Although I haven’t been blessed with children of my own I do have a hell of a children’s picture book collection. I love watching my friend’s kids sitting on my living room rug with a pile of adventures by their sides, embedding themselves in the rich, adventure-filled stories they find on those pages.
Here’s a round-up of my current favorites.
Tillie the Terrible Swede: How One Woman, a Sewing Needle, and a Bicycle Changed History
Oh how I love this book about tailor turned bicycle racer Tillie Anderson! This is the true story of one of the very first female athletes and it should be on the bookshelf of every little girl.
Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau
This richly illustrated, lyrical biography of Jacques Cousteau is magical. I didn’t know much about Cousteau before reading this but I am completely smitten with him and this book.
The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life with the Chimps
Jane Goodall is one of my heroes. She was such an extraordinary person with a passion and dedication that is an inspiration. This beautiful book is a perfect introduction to Goodall and her work.
Stuck
Floyd’s kite is stuck in a tree, so he tries knocking it down with his shoe, which gets stuck too. The first shoe is followed by the second and a string of increasing hilarious objects. Pure fun.
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
I am a big William Joyce fan- he’s one of my favorite illustrators of all time ever- and his latest book is enchanting. It’s a book about the love of books. Kind of meta, but it works beautifully.
Extra Yarn
I’m including this one even though you’ve almost certainly already heard about it because it’s so wonderful. Annabelle find a never-ending box of yarn and uses it to make warm garments for everyone she meets. There are lots of great lessons here, rendered so sweetly.
The Cloud Spinner
The Cloud Spinner is another beautiful book about generosity of spirit, taking only what you need and generosity but it isn’t preachy or heavy-handed. And the illustrations are achingly lovely.
Which picture books are your favorite?
Hey! Guess what? We’re launching a magazine! I know you already know, but the fact that BY HAND is about to become an actual, physical reality is still pretty amazing to me.
