Top Dozen Picture Books of 2021

It's that time of year where "Best" lists about anything are everywhere. I am such a sucker for any list: best sci-fi books of 2021, best horror movies of 2021, best new podcasts, etc. I will click on them all and have a complete imaginary conversation with the author about how they are right or wrong. Maybe I shouldn't admit to having conversations with myself. Anyway, I am going to jump on the top list bandwagon and create my own "best of" list. Since I am a children's librarian and I also have a five year old who loves to listen to books, I will stick to what I am most familiar with and share my favorite picture books that were published in 2021. At first this was going to be a top 10 list. However, I had trouble picking just 10 books and I didn't really want to go as high as 15 or 20 since you would probably get sick of reading the post before I finished. To make a long story short (too late), I went with a top dozen. Please keep in mind, that these are just my opinions and there are oodles of fantastic picture books that I did not include on this list.  These books are just ones that I greatly enjoyed reading and also received great response from young listeners.

So, here (in no particular order) is my Top Dozen Picture Books published in 2021!

1. Except Antarctica! written and illustrated by Todd Sturgell

This past year, I have been teaching my son about the different continent using a variety of books, movies, and an animal atlas as a reference. Zack LOVES animals so combining geography with learning about animals indigenous to that area has been incredibly effective. Except Antarctica! fit in perfectly with what Zack and I were learning about in a charming and playful way.

 

The book starts like a typical animal fact book with the narrator stating that "Turtles are found on every continent except Antarctica. A turtle who happens to hear this decides to prove the narrator wrong and travel to Antarctica. Along the way he is joined by several other animals not found in the southern most continent; including a snake, owl, mouse, dung beetle, etc. You can probably guess what happens when they arrive in Antarctica, but as the animals leave in search of warmer weather the emperor penguin is chagrined to learn that his species is only found in Antarctica.

Sturgell manages to interject fascinating animal facts with humor and lively illustrations. The interplay between the animals and the narrator and the animals is delightful. My five year old son (and probably every other young listener) will be particularly amused by the dung beetle traveling to Antarctica for penguin poop.

2. Let Me Fix You a Plate: A Tale of Two Kitchens written and illustrated by Elizabeth Lilly

 

 

Let Me Fix You a Plate is a beautifully written and illustrated story based on the the author's own memories of visiting her paternal grandparents in West Virginia and her mother's Colombian parents in Florida. Although this story has nothing to do with Thanksgiving, I read Let Me Fix You a Plate for storytime in mid November because it is a fantastic way to start a discussion with kids about food, culture, and family traditions and celebrations. The young narrator talks about how there is homemade banana pudding and blueberry jam at her Mamaw and Papaw's rural mountain home. In Florida, though, her Abuela and Abuelo make arepas with queso blanco and orange juice from freshly picked naranjas.  When the family finally returns to their home in the city they settle back in with waffles. 

 

Lilly perfectly captures how food brings people and families of all backgrounds together. The text is simple, yet engaging, and the illustrations are sweet and have so many wonderful details. After reading the story, the kids were given paper place settings to draw pictures of their favorite foods and meals that they share with their families. We talked about who does the cooking and baking in their families, what do they call their grandparents, what are special activities that they do with their parents, grandparents, cousins, etc. It is so important to help kids understand, even at a very early age, that different doesn't have to be better or less than. It is simply different and that is what makes life fun and interesting.

 3. It's So Quiet: A Not-Quite-Going-to Bed Book written by Sherri Duskey Rinker and illustrated by Tony Fucile

 

 

What can I say? I am just a sucker for a book with onomatopoeia and It's So Quiet is a feast for the ears! In case you don't have a clue what I am talking about, onomatopoeia are words that are also sounds. Such as crash, boom, splat, moo, meow, etc.  Think of all those fight scenes in old episodes of Batman and you will understand what onomatopoeia is.

