades, but also learn a poignant and heartfelt message about ways in which some creatures are truly best cared for. Maddie Frost, an author and illustrator whose children’s books I have spoken of highly before, knocks it out of the park again with The Stuffie Stand. Maddie Frost has such a genuine knack of capturing the gamut of childhood expressions and emotions, and featuring characters who are so sweet and hopeful- and hysterically funny in their fervor. Not to also mention charming, kawaii cartoon-style illustrations that draw readers in, over and over again!