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Here are a few recent titles I’ve read. What new picture books have you read? Please share in the comments section.

Book Cover — PEACE: From saying hello to saying I’m sorry, this simple concept book explores definitions of peace and actions small and big that foster it. *Rhyme*

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53398726. sx318 — MOTHER GOOSE TO THE RESCUE!: When the Queen of Hearts’ castle goes up in flames, Mother Goose and her band of nursery rhyme firefighters jump to the rescue. *Rhyme*

54061664. sx318 — TREEMENDOUS: Follow along as a tiny acorn grows up to be a tall and mighty oak tree.

53138239 — MEESHA MAKES FRIENDS: Meesha struggles to make friends, so she creates her own out of found materials.

54221429 — ELEPHANTS DO NOT BELONG IN TREES: When an elephant takes up roost in a tree, he upsets the other animals, until a bulldozer comes along, and the elephant saves their home.

51746929. sx318 — A FAMILY FOR FARU: Tetenya looks for a family of rhinos to take in an orphan named Faru, but he must protect the young rhino from poachers first.

55348976. sx318 — MY MONSTERPIECE: When a child’s attempts at making a scary monster fail, they begin to imagine that monsters don’t have to be scary after all.

55923680. sx318 — HOORAY, IT’S GARBAGE DAY!: Neighborhood children look forward to garbage day and have fun making their own garbage truck. *Rhyme*

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52623739. sx318 — THE TALE OF THE MANDARIN DUCK: A special duck brings the people of the city back together after they put their phones away.

54061768. sx318 — AVOCADO ASKS: Avocado hunts for the truth, in each aisle of the supermarket, about whether he’s a fruit or a vegetable.

53426653. sx318 — SLOTH WASN’T SLEEPY: Mama Sloth knows some special secrets to help her worried little daughter calm down and drift off to sleep.

54222484. sx318 — RISSY NO KISSIES: Rissy’s friends and family wonder if she’s sick, confused, or rude because she’s a lovebird who doesn’t like kisses. *Rhyme*

53479912. sx318 — RECTANGLE TIME: Told from the cat’s point of view as it spends time with the boy and watches as the boy gets bigger, the rectangle gets smaller, and it’s (the cat’s) assistance is no longer needed.

55871805. sx318 — TEARS: Explores the reasons why people cry and conveys the idea that when we let our tears flow, we are stronger.

54303961. sx318 — OUT OF NOWHERE: A beetle courageously sets out in search of his best friend, a caterpillar who arrived out of nowhere and vanished without warning.

54075341. sx318 — RAINDROPS TO RAINBOW: On a rainy day, a girl discovers that color can be found all around us, no matter the weather. *Rhyme/Concept*

52515996. sx318 — THE LOST PACKAGE: Follow one package’s journey from lost to found, and from coast to coast.

54816781 — BEDTIME BALLET: When the sun sets, a little girl jumps, slides, and pirouettes her way to bed. *Rhyme*

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53467131. sx318 — OVER THE SHOP: A little girl’s grandparent struggles to rent the shabby apartment above her general store, until a special couple decides to move in and helps transform the store and the community. *Wordless*

54304138. sx318 — CHICK CHAT: When everyone in her family is too busy, chatty Baby Chick adopts an egg, and finally finds a friend who is a good listener. *Cute!*

54419191. sx318 — I AM NOT A PENGUIN: Poor Pangolin tries to explain to the other animals who he is, but they keep getting mixed up, confusing him with a penguin, an armadillo, and more. *Funny!*

TWO WOOL GLOVES: As a winter storm approaches, Father Squirrel sets out to find a warm shelter for his family and finally comes across the perfect place, just the right size for Mother Squirrel and their five babies.

