Saturday, July 20, 2013

Top Ten Picture Books for the First Half of 2013

We have just moved beyond the half-way mark in the year and I thought it would be fun to list my favorite picture books for the first half of the year.   Books selected had to be released by June 30, 2013.  Last year, two of my 10 went on to win Caldecott Honors.  Will there by any award winners in this group?! Not sure, but certainly hope so.



Bluebird by Bob Staake (Schwartz & Wade)


Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle (Chronicle Books)


Exclamation Mark! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal; Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld (Scholastic Press)


The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt; Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers (Philomel)


Miss Maple's Seeds by Eliza Wheeler (Nancy Paulsen Books)


No Fits, Nilson! by Zachariah Ohora (Dial)


The Story of Fish and Snail by Deborah Freedman (Viking Juvenile)


The Mighty Lalouche by Matthew Olshan; Illustrated by Sophie Blackall (Schwartz & Wade)


The Beatles Were Fab (and They Were Funny) by Kathleen Krull, Paul Brewer; 
Illustrated by Stacy Innerst (HMH Books for Young Readers)


Illustrated by Melissa Sweet (Balzer & Bray)