It's hard to choose just ten picture books to showcase! I decided to narrow it down with the theme of books with art I love, which was still hard to narrow down! So, here are ten picture books on my desk** with art that I love:
1. ORANGE PEAR APPLE BEAR by Emily Gravett - I love the seeming simplicity of the word play and the art, and how something that seems so simple can be so rich.
2. NOT A BOX by Antoinette Portis - This is another deceptively simple concept that is anything but simple. It captures the art of imagination in a few lines of text and art.
3. THE GREAT GRACIE CHASE by Mark Teague - I have to admit that this is my favorite book by Mark Teague. There's just something wonderful about Gracie and the way that she and everyone else in this book is painted.
4. WAVE by Suzy Lee - If you've ever been to the beach, this book will bring you back while flipping through the pages. It's the next best thing to being at the beach.
5. MISS HAZELTINE'S HOME FOR SHY AND FEARFUL CATS by Alicia Potter, illustrated by Brigitta Sif - So many awesome cat drawings! A must read for cat lovers and cat artists.
6. ARE WE THERE YETI? by Ashlyn Anstee - A great title + fun art = a book that begs to be read.
7. COUNTING CROWS by Kathi Applet, illustrated by Rob Dunlavey - The art in this counting book is stunning, from the limited palette (black, white, and red), to the crows and cat.
8. THE BEAR ATE YOUR SANDWICH by Julia Sarcone-Roach - The art in this book is absolutely gorgeous and the story is really fun (and not at all spoiled by knowing who ate the sandwich).
9. WHEREVER YOU GO by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler - This book is a lovely journey both in text and art, and I am in awe of how Eliza's bicycle riding bunny drawings.
10. SUMMONING THE PHOENIX: Poems And Prose About Chinese Musical Instruments by Emily Jiang, illustrated by April Chu - The art and text bring music and Chinese instruments to life.
There's another book on my desk with art I love, but it's not on this list, because I'm totally biased. It's EWE AND AYE by Candace Ryan, illustrated by Stephanie Ruble (yep, that's me - told you I was totally biased). - It's about a sheep and a lemur who both dream of flying, but aren't able to fly until they work together.
* Technically it's still Monday the 10th on the West Coast, and since I just got back from there yesterday, I'm still on West Coast time.
** The picture books on my desk aren't always the same. These are the ones on my desk right now with art that I love. Next week or next month there could (and probably will) be different picture books with art I love.
I'm in owe of illustrators, and in love with your recommendations :)
ReplyDeleteHappy reading! Hope you love the art too! :)
DeleteWonderful choices! One of the fun things about these lists is that they could so easily change. Thanks for highlighting a few of my favorites (I'm wild about Birgitta Sif's work) and introducing me to a couple of new titles. I'll also be looking for your book now too!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Elisabeth! Yes, lists change all the time. It's fun to find new titles and revisit old favorites. I'm always discovering new picture books and new illustrators, but there will always be space for the books I already love!
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