54061785. sx318 — TOGETHER: Whether stargazing, playing, or cuddling before bedtime, a polar bear parent assures a child that they will never be lonely because they are together forever. *Rhyme*

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I catalog hundreds of new picture books each year, and I read as many of them as I can. Unfortunately, I can’t review them all. But I can share them! Below are a few recent titles. (Summaries have been taken directly from the books whenever possible.) Check your local library or bookstore for availability.

52637884. sx318 — RAIN BEFORE RAINBOWS: A girl and her companion fox travel together away from a sorrowful past, through challenging and stormy times, toward color and light and life. *Rhyme/Lovely!*

51457060. sx318 — THE ALL-TOGETHER QUILT: Tells the heartwarming story of a diverse group of people coming together to make a quilt and lasting friendships.

50508716. sx318 — ROO KNOWS BLUE: Little Roo only knows the color blue, but he soon learns the world is made up of lots of other colors, too. *Concept/Rhyme/Fun!*

48733144. sx318 — NIGHT WALK: A girl has trouble sleeping and goes for a walk at night with her father where she sees her neighborhood in a whole new light.

51372735 — TAMLIN’S GREAT ADVENTURE: When Tamlin the horse leaves his field and best friend, Ruby, to go explore the wide world, he learns the grass isn’t really greener far from home.

53327848. sx318 — MEL FELL: Mel the kingfisher bird is ready to leave the nest and learn to fly, but when she jumps she falls and falls. Or does she?

53855554. sx318 — SEEKING AN AURORA: Through the silent frost, across fields, and up hills, a father and child set off to find an aurora and share an unforgettable moment as they watch the splendor of the northern lights.

53327864. sx318 — EYES THAT KISS IN THE CORNERS: A young girl notices that her eyes look different from her friends because her eyes kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea.

53854876. sx318 — THE MIDNIGHT FAIR: After the lights go out and the people go home, the creatures in the nearby forest take their turn at the fair. *Wordless*

52516033. sx318 — I WANT TO RIDE THE TAP TAP: In Haiti, Claude waits all week to ride the tap tap to the beach where he meets up with a mango seller, a fisherman, a straw-hat maker, an artist, and a steel drummer.

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51075519. sx318 — ONE GIRL: As one girl reads one book, the world opens up to her and she discovers other places, lives, and possibilities. *Rhyme*

49190402. sx318 — WE WILL LIVE IN THIS FOREST AGAIN: When a thriving forest is swallowed by wildfire, its animal residents brace themselves and look to new beginnings.

49090441. sx318 — ALL BECAUSE YOU MATTER: A lyrical tribute to a young black child, filled with heart, hope, and affirmation, saying, you, dear child, matter.

50622372. sx318 — COW BOY IS NOT A COWBOY: When Goat Girl calls Merle a cowboy, he protests, but when the chickens escape the coop and Humdrum Farm is in need of a hero, Merle decides to live up to his new name. *Funny!*

52751036. sx318 sy475 — WE BELIEVE IN YOU: Celebrates the power and joy of believing in yourself and in one another. *Rhyme*/*Sweet!*

49705524. sx318 — POOKA & BUNNI: When Pooka knocks down her older sister Bunni’s pillow castle, Pooka uses her big imagination to fix it before Bunni returns. *Love the art!*

49796104. sx318 — THE LIBRARY BUS: In Afghanistan, Pari accompanies her mother on her library bus rounds, stopping at a village and a refugee camp so that girls there can exchange books and have a lesson in English.

51990224. sx318 — LOUIS: Tired of dangerous adventures with his human boy, a teddy bear decides to run away, but reconsiders when bedtime arrives.

50403423. sx318 — DINOS DON’T DO YOGA: When a yoga-loving dinosaur named Sam moves to town, rough-and-tumble Rex disapproves of his yoga pants and silly chants, and anyone who prefers tree pose to tussling.

51774907. sx318 — ELLIE’S DRAGON: When Ellie is very small, she finds a tiny dragon just hatched from its egg, but as Ellie grows up, and moves from dollhouses to dance parties with friends, Scratch the dragon begins to fade.

