My Favorite Fictional Picture Books of 2013

2013 was packed with great innovative picture books that told amusing and/or heartfelt and/or downright goofy stories.  Here is an alphabetical (by author) list of 20 of my favorites!  Note:  these are all works of fiction.  Soon I will have a list of my favorite Non-Fiction Picture Books!

Count the Monkeys, written by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Kevin Cornell.  This hilarious meta counting book promises readers that they will be able to count some monkeys.  However, other characters (a king cobra snake, some mongooses--or is it mongeese?, and lumberjacks) keep getting in the way.  Will we ever be to count the monkeys?  I love books with surprises, and this book is packed with them.  Barnett's prose crackles with inventive humor, and Cornell's creatures tickle the funny bone.  Oh will we ever get to count the monkeys????? 

Big Snow, written and illustrated by Jonathan Bean.  This wondrous book tells of a mischievous boy eagerly waiting for a big snowstorm.  With his delightful illustrations, Bean does a beautiful job conveying the child's anticipation.  His messy indoor activities mirror the accumulating snow outside.  A brilliantly rendered dream sequence (love mom trying to vacuum the snow) brings the book to a whole other level.  With this book and another 2013 masterwork, Building Our House, Bean keeps proving that he's one of the very best picture book authors of our time. 






Journey, by Aaron Becker.  Some of the very best picture books feel like dreams, and this wordless masterpiece (winner of a 2014 Caldecott honor) is no exception.  A girl, feeling ignored by her family, uses her imagination and a very special red writing utensil to transport her on an epic perilous journey.  The painstakingly detailed illustrations are a treat to behold as the girl uses her wits to survive one cliffhanger after the next, trying to help a captured bird, and perhaps making a friend along the way.  A joy from start to finish.

I Dare You Not to Yawn, written by Helene Boudreau, illustrated by Serge Bloch.  A very entertaining example of reverse psychology, this bedtime book (another meta delight) zeroes in on a boy trying to avoid bedtime.  When a yawn pops out of his lips, he finds himself being carted off to bed.  The narrator tells young readers what to avoid so they don't "suffer" this same fate, and the advice is quite hilarious, making every aspect of what's cozy and wonderful about bedtime sound undesirable.  Boudreau's book is clever and fun, with Bloch's illustrations doing a great job knocking the punchlines out of the park.

Inside, Outside, by Lizi Boyd.  2013 introduced many great wordless books, and this is one of the very best.  This quiet treasure takes the reader through the seasons, showing a child's life inside and outside a house that faces a garden.  A cool, inventive cut-out effect allows readers to peak into the house when the child is outside, and vice versa.  Boyd packs her illustrations with so many details, revisits are in order. 

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, written and illustrated by Peter Brown.  This might be Brown's masterpiece.  A hilarious, beautifully conceived tale of a tiger bored with his oh-so proper life in a Victorian-era town where all the animals walk on two legs and wear restrictive clothing.  Suddenly one day he discovers that he must do something to break the monotony.  When Mr. Tiger sheds his clothes and leaves for the jungle, Brown gives the reader a moment that takes the breath away..  In a tip of the hat to Where the Wild Things Are, Mr. Tiger realizes he needs to return home.  But there awaits a surprise!

Max and the Tag-Along Moon, written and illustrated by Floyd Cooper.  Perhaps the sweetest (without being cloying) picture book of the year.  In Cooper's tender tale, the young Max does not want to leave his grandfather's house.  Grandpa tells Max that the same moon they both look at will follow him, and this comforts the child.  Cooper's evocative drawings capture the serenity of a night-time journey home.  Some drama occurs towards the end, but all is resolved on a peaceful, happy note.  Pair this with Amy Hest's When Charley Met Grampa.

Hank Finds an Egg, by Rebecca Dudley.  One of those how'd she do that? kind of books that seems effortless when you first look at it, but then grows more impressive as you study its details.  Dudley hand-crafted these miniature creatures and sets, and photographed them.  Hank, the adorable lead character, finds and becomes determined to save a hummingbird egg in the woods.  It all leads to one of my favorite heartwarming endings of the year.

How to Train a Train, written by Jason Eaton, illustrated by John Rocco.   One of the most clever picture books of the year, this serves as an amusing spoof of pet guides.  This time though instead of telling children how to take care of a pooch or a kitten, the guide advises on how to handle the daunting task of caring for your pet locomotive.  Rocco's eye-catching illustrations walk the tightrope of making the trains look both convincingly mechanical and expressive.  Eaton meanwhile takes the amusing concept and runs with it, covering all the bases of train ownership.

