At this time of year there are a few 'looking forward to' book lists doing the rounds. But here are some very exciting picture book-shaped offerings that caught my eye!
JANUARY
1. THE REALLY BEAUTIFUL THING (Frances Tosdevin, Ali Pye)
Squirrel is prepared to sell everything he has for The Really Beautiful Thing, but at what cost? A cautionary tale with a heartwarming ending about the force of greed and the power of friendship and family. The perfect story to share with little ones about consumerism, greed and obsession, that teaches us we can't always have everything we want . . . and that our loved ones will always be there to help us when we lose our way.
Squirrel doesn’t know what The Really Beautiful Thing is, or even what it does, but it’s AMAZING, and he wants it…even if it costs him EVERYTHING.
2. THE GREAT UNICORN RESCUE: A magical adventure about facing your fears (Diane Ewen)
The Great Unicorn Rescue is an enchanting, unicorn-filled tale about friendship and fighting your fears, from the award-winning, bestselling Diane Ewen.
Louella lives on the edge of a forest. But this isn't just any forest – this forest has unicorns in it! Louella's unicorn is called Norrie, and they love collecting shells together from the stream and spending all day together. Norrie’s special power is being able to cast a bright beam of light – so although Louella’s biggest fear is the dark, she never has to worry with Norrie around!
Until, one day, when Louella’s school has a class trip into the forest and Norrie doesn’t appear. Where could Norrie have got to? Can Louella overcome her biggest fear to help her friend out?
An enchanting story about friendship and how facing your fear with friends might just make that fear disappear altogether!
The authorial debut from Diane Ewen, illustrator of Coming to England and winner of the Jericho Prize and the Queen’s Knickers award.
FEBRUARY
3. THE FULL STOP THAT GOT AWAY (Laura Baker, Nathan Reed)
Frank is a full stop who LOVES making up stories. But sometimes the stories won’t stop, even when Frank says, “The End.” And when a dragon takes over, Frank has had enough… But without a full stop, how will the story ever finish?
A hilariously non-stop story about learning to let your imagination flow, and the perfect first introduction to punctuation.
4. OH NO, FLO! (Catherine Cawthorne, Mike Byrne)
Farmer loves looking after her animals. Farmer does all the jobs that need to be done. And she does them just right. But most of all, Farmer LOVES her trusty sheepdog, Flo. So when Farmer gets sick, Flo leaps in to SAVE THE DAY! The only question is, what does Farmer actually DO all day? With the help of her farmyard friends, Flo sets to work: brushing the carrots, collecting the geese, sowing the sheep. . . HOLD ON! OH NO - Flo is in a muddle!
Will Flo be able to get all the jobs done in time? Or will this farmyard fiasco go from bad to worse?
This laugh-out-loud animal adventure will have all readers shouting 'OH NO, FLO!' as Flo's antics unfold, making it the perfect book for storytime. Ideal for fans of Duck in the Truck, You Can't Take an Elephant on the Bus and Poo in the Zoo.
5. DO NOT EAT THE EGG (Fiona Barker, Siân Roberts)
The perfect picture-book treat for every small child (and adult) who has tried to resist temptation... and failed!
When Small Rabbit discovers a gorgeously wrapped chocolate egg in the cupboard he can't WAIT to eat it. But the label says Do NOT eat the egg! Can Small Rabbit do the right thing... or will it turn into a gloriously gooey chocolate disaster?
Chocolatey perfection for fans of Chris Haughton and Jon Klassen
6. THE SPACE BETWEEN (Clare Helen Welsh, Fiona Lumbers)
Granny has a secret: big changes aren't so scary when we take comfort in the time it takes to embrace them.
When her granddaughter is missing her old home, Granny teaches her a secret. The flower buds aren’t quite open, but they will be soon: they’re in the space between, and that time is a gift to treasure. Just like the flowers will soon bloom, in time she will feel at home. But Granny’s in the space between too... and she might need a little help to come out on the other side.
MARCH
7. HENRY THE ARTISTIC DOG (Justin Worsley)
Henry doesn't think anyone appreciates his unusual art, but one night everything changes...
Henry is an artist, a master sculptor and . . . a dog. Unfortunately, his self-made pieces, in all their sculptural forms, are often tossed in the bin without even being noticed! But Henry never gives up on his art until, one day, an unexpected somebody finally falls in love with his work and at last Henry has his moment to shine.
8. I’M GONNA EAT A MONSTER! (Kael Tudor, Scott Wilson)
Join Little Rabbit and Grey Wolf on their quest to EAT a monster in this hilarious new picture book story.
