Last week I shared my favorite middle grade books from 2019. I promised to share my favorite picture books from 2019, so here they are! Remember, these may not have been published in 2019, but I discovered them this year and loved every one. These are the ones I can’t stop thinking about. Also, please keep in mind, picture books are for EVERYBODY! They will teach you so much, give you so much enjoyment and possibly most importantly, touch your heart.  I hope you’ll find some titles to add to your shopping list. These special books deserve to be in your kids’ stockings. Happy Holidays to all of you!

a House that Once Was

By Julie Fogliano @juliefogliano

Illustrated by Lane Smith #lanesmith

I’ve always loved making up stories about something I discover as I’m out walking, so when I first learned of this book, I was quite certain this intriguing and mysterious story would be a perfect choice for me. I wasn’t disappointed! This picture book gets all the stars!! On the first page, we meet a pair of children who discover an obviously long ago abandoned house, as they wander through the woods. They immediately begin to create stories about the house and it’s occupants after they crawl through the window to explore. (more)  

big cat, little cat

Written and Illustrated by Elisha Cooper

So many times I’ve received text from a friend with the sad news that a dear family pet has died. Understandably, they, along with their children are devastated. After all, the beloved pet has always been a part of their children’s lives, so now how do they face the emptiness they all feel; how do they move on? And then because many of my friends believe just as I do, that the answers to life’s really hard questions can often be found in books, they ask for one that will help their young children understand. This gentle book is a perfect choice. (more)

rosie and crayon

Written and illustrated by Deborah Marcero

First of all, I have to write about the illustrations. Oh, my!! I’ll begin by describing the title page. Deborah Marcero has created the words of the title completely out of drawings of crayons! And then we move onto the story. Rosie and her dog, Crayon, are utterly charming. Their love for each other and their appreciation for the world is immediately apparent. On each page they joyfully discover another color and in the process introduce us to some fascinating vocabulary. There are fluttering yellows, simmering reds and and smoldering pinks. You and your little one will delight in their happiness as you talk about each new description. (more)

i used to be famous

By Tara Luebbe and Becky Cattie

Illustrated by Joanne Lew Vriethoff

Many thanks to Blue Slip Media for sharing this book with me. I very much appreciate it!

I loved the author’s first book, I AM FAMOUS. It reminded me of so many families who simply can’t get enough of the new star in the family, especially if it’s child number one! The camera is never still and every move is recorded for all of posterity in the memory book. But then… baby number two arrives and nothing is quite the same for child number one. Where are the cameras, the accolades, the personal attention?! Where is the fame? This is the story of I USED TO BE FAMOUS.  (more)

because

By Mo Willems

Illustrated by Amber Ren

This remarkable picture book will touch your heart, especially if you’re a music lover. It made me think about my own children who both became music lovers at a very young age, just as it happened to the little girl in Because. I always wondered what prompted my boys to pursue music. Was it my constant singing when they were small? Was it their aunt’s piano playing? Was it the intriguing piano at Grandma and Grandpa’s house that was like a magnet to them when they walked through their door?  (more)

we are (not) friends

By Anna Kang @annakangbooks

Illustrated by Christopher Weyant @christopherweyant

Again, many thanks to Blue Slip Media for sharing this book with me. I very much appreciate it!

All of us knows how it feels when you and a friend are having a great time, just the two of you, until suddenly someone else joins in. This can happen if you’re 3 or 73, or anywhere in between! Once the third friend appears, things are just not quite the same. 🔸
Our two fuzzy bear friends encounter the same problem when a new friend bounces in and wants to play. They soon discover three’s a crowd! Feelings are hurt, tears are shed and voices are raised as alternating twosomes face off against the third. The imaginative bears create game after game, but each one is only for two friends. This continues until they finally realize MAYBE exciting games can be imagined for three players instead of two, so three bears CAN actually be friends. (more)

max attacks

Words by Kathi Appelt @kathi5cats
Pictures by Penelope Dullaghan @penelope_dullaghan

Again, many thanks to Blue Slip Media for sharing this book with me. I very much appreciate it!

