Holiday shopping, anyone? Here are some of our booksellers’ favorite Kids books of the year! Find more in our Holiday Catalog, which we distribute in-store.
Saturday by Oge More
“Saturday is the most special day of the week for Ava. She and her mother look forward to it all week long. The list of things they would do! It would be special and splendid! The illustrations are what drew me into the book at first– they’re just so fun! The use of pages from other books is brilliant– Oge Mora recycles the past into her imagery. Mora’s collage style captures Ava and her mother beautifully and as they go through their day you feel everything along with them. Saturday brought back memories of special times with my daughter when she was younger. We dressed up and went to the ballet, went on shopping trips, dinner just for the two of us… the best party of it all is, we still do! Sometimes days don’t always go the way we planned them so when we find joy in who we are with, the day is special and splendid.” – Rachel M.
Pokko and the Drum by Matthew Forsythe
“Are you kidding me with this book?!!!! A picture book hasn’t made me laugh this hard in a long, long time. Matthew Forsythe’s illustrations are bursting with energy and joy! He communicates so much emotion through the eyes, Pokko’s and his parents’ alike. Pokko and the Drum is about a family of frogs living in a mushroom. Pokko and the Drum is about art. Pokko and the Drum is about finding your community, your people. Pokko and the Drum is my new favorite book. That’s it, I found it, it’s done!” – Eugenia
Layla’s Happiness by Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie, illus. by Ashleigh Corrin
“To Layla, happiness means staring at the night sky, climbing trees, and eating spaghetti without a fork. Small moments that seed deep, meaningful joy take center stage in this radiant gem sure to leave readers pondering treasured moments of their own.” – Meghan
¡Vamos! Let’s Go to the Market by Raúl the Third
“I love ¡Vamos! Let’s Go to the Market because I love Raúl the Third’s style (still totally recognizable as his even without the ballpoint pen he’s know for in Lowriders), it’s so much fun and full of energy, and jam-packed with detail! Plus it has a fantastic color palette and I love that the book is bilingual!” – Tomoko
This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews
“Ever since I was as tall as a stack of books (a unit of measurement I use strategically to apply to any age), I have found escape in a good read. Timeless, enchanting, and wildly imaginative, This Was Our Pact joins the company of my favorite literary escapes, Alice in Wonderland and James and the Giant Peach, as the next classic in kids’ fables. Ryan Andrews’ moony dream of a graphic novel pierces through the glamour of adult knowingness, inviting kids and adults alike to accompany star chasers Ben and Nathaniel on their adventure of a lifetime. A bicycle-riding bear in its natural habitat, a fee-for-service witch quite unlike the garden variety fairy godmother, and sticky glowworm stars– what more can you ask for?” – Olivia
Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary Schmidt
“This book stole my heart, completely and unexpectedly. A family in chaos opens the door one morning to find Mr. Bowles-Fitzpatrick waiting outside, ready to change their lives forever. Think of a modern day Mary Poppins meets P.G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves, in which a British butler helps an American family during a difficult time through (mostly unwanted) advice, chores, and the world’s most elegant sport– cricket. Filled with hilarious dialogue (“What does provincial mean?” “American.”) and insight, PAY ATTENTION, CARTER JONES is sure to charm your knee pads off!” – Eugenia
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
“My favorite new hero’s journey! When Tristan Strong, wracked with grief and guilty over a friend’s death, is tricked into destroying a bottle tree on his grandparents’ farm, he sets off a chain reaction that leads to the discovery of his own power!” – Thomas
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
“Resonant and atmospheric, refined and powerful, Jasmine Warga’s writing made me cry multiple times while reading OTHER WORDS FOR HOME–from heartache at least twice and happiness another time, her poetry strikes a powerful chord. Warga’s writing is evocative and Jude’s story breathes like a memory–full of love, pain, fear, determination and pride, and made flesh with stunning detail. Truly phenomenal and so necessary for now, I can’t wait to share this book with everyone!” – Tomoko
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