One morning, deep in the forest, Grey Wolf spots a delicious-looking rabbit and thinks to himself: Time for breakfast! But Little Rabbit isn't scared. In fact, she has plans of her own – plans to find and EAT a monster.Which is ridiculous, of course, because monsters AREN'T REAL.
Or are they?
Written by picture-book rising star Kael Tudor and brought to life by debut illustrator Scott Wilson, this read-aloud adventure is full of clever humour and LOTS of unexpected twists and turns.
9. THE FLOWER THIEF (A Squirrel & Bird Book) (Alice Hemming, Nicola Slater)
Perfect for fans of Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms, the spring-themed companion to the New York Times bestseller The Leaf Thief!
"Hello brand new day.
Hello sunshine!
Hello lovely leaves.
Nice to see you back."
Spring is here and today a flower has sprung to life. But when Squirrel becomes too protective of it, Bird shows Squirrel the right way to let flowers blossom and grow.
10. BADGER BOOKS (Paddy Donnelly)
From the world of Fox & Son Tailers…
‘Badger Books’ is a bookshop, run by a badger. On its shelves, you can find books about every animal. From bears to elephants, tigers to dinosaurs and pandas to narwhals. But there’s one book they don’t have … and it’s one that Rory the Fox really, really wants.
11. BY THE BEAVER POOL (Catherine Ward, Phoebe Roze)
Each day, as the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, I unpacked more of my favourite things.
Each evening, as the sky grew sleepy, we went to watch the beavers. The dam grew and grew…
Beck learns to love living at Grandma’s farm with the help of a pair of beavers that have moved to the stream nearby.
As Beck settles in at Grandma’s farm in Scotland, they watch the beavers busily gathering sticks to build a dam, which creates a pool and wetland habitat where lots of other wildlife can live too. As the seasons pass, Beck and the beavers find happiness in their new homes. By the Beaver Pool is a gentle tale of rewilding, connecting with nature and feeling at home, which cleverly weaves in facts about these incredible creatures.
A moving story of new beginnings that will also teach children about the brilliance of beavers.
APRIL
12. BASIL DREAMS BIG ( Lu Fraser, Sarah Warburton)
An adorable story about self-belief from the creators of Mavis the Bravest and One Camel Called Doug.
“How do I steer? And how do I stop?
What if I lose all my UPNESS and … drop?!”
Basil the bat doesn’t believe he can fly. No matter how hard he tries, he just can’t do it. But when a thundering storm threatens the safety of his beloved friend, Moth, will Basil find his wings and believe in the bat he CAN be?
13. THESE ARE MY ROCKS: A Story About Collecting (Bethan Woollvin)
Join the narrator, as they proudly introduce the reader to their prized collection, featuring BIG things to small things … and spiky things to wobbly things!
Each page is bursting with humour – and they are interactive too – with children encouraged to interact with the book, with invitations to point, make noises, clap their hands and think about what they could collect..
Interactive books engage young children and capture their natural curiosity and These Are My Rocks encourages the development of important early-learning skills such as listening, choosing, matching, counting and moving by playing on the theme of interaction.
These Are My Rocks is stylish, humorous, inclusive and utterly engaging – and a celebration of children's love of collecting.
14. HOW NOT TO SHARE A PIZZA (Tracy Curran, Lauren Beard)
MAY
15. ALL THE WONDERFUL WAYS TO MOVE (Laura Baker, Sandra de la Prada)
Jump up off your bottom and get in the groove.
Wiggle your body, let’s see how you MOVE!
Stomp, hop and clap along to the bouncy rhyme in this playful celebration of moving your body. A follow-up to All the Wonderful Ways to Read.
JUNE
16. THE ROCK FAMILY BAND (Robert Tregoning, Laura Brenlla)
Meet The Rocks! The family’s youngest member, flute-playing Sam, is different from the rest of his glam-rock family and sometimes they clash. Can the Rocks find a way to bring harmony into their music and into their home? Find out in this picture book about embracing each other for being who we are, whatever the tune that we sing and no matter how glam-rock we roll!
17. LLAMA LIBRARY (Holly Ryan, Ella Bailey)
This isn’t a library for book-borrowers – in this library you borrow a llama!
The Llama Library has any subject you can imagine – cookery, history, art, music, science even romance! All you need to do is go to the section and choose your llama, give the librarian your card to stamp and you can take it home. And that’s where things might get a little… messy! But don’t worry – just return your llama to the library and borrow another.
