Tania's Picks: gorgeous picture books to round out 2017

What better way--truly, I ask you--to round out a challenging year than with some serious picture book eye-candy that will melt you from your eyelashes to your toes. These stand-out books are recent purchases of mine (with the odd gift thrown in).

Highly recommended--and of course, I highly recommend diving into a picture book daily, no matter if you're 3, 33 or 103.

Happy new year! May your 2018 be bookish in every possible way.

Tania
KBR Founder

Tania's Picks: Divine Picture Books, February 2017

Today is my birthday and I'm doing whatever I like! (That's the rule in our family.) And what I like is picture books. And sharing picture books. Here are some of my recent purchases--and all have swept me off my feet.

Some are a few years old, so you may have to hunt for them. Dots, I cannot find much info anywhere online, not even on the publisher website. So do keep on the lookout for it, especially for those of you looking for books on human rights and refugee issues. It's truly glorious, and really needs to be more readily available.

Enjoy every heady moment! All highly recommended.

Mopoke by Philip Bunting, Scholastic, $24.95, 9781742991658, ages 3 - 8

Tania's Picks: My Favourite Picture Books for 2016

2016 may have been a tough year collectively, but golly it produced some outstanding picture books. And we can so easily find comfort and joy and beauty in the humble picture book, non? I know I did.

Herewith my favourite picture books from 2016--in no particular order--and trust me when I say I could have added 100 more.

It's so heartening to see the children's book industry continue to do so very well. In Australia, we now account for a whopping 34% of book sales. It seems people like children's books, yes they do. For 2017, I'm hoping our industry edges ever closer to receiving the recognition and exposure it sadly lacks and so deserves.

Enjoy these beautiful books--they are true gems. Click each one to read a review or be taken to a synopsis. And I make no apology that this list is unabashedly long and that there are many favourite books I've missed.

Tania's Picks: Heart-Thumping Picture Books, October 2016

It's so very important that we frequent our local bookstores.

The 'revival' books have experienced since the industry's Annus Horribilis of 2011, has been, in part, the direct result of people craving that return to Real Living. Strolling into a bricks-and-mortar bookstore--that heart race, that knees-going-weak, overwhelming sigh of a feeling. Oh the choice. The calamity of where to look, where to start first. It's like falling in love.

Then there's the perusing, the deciding, the purchasing, the squirrelling books home to purr over them with tea and cake. That feeling of paper in hand. The weight of a book. The curl-up-in-bed-ness. The smell of the paper and ink, the dramatic pause as each page is turned...

And children's books are faring the very best of all, making up over 30 per cent of book sales in Australia (yet with a mere fraction of the exposure and credit they deserve--via the media, funding or otherwise) and more often than not, sitting firmly in the Top 10 weekly sales list--oftentimes at least half of said list being kids' books.

Impressive.

So do do do haunt your local bookstore frequently. Not only are they a heart-racing place to be, we need to support the booksellers who work so hard to support us creators who work so hard to give you and your kids sensational books to curl up with (preferably with tea and cake).

And, also think outside the square when it comes to purchasing books. Why not visit your local art gallery or museum or art supplies store? You could find some incredible kids' books--oftentimes books that sit outside the 'mainstream' flow--books that will stun you. Why not drop into a childrenswear or toy store, or a gift shop--and see what books they carry?

I found most of the following at the National Art Gallery and the Portrait Gallery here in Canberra--two of my favourite places to buy books. I pop in at least every couple of months, treat myself to a gallery peruse, and then spend just as much time in the bookstore!

I hope you enjoy these heart-thumpers--you will like them very, very much. At a bookstore near you. (And remember, if you can't find what you're looking for, your friendly bookseller will order it in for you and phone you when it arrives!)

The Book of Bees by Wojciech Grajkowski and Pietr Socha, Thames and Hudson, $35, 9780500650950, ages 6+
One of my favourite books of 2016, if not all time, I have also reviewed this stunning title. You can see it here.

