This end-of-year roundup introduces all of the picture books I didn’t get a chance to share over the past year. They were all published this year and are available at my library; perhaps they’re available at yours as well. As you scroll through this long list, my hope is that you will find a few gems that you have not yet read. I’ll see you in the new year with the next post featuring the latest picture books At The Library. Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and successful New Year! 🙂
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A boy awakes with the dawn and expresses gratitude for this unique day.
Six little ninjas from Dojo Daycare are going on a field trip to the farm.
An illustrated, interactive story with a narrator who invites the reader to meet a vast array of pet monsters, such as the Yucky Mucky twins, and choose one to take home.
🙂 An owl, puppy, bear, rabbit, and pig wait for marvelous things to happen.
🙂 A humorous picture book about a dog’s new bed being taken over by a cat.
Penguin embarks on his next journey–becoming the first penguin to explore the North Pole!
Deep in the wild winter wood…An extraordinary alliance forms. Together, wolf pack and “wolf-birds” will stalk, chase, hunt, and feast–all to keep starvation at bay.
Llama Llama is packing his pajamas, getting in the car with Mama Llama, and looking forward to visiting Gram and Grandpa. It’s Llama Llama’s first overnight!
Illustrations and simple, rhyming text reveal a parent’s musings about what a child will become, knowing that the child’s kindness, cleverness, and boldness will shine through no matter what , as will the love they share.
Rollicking text and delicious illustrations present an irresistible picture of how wonderful it is to be exactly who you are.
🙂 When a squirrel uses his red hat to mark the spot where he buried an acorn, he sets off a chain of events involving other creatures, each of which finds an unusual use for the chapeau.
🙂 Phillip and Brock are best friends, although everyone else thinks Brock is imaginary, so when Phillip gets tired out at the Big Fair while Brock is still having fun, they are separated and it will take a very special twosome to bring them back together again.
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🙂 When Ben goes away he tells Grampa exactly how to look after Buster. But has Ben remembered the most important thing?
When an entertainer dressed as a big cuddly bear arrives at Billy’s birthday party, Billy and his friends are delighted!
A fifteen-year-old soldier in World War II meets a sweet young girl in the Philippines who helps him remember what he is fighting for as he helps her and others of her village avoid starvation, and many years later she returns his kindness.
🙂 Being a farm dog is a tough job, but luckily, Ragweed’s handbook will tell you everything you need to know!
During the day, Shark lived a lonely life in the big city…but at night, he dreamed of being a detective.
In farmyards, jungles, and oceans, almost every animal has something to say! Roosters cock-a-doodle-do. Can you cock-a-doodle, too? Here’s a book that invites kids to make some noise.
🙂 Antonio lived deep in the woods on the edge of a lake in a hotel that his mother ran.
Lulu is excited to play with the toy that her best friend Finny brings over, but when the toy loses a wheel and fixing it becomes a game in itself, Lulu realizes that it’s even better to play with Finny.
🙂 Whenever a birdie swooped by, Elwood hollered, “Come back, Birdie! Be my friend!” But no birdie ever came back…
🙂 What could be more perfect than a brand new set of crayons? Evan can’t wait to use them, until Snap, the brown one breaks in two.
Gilbert is a sweet, gentle ghost who doesn’t like to scare anyone.
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Lailah is delighted that she can fast during the month of Ramadan like her family and her friends in Abu Dhabi, but finding a way to explain to her teacher and classmates in Atlanta is a challenge until she gets some good advice from the librarian, Mrs. Carman.
🙂 It’s time for bed, but these rowdy robots will find any excuse not to go to sleep!
All the animals are hungry! Will you give them something to eat? Just turn the pages and feed them, one by one.
Seaver is an orb spider with a sky full of inspiration. His siblings prefer traditional round webs and aren’t afraid to let him know. But Seaver doesn’t mind! He loves his new shapes and isn’t afraid to stand out.
Having his head in the clouds can cause trouble, but when the boy’s daydreams are finally set free, they grow and grow and grow…
🙂 Archie the Daredevil Penguin is hiding a dark secret: he’s afraid of the water and the creatures who lurk in the briny deep!
Sam is finally old enough to help his parents harvest cranberries on their family farm, from flooding the field to preparing the vines for the picking machine to delivering the fruit to the receiving station.
Jackrabbit McCabe’s unusually long legs have made him the fastest thing around, and he uses his speed for everything from racing against horses to fetching the doctor, but when the electric telegraph arrives in Windy Flats, Jackrabbit may have met his match.
You might not know this, but some monsters are scared of kids. However, other monsters are not. In fact, these monsters would love to have a kid as a friend. But sometimes making friends isn’t easy…
🙂 This boy’s older brother isn’t satisfied with having just one monster in the house. What else will his brother bring home before his parents find out?