In the story a young mouse in the country thinks that "It's Too Quiet" to go to sleep. That is until he he lays still enough to hear the the chirp of crickets, the swoosh of the breeze in the trees, the tip-tap of a thumping dog tail, and even his grandfather snoring below his window in a rocking chair. Suddenly it's too noisy to go to sleep. 

 

Rinker, whom you may recognize as the author of the Construction Site series, has a written an enchanting bedtime story. It starts out almost like a homage to Goodnight Moon, the mama mouse (instead of a rabbit) is tucking her adorable progeny into bed. However, the story soon erupts into cacophony of nature that has the little mouse shouting out his window to "Be Quiet!!! I'm Trying to sleep!". It is a perfect book for reading aloud because little ones will be eager to help you make all of the noises and, despite the book being set at night, the illustrations are particularly lush and vibrant.

4. Have You Seen Gordon? written and illustrated by Jay Epstein and Ruth Chan

There are oodles of Look and Find books.  Probably because kids adore them, as the circulation stats at my library can attest to. Have You Seen Gordon? takes the traditional Look and Find format and completely transforms it by having an actual story instead of just a list of items to locate in an overly busy illustration. In the story a slightly bossy narrator asks the reader to find Norman in several crowded locations: a city street, a parade, an amusement park, etc. The problem is that Norman, a purple aardvark (maybe, I am not really sure what he is or even if he is supposed to be a real animal), does not want to hide. Norman wants to be the center of attention in his orange flowered shirt, crazy hats, and even riding on top of a parade float. The narrator decides that since Norman is too easy to locate the reader should try looking for a blue rhinoceros construction worker instead. Well, the construction worker quickly informs the narrator that she has a name (and it's Jane) and she would prefer not to be the focus of so much attention and then proceeds to run away. A conversation follows between the narrator and Norman about asking whether or not people want to be looked for and he soon finds a multitude of characters that are thrilled to be noticed. 

Have You Seen Gordon? is sweet, fun, and has a great message about accepting differences and also asserting oneself. Little ones will hopefully feel empowered while poring over the detailed illustrations featuring swarms of whimsical creatures in a variety of silly situations.

 5.  Aaron Slater, Illustrator written by Andrea Beatty and illustrated by David Roberts

If you are not familiar with The Questioneers series written by Andrea Beaty and beautifully illustrated by David Roberts, I highly recommend looking them up at your local library or bookstore. Each picture book features a child with aspirations of a particular profession or career. For example: Sophie Valdez dreams of being president, Iggy Peck excels at building and wants to be an architect, and, of course, in the one that started the series, Ada Twist wants to be scientist. Sometimes picture books that have a message to impart can be slightly stilted and forced, but Beaty strikes the perfect balance between fun storytelling and encouraging children to persevere and follow their dreams.

Beaty's latest book, Aaron Slater, Illustrator, has quickly become one of my favorites in the series. This one, which focuses less on STEM than the others in the series, features a young boy named Aaron who loves drawing and storytelling. Aaron dreams of one day being a professional writer but his dyslexia makes reading and writing a constant struggle. In the end he realizes that a learning disability does not have to define you and there are other ways to tell stories.  The story is uplifting without being overly schmaltzy and little readers will be captivated by the magical illustrations.

6. Oh Look, a Cake! written and illustrated by J.C. McKee 

 

 

I had to put Oh Look, A Cake! on the list because I almost peed my pants laughing the first time I read it and it is currently my five year old's favorite. Warning: I do not want to give away the ending but if you have a little one who will be upset about animals eating other animals you may want to pass on this one. Obviously, nothing is blood or graphically shown, but some kids are just more sensitive even with very comically drawn picture books. Which is completely OK, by the way. My daughter refused to go back to Sunday school after the teacher read the story of Noah's Ark. She quickly realized that if only two of every animal were allowed on the boat all of the others drowned. Strangely, she did not care about any of the people. 

