Our Favorite Picture Books from 2018

A few summers ago, while Nicole and I were spending a leisurely morning browsing books at our local library, one of the interns approached me and hesitated before asking, "no offense. . . but I'm just wondering if your life is boring staying home all day with a child who can't really converse with you?" I'm not sure what prompted her question, but I nodded in understanding as I mulled her inquiry over in my head for a moment.  I took a deep breath, assured her that I wasn't offended and explained that books filled our home as well as our days and because of them, our communication was rich and varied.  The books did the talking for Nicole and while they were at it, they were filling her to the brim with words, ideas, story lines and beautiful language.

The type of books we read together has changed since that summer, but we are still people who fill our house and our days with books and reading.  We read a lot of books in 2018, which in so many ways was a pivotal year in reading for us. 2018 was the year that we finally stepped into the world of picture books.   Nicole still loves board books, and we revisit many of her favorite titles regularly (especially to read to our Jonah buddy), but having the stamina and listening comprehension to sit through picture books has been especially fun for both of us.  For Nicole, the line between make-believe and reality is so thin it's practically invisible.  It was fascinating and endearing to observe that the more we read, the bigger Nicole's literary friendships grew.  Characters such as Froggy, Madeline, Bear, Franklin, Clifford, and Curious George, as well as their stories, became part of the regular dialogue in our home.  Not every book we read was a hit, but the ones that were have woven their stories into our family in ways we will never forget.

Just in case you are looking for a little read-aloud inspiration around your house, I put together a list of our favorite books from last year.  Whenever it was available, I linked to a You Tube read aloud of the book so that you can easily preview the entire book.  Most of the read alouds in our home are far more lively and dramatic then the videos I found, but you'll still get a good feel for whether the story will capture the attention of your audience too. 

Without further ado, here were our favorite picture books from last year:

Thomas & Friends Stuck in the Mud.  This is the very first longer book that Nicole memorized, making it extra memorable to both of us. 

My Truck is Stuck by Kevin Lewis.  We happened upon this book because Nicole loved Stuck in the Mud so much that she wanted to keep reading about things being "stuck" long after it was time to return her beloved Thomas & Friends book.  This book has a great cadence to it and the pictures tell you far more than the words do. 

Spot the Cat by Henry Cole.  This is a wordless picture book and the illustrations are beautifully dynamic.  We uncovered something new about the story through the illustrations each time we "read" it.  Months later, Nicole is still enthusiastically naming every single stray cat she sees as "SPOT THE CAT!"

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes.  I don't remember why we originally brought this book home but it became an instant hit.  We have since checked out a couple of other books by the same author and I have snuck them back into our library bag after deciding that the content was slightly too mature for a 3 year old.  Chrysanthemum is worth a read though!

The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone.  We read numerous versions of this fairytale and liked this one the best because Paul Galdone illustrates of the troll as ugly and awkward instead of mean and scary.

Quick as a Cricket by Audrey Wood.  Since reading this book we have enjoyed Silly Sally and The Napping House, also by Audrey Wood. 

Flora's Very Windy Day by Jeanne Birdsall.  This whimsical book transformed our neighborhood walks.  Any time a gust of wind rushes past us, Nicole automatically starts referring to herself as "Flora" and Jonah as "Crispin" and we spend many excited moments quoting the book together as the wind whips along. 

The Giant Jumperee by Julia Donaldson.  We loved the expressive illustrations by Helen Oxenbury and the simple story line. 

The Circus Ship by Chris Van Duesen.  Despite being the last on the list, this is actually the book I recommend the most.  We have also read all 3 of Chris Van Duesen's Mr.Magee books, Hattie & Hudson and Randy Riley's Really Big Hit.  He is our favorite author/illustration of the year by far. 

I could go on and on and on but in the interest of time, I won't throw any more titles your way.   If you ever want to chat picture books with me, let me know! I still feel like we're just scratching the surface of all the fantastic children's literature out there but we have read some absolute gems along the way and we love hearing your recommendations too. 

Happy Reading!
Erica