The Best Picture Books of 2021
I had a curious thought about picture books recently that I can’t stop thinking about. I realized that this interest of mine, one that appears to be relatively new, has been there all along. I don’t mean that I’ve loved picture books since I was a kid, even though that’s certainly true. I found that the things that make picture books intriguing: poetry, evocative language, subversiveness, beautiful art, the fantastical — are things I’ve sought out most of my life. But in the past, I looked for them separately. It wasn’t until I discovered the picture books’ unique ability to be all these things (and more) that I fell deeply in love with the form.
But not all picture books are magic. Honestly, a lot of them are pretty dull. I’m sure you know someone who thinks they could easily write a picture book, heck, maybe that someone is you. By all means, don’t let me be your killjoy. But most people (not you!) haven’t taken time to immerse themselves in the art form. They assume it’s simple. But the more you learn about picture books, the more you realize that they’re extremely hard to do well, which makes the good ones even more special. And because picture books are so short, they’re much more about what they don’t say than what they do. Falling in love with a picture book is a bit mysterious. I know a book is great when I can’t quite articulate why it’s grabbed me, which puts me in a difficult position as someone recommending books.
Typically, I recommend books from the backlist. With the insane amount of books published every year, it’s impossible to keep up. Plus, new books are expensive. I want the books I recommend to be easy to find at your library or your local used bookstore. But because I recently shared many wonderful old picture books, I’m keeping this list fresh. These brilliant books came out this year, a year that desperately needed the magic of a great picture book.
Time Is a Flower
written & illustrated by Julie Morstad
How does one describe the abstract and befuddling concept of time to children? I don’t even have a firm grasp on it — especially now that we’re two years into this global pandemic and our homes have become a place of work, play, and everything in between. Time’s become strange and precarious, moving in slow motion and warped speed simultaneously. It’s enough to make an adult’s head spin, let alone a child’s. It’s unlikely that Morstad knew we’d be living in a world where time is elastic and ineffable, and yet, I’m not surprised to see this idea explored by a picture book author.
Picture books (when done well) can tackle big, complex questions through their poetic language and vivid imagery. In Time is a Flower, Morstad uses playful metaphors like, “Time is a wiggly tooth,” and “Time is a seed waiting to grow.” She shows a child watching petals fall from a flower and a child’s first haircut after their hair has grown long and scraggly (another thing we can relate to during the pandemic). Her delightful comparisons, striking colors, and bold shapes are visually pleasing and leave plenty of room for children to develop their own ideas.
The Rock from the Sky
written & illustrated by Jon Klassen
Another example of picture book authors predicting the future is Caldecott-winning author Jon Klassen’s The Rock from the Sky, a hilariously dark and apocalyptic story that’s strangely satisfying during these uncertain times. It’s a collection of five connected story vignettes, composed solely of dialogue between three hat-wearing animals (a Klassen trademark thanks to his wildly popular Hat trilogy). Klassen’s genius lies in his ability to thread the needle of sheer pandemonium and tranquil placidity. This book has existential dread, falling meteors, futuristic visions, a horrifying monster —even death, and yet you’re left feeling eerily calm and amused — which is likely the result of Klassen’s deadpan humor and soft muted color palette. Despite the bleak circumstances, both children and adults will laugh out loud at its subtle absurdity. It’s a stunning example of a story that could only be told in a picture book.
Nina: A Story of Nina Simone
written by Traci Todd & illustrated by Christian Robinson
“Life is short. People are not easy to know. They're not easy to know, so if you don't tell them how you feel, you're not going to get anywhere, I feel.” — Nina Simone
“People are not easy to know.” This quote by Nina Simone reminds me why I’m not typically a fan of biographies. How can we know someone we’ve never met? And using their art as a tool for understanding is misleading and reductive. But a picture book biography is a little different. Since they’re designed for a young audience and have limited space, the author and illustrator can be creative in telling the story. They must give the facts, but capturing their subject’s essence is more important. This gives picture book biographies an advantage — we aren’t expecting them to tell us everything.
Nina is the story of Eunice Waymon, who grew up to become Nina Simone. Nina was a famous singer, songwriter, musician, and activist who became popular during the civil rights movement. Todd weaves together Simone’s iconic story through beautifully crafted sentences. We learn that Nina could sing before she could talk and that her voice “was rich, sweet, and like soft thunder.” We go on to learn how Simone used that thunderous voice to speak out against racial inequality and discrimination. Todd’s writing is lovely, but Robinson’s art makes this story truly sing. His expressive and colorful collage illustrations speak for themselves. I can’t think of a better artist to capture Simone’s extraordinary life.