Anyway, back to the book, which I first picked up because it had a sloth on the cover and I am slightly obsessed with sloths. In case you could not guess from the cover, Sloth and Lemur find a cake and are deciding what to do with it. They think of all the animals they could share it with and have a very good reason for deciding why each animal should not be invited. My favorite rationalization was: we can't invite turtle because "sugar does things to him." Finally, the duo determines that the only possible answer is to eat the cake themselves. As soon as they finish, though, the owner of the cake, a tiger, returns. I will let you guess what happens next.

Oh Look, a Cake! may not be fore everyone but I love its dark (but not too dark) humor. The banter between Sloth and Lemur is witty and hilarious and the depictions of the all of the animals are colorful and full of personality. This is the debut picture book of J.C. McKee and, personally, I cannot wait for more!

7. Room for Everyone written by Naaz Khan and illustrated by Merce Lopez

 

This is another fantastic picture book by a debut author. Naaz Khan, has a background in education and refugee studies and has lived and traveled all over the world (honestly, she seems way too young to have accomplished so much). In cheerful rhyming text, Khan tells the story of a boy named Musa and his dada (sister in Swahili) traveling on a daladala (a minibus with benches inside) to a beach on the island of Zanzibar. During the trip, the driver repeatedly stops to allow more and more passengers and cargo aboard the daladala. With each stop Musa yells that the daladala is too full, but his dada repeatedly tells him not to worry and with "wiggles and giggles and fun, they made enough room for everyone." Not only does Room for Everyone rhyme (which instantly makes it more fun to read) it also doubles as a counting book. Each stop brings a greater number of people and/or things getting on board. The first is and old man and his bike, the second is a boy and two goats, the third is three vendors with three baskets of fruit, and so on and so on. 

 

Room for Everyone is just a delightful book, that will also educate little ones (and their grown ups) about a different part of the world. The story was actually inspired by Khan's own ride aboard a crowded daladala on the way to a beach in Zanzibar. She includes information about where Zanzibar is located and all of the beauty and diversity that exists in this tiny archipelago off the coast of Tanzania. There is also a helpful glossary in the back that defines words like daladala, parachichi, dada, and more that are used in the story.

I feel like I would be remiss if I did not also mention Merce Lopez's phenomenal illustrations that perfectly complement Room for Everyone. Merce Lopez, was allowed to get input from people in Zanzibar and she does a phenomenal job conveying the beauty of the land and its citizens. There is so much joy and laughter on every page and I love how she mixes the gray and black, almost, pencil sketches with brilliant splashes of color.

8. No Pants! written and illustrated by Jacob Grant

I cannot be the only one who has or has had a child who hates to wear clothes. This is the picture book for all of us parents who have fought to keep our little nudists in pants, shirts, underwear, socks, whatever. When Pablo's dad is trying to get him ready to leave the house to go to a party, Pablo's only response is "No pants!" Eventually (after a whole lot of pleading), Dad manages to get Pablo into pants but Surprise! it's a pool party and everyone has bathing suits on instead of pants.

 

No Pants! is a super entertaining story about toddlers driving parents crazy with their stubborness and desire for independence. Your five year old may not fully remember acting like Pablo at two but they will still be giggling. The paper cut illustrations are bold and great for the youngest readers to enjoy and have I mentioned how much I love Pablo and his enormous blue dog. This is probably because when my youngest son was just over a year we got a black lab and to this day they are inseparable. 

 

Even if you don't have a big dog or a child who detests clothing, No Pants! is a read aloud that is sure to resonate with little readers. I also love this book because it features a little boy and his father. The world has made a lot of progress in a lot of ways but there are still not as many picture books featuring fathers as their should be.

9. Cat Problems written by Jory John and illustrated by Lane Smith

If you own a cat or have ever owned or cat or even been around a cat for an hour or two Cat Problems by Jory John and perfectly illustrated by Lane Smith is going to have you laughing out loud. The main character is awakened abruptly when the sunbeam he was basking in disappears. He then ambles throughout the house grousing about his humdrum existence and tormenting the poor ginger kitten that shares his home. Should he climb the curtains, continue to tear up the arms of the couch, or yowl obnoxiously until someone fills his food bowl?  My son especially enjoyed making all of the meow sounds louder and louder and more annoying. Readers of all ages are certain to fall in love with this adorable, yet querulous kitty.

