Tag: Aaron Becker

Only Picture Books’ “24 Favorite Picture Books of 2024”

On By Only Picture BooksIn Picture Book Lists2 Comments

Well, 2024 is officially in the rearview mirror! That means I’ve had a whole year to delve into the delightful stacks of picture books published this past year, and I’m thrilled to share my favorites with you.

For those unfamiliar with OPB, I select books based on the following:

  • Books that have heart.
  • Books that resonate.
  • Books that are skillfully done.
  • Books that matter.

But to earn a spot on the “Best of 2024” list, a book needs to go above and beyond. This year, I was particularly drawn to books with these qualities:

  • A Unique Perspective: Books that offer a fresh way of seeing the world, whether it’s through an unusual narrative voice, an unexpected theme, or a groundbreaking artistic style.
  • Emotional Resonance: Stories that tap into the depths of human emotion, sparking empathy, understanding, and connection in readers of all ages.
  • Lyrical Language: Books with a musicality to their words, where the rhythm and flow of the language enhance the story’s impact.
  • Artistic Brilliance: Illustrations that not only complement the text but also tell their own story, captivating the eye and enriching the reading experience.
  • Lasting Impact: Books that stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page, prompting reflection, conversation, and a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

In no particular order (except alphabetical, for the sake of organization), here are OPB’s standout picture books of 2024. As always, I’m including my signature 5‑word reviews for each title, along with a link to the book’s Goodreads page.

Of course, this list is just a snapshot of the many wonderful picture books published in 2024. If I missed your favorite, please share it in the comments.

Now, let’s dive into the books!

Ahoy!
Author: Sophie Blackall
Illustrator: Sophie Blackall
Anne Schwartz Books
2 April 2024
48 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Parent-​child hijinks spark comedic magic.

Goodreads Reviews

All That Grows
Author: Jack Wong
Illustrator: Jack Wong
Groundwood Books
5 March 2024
32 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Gentle exploration roots lifelong curiosity.

Goodreads Reviews

All the Books
Author: Hayley Rocco
Illustrator: John Rocco
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
1 October 2024
48 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Warm ode to libraries’ wonders.

Goodreads Reviews

Built to Last
Author: Minh Lê 
Illustrator: Dan Santat
Knopf Books for Young Readers
30 April 2024
40 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Creative chaos builds unbreakable friendship.

Goodreads Reviews

Clever Crow
Author: Chris Butterworth
Illustrator: Olivia Lomenech Gill
Candlewick
9 July 2024
32 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Witty crow world wonders–lovely.

Goodreads Reviews

Comet Chaser: The True Cinderella Story of Caroline Herschel, the First Professional Woman Astronomer
Author: Pamela S. Turner
Illustrator: Vivien Mildenberger
Chronicle Books
5 March 2024
60 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Persistence crafts a stellar legacy.

Goodreads Reviews

Crowning Glory: A Celebration of Black Hair
Author: Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrator: Ekua Holmes
Candlewick
3 September 2024
32 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Vibrant collages uplift every curl.

Goodreads Reviews

The Dictionary Story
Author: Oliver Jeffers
Illustrator: Sam Winston
Candlewick
27 March 2024
56 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Hilarious hijinks in alphabetic pandemonium.

Goodreads Reviews

Finding Things
Author: Kevin Henkes
Illustrator: Laura Dronzek
Greenwillow Books
14 May 2024
32 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Serendipity sparks joy, connection, contentment.”

Goodreads Reviews

Good Night Thoughts
Author: Max Greenfield
Illustrator: James Serafino
G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
3  September 2024
32 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Greenfield soothes sleepless little minds.

Goodreads Reviews

Hanukkah Pajamakkahs
Author: Dara Henry
Illustrator: Olga & Aleksey Ivanov
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
3 September 2024
40 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Ruthie’s resilience makes Hanukkah shine.

Goodreads Reviews

Home in a Lunchbox
Author: Cherry Mo
Illustrator: Cherry Mo
Penguin Workshop
11 June 2024
40 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Vibrant bites bridge shy beginnings.

Goodreads Reviews

I Am Gravity
Author: Henry Herz
Illustrator: Mercè López
Tilbury House Publishers
16 April 2024
32 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Herz balances science with elegance.

Goodreads Reviews

Just Like Millie by Lauren Castillo: Book CoverJust Like Millie
Author: Lauren Castillo
Illustrator: Lauren Castillo
Candlewick
27 March 2024
40 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Subtle sweetness transforms anxious beginnings.

Goodreads Reviews

The Last Stand
Author: Antwan Eady
Illustrator: Jarret and Jerome Pumphrey
Knopf Books for Young Readers
30 January 2024
40 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Generations harvest love and hope.

Goodreads Reviews

The Last Zookeeper
Author: Aaron Becker
Illustrator: Aaron Becker
Candlewick
26 March 2024
40 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Luminescent artwork animates quiet heroism.

