IndyPL Staff Picks 2024 - Best of Picture BooksLike this list

33 items

• The Yellow Bus

  Long, Loren,

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  A touching story about an object many of us come into contact with every day, a yellow school bus. The author/illustrator's use of color is splendid in drawing the focus to the bus and its occupants. The "life"/conservation of this bus is…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Treehouse Town

  Sterer, Gideon,

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  Treehouse Town is an incredible picture book that depicts a Uptonian world built by children and their imagination. Children and adults alike will want to spend time with this picture book, and revisit it often to notice all the little…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• It Bears Repeating

  Tagaq, 1975-

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  They had me at the punny title! But peek inside to find a distinctive, awe-inspiring Arctic story that can be enjoyed many times over. Experience a day in the life of polar bears, and count them, one to ten, in Inuktitut and English. The…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Bakery Dragon

  Kurtz, Devin Elle,

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  Ember loves gold, like other dragons. However, Ember's small size doesn't tend to intimidate the villages into giving him any. One night, after a fruitless search, Ember curls up outside the local bakery during a storm. Invited in, he…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Pigs Dig a Road

  Finison, Carrie,

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  This is one time you will find road construction amusing rather than annoying! There's action on every page as pigs Rosie, Curly, Pinky and Stinky don their hard hats and get to work building a new road. The rhyming text and large,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• I Am Wriggly

  Rosen, Michael, 1946-

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  An adorable and fun book that's all about moving and being silly. In my opinion, children aren't often allowed the freedom to embrace moving about and silliness (nor are adults for that matter) and this book is celebration of moving and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Quickest Bedtime Story Ever!

  Fitzgerald, Louise (Acting coach),

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  Funny book - and I agree with Horn Book, it has a bit of a Richard Scarry and I also think a Sandra Boynton energy to the story and the illustrations. Everyone is doing just about everything to NOT go to sleep, so, it's delightful. If you…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Home in a Lunchbox

  Mo, Cherry,

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  This is the SWEETEST picture book about being not only new in school but new to the entire culture. Beautiful and hopeful! A celebration how young children can find a way to bridge differences and make space for fellow humans in the best…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Little Shrew

  Miyakoshi, Akiko, 1982-

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  This warm three part children's book is comforting both in its illustrations and in the stories it tells about Little Shrew. Little Shrew likes his routines and his friends and calmly shares them with the reader. Recommended by…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Gather Round

  Covell, David,

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  In this lovely picture book, a girl and her father collect the materials needed to build a campfire and enjoy the warmth of its imaginative flames (as the flames takes on the forms of a phoenix and a fox). They say hello to passing…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Best in Show

  Elliott, David, 1947-

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  This is a picture book with bonus features! It includes poetry, facts, and the illustrations are pretty great and are shared by 18 award-winning illustrators including Julie Flett, Oge Mora, Leo Espinosa. It's really fantastic for your…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Built to Last

  Lê, Minh, 1979-

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  A tale about the strength of friendship. Recommended by IndyPL_KaylieD, Public Services Associate.

• The Café at the Edge of the Woods

  Please, Mikey,

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  This is everything I love in a picture book -- beautiful, detailed art that your eyes just drink up; a sweet plot about making your dreams come true, even with some unexpected bumps in the road; mythical creatures just looking for some…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Dalmartian

  a Mars Rover's Story

  Cummins, Lucy Ruth,

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  It's a tiny bit Chicken Little and a tiny bit ET - mostly, it's pretty cute. A young dalmartian from outer space is - gasp - left behind on earth. Watching the human navigate a martian/ dog-like alien is fun and funny. Will the alien…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Dictionary Story

  Jeffers, Oliver,

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  I try to keep tabs on Oliver Jeffers' works. And this one, my goodness, you can read it quickly or if you have a kid that loves words, they could really get lost in this one. Jeffers and Sam Winston have created something very unique in…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• A Face Is a Poem

  Morstad, Julie,

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  This is an "aesthetic", but I find it beautiful and simple. Morstad's art is absolutely stunning. Recommended by IndyPL_TamiE, Public Services Librarian.

• Griselda Snook's Spectacular Books

  Timms, Barry,

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  What a dream place to be! I agree with Griselda -- "There's a book here for everyone!" Recommended by IndyPL_ShainaS, Library Assistant.

• The Heart Never Forgets

  Otaru, Ana,

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  A sweet book about remembering and celebrating a grandpa who has passed away. As I was growing up my family lived in Nigeria, West Africa for 5 years. I saw a few masquerades over the years, but I never knew much about what they actually…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Hello Day

  Mylie, Charlie,

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  This story, Hello Day, from writer and illustrator Charlie Mylie, is about a child and caregiver going on an adventure through the city in order to attend Storytime at the local library. The toddler with yellow hair and a dotted red shirt,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Here Are the Seeds

  Brown-Wood, JaNay,

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  A JaNay Brown-Wood picture book is always a thing to celebrate. Here Are the Seeds is another gem, and is one that I expect to be nominated for awards. Planting a garden is hard work as the children in this story discover, and there are…Read moreRead more of this annotation