This post is a quick little appreciation of some of the best picture books to come out in the first half of 2019. I’m reading more picture books than ever, thanks to my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program. It had been a little over 25 years since I had last read picture books until I started the program last year. (Spoiler: I’m 31.) Coming into the MFA, I was positive I was only going to want to read and write YA. But first semester, I drowned myself in picture books to get up to speed and found a new love and affection for them. I even wrote one of my own this past semester. Today’s picture books are somewhat different than my favorite ones I grew up with, as the genre is definitely evolving in a good way, but the same qualities that mark a great picture book are essentially the same: a story told with wonder.
This article links to the authors and illustrators websites where available. Just follow the hyperlink under their name.
The Undefeated
Written by Kwame Alexander; Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
I’m a big Kwame Alexander fan. As an aspiring YA verse novelist and writer of children’s verse, I view Alexander as an icon, an author whose preaching poetry to young kids with finesse and deft skill. His picture book The Undefeated is a rousing celebration of iconic or otherwise impactful black Americans throughout history. The text was originally written as a poem Alexander performed for ESPN’s The Undefeated. Kadir Nelson‘s vivid illustrations pop off the page, really making use of white space and formatting. Add The Undefeated on Goodreads and purchase on Amazon.
I Am a Wolf
Written and Illustrated by Kelly Leigh Miller
I adored this picture book written and illustrated by Kelly Leigh Miller. In this poignant story, a dog living on the streets develops a hard outer shell, convincing itself that it’s really a “wolf” and therefore others should keep away. In therapy terms, it’s got abandonment and trust issues. But even though this little pup does everything it can to keep others away, it can’t stop a child’s love. Miller captures the dog’s punchy personality in bright colors and exaggerated emotions. I Am a Wolf is a nice way to introduce children to their first pets. I remember adopting a little kitten when I was four who was also mistrustful at the beginning, and I didn’t understand why. I Am a Wolf helps make inroads between a rescue animal’s behavior and the boundless love children have for their pets. Add I Am a Wolf on Goodreads and purchase on Amazon.
My Heart
Written and Illustrated by Corinna Luyken
Beautiful pictures, beautiful language, and beautiful story. I haven’t read enough to tell, but it still feels strangely rare to read picture books that acknowledge bad feelings. Corinna Luyken does so with both specific and general language that readers can surely find themselves in. This book is ultimately joyful and empowering, but it does not shy away from how dark things can get. I think it’s so necessary to give young readers a vocabulary (both written *and* visual vocabulary) to discuss challenging feelings, and books like My Heart help start the conversation. Another great one is I Hate Everyone by Naomi Danis (2018). Add My Heart on Goodreads and purchase on Amazon.
Another
Written and Illustrated by Christian Robinson
A fantastically surreal picture book by Christian Robinson. This book was packed with narrative mystery. Just what was happening? Was this little girl having a dream? I liked that this was unresolved. It really made me stretch my mind and think about the possibilities. I already know I will return to this book again, and it’ll be perfect to analyze in my critical thesis on surrealism in children’s literature. I also love the art here, how the portal opens to a white space where colors splash and stand out. Add Another on Goodreads and purchase on Amazon.
Let ‘er Buck!: George Fletcher, the People’s Champion
Written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson; Illustrated by Gordon C. James
An interesting book by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson about George Fletcher, a black cowboy who earned the title of “People’s Champion” at the Pendleton Round-Up in 1911. The story is great, but the striking, smooth, and vibrant illustrations from Gordon C. James are what I lingered over. James is already an icon in my book for illustrating Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut (2017), one of my favorite picture books of the last few years. And in Let ’Er Buck his mastery is on full display. The oil paintings seem to move even though they are static there on the pages. The effect is to make the action scenes, especially of the cowboys riding, almost come alive by capturing the movement with art. This was a joyful, exquisite story with artwork that could hang in a museum but, more important, reach you through the two-dimensional page. Add Let ‘er Buck! on Goodreads and purchase on Amazon.
Princess Puffybottom … and Darryl
Written by Susan Nielsen; Illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller
Olivia Chin Mueller‘s illustrations for this picture book by Susan Nielsen are simply gorgeous and also seem to really capture the characters’ personalities. Princess Puffybottom… and Darryl is so stinking cute and refreshingly inclusive. This book is not unlike the basic story behind the middle grade novel I’m writing, Boom and Blink: a new pet with a bombacious and outgoing personality comes to a household where a snobby elitist of a cat is the only pet. Hijinks ensue until they bond. This charming story is a nice story about friendship that any young kid beginning to work out socialization will appreciate. Add Princess Puffybottom.. and Darryl on Goodreads and purchase on Amazon.
Rumple Buttercup: A Stories of Bananas, Belonging, and Being Yourself
Written and Illustrated by Matthew Gray Gubler
Bravo, Matthew Gray Gubler: This early reader, or picture book for older readers, is absolutely adorable. It tells the cheerful, uplifting story of an ugly creature named Rumple Buttercup who believes it needs to hide because people (humans, mostly) would be afraid of it. Rumple Buttercup’s journey takes him outside his comfort zone in the sewers as he finds that people adore him and always watch for him on the one day a year he comes out for the town’s parade. The story closes with humans and animals explaining that everyone has strange things about themselves, but we are all unique and wonderful in our own ways. It was such a simple story, and yet, I fell in love with Rumple Buttercup and felt such affection for him that I nearly cried at the end. What an amazing look at difference, shame, and acceptance. The almost childlike illustrations (by the author) add to the whimsy. Add Rumple Buttercup on Goodreads and purchase on Amazon.