Tania's Picks: Sensational Picture Books, September 2016

How are you going with your picture book addiction? Still terribly and gloriously afflicted? Good. That makes two of us.

Here are my recent sensational purchases. I try to snaffle them from local bookstores (please frequently harvest books from your local bookstores) whenever I can, but also succumb to online buying if I can't find what I want.

I was reading recently that the children's book market in Australia 'is expected to comprise one third of all national book sales for the first time in recent memory'. Could that be any more happy-making and could we be any more proud of creators, publishers and booksellers?

Grab a cuppa and peruse this latest stash--I highly recommend each and every *one.

*Most of the books you'll find in Tania's Picks are not Australian titles--this is because more often than not, Australian titles are featured on Kids' Book Review as full reviews.

 

One Day on Our Blue Planet ... in the Antarctic by Ella Bailey, Flying Eye Books, $24.99, ages 2 - 7

Tania's Picks: Beautiful Picture Books, July 2016

Will it ever end? I hope not. This picture book obsession of mine doesn't show any sign of slowing up, and I'm delighted to share with you some recent book purchases--many of which I find in local stores and some online. Many of these, I've been coveting for some time, and others are surprise finds.

Do seek them out. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Beautiful Birds by J Roussen and E Walker, Flying Eye Books, $29,99, age 2+ (The orange spine and title on the real-life colour is fluorescent.)

Tania's Picks: An April of Sensational Books

April has seen yet another clutch of delicious books--sourced in local bookstores online (if the bookstores are out of stock). I love that some of these books are new release and some are titles I've been seeking out for some time now. Isn't it wonderful when you can finally track down a gem?

Herewith are just some of the gems I've located for stacks of reading pleasure during April. All highly recommended.

Tania's Picks: Stunning Picture Books, March 2016

Oh, the lure of the picture book.

If you're anything like me, it's swoon-time in the kids' section of any store, and herewith my recent purchases that had me breathless. Interesting that since I reconnected with illustration, many of my picks are wordless books (though I've always loved them and already have a huge collection).

Enjoy this feast! I hope the covers alone encourage you to seek them out. I promise you will be enamoured by each and every one--for their narrative, yes, but also for image and design and nuance and production values and sheer deliciousness.

All but the last three books are wordless.

Tania's Picks: Five Exquisite Picture Books

We're so fortunate at KBR to be sent hundreds of books throughout the year--something that truly delights our book-obsessed team. But we also purchase many books, and for me, most of my purchasing goes into picture books (my true obsession).

Here are five exquisite books I've recently purchased and I can't recommend them highly enough. Both complicated and divinely simple, three are wordless. If you haven't explored wordless picture books yet, well--you simply must.

Bird by Beatriz Martin Vidal, Simply Read Books, 9781927018644, $27.99, 4+

This is quite simply one of the most stunning wordless picture books I have ever seen. It left me silent, entranced and completely moved. With an abstract storyline that nonetheless will resonate deeply with kids (even if they don't consciously understand its message), I was struck by the illustrations that showcase subtle emotion and 'knowing' like nothing I've ever seen before. Coupled only with a series of time-markers, this is a superb production that will sit as wall art near my desk for a very long time.

The White Book by Silvia Borando, Elisabetta Pica and Lorenzo Clerici, Walker, $24.99, 9781406363173, 0 - 3
Another wordless book that will entrance the younger set, as a little boy paints white walls with striking colours, only to reveal a series of creatures that appear as white outlines through the paint. The boy then reacts with these creatures in fun ways. Simple in design yet so beautifully-elegant and charming for both kids and adults. Perfect for design lovers.

The Prince and the Porker by Peter Bently and David Roberts, Andersen Press, $32.99, 9781783441082, 4+
Could it be? Two of my very favourite creators in the one book? Oh my--I was hopping when I saw this on the shelf. And it's every bit as glorious as I knew it would be. Featuring the superb, textured, humorous and drool-worthy colouring and styling Roberts is renowned for, I was in sheer heaven reading this story about a case of mistaken identity and its propensity to cause a ruckus. Rhyming text has not only been beautifully-done, it really suits the 'flavour' of this storyline that combines a clever concept with loads of humour. A new fave.