10. Norman Didn't Do It! (Yes, He Did) written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins

I cannot resist any picture book Bruce Higgins, his Mother Bruce books are favorites in my home, but his latest book is particularly special. Norman is a porcupine who's best friend is a tree named Mildred. When another tree grows within touching distance of Mildred, Norman is overcome with jealousy and digs it up and replants it far, far away. Unsurprisingly, he feels guilty and goes back to recover the tree and decides that three is not necessarily a crowd and that he and Mildred can have more than one friend. Yes, the story is absolutely ridiculous, but try to read it without laughing. Also, it is actually an issue that young children frequently deal with. How do you deal with jealousy, how do you include more people in your friend group, how do you make ammends when you make a mistak., etc?

As with all of his picture books, Higgins is able to create stories that resonate with young readers, but are also entertaining for adults. His illustrations are so engaging, not surprising considering his first book won the Ezra Jack Keats new illustrator award and the E.B. .White read-aloud award. I know that I have overused this word throughout this post but, honestly, even looking at a thesaurus there is no more appropriate word than FUN. Ryan T. Higgins' books are just fun to read and look at. The stories are clever and humorous and the accompanying illustrations are oustanding. Norman Didn't Do It is just as wonderful as all of the other picture books by Higgins and perhaps more so because, hey, it's a porcupine whose best friend is a tree.

11. Looking for  a Jumbie written by Tracey Baptiste and illustrated by Amber Ren

As a librarian, as a mom, as a homeschooler, I am so excited that there are more and more picture books being published every year by diverse authors and illustrators, from different cultures and backgrounds. I will never understand some people's fear and abhorrence of diversity and multiculturalism. As a reader and lover of stories I will always find more stories by more people exciting. How can anyone not be thrilled about different stories, mythologies, histories, characters, etc. It just gives us more to learn and experience. 

I happen to have a little boy obsessed with Scooby Doo, and every ghost, ghoul, or monster that can be imagined. Looking for a Jumbie is wonderful, not-too-scary romp through Caribbean folklore and the monsters they tell their children about. Naya's mother has always told her about Jumbies and how they are just characters in stories, but she is positive that they are real and sets out to find them. A variety of jumbies, which is a generic term for all of the mythological creatures in central America and the Caribbean, end up joining Maya on her quest to find others of their kind. 

Prior to the release of this picture book, Tracey Baptiste had published a juvenile chapter book series, which is a lot of fun for older readers who don't mind a little bit of scariness.

First of all, I love that there are currently picture books about different cultures and folklore. Honestly, I feel like a lot of problems could be solved if we taught more of a global history and appreciation of different cultures from a very early age to children. Also, Looking for a Jumbie is a fantastic story for teaching kids that the dark or unknown does not have to be frightening.

12. Mel Fell written and illustrated Corey R. Tabor

 

I love reading interactive books to kids and Mel Fell is fun because it has you turning the book upside down and all around as you turn the pages. Mel is a young kingfisher ready to fly, but not quite sure how as demonstrated by her vertical descent from the nest. The other animals that Mel passes while plummeting promise to help but are not sure how. It is only when Mel reaches the water that she will prove to be kingfisher through and through. 

 

Interactive picture books are a relatively new thing, but they are AWESOME and I cannot believe that some author or illustrator did not think of such a thing before. Of course, maybe they did and I am just completely ignorant (and if so please let me know in the comments because I want to find these books).  How can yo go wrong with a plethora of adorable animals all trying to help an equally sweet little bird learn to fly? It may sound overly saccharine but Mel Fell is actually a captivating children's book that little ones will ask for again and again.

 

Well, that is my top dozen picture books of 2021! Feel free to comment on any that I did not include or maybe ones that I did have on my list that you felt were subpar.