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51115368. sx318 — I AM THE STORM: Children share gentle stories of resilience in a tornado, a blizzard, a wildfire, and a hurricane.

38772478. sx318 — THE SAD LITTLE FACT: Follow a sad little fact who is locked away for telling the truth and meets other little facts who want to escape their underground prison.

52751352. sx318 sy475 — SNOW FRIENDS: Oscar the dog can’t contain his excitement on the perfect day to play in the newly fallen snow. *Sweet!*

48733145. sx318 — MAGGIE’S TREASURE: When Maggie’s found treasure collection grows too big and spills out of her house into an unsightly mess, Maggie has the perfect plan to get rid of it all.

52673970. sx318 sy475 — THAT MONSTER ON THE BLOCK: When a moving truck pulls up, it’s not a goblin, ogre, or dragon that’s moving into Vampire’s old house, it’s something even more terrifying, it’s a clown! *Funny!*

51774902. sx318 — THE PURPLE PUFFY COAT: When Beetle gives Stick Bug a purple puffy coat for his birthday, Stick Bug really sticks out in a crowd, much to his dismay.

GRANDMA AND THE ROOSTER: It’s Chinese New Year and Grandma has a special present for her family, a rooster to make into delicious soup, but when her granddaughter Xiaoyue meets the rooster, she begs to keep him.

48850674 — BENNY WANTS A HAIRCUT: When it’s Sam’s turn for a haircut, Benny starts to bark and won’t stop because he wants a haircut too.

53426742. sx318 — THE WORLD MADE A RAINBOW: A girl feels sad that she can’t go out and play with her friends or see her grandma, so she makes a rainbow to bring joy, hope, and togetherness to her neighborhood. *Rhyme*

51970990. sx318 — STAR CROSSED: Two friends, a girl made of blood and bone and a boy made of space and stars, each make a wish to be where the other is.

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50632660 — THE SNOW DANCER: Sofia is excited to have a snow day and dance in the unspoiled park, but when other kids show up, Sofia’s beautiful silence is scattered.

50706435. sx318 — MY WORDS: A celebration of words, big and small, prickly or bright, by a young girl. *Rhyme*

51155733. sx318 — ONCE UPON A WINTER DAY: Milo’s mother is too busy to read him a story so she sends him outside to play in the snow where he discovers a story of his own inspired by nature.

50160872. sx318 sy475 — KIND: Shares a host of positive and hopeful ideas, from kindness jars to big hugs, and shows how we can all make the world a better, kinder place. *Features 38 illustrators*

49090403. sx318 — THE WORRYSAURUS: Little Worrysaurus has his whole day planned out, but after he sets off to have a picnic, he begins to worry that things will go wrong. *Rhyme*

49190398. sx318 — OUT THE DOOR: In this story highlighting directional concepts, follow a girl as she travels to school in a busy city, going out, down, past, along, and more.

52858691. sx318 — HELGA MAKES A NAME FOR HERSELF: A small but fierce Viking girl, along with her wolverine sidekick, is determined to become a warrior, just like her hero Ingrid the Axe.

50988891. sx318 — MADELINE FINN AND THE THERAPY DOG: Madeline Finn hopes Star can become a therapy dog, but when they can’t get an elderly man in a wheelchair to smile, Madeline must learn patience.

50358043. sx318 — THESAURUS HAS A SECRET: If the other dinosaurs discover that Thesaurus loves to read, they won’t think he’s such a normal dino.

51301879 — NEIGHBORS: A girl contemplates what her neighbors might be like after her family moves into a new apartment building.

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49348258. sx318 — SPEAK UP, MOLLY LOU MELON: Molly Lou’s mother encourages her to speak up when something is wrong, for those who can’t, and even when it’s hard, and Molly knows just what to do when a bully picks on a new kid at school.

51990240. sx318 — SPACE MATTERS: From the spaces between words in a sentence to the vast, blue sky, spaces, both large and small, add beauty and make sense of the world around us.

