It’s that time of year again — when I slap out a list of books I’ve enjoyed over the past year.
2016 was very much the Year of Picture Books. Not only was there a stunningly high number of quality picture books this year, but I also took time to try and read more of them than usual. (In the meantime, I read hardly any YA fiction this year. Sorry, YA fiction fans.) I’m sure part of the decision to do this is because my youngest child is 5, and so my picture book read-aloud years are numbered. Gotta relish it while I can.
And the usual disclaimer: this is a list of personal faves, not a full compendium of every good book that you or your kids should read or that a library should purchase. (If you want one of those, click here.) There were quite a few books that aren’t here because I didn’t have time to read them or simply couldn’t get my hands on (like King Baby or John Lewis’ March Vol. 3, THANKS A LOT, POTUS45) and there were others that many of my colleagues raved over, but which I rated a personal meh.*
There’s no accounting for taste. Likewise: not every book on this list is for you. If you’d like a personal recommendation based on your previous reads, I’m happy to do it!
PICTURE BOOKS
I’ll Forever Think of This Book When It Snows: Before Morning by Joyce Sidman, illus. Beth Krommes
Best Book to Give New Parents: You Belong Here by M.H. Clark, illus. Isabelle Arsenault
Now Considered Best Available Book About Starting School: School’s First Day of School by Adam Rex, illus. Christian Robinson
Best Ending to a Picture Book “Trilogy” We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen
You Know That Phase in Fourth Grade When You Tried to Make Up Your Own Language? Carson Ellis Took It to the Next Level: Du Iz Tak? By Carson Ellis
Best Book For Inspiring Art Students: They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel
2nd Best Book About Education Published This Year: Frank and Lucky Get Schooled by Lynne Rae Perkins
This is My Personal Absolute Favorite. Grumpy Old Woman Knits! And there are ALIENS! Leave Me Alone! By Vera Brosgol
In Which Sherman Alexie is Brilliant Once Again: Thunder Boy, Jr. by Sherman Alexie, illus. Yuyi Morales
Most “Awww”-Inducing Story About A Child Helping a Sweet Elderly Neighbor: A Hat for Mrs. Goldman: A Story About Knitting and Love by Michelle Edwards, illus. G. Brian Karas
Best Encapsulation of How My Kids Do Pretend Play: Lion Lessons by Jon Agee
A Must-Read for Dance Fans: Emma and Julia Love Ballet by Barbara McClintock
Drool-Worthy Illustrations: The Night Gardener by Terry & Eric Fan
What happens when the bad guys from a D&D-style game are the heroes: Nobody Likes a Goblin by Ben Hatke
Perfect Preschool Springtime Book: When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes, illus. Laura Dronzek
Best use of die-cut shapes and puzzle pictures: Apples and Robins by Lucie Felix
This was Katie’s favorite. We read it SOOOOO many times: The Best Days are Dog Days by Aaron Meshon
Best for Fans of “The Paper Bag Princess”: Bloom by Doreen Cronin, illus. David Small
Channelling Edward Gorey (Or, Sometimes It’s Hilarious When Characters Die): A Hungry Lion, or, A Dwindling Assortment of Animals by Lucy Ruth Cumnins
Favorite Group Read-Aloud: The Happiest Book Ever! By Bob Shea
My favorite, funniest author-illustrator does it again: Pug Man’s 3 Wishes by Sebastian Menchenmoser
Best Non-Knitting Grumpy Grandmother: Don’t Call Me Grandma by Vaunda Michaux Nelson; illus. Elizabeth Zunon
Channelling Tomi Ungerer (I adored this weird, weird, book): Margarash by Mark Riddle, illus. Tim Miller
Best Moment of Zen: The Sound of Silence by Katrina Goldsaito, illus. Julia Kuo
Best Pencil Illustration (This Inspired My Daughter To Draw for Hours): If I Was a Banana by Alexandra Tylee, illus. Kieran Rynhart
Sometimes Illustrators Switch Mediums and It Takes Your Breath Away: Real Cowboys by Kate Hoefler, illus. Jonathan Bean
Best Use of Gorgeous Calligraphy (and the story’s a hoot): Poor Little Guy by Elanna Allen
Most Satisfying Story Involving Woodworking: The Branch by Mireille Messier, illus. Pierre Pratt
Perfect for the Where’s Waldo and I Spy fans: Toshi’s Little Treasures by Nadine Robert, illus. Aki
Fairy Tales for the Adventure Time Generation: Super Happy Magic Forest by Matty Long
Aww, the Middle Ages Sure Loved Their Pets: The White Cat and the Monk: A Retelling of the Poem Pangur Ban: by Jo Ellen Bogart, illus. Sydney Smith
NONFICTION PICTURE BOOKS
Probably the Most Powerful Book on This List: Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan
Most Gorgeous Book About Christianity in a Long, Long Time: Miracle Man: The Story of Jesus by John Hendrix
Most Awwwww-Dorable Nature Photography: Best in Snow by April Pulley Sayre
Most Important History You Probably Didn’t Know About: Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford, illus. R. Gregory Christie