The Land of Lines by Victor Hussenot, Chronicle, 9781452142821, $19.99, 5+
Part picture book, part graphic novel, this virtually wordless story follows a boy and a girl from different lands who come together to explore new territories--basically page after page of incredibly-detailed line drawings in both red and blue (the girl is red and the boy is blue). As they continue to explore, they meet a yellow creature who joins the quest for exploration--until they find home. Absolutely jammed with eye-boggling line-drawing detail, this is designed for slightly older children, but kids as young as preschool age could absolutely spend time exploring the pages, and absorbing the understated nuance.

Plip the Umbrella Man by David Sire and Thomas Baas, Little Gestalten, 9783899557381, $38.99, 3 - 10
The illustrations in this book are what immediately drew me in--superbly-crafted, retro-inspired and a delectable colour palette of pistachio, black and red. While they look like a lot of kooky fun, the underlying themes to this book are a lot deeper and a lot darker. They cover deep sadness and depression, but not in a gloomy way. In a hopeful, creative and inspiring way that is deftly woven into the story with childlike appropriateness. These undertones are so well-crafted, they're certainly something that can be explored as children get older, but still 'felt' when they are young. The story is subtle, exquisitely illustrated and important.

Tania's Picks: Gorgeous Picture Books for Christmas

I've had a busy year obsessing over picture books (nothing new there!) and I'm delighted to share with you some treasured finds that I've added to my collection in the last few weeks. Any of these books would make fabulous Christmas gifts for kids or adults.

Hold onto your hearts.

Tania's Picks: Latest Picture Book Purchases

Share my obsession with picture books? Then you'll salivate at these recent finds. Although I see a lot of books via Kids' Book Review, I also purchase a lot--and here are the picks from my stash over the last few months.

Have fun!

Wide Eyed Books, $29.99, 9781847806086, ages 5 - 12
This first book of nature helps young readers to discover the world of wildlife on their doorstep. Beginning in spring, this book revisits nine different places, including the farm, the back garden and the woods, during each of the four seasons through the year and explores the changing scenery and animal life found there. Informative and fun texts teamed with gorgeous, decorative illustrations make this the perfect book to celebrate each season with.

Koala Books, $24.99, 9781742761442, ages 2 - 6
A family of cheerful rabbits make their new neighbours' life unBEARable! All Mr Bear wants is to be left alone, but his rabbit neighbours just dont get it! They keep on asking annoying things like can they borrow honey, or does he want to swap books! When grumpy refusals dont work, he decides to scare away those pesky rabbits. Can kindness make Mr Bear see its time for a change?

Walker Books, $24.95, 9781406359435, ages 3 - 6
In a follow-up to Steve Light's highly praised Have You Seen My Dragon?, the county fair is filled with shapes - and somewhere among them a monster is waiting to be found. A little girl gallivants through a country fair, searching for her furry friend. Readers will surely spot the friendly monster as well as twenty shapes, identified here by their proper names - trapezoids, ellipses, kites and more - hidden among iconic fair attractions from the fun house to the Ferris wheel. Youngsters will be so mesmerized by Steve Light's masterful pen-and-ink illustrations, decorated with vivid splashes of colour, they won't even realise they've learned how to spot a nonagon while looking for a monster.

 

Viking, $19.99, 9780670785759, ages 1 - 4

Boom! Snot . . . Twitty? Three unlikely friends,and three different ways of being in the world. This simplest of stories is a fable for life.

Wide Eyed Books, $35, 9781847805850, ages 1 - 4
Set your spirit of adventure free with this lavishly illustrated trip around the world. Whether you're visiting the penguins of Antarctica, joining the Carnival in Brazil or a canoe safari down the Zambezi River, this book brings together more than 100 activities and challenges to inspire armchair adventurers of any age. Find hundreds of things to spot and learn new facts about every destination. With epic adventures from the four corners of the globe and discoveries to be made on your own doorstep, this book will inspire you to set off on your own journey of discovery.

