In 2024, I made it a goal to read and track the picture books (not including Storytime books) I read throughout the year. I wanted to do this because I was no longer reading and reviewing picture books for my library's website. I missed discovering new books and there is so much variety out there. There's always a purchase list of 200 books to choose from every month. And I love art so it felt right. I read 25 picture books last year and I've chosen my top 12. There's a variety of topics and diverse cultures included. I hope this encourages you to check some of them out!
#12 Old Clothes for Dinner?! by Nathalie Alonso, Illustrated by Natalia Rojas Castro
Starting off with a Cuban American story which I am proud to have made the list. Love the concept that a little girl thinks that their abuela is making old clothes for dinner after taking the food name ropa vieja literally. Loved the color scheme and art style throughout the pages. Very silly story with some great foodie images. The facts at the end were interesting, especially reading about different countries' imaginative food names some I've never heard of and others I never paid attention to.
#11 Julie and the Mango Tree by Sadé Smith, Illustrated by Sayada Ramdial
I like pretty books and ones with a food theme so this was a no-brainer. That bite of mango always makes me hungry looking at that cover. This book covers themes of patience when Julie is begging the tree to drop a mango so she can have it for a tasty snack. When she gets more than she bargained for everyone in her neighborhood gets to have mangos too. This has an element of silliness and community that I enjoyed.
#10 Anxious by Luciana DeLuca, Illustrated by Natalí Barbani
Picture books that speak on different emotions are so very important especially since it opens up a dialogue on how to manage those emotions. Anxious was very to the point with its short sentences. There was one particular page that spoke to me about feeling like you want to scream and I feel like that all the time when I am anxious. Obviously very beautifully drawn with interesting moth wings attached to the character (or was it butterfly wings?) who eventually flies when she feels better.
#9 Rani's Remarkable Day by Saadia Faruqi, Illustrated by Anoosha Syed
Rani is a bored princess who feels like she's all alone. She's looking for something interesting to do but everyone is too busy doing their own thing to play with her so she decides to the beach. There's some resistance to her plan but she goes anyway with her baby brother. She has trouble building a sandcastle when a girl shows up to show her how it's done. She ends up having a wonderful time with the girl, her new friend and is excited about the next day. There's nothing magical that happens in this story but I don't know, this one made me happy. It was sweet and simple and perfect for princess lovers.
#8 Don't Blow Your Top! by Ame Dyckman, Illustrated by Abhi Alwar
I get a kick out of seeing this cover every time 😂. This is another great book that discusses emotions - this one being anger. It's silly, colorful, and has mindful breathing techniques. I think this would work for Storytime since it's so short and to the point.
#7 Are You Mad at Me? by Tyler Feder, Illustrated by Cody Feder
A great book on facing your worries and doing something new. It was very touching reading this story because I understand this ostrich. It would have been validating to have a book like this when I was younger. Funnily enough, I think this would be a good book for my mom who has asked this question to me multiple times. This is a lengthy story so it is more appropriate for four and up.
#6 Ursula Upside Down b Corey R. Tabor
Ursula is a catfish who gets her life turned around when she discovers she's been swimming upside down. This interactive tale gets you flipping the book and reading the story "right side up." When she meets a bat she remarks on how they are upside down. The bat's response is, "Says who?" and Ursula's life gets flipped upside down again. She's happy swimming and living with her perspective of the world again. I enjoyed how interactive this story was, learning about the catfish that actually live their lives upside down, and the underlying message of living life how you want and not how others want you to.
#5 Beach Hair by Ashley Woodfolk, Illustrated by Nina Mata
The beach is my favorite place in the world. I grew up going to the beach during the summer and I've always had fond memories of it. It's just the most relaxing time you can have. Beach Hair reminded me of those times. I enjoyed the focus on different types of hair and diverse characters. The little girl in the story has a Black mom and Asian dad which is something you rarely if ever see in picture books. The art style is simply magnificent and the vibes are great too. I love how curly my hair gets after the beach. It's always curly but there's a more distinct thing it does... it's my beach hair! Lovely story.
#4 Mahogany: A Little Red Riding Hood Tale by JaNay Brown-Wood, Illustrated by John Joven
I love a good fairy tale retelling and this one was so unique and gorgeously drawn I had to have it in my top 5. I loved that Mahogany loved sewing since that's a hobby I like to get into from time to time. The ingenuity in the escape plan from the wolf as well as the capture was genius. And let me tell you, what put this over the edge was the illustrations. My goodness, the colors, textures, all of it is so beautiful. The wolf himself is so cool-looking! He looks like he was either sewn or made by an artist from one of these indie movie animation films. Something about him was made perfectly. And of course, I loved the modern retelling itself. Very unique.
#3 Big by Vashti Harrison
Big won a Caldecott Medal and rightly so. Such a visually and emotionally impactful story about a girl who is bigger than the other girls her age so she is treated differently. She is made to feel small and less than after being bullied by other kids and even adults. She learns that other people's words are just that... their words. She realizes her worth and doesn't listen to the negativity or "helpful" advice. She is happy being herself and won't let anyone ruin her light. The way the character became almost oo big for the page like Alice in Wonderland and the mixed media look of the adults giving her "helpful" advice was so intriguing. A thought-provoking story that's worth the read.
#2 Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu by Ying Chang Compestine, Illustrated by Crystal Kung
Another retelling but this time with food! A winning combination for me. I've never seen or read a picture book retelling of Rapunzel so this was a new experience for me. The princess loved cooking but she was scolded for cooking, eating too messily, and needing to look proper. She takes matters in her own hands after she's constantly told what a perfect princess should be like. There was worry she wasn't eating. The reason she would let down her braids was only for food which was hilarious. She ended up attracting princes with the music she would play after eating but she wasn't having any of it. One day a chef was cooking up stinky tofu and being so intrigued she decided to find out what it was. They fell in love and lived happily ever after. She found someone who had the same interests and treated her like a normal person. I learned about stinky tofu and had a wonderful time soaking up all the delicious food and beautifully drawn images. A perfect book for me!
#1 Duck Duck Taco Truck by Laura Lavoie, Illustrated by Teresa Martinez
Yes, you read that right. A book named Duck Duck Taco Truck was my favorite book of the year. I don't know if it's because I read it at the end of the year or what's happening but this filled me with so much joy. I very briefly questioned my choice to put this at #1 but I can't deny that I love this book. It's silly, it rhymes, it has cute characters, there's food, and there's an important lesson that's learned. Two ducks have a taco business and are in competition with a goose with a burger and pizza food truck. The goose is smug and decides to sell every type of food to make sure he gets all the customers. But, it's a little too much to handle so he swallows his pride and asks the ducks for help. They come up with a plan to make everything tacos - taco fries, taco pizza, taco waffles... you name it! They all win in the end with this delightful, humorous story. It's so cute!
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