Incredible Artist, Brilliant Illustration: Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe
Most Hilarious History Book: A Voyage in the Clouds: The (Mostly) True Story of the First International Flight by Balloon in 1785 by Matthew Olshan, illus. Sophie Blackall
Most Interesting Biography of Someone You’ve Never Heard Of: Anything but Ordinary Addie: The True Story of Adelaide Herrmann, Queen of Magic by Mara Rockliff, illus. Iacopo Bruno
Most Sincere Depiction of a Child’s Spiritual Life: Preaching to the Chickens by Jabari Asim, illus. E.B. Lewis
Absolutely Necessary Reading For All American Children: Their Great Gift: Courage, Sacrifice, and Hope in a New Land by John Coy, photos by Wing Young Huie
Most Inspiring Story: Ada’s Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay by Susan Hood, illus. Sally Comport Wern
Perfect Pairing of Illustrator and Subject: The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking Through Anne Frank’s Window by Jeff Gottesfeld, illus. Peter McCarty
I Will Admit That I Read The Title of This Book With the Voice of Steve Urkel. Also: The Tongue Twister on the Last Page is Epic: Can I Eat That? by Joshua David Stein. illus. Julia Rothman
BIOGRAPHIES
The Author’s Enthusiasm For Her Subject is Infectious: Presenting Buffalo Bill: The Man Who Invented the Wild West by Candace Fleming
Most Gorgeous Illustrated Biography: Some Writer! The Story of E.B. White by Melissa Sweet
Book With the Highest Body Count (and it’s AWESOME): Samurai Rising: The Epic Life of Minamoto Yoshitsune by Pamela Tuner, illus. Gareth Hinds
POETRY
Yes, just the one. This is the most beautiful book of children’s poetry to come out in years, and everything else just kinda faded into the background: When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons by Julie Fogliano, illus. Julie Morstad
FOLKLORE
Illustrations Just As Freaky As the Grimm Tales: The Singing Bones, by Shaun Tan
Absolutely Gorgeous Middle Eastern Story-Within-A-Story-Within-A-Story: The Storyteller, by Evan Turk
Best Moral For Our Times: The Cat From Hunger Mountain by Ed Young
Now THAT’S Graphic Design: Little Red by Bethan Woollvin
GRAPHIC NOVELS
Brothers Grimm-Meets-Jazz Era: Snow White: A Graphic Novel by Matt Phelan
Indiana Jones-Meets-Pride and Prejudice: Delilah Dirk and the King’s Shilling by Tony Cliff (be sure to check out the other ones in this series!)
The One Your Kids Have Probably Already Read: Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier
You Know that Show “Avatar: the Last Airbender”? This is Basically a Book Set in Ba Sing Se: The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks and Jordie Bellaire
Best Fractured Fairytale (featuring a character with autism!): Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke
MIDDLE GRADE FICTION
Most Original Fantasy: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
Brooke’s Personal Favorite This Year! Featuring Farting Dragons, Monks that Fight Bandits with Donkey Legs, Theological Debates, and Loving Your Crooked Neighbor With Your Crooked Heart: The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz
In which John David Anderson is a jerk whose book made me cry during an entire airplane ride: Ms. Bixby’s Last Day by John David Anderson
Best Sports Story — no, Best School Story — no, best story in which I love the protagonist so much I just want to put my arm around his shoulders and let him know that everything’s gonna be okay: Ghost by Jason Reynolds
Bless Grace Lin Forever For Introducing More Kids to Chinese Folklore: When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin
Best Straight-Up, Charming Small-Town Historical Fiction: Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm
Best Spooky WWII-Era Mystery With a Dash of Steampunk: The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox
Most Essential Reading for Life in Trump’s America (Or, Best Historical Fiction In Real-World Dystopia): Cloud & Wallfish by Anne Nesbet
Best Sequel to Classic Children’s Novel (Kate Saunders is another jerk who made me cry): Five Children on the Western Front by Kate Saunders
YA FICTION
(Yeeeeeah, I didn’t read much of this genre this year. Go read Still Life With Tornado, or We Are the Ants, or The Sun Is Also a Star, they are supposed to be great.)
Best Introverted Protagonist Who Becomes Fearless in Her Pursuit of Revenge (also best mystery; very reminiscent of Edgar Allen Poe or classic stories like “The Monkey’s Paw”): The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
Best Book With Strong Independent Disco Divas: Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina
Happy reading!
*Kate DiCamillo’s Raymie Nightingale, Sarah Pennypacker’s Pax, and Lauren Wolk’s Wolf Hollow. Seek ’em out if you’re so inclined, you might enjoy them!
Casa Camisas 