Illustrations and simple text suggest ways to see the positive side of difficulties, from losing one’s balloon to being left with a new babysitter.
🙂 Sophie is happy and proud when she paints a beautiful picture of her favorite tree. But when other children make fun of her and tell her the picture is wrong, Sophie feels embarrassed and ashamed.
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How many mice are needed for a big adventure? Two mice! You can go with them–it’s as easy as one two three!
Felix has a new best friend! With intrepid Fiona, all things seem possible–hand in hand, the two head for first prize at the Guinea Pig Jubilee talent show!
Julia and Charles can’t wait to enter Rexie in the Happy Tails Best of Breed Dog Show.
When Steve, who was raised by wolves, goes to school for the first time, he must find a balance between getting along with others and being himself.
🙂 A picture book about a nerdy birdy who just wants to hang out with the cool birds.
This zombie doesn’t want to eat your brains–he wants to eat your books! Will the school library be devoured, or will the children discover something the zombie likes to do with books even more than eating them?
Cave boy Orq and his woolly mammoth friend Woma are continuously bullied by big, mean Dorq and his animal companion Caba.
🙂 Follows a fire engine and its crew through a very busy day, using mainly sound words.
When a lizard hatches from the egg Leonard finds in the park, he names it Buster and takes it all around the city, but Buster grows bigger and bigger until Leonard realizes he must devise a way to return his pet to the deepest, darkest part of the park and set him free.
While Little Girl is away on winter vacation, her toys, Lumphy, StingRay, and Plastic, decide to go outside and learn more about snow.
🙂 With a crown on his head, Louis the Sheep knows just what kind of king he would be; regal, erudite, and all powerful.
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🙂 One morning, Little Hedgehog wakes up to find everything covered in deep snow. Worried about his friend Mouse, he sets off to check on her, but the snow keeps falling–and soon, it’s Little Hedgehog who needs a helping hand.
Loula’s dog, Mister, is clumsy, messy and constantly getting into trouble. What if her mother sends Mister away? It’s time to teach Mister some good manners!
Little Coco lives in a strict orphanage. She has to work very hard. But she also learns to sew and embroider like an angel.
🙂 Emma’s little brother Henry is a good kid–but when his day has been too busy and too full, Henry can become a hurricane! Emma wishes that she could teach Henry to be still.
🙂 In the land of lines, anything is possible: the connection between a boy and a girl from different worlds, the potential for self-discovery, and the vanquishing of a monster.
🙂 Spread through several ultra-short stories, a king learns that his power has limits; the world is diverse and much of it operates under its own rules.
Nino has a wonderful time playing with his imaginary dog until he gets a real one, and although the new dog does not always behave as he expects, Nino is still content.
🙂 Katie McGinty wants a pet more than anything in the world! But Katie doesn’t want a cat, or a dog, or a hamster. She wants a pet that’s a little more unusual.
🙂 Raised in harsh circumstances and languishing in a dim kennel, this is a lonely dog whose only wish is for freedom and friendship.
Hassan, grandson of tomb robbers, joins the dig of King Tut’s tomb, but must show honesty to continue working.
Bob McGrew is the head keeper at the zoo, and he loves his job–except when he has to clean up the poo!
Otto goes to a costume party wearing a BIG costume. Will he finally learn that sometimes, more can be too much?
Lenny loves his grandpa, King Lion. So when the king starts getting muddled and forgetful, Lenny gets worried.
Everyone knows that the little kids’ table is the place to be for any holiday or family gathering. This silly, rhyming story follows a group of rambunctious cousins from table setting to dessert.
The fun-loving pirates on board the Leaky Parrot love to wear pajamas!
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All her life, Beatrix Potter loved art. She painted the bunnies, mice, and other pets that populated her family’s home. These creatures became the characters of her stories.
Mike has to answer lots of questions about being mixed. And he does, with lots of energy and joy.
Like all dogs, Bob likes breakfast, takes rides in the family car and digs for bones. He’s just like any other dog–except for a few quirks.
Winter is coming and Bear can’t sleep. Oh how he rumbles…and grumbles…and growls…and howls! But Patch the Hare isn’t scared of any old bear, and soon, he has a wonderful idea!
🙂 The baby arrives, and the new big brother and his dragon dedicate themselves to entertaining the little guy. But when the older sister says there’s no such thing as a dragon, frustration mounts and mischief ensues.
Orion is afraid of an awful lot of stuff, but there’s one thing that really makes his knees wobble and his tummy twist: The Dark.
Every Thursday, as a break from mowing Big Island, McToad and his tractor make their way to Tiny Island, using various modes of transportation and types of machinery to get there and back.