Flora and the Flamingo, by Molly Idle.  Another great wordless book, and a winner of a well-deserved 2013 Caldecott Honor.  Flora, comically dressed in flippers, longs to join the Flamingo in a graceful dance.  However, the haughty bird makes life not so fun for our heroine, and it's amazing how much drama Idle packs in this gem as the two characters clash and then reconcile.  Innovative lift-the-flaps convey movement as the characters strike poses and enjoy a triumphant ending.  Kids will love the big splash at the end.

Moo!, written by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka.  This book contains the year's best punchline, and I would not dare spoiling that for you.  An adventurous cow decides to take a car for a spin, and the results are as chaotic and wild as you think they will be.  LaRochelle cleverly shows how one word, the word MOO!, can be said with complete joy, utter (amusing) terror, and sadness.  Meanwhile, Wohnoutka's illustrations leap off the page with comic abandon.  And again, great punchline. 

Ah Ha!, by Jeff Mack.  Another great near-wordless book which chronicles the madcap escapades of a frog who simply longs to rest in its favorite swimming hole.  Soon, a jar-bearing boy, dog, turtle, alligator, and flamingo all try to nab the poor amphibian, who outwits them all.  Mack packs his illustrations with slapstick that delights young readers.  It's amazing how much mileage he gets out two letters:  "a" and "h" and so few words ("ah ha", "ha ha", "aahh").  Very funny stuff.

Tap the Magic Tree, written and illustrated by Christie Matheson.  A very effective interactive book that takes young readers through the seasons, inviting them to help the "magic" apple tree change.  Matheson encourages kids to count the leaves, pat the tree to make the leaves change color, and clap loudly to make the snow fall.  This book works wonders in storytimes, although I do have to recommend that storytellers practice it first--some of the layout is a little tricky.  Once you got it down though, the book works wonders.

Lucky Ducklings, written by Eva Moore, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter.  This engaging throwback to Make Way for Ducklings shows how a pleasant walk for a mama duck and her five offspring becomes perilous.  A community must come together to help the ducklings, who have fallen through a storm drain.  Moore does a nice job touching on the art of storytelling telling young readers at certain points that that's not the end of the story.  Carpenter's illustrations give off a nice retro vibe.

Niño Wrestles the World, written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales.  The 2013 Pura Belpré Illustrator winner introduces the brave and courageous pint-sized wrestler Niño who takes on a whole array of figures from Mexican lore.  But in a surprise and wildly enjoyable ending, there is a foe that poses the biggest challenge to our masked crusader!  Morales continues to astound with her versatility as a storyteller and artist.  The book works as an introduction to Mexican culture and lucha libre, and a surprisingly sweet look at family and the power of imagination.

The Long, Long Line, written and illustrated by Tomoko Ohmura.  A tour de force from Ohmura as 100 different kinds of animals wait in line.  For what?  Readers keep guessing.  The creatures in line interact, chat, express impatience and frustration, get on each other's nerves.  They can't wait!!!  The payoff (which I won't spoil) is epic.  Let me just say the details on the final spreads are jawdroppingly impressive.  On the final spread, the book invites you to read it again.  Young readers will flip right back to the start and do so.

Carnivores, written by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Dan Santat.  One of the funniest books of the year, and one of the most subversive.  Three carnivores experience an existential crisis when they realize that others find their meat-eating ways alienating.  Can they change and become lovable vegetarians?  What do you think?  The book has one of the most startling bits of comedy of the year (poor owl!).  It's a book that adults who like their humor a bit on the dark side will love just as much as kids on the book's twisted wavelength.  Full disclosure:  I'm a vegetarian...and I thought it was hilarious.

Mr. Wuffles, written and illustrated by David Wiesner.  The brilliant Wiesner who has now received a kazillion Caldecott awards and honors won a 2014 Caldecott Honor for this wonderfully strange look at a cat and a bunch of aliens.  The feline's day takes an odd turn when he discovers a brand new toy that perplexes him.  Inside are miniature space creatures shaken by the cat's sudden interest in their craft.  Things get even funnier when a bunch of insects become involved.  Amusing and inventive.

This Is the Rope, written by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by James Ransome.  This lovely book follows a piece of rope from generation to generation of a family.  The same rope used to hang laundry is used as a jump rope by a young girl and her friends later.  Woodson's terse, poetic prose complements Ransome's evocative illustrations beautifully.  Pair this with Hyewon Yum's equally poignant multi-generational story This Is Our House for an excellent double feature about family togetherness and warmth.

Penguin on Vacation, written and illustrated by Salina Yoon.  This adorable book has emerged as a surefire storytime winner, something I call a "pin drop book" meaning the kids become so rapt and attentive you can hear a pin drop in the audience (except the funny parts do make them giggle).  Poor penguin is bored with living with ice and snow, so it takes off to a nice warm island.  Attempts at fun prove fruitless until a little crab comes along and shows Penguin how to have fun in the sand and on the beach.  The book has a surprisingly effective arc, and it's a great story about unlikely friendship.