Dial Books, $19.99, 9780141361789, ages 4 - 8
You might think a book with no pictures seems boring and serious. Except . . . here's how books work. Everything written on the page has to be said by the person reading it aloud. Even if the words say . . . BLORK. Or BLUURF. Even if the words are a preposterous song about eating ants for breakfast, or just a list of astonishingly goofy sounds like BLAGGITY BLAGGITY and GLIBBITY GLOBBITY. Cleverly irreverent and irresistibly silly, The Book with No Pictures is one that kids will beg to hear again and again. (And parents will be happy to oblige.)

Big Picture Press, $29.99, 9780763671266, ages 1 - 4
Watch as a tiny seed grows through the seasons into a fine pear tree in this beautifully presented first book from Jenny Bowers. This format showcases vibrant artwork with more than twenty-five flaps that you lift to discover creatures hidden in every scene. The charming text makes this the perfect interactive primer to a key scientific topic.

Wide Eyed Books, $24.99, 9781847806079, ages 1 - 4
Find out what one thousand really looks like in this visual encyclopedia of first words to see and say. Search-and-find Little Mouse on every page and discover new words with every turn of the page. Stylishly laid out, the book is arranged by theme and features fully illustrated collections of 'things', each clearly labelled and easy to recognise. This value packed 80 page book covers everything from space, to the human body, to the world around us, bringing contemporary appeal to a classic subject. A visual encyclopaedia for preschoolers learning to see and say their first words. 

HarperCollins, $24.99, 9780062252074, ages 5 - 9
A blue crayon mistakenly labeled as 'red' suffers an identity crisis in the new picture book by the New York Times—bestselling creator of My Heart Is Like a Zoo and It's an Orange Aardvark! Funny, insightful, and colorful, Red: A Crayon's Story, by Michael Hall, is about being true to your inner self and following your own path despite obstacles that may come your way. Red will appeal to fans of Lois Ehlert, Eric Carle, and The Day the Crayons Quit, and makes a great gift for readers of any age!

Big Picture Press, $29.99, 9780763671273, ages 2 - 5
Which bird has caught the worm? Where is the queasy monkey? And can you spot the scaredy-cat? Never has a search-and-find game been so pleasing to the eye. Each spread features fun rhyming couplets, beautiful and complexly patterned artwork, and a hidden surprise. A stylish title from the talented Britta Teckentrup, presented in an elegant format.

Big Picture Press, $34.95, 9781848778245, ages 2+
A composite of global cultures, Walk this World celebrates the everyday similarities as well as the exotic differences that exist between cultures around the world. Travel to a new country with every turn of the page, each with new surprises to discover: peep through windows, open doors and delve underground by opening the many lift-flaps designed into every spread.

Tania's Picks for January 2015

The school holidays are a lovely excuse to frequent bookshops, and here are just some of my favourite bookstore finds this month. I hope these make your heart thump as much as they did mine.

From one of my favourite picture book authors of all time, this brilliant story follows the Chinese Whispers conundrum to peak performance, with superb illustrations and plenty of hilarity.

A truly spectacular combination of text and image.

Title: Telephone
Author: Mac Barnett
Illustrator: Jen Corace
Publisher: Chronicle, $24.95 RRP
Publication Date: 1 September 2014
Format: Hard cover with dust jacket
ISBN: 9781452110233
For ages: 3 - 8
Type: Picture Book

Gotta love Little Mouse. After the success of his Book of Fears, it's no surprise he's yet again hijacked Emily Gravett's Big Book of Beasts and called them his own.

From sharks and bears to wasps and crocodiles, this is a typical visual Gravett, er, Mouse, feast. The book pops with lift-the-flaps, peek-holes and mini booklets that are absolutely enchanting for any age.