🙂 Although Squirrel’s friends warn him that bears eat squirrels, and Bear’s friends remind him that squirrels make a good midnight snack, their friendship remains strong.
🙂 When a little girl receives a curious book filled only with pictures, a whisper urges her to create the words she cannot see.
Jack and Ella are thrilled to take a friendly lion as their pet, but when Leopold the Lion grows chubby an despondent, they must seek a way to make him healthy again.
Moshe Cotel was a composer who lived in a noisy building on a noisy street in a noisy city. One day, while out for a walk, he heard something he’d never heard on the street before. It was a tiny kitten!
Every morning Bear wakes up with a song in his head, but one day he realizes the song needs something more and sets out to find what is missing, gathering a band of animal musicians along the way.
When the ice is full of cuts and ruts, only one machine has the guts to clean it up. But can this slow-movin’ ice fixer smooth the grooves before the next period?
From playing games to eating dinner and reading their favorite bedtime story, this little girl and her cat do everything together.
At Mouse’s house, Elliot the elephant finds more than a friend–he finds a family.
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Jumper is missing, and his mouse friends look for him inside the cave and outside, up among the branches and down into mole’s tunnel, but still they cannot find him.
One very snowy Sunday, snowflakes as big as balls of wool are falling on Bonnie Bumble’s farm. The cow, the duck, the hens, and even Spot the dog are all shivery and cold.
Max and Marla are best friends. And aspiring Olympians! With their eyes on the prize, they know exactly what it’ll take to reach sledding success: preparation, practice and perseverance.
It’s time for Grizzle Grump to hibernate, and he can’t wait to catch some ZZZs. But what’s all that noise? Will he ever find the perfect place for his long winter nap?
On the Mighty Mountain Road Crew, the trucks come in one size: BIG. That is, until the little snowplow joins the crew.
Many of the orphans, like Mutanu, don’t know what day they were born and have never celebrated a birthday. So every year, the orphanage honors its newest arrivals by creating a birthday day especially for them.
When Mel the rooster gets tired of his boring old cock-a-doodle-doo he decides to shake things up with something brand new–the cock-a-doodle-doo-bop! But not everyone on the barnyard is a fan of the new tune.
There’s a surprise in store for one little boy and his granddad on their extraordinary snow day.
Princess Sophie can’t sleep, and it’s all because there’s a big grumpy giant stomping around above her all night. So she does what any brave princess would, and climbs to the top of the bean stalk to see if she can help.
The Sea Tiger is Oscar’s best friend–Oscar’s only friend.
There’s something strange, something funny and even downright preposterous on every page of this book. But it’s not a mistake–it’s nonsense!
A finch woke up in the dark and the quiet. He had a thought, and he heard it. I am Henry Finch, he thought, I think I could be great.
The sun crosses city and countryside, wakes furry creatures, makes a desert rainbow, and barges into Coco’s room to follow her through a day of play.
You think you know the story of Cinderella? Did you know that she really has three stepsisters, and that Cinderella herself isn’t actually that nice?
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Cat goes out, and comes back with a lot of new things.
It’s pizza night at Charlie’s house…With 6 pizza eaters, 3 sizes of pizza on the delivery menu, and 2 slices for everybody, there’s bound to be at least 1 mystery!
Owen loves soccer, but isn’t the best at playing it. After a particularly disastrous day on the field, Owen is benched. He is feeling so low hat he doesn’t notice the ball rolling away from him until it’s too late. In his effort to get it back, he discovers that he has more skills than he realizes.
🙂 In the icy cold heart of winter, a little bear wanders through the snow, searching for a place to call home.
A boy and his father take a walk together to a place where they can see the universe.
In rhyming text the reader is introduced to all the different kinds of boats floating on rivers, lakes, oceans, and ponds.
🙂 Wisteria Jane knows she should always tell the truth, but should she say everything that pops into her head?
When it begins to bug slug that his mommy doesn’t hug him, the other animals come up with various ideas to make him more attractive.
As a young girl practices various standard yoga poses, she imagines herself as a tree touching the sky, a playful dog, a warrior, and more while relaxing and seeing how she fits into the world.
🙂 A lonely crow tries to make a friend from sticks and leaves, then from snow, before forming a friendship that will last.
🙂 It’s been a long day, and the little hedgehog has finally gone to bed with his teddy and his bunny. But someone keeps turning on the light!
Mini finds a dog in the park wearing shoes but no collar and begs to keep him, but soon she realizes that whoever put the shoes on him loves the dog, as well.
🙂 When Frog decides he doesn’t want to sit on a log, Cat takes it upon himself to educate Frog on the proper places for each animal to sit. (Finley, my froggy co-host, says he can relate to this one.)
