Today’s list features some of the best children’s picture books published this year, according to major book retailers Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle — Every child has an artist inside them, and this vibrant new picture book from Eric Carle will help let it out.Filled with some of the most magnificently colorful animals of Eric Carle’s career, this tribute to the creative life celebrates the power of art.
Dream Big, Little Pig! by Kristi Yamaguchi — Poppy is a waddling, toddling pig with big dreams. She wants to be a star! But she soon discovers that’s not as easy as it sounds. It’s only when Poppy feels the magic of gliding and sliding, swirling and twirling on ice that our most persistent pig truly believes in herself: Poppy, star of the rink!
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Tom Lichtenheld — As the sun sets behind the big construction site, all the hardworking trucks get ready to say goodnight. One by one, Crane Truck, Cement Mixer, Dump Truck, Bulldozer, and Excavator finish their work and lie down to rest—so they’ll be ready for another day of rough and tough construction play!
Grandpa Green by Lane Smith — Grandpa Green wasn’t always a gardener. He was a farmboy and a kid with chickenpox and a soldier and, most of all, an artist. In this captivating new picture book, readers follow Grandpa Green’s great-grandson into a garden he created, a fantastic world where memories are handed down in the fanciful shapes of topiary trees and imagination recreates things forgotten.
I Must Have Bobo! by Eileen Rosenthal — When Willy wakes up there is trouble. Where is Bobo? Willy needs Bobo. But Earl the cat likes Bobo, too. A favorite toy is hard to share…especially when it’s a sock monkey.
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen — The bear’s hat is gone, and he wants it back. Patiently and politely, he asks the animals he comes across, one by one, whether they have seen it. Each animal says no, some more elaborately than others. But just as the bear begins to despond, a deer comes by and asks a simple question that sparks the bear’s memory and renews his search with a vengeance.
If You Give a Dog a Donut by Laura Numeroff — The exuberant dog who first appeared in if you give a pig a party is now the star of his very own book. Written in the irresistible “If You Give …” tradition, this is another home run from the beloved team of Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond.
Llama Llama Home with Mama by Anna Dewdney — Llama Llama’s nose is feeling tickly, his throat is feeling scratchy, and his head is feeling stuffy. Back to bed, no school today for Llama Llama! Instead, he’s home with Mama. By lunchtime, though, he’s beginning to feel a tiny bit better.
The Man in the Moon (Guardians of Childhood) by William Joyce — “Each of William Joyce’s books has been more beautifully painted, more magically imagined and more deliciously written than the one that came before. The Man in the Moon is the latest dazzling masterpiece, the one we Joyceans, young and old, have been pining for. It instantly became my children’s favorite book.” –Michael Chabon, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Neville by Norton Juster — Written by the acclaimed author of The Phantom Tollbooth, this is a simply told story about a boy who moves to a new neighborhood and finds a unique way to make friends.
No Two Alike by Keith Baker — Follow a pair of birds on a snowflake-filled journey though a gorgeous winter landscape to explore how everything, everywhere is wonderfully unique–from branches and leaves to forests and trees to friends and loved ones.
Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes by Eric Litwin — Pete the Cat is back—and this time he’s rocking in his school shoes. Pete discovers the library, the lunchroom, the playground, and lots of other cool places at school. And no matter where he goes, Pete never stops moving and grooving and singing his song . . . because it’s all good.
Pig Kahuna by Jennifer Sattler — Fergus and his little brother, Dink, love collecting the things that wash up on the beach, especially if it means that Fergus doesn’t actually have to go in the water. Then one day, they spy the greatest treasure of all-an abandoned surfboard.
Press Here by Hervé Tullet — Press the yellow dot on the cover of this book, follow the instructions within, and embark upon a magical journey! Each page of this surprising book instructs the reader to press the dots, shake the pages, tilt the book, and who knows what will happen next!
Silverlicious (Pinkalicious Series) by Victoria Kann — When Pinkalicious loses a tooth, it’s not just any tooth—it’s her sweet tooth! Suddenly candy no longer tastes sweet! With her pinkatastic pen, Pinkalicious writes a note to the Tooth Fairy and tucks it under her pillow . . . only to hear from Cupid, the Easter Bunny, and a Christmas elf instead.
Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature by Joyce Sidman and Beth Krommes — A Caldecott medalist and a Newbery Honor-winning poet celebrate the beauty and value of spirals. With simplicity and grace, Krommes and Sidman not only reveal the many spirals in nature—from fiddleheads to elephant tusks, from crashing waves to spiraling galaxies—but also celebrate the beauty and usefulness of this fascinating shape.
Tumford the Terrible by Nancy Tillman — Tumford isn’t really a terrible cat. He just has a way of finding mischief—tracking dirt into the house, knocking over breakable things, and disrupting fancy parties. But even though he feels bad, he has a hard time saying, “I’m sorry.” Will the fact that his owners love him, no matter what, help Tummy say the magic words?
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star by Jerry Pinkney — One of the most acclaimed children’s book illustrators of our time now takes his legendary skill with watercolor to new heights in this lavish visual adventure. As a curious little chipmunk leaves his nest to greet the twilight, he gazes at the glittering sky above him. He can’t help but also notice the sparkling dewdrops on a spider’s web, the lights of the fireflies, and the shimmers of moonlight on the water.