48854307. sx318 — SEVEN GOLDEN RINGS: In ancient India, a boy named Bhagat travels to the rajah’s city, hoping to ensure his family’s prosperity by winning a place at court as a singer.

51115110. sx318 — LUBAYA’S QUIET ROAR: Lubaya, an introverted young girl, quietly draws on the back of old protest posters, but when her family is called to march again, her artwork is the most powerful statement on that day.

50622375. sx318 — THE BOOKSTORE CAT: Follow the well-loved bookstore cat’s hilarious antics from A to Z through a day in his bustling, book-filled shop. *Fun!*

50358717. sx318 — THIS OLD DOG: From the time she takes her first steps, old dog finds someone, at last, who wants to go the same pace he does, slow. *Super sweet!*

48653007. sx318 — BYE, PENGUIN!: When the ice cracks, one little penguin is set adrift on a journey around the world. *Clever*!

49753251. sx318 — TURTLE WALK: A family of turtles goes for a long, long walk that has an unexpected and very fun ending. *Cute!*

49796112. sx318 — SNOW DAYS: Children celebrate the varied aspects of snow, from the first magic snow of the season to the last melting snow. *Rhyme*

49090493. sx318 — ADDY’S CUP OF SUGAR: In this reworking of a Buddhist parable, Stillwater, a giant panda, teaches Addy that the grief she feels for the loss of her kitten is part of life and is shared by everybody.

My Library’s Top 3 Circulating Print Picture Books and Top 15 Digital Picture Book Checkouts Of 2020

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I’m so grateful for every one of my blog followers. Thank you for your numerous comments, likes, and shares over this past year, a year that has been, well, difficult in so many ways. Your support has encouraged me to keep blogging and keep sharing the many wonderful picture books the world has to offer. Cheers to you, and best wishes for a spectacular 2021 for all! 🙂

Now, you may remember that I usually post the top circulating print picture books. That is, the picture books that were checked out most often from the Community Library of DeWitt and Jamesville in a given year. But this year, due to the pandemic, I’m going to do things a bit differently. The library was completely closed for a couple of months, and for about six months, we’ve been offering curbside pickup. I share all this just to say that circulation of print picture books has been down this year, though it has picked up.

But checkouts of digital picture books have gone up, up, up. So I’ll share the top 3 circulating print picture book of 2020 for my library. And then I’ll list the top 15 digital picture books for my library’s entire system, consisting of 31 county libraries.

Top 3 Circulating Print Picture Books:

124031 — **#1 Circulating Title/Circulated 13 Times**

32504556. sx318 — **Circulated 11 Times (this title also made the top 10 last year)**

Top 15 Digital Picture Book Checkouts:

Jory John’s picture books dominated the digital list, taking the first three spots!

45730161. sx318 — **Checked Out 55 times**

40221498. sx318 — **Checked Out 52 times**

45730527. sx318 — **Checked Out 52 Times**

33503524. sx318 — **Checked Out 29 Times**

40944115. sx318 — **Checked Out 27 Times**

52364522. sx318 sy475 — **Checked Out 26 Times**

34138298. sx318 — **Checked Out 26 Times**

51195584. sx318 sy475 — **Checked Out 26 Times**

26619447. sx318 — **Checked Out 26 Times**

39653602. sx318 — **Checked Out 22 Times**

42920060. sx318 — **Checked Out 21 Times**

All of these books have bold covers with big illustrations, which would help them stand out on a digital screen. It’s no surprise that kids would have chosen these outstanding titles from the 100s of digital picture books available.

What were the most checked out picture books at your local library in 2020?

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Take a look at the top circulating PRINT picture books at the Community Library of DeWitt & Jamesville in prior years:

Top 10 of 2019

Top 21 of 2018

Top 17 of 2017

Top 19 of 2016

Top 15 of 2015