2023 Staff Picks: Picture Books
Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Lost Christmas! By Alastair Heim; illustrated by Aristides Ruiz
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The Grinch is BACK and ready to prove to the residents of Who-ville that he's changed. This heartwarming sequel is written and illustrated in the style of Dr. Seuss's beloved holiday classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
The Grinch had been patiently waiting all year,
To celebrate Christmas and bring the Whos cheer,
And to show every Who he was DIFFERENT now.
“I’ve changed!” thought the Grinch,
“And I’ll prove it! But HOW?”
A year has passed since the Grinch stole Christmas from Who-ville. Now eager to prove to the Whos that his heart has grown to LOVE the holiday, the Grinch devises a plan to win Who-ville's Christmas Crown by making the largest, most spectacular Christmas tree the Whos have ever seen!
But when things don't go as planned, the Grinch's heart turns ice cold, and he threatens to leave Who-ville for good...until one small, special Who reminds him that Christmas is NOT about winning.
Grow your heart three sizes MORE with this sequel to the timeless picture book How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Featuring a foil-enhanced jacket and full-color illustrations rendered in the iconic style of the original, this new story makes a splendid gift and a must-have addition to the libraries of Grinch fans of all ages!
Remember By Joy Harjo; illustrated by Michaela Goade
THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER • AN AMERICAN INDIAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION HONOR BOOK • A BOSTON GLOBE–HORN BOOK HONOR AWARD • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY School Library Journal • Publishers Weekly • The Horn Book • NPR • The Bulletin • Kirkus Reviews
US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo’s iconic poem "Remember," illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade, invites young readers to pause and reflect on the wonder of the world around them, and to remember the importance of their place in it.
Remember the sky you were born under,
Know each of the star's stories.
Remember the moon, know who she is.
Remember the sun's birth at dawn,
That is the strongest point of time.
So begins the picture book adaptation of the renowned poem that encourages young readers to reflect on family, nature, and their heritage. In simple and direct language, Harjo, a member of the Mvskoke Nation, urges readers to pay close attention to who they are, the world they were born into, and how all inhabitants on earth are connected. Michaela Goade, drawing from her Tlingit culture, has created vivid illustrations that make the words come alive in an engaging and accessible way.
This timeless poem paired with magnificent paintings makes for a picture book that is a true celebration of life and our human role within it.
Gustav Is Missing! By Andrea Zuill
From the author of Sweety comes a heartwarming story of friendship and bravery, featuring a little mushroom who sets off into the scary world to find his missing pet slug.
Oh, no! When mushroom boy Little Cap's pet slug, Gustav, goes missing, Little Cap is beside himself. How can he summon the courage to leave his cozy home to find him? But summon he does. There are many suspicious characters just outside his door and--gasp!--he has to talk to his neighbors, but Little Cap can't be stopped.
After much perilous searching--up sheer cliffs and into deep canyons and even stepping in something really, really gross--Little Cap finally finds his very best friend, and he's changed for the better along the way. Here is a story that celebrates friendship, perseverance, and bravery, told with Andrea Zuill's signature heart and humor.
Window Fishing By DK Dyson; illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez
A heartwarming story about finding joy in art and intergenerational friendship illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Rudy Gutierrez.
Rudeday dreams of creating art that brings people joy but instead, he paints to pay the bills. His days and nights are long, until one day he hears a Tap! Tap! Tap! at his window. What could it be? Rudeday sees a piece of string with a paper clip tied to the end of it, coming from the apartment upstairs. Rudeday has a brilliant idea.
Rudeday carefully paints a fish and attaches it to the paper clip, starting a window-fishing exchange with a little boy upstairs. The pair swap paper fishes back and forth every day. Rudeday is finally painting for fun but he wonders if he will ever meet his window-fishing friend.
A heartwarming story that celebrates art, friendship, and community that is sure to pull at your heartstrings.
