Consider this just a sampling of titles that I found particularly toothsome in 2019. You will miss some of your favorites, no doubt, but these are the books that truly made my little heart sing.
31 Days, 31 Lists: 2019 Nonfiction Picture Books
December 27, 2019 by
Here it is! My standouts! My stalwarts! The books that I just can’t get out of my mind, that have been swimming around in my cranium all year. The great works of picture book nonfiction of 2019!
31 Days, 31 Lists: 2019 Comics & Graphic Novels
December 19, 2019 by
It’s finally here! One of this month’s more popular lists. Today, there’s something for everyone. The usual suspects and a few surprises along the way . . .
31 Days, 31 Lists: 2019 Early Chapter Books
December 18, 2019 by
Today, I consider a slew of different books that all fall into the no man’s land of literature. Without them, we would lose so many kids. Let us tip our caps then to the books that do our dirty work, and rarely get the thanks they deserve.
31 Days, 31 Lists: 2019 Easy Books
December 17, 2019 by
Call them easy books, beginning books, early readers, whatever term you prefer. Today, I’m highlighting the books that are best for new readers. Simple texts, simple sentences, simple words. None of that fancy dance chapter nonsense.
31 Days, 31 Lists: 2019 Poetry Books
December 16, 2019 by
A fan of poems? On this list we’ve classic poets re-illustrated, first timers, funny poems, deeply meaningful ones, poems that tie into the moon landing, nursery rhymes, and many many more. There’s something for everyone on today’s list. Don’t believe me? See for yourself
31 Days, 31 Lists: 2019 Children’s Books with Fabulous Photography
December 12, 2019 by
You’ll find in this list that I have a fairly broad definition of what constitutes “photography”. By my thinking, it doesn’t matter if it’s a Getty Image or Nonfiction or Photoshopped or of models and silhouettes. If the book relies on the art of photography in any manner, it has a home on today’s list.
31 Days, 31 Lists: 2019 Math Books for Kids
December 9, 2019 by
In 2019, these were the math books that really made me sing. Whether you’re dealing with shapes or number lines, it’s all on display right here.
31 Days, 31 Lists: 2019 Funny Picture Books
December 6, 2019 by
Judging a picture book based on humor alone really comes down to the sense of humor of the reader. On that note, let me state clearly that the books you’ll see here were just the ones that highly amused ME this year.
31 Days, 31 Lists: 2019 Rhyming Picture Books
December 5, 2019 by
The reason I celebrate rhyming picture books on lists like today’s is that they have a tough road to hoe. Scansion alone sinks many a vessel. Today, we raise a glass to the books that pull it off and pull it off well. The few. The proud. The successfully rhymed.
31 Days, 31 Lists: 2019 Transcendent Holiday Picture Books
December 3, 2019 by
An array of holidays! We’ve got some Thanksgiving, some Valentine’s Day, some Halloween, and even a collection of different Jewish holidays all together. Some are books that were intended for a certain holiday. Others will simply fit in well when you do your holiday displays.
31 Days, 31 Lists: 2019 Great Board Books
December 1, 2019 by
What better way to kick off 31 days of my favorite children’s books of the year than with the most successful (I’d argue) format?
101 Great Books for Kids (2019 Edition)
November 27, 2019 by
Sit back and enjoy Evanston Public Library’s 101 Great Books for Kids List (2019 Edition). We may not have the size or girth of a Chicago Public Library or NYPL, but when it comes to lists, we can play with the big boys just fine.
Review of the Day: My Footprints by Bao Phi, ill. Basia Tran
November 13, 2019 by
Want a book that’ll stick in your brain for long periods of time for all the right reasons? Chant along with me then . . . my footprints, my footprints, my footprints . . .
Review of the Day: Firefighters’ Handbook by Meghan McCarthy
November 6, 2019 by
If there is an art to rendering expository facts with a narrative feel, then Meghan McCarthy is this type of book’s Vincent Van Gogh. Never sacrificing beauty, never skimping on reality, she provides the perfect balance while also managing to come up with books that kids will really really enjoy reading. A treat to eye and ear and a blessing to parents of the firefighting obsessed nationwide. The best at what it aims to be.
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