Title: Little Mouse's Big Book of Beasts
Author/Illustrator: Emily Gravett
Publisher: Pan Macmillan, $24.99 RRP
Publication Date: 1 August 2003
Format: Hard cover
ISBN: 9780230745384
For ages: 3 - 8
Type: Picture Book

Warning: a new Super Team has arrived. They made this book. And lo, it is good. It's so good, they've already become a new fave.

Bear wants some sleep. But Duck is clueless and keeps dropping by just as Bear is drifting off. Duck can't get the hint, and Bear is too polite (at first!) to send him on his way.

I smiled, I giggle, I guffawed and yes, I LOLd with this book. And the illos are scrumptiously squirm-worthy. More, please.

Title: Goodnight, Already!
Author: Jory John
Illustrator: Benji Davies
Publisher: HarperCollins, $24.99 RRP
Publication Date: 1 December 2014
Format: Hard cover
ISBN: 9780008101343
For ages: 3 - 8
Type: Picture Book

Yes, you may have guessed I'm a Gravett fan. I just love her ability to combine simplicity with depth of meaning and childhood whimsy. Stunning illustrations also help.

Bear and Hare are back from their fishing trip, and are on a snow bender that quite simply showcases the everyday magic of childhood.

Title: Bear and Hare: Snow!
Author/Illustrator: Emily Gravett
Publisher: Pan Macmillan, $19.99 RRP
Publication Date: 1 October 2014
Format: Hard cover
ISBN: 9781447273233
For ages: 1 - 4
Type: Picture Book/Toddlers

I've long loved Barney Saltzberg's work (see our reviews of his other books here) and Chengdu is such a departure from his other illustrations--it surprised (and thrilled) me.

Featuring lift-flap pages and a deep-seated humour that will demand many a repeat-read, this is brilliant bedtime reading.

Title: Chengdu Could Not, Would Not Fall Asleep
Author/Illustrator: Barney Saltzberg
Publisher: Disney Book Publishing, $26.99 RRP
Publication Date: 6 May 2014
Format: Hard cover with dust jacket
ISBN: 9781423167211
For ages: 3 - 8
Type: Picture Book

From the author of Iris and Isaac comes a new animal friend-- Louie the Smelly. Who LIKES to be smelly. It's no roses and apple blossom for him. He wants his own special smell back! Vibrant, divinely spattered watercolour illustrations are a feast for the eyes on this journey of reclamation.

Title: Smelly Louie
Author/Illustrator: Catherine Rayner
Publisher: Pan Macmillan, $24.99 RRP
Publication Date: 1 August 2014
Format: Hard cover
ISBN: 9780230742505
For ages: 3 - 8
Type: Picture Book

Tania's Picks: Crazy Good Picture Books for Aficionados

It's a whole lot of fun working on KBR. Not only do I get to work with some amazing people, I get to even part-way satisfy my voracious appetite for children's books, particularly picture books.

I see hundreds of review copies every year but I'm also pretty perennially on the hunt for my own picture book treasures--usually foreign titles, because I see so many incredible Aussie titles (and there are so many) through KBR.

Even though we certainly try (!), the KBR team can't possibly review every book we're sent or have picked up on our shopping jaunts, so herewith a collection of just some of the picture books I fell in love with this year--mostly purchased. I'm hoping you'll come across some true treasures in this line-up--I highly recommend each and every one to the moon and back.

If you're interested in learning more about each time, simply google the title and author. Have fun!

Your affectionate PB aficionado,

Tania

Review: A World of Your Own

Meet Laura.

She really hates standing in lines (who doesn't?!).

Laura loves to create her own world, so her lines aren't queues, no no. They are swirling curling slides. They are people walking along a path. They are whatever she chooses them to be.

Like her own house. It might look pretty boring in real life, but she can make it anything she wants it to be. She can add curly slides, bigger windows. A swimming pool on the roof. And she can sit it at the tippety top of a palm tree.