18 Books for 2018:
Books Librarians Love
Librarians love books. (Big surprise!)
Children’s librarians, in particular, love picture books – and we are very fond of sharing our favorite picture books with children and parents.
For your Valentine’s Day pleasure, here are books that Tulsa City-County Library children’s staff loved in 2017 – with the hope that these books will feature on your 2018 family reading list to share again and again. And of course you can find all of these titles at the library!
18 Books For 2018
18. How Long Is A Whale? written and illustrated by Alison Limentani
Even adults sometimes have a hard time conceptualizing the size of things. This nonfiction title perfectly captures the sizes of various sea creatures (dolphins, sea lions) and how that compares to a tiny human sea diver on every page.
17. Nothing Rhymes With Orange written and illustrated by Adam Rex
Poor Orange! What is a piece of fruit who loves poetry to do? Energetic illustrations meet clever concept.
16. Stack The Cats by written and illustrated by Susie Ghahremani
A perfect book for young children learning to count, with illustrations reminiscent of Japanese cartoons. However, do not try this at home! Real cats do NOT like to be stacked.
15. The Book of Mistakes written and illustrated by Corinna Luyken
Mistakes are not always mistakes… sometimes they are the beginning of something beautiful. This concept is perfectly captured in a series of drawings with “mistakes” that the artist uses as inspiration for new artistic elements.
14. Things To Do with Dad written and illustrated by Sam Zuppardi
A to-do list becomes a ta-DA! list for a young boy and his creative father. Bright, colorful, scribbly drawings captures the energy and excitement of Dad and son at play. This book just might inspire your kids to do their chores cheerfully!
13. The Spider written and illustrated by Elise Gravel
Creepy crawlies and all things insect-y are the inspiration for a nonfiction series, of which this is one. Kids learn real-life facts about spiders while being entranced by the whimsical illustrations.
12. Dragons Love Tacos 2 written by Adam Rubin and illustrated by Dan Salmieri
In this sequel, the taco-loving dragons are back, traveling through time to get more tacos! Warning: the librarians who loved this book immediately craved and had to find tacos.
11. This Book Will Not Be Fun written by Cirocco Dunlap and illustrated by Olivier Tallec
While a prim mouse warns the reader that the book is very serious, wacky and wonderful things play out behind him. (Flying whales and zero-gravity dance parties, anyone?) While some reviewers took exception at the snarky tone, Tulsa librarians loved the sheer silliness.
10. Say Zoop! written and illustrated by Herve Tullet
Tullet is a favorite of librarians because he views his books as invitations to movement and interaction. Like “Press Here” and “Mix It Up!”, this book asks readers to follow simple instructions to make the book come alive.
9. Dance Is For Everyone written and illustrated by Andrea Zuill
Alligators can’t dance! Or can they? A great twist on the idea that, with gentle and caring instruction, we can do almost anything.
8. If Your Monster Won’t Go To Bed written by Denise Vega and illustrated by Zachariah OHora
This “handbook” for caring for monsters is sly and funny – parents will recognize some parenting manual tropes, while kids will enjoy the bold artwork of mind-bendingly imaginative monsters.
7. Everywhere, Wonder written by Matthew Swanson and illustrated by Robbi Behr
A perfect read-aloud for bedtime, this gentle book explores the world of everyday wonders and invites readers to use their imagination as well as their skills of attention and observation.
6. Those Darn Squirrels written by Adam Rubin and illustrated by Dan Salmieri
A fun family read aloud, with playful illustrations that grab your attention. The story itself is zany yet heartfelt as Old Man Fookwire comes around to seeing the advantageous qualities of those darn squirrels.
5. Bumpety, Dunkety, Thumpety-Thump! written by K.L. Going and illustrated by Simone Shin
Onomatopoeia was never so much fun! Your children will revel in the sounds as much as the simple story of brother and sister on an everyday yet boisterous adventure.
4. Sing, Don’t Cry written and illustrated by Angela Dominguez
Abuelo (Grandfather) was in a mariachi band, and every year when he visits, he shares music and memories with his grandchildren. The warmth and love of family is palpable on the pages of this lovely book that should inspire lots of singing!
3. You Can Read written by Helaine Baker and illustrated by Mark Hoffmann
Of course librarians will love a book about the magic of books! Rhyming lines point out the many adventures you can have through reading.
2. Alfie (the Turtle That Disappeared) written and illustrated by Thyra Heder
When Nia gets a pet turtle, Alfie, on her birthday, she pulls out all of the stops to entertain and delight him. Alfie endeavors to return the favor by finding her the perfect gift. Lovely, watercolor illustrations and a gently surprising ending make this a winner.
1. On a Magical, Do-nothing Day written and illustrated by Beatrice Alemagna
What a world to explore when you’re forced outside and your handheld video game falls into a pond! Discover the beauty and fascinating detail of snails, mushrooms, clouds, and more along with the main character in this magical tale that will remind you of the wonder of an unplugged world.