Holly Ryan’s hilarious story of a library from another dimension is bright to life by the incredible Ella Bailey. The magic of borrowing from your local library has never been this funny!
18. PUT YOUR SHOES ON (Polly Dunbar)
Every morning, all across the globe, children are being asked to put their shoes on. And, every morning, across the globe... no children are putting shoes on their feet, including Josh.
Mummy is desperate for Josh to put his shoes on – they have Aunty Nelly's party to go to! His cousins Tobias and Clementine will be there! (With their best shoes on.) While she asks nicely, cajoles, and eventually shouts (a bit), what she can't see is that Josh is actually VERY BUSY: he is completely lost in his own imaginative landscape inhabited by wild and wonderful creatures, made from real children's drawings by Polly Dunbar's son.
In his own head, Josh is indeed putting shoes on ... just not on his own feet. Cleverly fusing together two unique art styles, Polly connects us to the inner life of a child and all the little worries and distractions they wrestle with as soon as they know they have to leave home. In the end, she asks for a little more patience and love ... for both parent and child.
JULY
19. IS THAT YOUR MAMA (Patrice Lawrence, Diane Ewen)
A beautiful, moving celebration of what it truly means to be family, from the brilliant new picture book duo Patrice Lawrence and Diane Ewen.
Every family is different. Every family is special.
Josie loves her family. Her mum, dad, brothers and sister - they're all the best and they all look different.
But people always seem to ask Josie "Is that YOUR mama?", and soon she starts to wonder if her family are actually supposed to look the same.
When Josie shares her worries with her family, they find a way to help her see what truly matters.
20. THE DANGEROUS PET LOVER’S GUIDE TO DRAGONS (Lindsay Hirst, Alice McKinley)
Dragons are well known for being sulky and difficult. However, by following these simple but important guidelines, you might just be able to create a loveable and (almost) friendly pets.
The Dangerous Pet Lover’s Guide to Dragons is the essential dragon-care manual you didn’t know you needed. Full of useful tips, tricks and advice on everything from feeding and housing your new dragon to grooming and washing it (top tip: DON’T EVEN TRY!), this handy guidebook will equip you with everything you need to bond with your new pet!
AUGUST
22. THE BIG MONSTER BAKE (Fiona Barker, Eve O'Brien)
Come on down to MonsterStreet this howlingHallowe’en.
The houses look spooktacular, a truly splendid scene.
We’ve been busy cooking and we’ve made a monster bake.
I wonder, would our neighbours like a slice of tasty cake?
The Big Monster Bake is a picture book with a sweet and inclusive approach to Halloween. It stars a pair of little monsters hoping to share a homemade cake with their neighbours on Monster Street.
23. THE GREAT NUT HUNT (Karl Newson, Nia Havilliard)
Up and down, high and low.
Over and under and into I go . . .
When I’m hunting for nuts!
Squirrel LOVES nuts. He loves them so much that he collects AS MANY AS HE CAN! There’s just one problem: with so many nuts hidden around the woods, Squirrel just can’t remember where they all are. Oh, nuts!
Full of energy and fun, this gorgeous picture book brings together Karl Newson and Nia Tudor for the very first time!
With a bouncy rhyming text and illustrations full of colour and detail, The Great Nut Hunt is perfect for autumn - and all year round!
SEPTEMBER
24. I DEFINITELY DON’T LIKE THE DARK (Fiona Barker, Christine Pym)
A heartwarming picture book about two best friends who learn how accept each other's differences.
Hank and Hoog are best friends - they do EVERYTHING together.
Until one evening when Hank confesses that he's scared of the dark... Hoog can't understand - there's nothing to be scared of! But Hank can't stop thinking about the shadows, and what's making those night time noises? They may not agree on the dark, but there's something they both definitely like: each other.
And with a good friend, there will always be light in the darkness...
(Enjoy more of Hank and Hoog's adventures with the first book in the series I Definitely Don't Like Winter)
OCTOBER
25. I’M GOING TO EAT A POLAR BEAR (Karl Newson, Nicola Kinnear)
A little penguin is hungry but bored of eating fish and decides it wants to eat something different! An older penguin recalls hearing of a fluffy creature called a polar bear, so the little penguin sets off to find one. On arrival at the North Pole, the penguin can’t see a polar bear anywhere and eventually turns back home. Unbeknownst to hungry penguin, though, an equally hungry polar bear is following right behind...
What a lot of lovely stories to look forward to!
Which ones did we miss?
Feel free to tell us what other picture books there are up and coming in the comments.
Happy reading!
