Three years ago, we chanced upon a very funny and clever picture book at the library — Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem (click here for our review). As it turned out, that was an apt introduction to the very funny and clever Mac Barnett, especially since Billy Twitters was the very first children’s book that he wrote and sold.

In My Heart by Jo Witek and Christine Roussey
This is an adorable and well-designed picture book on feelings — in particular, the overlapping diecut hearts are genius and have a tactile appeal.

Pool by JiHyeon Lee
In a crowded public pool, a chance encounter between two children leads to a wondrous and unforgettable flight of imagination.

Lenny & Lucy by Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead
Changes, changes… Change is inevitable, and how we cope with it is ultimately what makes us grow wiser.

Thank You and Good Night by Patrick McDonnell
This savvily titled bedtime book is a timely reminder to celebrate the good and happy things that happen, rather than brood on the bad.

Where’s the Elephant? by Barroux
As the title suggests, Where’s the Elephant? opens with an invitation to look for an elephant, a snake and a parrot that have been cleverly hidden in the bright, inviting jungle spreads.

Finding Winnie by Lindsay Mattick and Sophie Blackall
Sometimes, the stories behind books are as fascinating — or even more so — than the books themselves, as is the case for Finding Winnie, when two stranger-than-fiction real-life sequences of events — an army veterinarian buying a baby bear off a trapper at a train station, and a little boy’s unusual friendship with a certain grown bear at the London Zoo — collide to result in the creation of one of the most beloved literary characters ever written: Winnie the Pooh.

The Whisper by Pamela Zagarenski and The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg
Good picture books ought not to have an upper age limit, since they usually have something to offer to everyone — and these two extraordinary picture books prove my point. I’ve always been fascinated by the genesis of stories, and if you read enough author interviews, you’ll probably reach the conclusion that stories can grow from the darnedest things, and there’s no telling where each spark may lead.

Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs and Harry and the Snow King by Ian Whybrow and Adrian Reynolds
If you have a little dino lover, you might want to check out Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs — an endearing book about the eponymous boy and the box of toy dinosaurs that he discovered in his grandma’s attic, with a lost-and-found story arc.

A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree by Colleen Monroe and Michael Glenn Monroe
An old pine tree is downcast when he realizes that, after being repeatedly passed over every year, he has become too overgrown to be anyone’s Christmas tree.