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Tapir and Little Tapir are the quietest creatures in a very noisy jungle, but when a leopard is threatened by a hunter they teach him how to move with a very soft step, and the other animals follow suit.
When Grandmother Lola runs out of sardines one day, she can’t bear to think of Grandfather Lolo going hungry. She decides to go fishing–with unexpected results!
🙂 A sweetly poetic tribute to the interconnectedness of creatures and the natural world as well as humans and our loving relationships with one another.
Three children find a mysterious creature snoring away in a tree in their backyard. The children use books-and their own wild imaginations-to find some answers.
Join Nipper, an energetic little dog, and his beloved Charlotta Drayton as they travel from Charleston’s Battery to historic Drayton Hall and spend a spring day in 1916.
Two hungry penguins chase a clever fish. Will the penguins have fish for dinner tonight or will it be seaweed again?
The Beast and all the villagers have been robbed! Without tools, they can’t have their snow festival. Can The Beast catch the thief?
When Mr. and Mrs. Mo are too busy painting the house to play with him, the monster sets off to see the world by himself, or so he thinks.
Two chimney swifts build their nest in a chimney while the family below in the house prepares for a new baby.
Pig loves books, both big and small, and reads them at school, at home, and on the bus.
A young giraffe is excited when the egg in his tree hatches, but soon he and the baby bird are bickering constantly. When a scary lion forces them to work together, they find a surprising solution.
🙂 A little boy is determined to prove that he is a dragon in this story about friendship and fitting in.
🙂 A baby lion wants to play, but all the big lions just want to sleep and the other animals are afraid of him. Who will play with baby lion by the light of the moon?
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🙂 For one restless pup, the waking world is too full of wonder to leave behind at bedtime, until he closes his eyes and finds comfort in his dreams.
Illustrations and simple, rhyming text describe a year in the lives of bears as they journey through the seasons and raise their young.
Little Red is an excellent ice skater, but she will need a good partner for the skating pairs competition and the only one available is a certain Wolf, who needs new skates as badly as Little Red does.
In 1914, Harry Colebourn, a veterinarian on his way to tend horses in World War I, followed his heart and rescued a baby bear. He named her Winnie.
Neighbors William, Annie, and Thomas are all at their houses, each waiting for something very different and special.
One cold day, Thomas builds a cave of pillows and blankets where he can read, but when he goes to get a flashlight, a young bear goes inside and nothing Thomas does discourages the bear from being near him.
Photographs and simple text reveal the mischief toy dinosaurs get into all night long, from knocking over potted plants to painting on walls.
Henry’s beloved toy rabbit, Raspberry, goes missing, and Grandpa guides Henry to use his imagination to find his friend.
The Green Lizards and the Red Rectangles were at war. Eventually, they realized enough is enough. They stopped fighting and by working together, they found a way to live peacefully.
Illustrations and brief text relate how a person might feel when they lose someone they love.
When big brother decides that a snowy winter day is perfect for a yeti hunt, his little brother comes along, asking questions about the mysterious creatures all along the way.
Night after night, neighborhood monsters creep into Winifred Schnitzel’s room trying to scare her. But Winifred’s not afraid; she thinks monsters are cute!
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🙂 A boy is excluded from joining his friends’ pet club because of his unusual pet.
Yetis love snow and all things winter, but sometimes they need a dose of summer as well.
When the Little Tree sees the world around her narrowing, she worries about what life will be like for her Little Seed.
Playful puppy Flash doesn’t want to stay home–he wants to go on adventures with his favorite people.
Told through a series of notes, two boys go on a hike hoping to find Yeti but run into trouble along the way.
Bobby wants a shark for his birthday, so he is disappointed when his parents get him a puppy instead–but his puppy turns out to be a bit of a shark herself.
Join dinosaur friends as they prepare for a journey into space.
🙂 An admiring granddaughter hikes in all seasons with Grandma, the quintessential north woods girl.
🙂 It is a lucky author who has a dog to greet her in the morning and help her with ideas, because everything is better with a dog–but a dog who has an author is also lucky.
Once upon a time, a king and queen promised to marry their daughter to the young man who can show them the most wonderful thing in the world.
🙂 Count to ten with fast and colorful race cars.
In the 1930’s, Lewis’s dad, Lewis Michaux Sr., had an itch he needed to scratch–a book itch. He started a bookstore in Harlem and named it the National Memorial African Bookstore.
As a father and daughter cope with a loss, they rediscover an important piece of family history and begin building a new life.
Nina has always been quick, sneaky, and very independent, a Ninja baby–but then her parents bring home a Kung Fu Master, and Nina has to reconsider her strategy.
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Lauri Fortino's Frog On A (B)Log 