The Little Wooden Robot & the Log Princess
written & illustrated by Tom Gauld
The Little Wooden Robot & the Log Princess is the first picture book by the acclaimed graphic novelist Tom Gauld. It’s a modern fairy tale filled with royalty, ghosts, goblins, magic puddings, trolls, and more! The story begins with a king and queen longing for a child. Each turn to a different expert for help. An inventor creates a wooden robot and a witch turns a log into an enchanted princess (who turns back into a log every night when she sleeps). The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess are inseparable until one morning the princess cannot wake up, and the maid throws her out the window (remember, she’s still a log!). What occurs next is a wild and heartwarming adventure where both siblings end up helping the other return to the kingdom safely.
Gauld’s humor and background in comic books give this fairy tale a fresh and dynamic remix that the entire family will enjoy.
What Is Love
written by Mac Barnett & illustrated by Carson Ellis
Recently, as I tucked my five-year-old son into bed, he looked at me sweetly and said, “Mom, you’re like a flower…a rainbow…the moon…a spaceship.” I was flattered — not only for being compared to some of my favorite things but because I knew this was his way of expressing love.
The concept of love is hard to articulate. Each person experiences love in a variety of ways that’s unique to them. It’s no wonder adults get uncomfortable when kids ask them tough questions like, “What is love?” and “What happens after we die?” Adults quickly realize they’ve never truly answered these questions and have to admit they don’t have all the answers. That’s what’s great about Mac Barnett’s and Carson Ellis’s new picture book What Is Love; it answers this huge question without really answering it — which, honestly, is what we’re all doing.
In this tender and humorous fable, a young boy asks his grandmother, “What is love?” but instead of answering, she encourages him to go out into the world to find out. On his exploration of love, he asks people he meets what love is, and each person defines love through a personal metaphor. An actor says, “Love is applause!” And a fisherman says, “Love is a fish!” However, this story is not overly sweet. The boy’s responses are funny and refreshingly honest: “But I don’t like fish,” he says to the fisherman. “They’re slimy and taste bad. And they have creepy eyes.”
The tension isn’t only in the writing; Ellis’s gorgeous illustrations reflect the story’s tenderness and fairy tale quality while also adding to its humor. It’s a story that will leave both children and adults questioning love and how they define it.
Unfortunately, this book won’t be available in the US until the end of the year because of supply chain disruptions, but it’s worth the wait! (In the meantime, you can watch Mac & Carson read their book on Youtube.)
Hello, Rain!
written by Kayo Maclear & illustrated by Chris Turnham
“Naps and secrets are both better — when it rains.”
When I think of prolific (and successful) picture book authors, the first thing that comes to mind is their range. These authors can write stories that feel unique every time — you wouldn’t know the same person wrote them. Kayo Maclear is one of those kinds of authors. (Check out her books “The Liszts,” “Virginia Wolf,” and “Julia, Child,” and you’ll see what I mean.)
In Hello, Rain!, Maclear shares ways to celebrate the rain (something we don’t take for granted here in Northern California!). Maclear’s playful use of figurative language reminds me of another prolific and individualistic picture book author, Margaret Wise Brown. Phrases like “Plink, plunk, plop on the rooftop” and “Rumble, rumble. Distant thunder. Rain is coming, rain is coming” make this a joy to read aloud. And Turnhman’s exuberantly colorful illustrations add to the rich experience. This is an excellent book for young children and classroom readings.
The Night Walk
written & illustrated by Marie Dorléans, translated from the French by Polly Lawson
"We threaded through the whispering forest. The earth was damp, the bark smelled comforting. Dead branches snapped under our feet, and ferns swayed quietly as we passed."
Unlike other bedtime stories, where the children end up cozy in their beds, The Night Walk starts in the middle of the night with a mother’s alluring request, “Wake up, you two…Let’s go, so we get there on time.” The sleepy children roll out of bed and head outside on an unknown adventure with their parents. Narrated by one of the children, the story’s told in the most luscious, evocative style. As the family leaves their village, they enter a “whispering forest.” “The earth was damp” and “the bark smelled comforting.” Dorléans’s poetic language is an assault on the senses; it’s as if you can hear, smell and taste the dark. The entire book is awash in a cool dusky blue palette with pops of warm, golden yellow light from streetlights, flashlights, and the moon. With each exhilarating page turn, there’s a building sense of urgency. Where is this family rushing off to? It’s a breathtaking story that encourages family togetherness with a fresh narrative about the night.