Meet Max! He’s full of curiosity and mischief as he prowls through the house making one discovery after another, even though his main objective is, and always will be, the fish bowl! BUT there are just so many tempting things to grab his attention first. Can Max really be expected to ignore a lizard crawling up a window screen, a dangling shoe lace or a basket of dirty socks? They are calling his name and then there is that fish bowl… (more)   

the day you begin

By Jacqueline Woodson @jacqueline_woodson

Illustrated by Rafael Lopez

This book tells the story of how hard it is to walk through the door into someplace new; a place where everyone is a stranger; a place where no one is quite like you. It can be a lonely experience, especially if everyone in that room knows each other and has a lot in common. If everyone thinks your accent is different and the food in your lunch box is strange. But hopefully, there will be a caring teacher who will want to hear your stories and learn more about you; who will help your classmates understand that different is okay. (more) 

truman

Written by Jean Reidy
🐢
Illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins

I absolutely loved this book. First, I fell in love with the cover and then with the charming story. When I studied the cover, I immediately felt the love between Sarah and her tortoise, Truman. Their faces told me they were completely absorbed in listening to one another and were obviously best friends. When I opened the book, I found many more of Lucy Ruth Cummins sweet illustrations which make Jean Reidy’s gentle story come alive. The soft colors in the details of their apartment and the busy city streets, as well as the expressions on their faces invite you into their quiet, everyday world full of friendship and fun. (more)   

will you miss us if we go?

By Paige Jaeger

Illustrated by Carol Hill Quirk

This beautifully illustrated nonfiction book is the second in the series by @authorpaigjaeger. The book, which is told in verse, introduces us to 14 endangered species who are asking for our help. This engaging story, with a challenging vocabulary, introduces us to the animals’ geographic locations, descriptions of their habitats, their physical descriptions, and the reasons they are threatened, all of which I’m sure will lead to many heartfelt discussions when the book is shared. (more)

goodbye, friend! Hello, friend!

Written and illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld

One of my favorite books from last year was Cori Doerrfeld’s THE RABBIT LISTENED. Her latest picture book doesn’t disappoint. In fact it is a delightful look at goodbyes and hellos in our lives. It will make you pause and think about how many of those we face everyday. We not only greet our friends and families, but we also greet new seasons, new situations, new places and new activities throughout our day. We may be sad to say goodbye to snowmen, but we love saying hello to spring; we’re disappointed our day at the beach is ending, but it’s so much fun to say hello to campfires and marshmallows; we say goodbye to hesitating to try something new and hello to jumping in and giving it a try. (more) 

the scarecrow 

By Beth Ferry

Illustrated by The Fan Brothers

Autumn may be fading away, but please don’t let it go before sharing  The Scarecrow with everyone in your family. As always, the illustrations by Eric and Terry Fan are amazing. The soft autumn colors and and even the tiniest details add so much to the story. I loved the gentleness of the snow, the quietness of the spring night and the joy on the scarecrow’s face as he makes a friend. And then there is Beth Ferry’s lyrical text that tells the story of the lonely, but respected scarecrow. The scarecrow who breaks his pole to save a baby crow; the scarecrow who cheers the baby as he learns to fly, despite knowing it means his friend will soon be gone. The scarecrow whose kindness leads to so much joy.

This memorable book about friendship and kindness is one of my favorites of 2019. I’m sure you’ll love it too!

dasher: How a Brave Little Doe Changed Christmas Forever

By Matt Tavares

This magical book, created by Matt Tavares, who is also the author-illustrator of one of my favorites, Red & Lulu, has once again mesmerized me with his latest book, Dasher! The gorgeous, dreamy illustrations in Dasher will first capture your attention and then the story will delight you. Dasher, a young doe, who along with her beloved family, spends her days trekking through the countryside with a traveling circus. Their life is not an easy one as they endure long days crammed together under the relentless sun, but there are happy times too. The children are kind to her and Dasher gets to be with her family. And at night Dasher’s mama shares stories about a faraway, dreamy place beneath the North Star where she and Papa once lived; a place where “the air was crisp and cold and the ground was always covered with a cool blanket of white snow”. Dasher loves these stories and dreams of actually feeling the crisp air and walking on the cool snow, even if it would mean leaving her family. One blustery night when the gate of the pen blows open, Dasher gets her chance. She runs away, flying like the wind through the forest, all the while following the North Star. Just as she realizes she is lost, she encounters a kind man dressed in red with a sparkling sleigh, a tired horse both in need of help. And the story of Christmas changes forever. 

This enchanting story is sure to become a family Christmas favorite you will look forward to bringing out each year. It’s one for young and old alike; for anyone who would like a little bit of magic in their lives this month. I know it’s going to be added to my holiday book collection!

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More about Susan

Hi! I'm Susan, a wife, a mom and a recently retired elementary school librarian with 22 years of experience. One of my greatest joys is to connect kids with a perfect book, which then leads them to a lifelong love of learning. Through my blog, I'm hoping to reach parents, their children and teachers to help them find those special books. I’m also hoping to offer some tips and techniques to use with your children as you read aloud.