Goodreads Reviews

Nothing: John Cage and 4′33″
Author: Nicholas Day
Illustrator: Chris Raschka
Neal Porter Books
2 April 2024
40 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Silence resonates, music redefined brilliantly.

Goodreads Reviews

Ode to Grapefruit: How James Earl Jones Found His Voice
Author: Kari Lavelle
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Knopf Books for Young Readers
30 July 2024
48 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Words transform struggle into strength.

Goodreads Reviews

Piper Chen Sings
Author: Phillipa Soo and Maris Pasquale Doran
Illustrator: Qin Leng
Random House Studio
2 April 2024
40 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Harmony blooms amidst heartfelt jitters.

Goodreads Reviews

Small Things Mended
Author: Casey W. Robinson
Illustrator: Nancy Whitesides
Rocky Pond Books
19 March 2024
40 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Broken things inspire gentle healing.

Goodreads Reviews

The Table
Author: Winsome Bingham and Wiley Blevins
Illustrator: Jason Griffin
Neal Porter Books
17 September 2024
56 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Furniture holds history, fosters empathy.

Goodreads Reviews

Thank You
Author: Jarvis
Illustrator: Jarvis
Candlewick
6 August 2024
32 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Whimsy meets heartfelt thankfulness beautifully.

Goodreads Reviews

World More Beautiful: The Life and Art of Barbara Cooney
Author: Angela Burke Kunkel
Illustrator: Becca Statlander
Random House Studio
6 August 2024
40 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Visionary illustrator leaves lasting legacy.

Goodreads Reviews

The Yellow Bus
Author: Loren Long
Illustrator: Loren Long
Roaring Brook Press
25 June 2024
48 pages

OPB’s five-​word review: Timeless story, ultimate second chances.

Goodreads Reviews

Picture Book Review: Five Five-​Word Reviews

On By Only Picture BooksIn Picture Book Reviews

I’ve got the next six months scheduled out with regular co-​written picture book review, but for this month, we’re having another installment of the increasingly (in)famous Five-​W0rd Reviews. Here we go!

Author: Wendelin Van Draanen
Illustrator: Cornelia Li
Knopf Books for Young Readers
16 January 2024
40 pages

Ryan’s five-​word review: Soaring imagination defies gravity’s pull.

4.5 out of 5 Newton’s apples

Author: Aaron Becker
Illustrator: Aaron Becker
Candlewick
12 March 2024
40 pages

Ryan’s five-​word review: Robots rescue animals. Wordless wonder.

4.75 out of 5 lifeboats

Author: Kim Hillyard
Illustrator: Kim Hillyard
Penguin Workshop
30 January 2024
32 pages

Ryan’s five-​word review: Tiny fly dreams big. Audacious.

4.5 out of 5 mountain peaks

Hippo Park
16 January 2024
48 pages

Ryan’s five-​word review: Unlikely bond. Tender girl-​and-​scab story.

4.25 out of 5 boo-boos

Author: Ying Chang Compestine
Illustrator: Crystal Kung
Rocky Pond Books
2 January 2024
40 pages

Ryan’s five-​word review: Flavorful twist on Rapunzel. Palate-pleasing.

4.25 out of 5 tofu cubes

Picture Book List: Six Terrific Picture Books about Vehicles and Travel

On By Only Picture BooksIn Picture Book Lists

Here’s a bonus list to fill out the final week of May 2018. We’re a car-​trip family (I’m even publishing this post while planning a multi-​city, in-​state trip for us and our minivan!), so it probably comes as no surprise that we’ve bought more than a few picture books about vehicles, road trips, and traveling in general.

So here’s a list of PBs on those very topics.

Since we all pretty much know a few obvious ones—Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things that Go, Dr. Seuss’ Oh, the Places You’ll Go! and Kate and Jim McMullan’s I Stink!, to name just three Biggies—the goal of this list is to offer up some quality but perhaps less familiar choices.

The Adventures of Taxi Dog by Debra and Sal Barracca (illustrated by Mark Buehner)

The funny rhyming story of Maxi, a stray dog, who’s found in a park by Jim the taxi driver. Why does Jim start receiving such big tips once Maxi starts riding along? A review by two young children (ages 8 and 9) at Spaghetti Book Club says: “We recommend this book because it is funny and the illustrations are colorful and full of detail. When the dog puts on his shows, the pictures make us feel like we are the passengers, with Maxi putting on the show for us.”

 

When Daddy’s Truck Picks Me Up by Jana Novotny Hunter (illustrated by Carol Thompson)

The rhyming story about a young boy who imagines the moment his father is going to arrive at school—from very far away—to pick him up in a tanker truck. A Kirkus review says: “The day crawls by even though he enjoys himself playing games and painting pictures. Eagerly anticipating his father’s arrival, the boy imagines Daddy driving toward him, traveling the tunnels, hurrying down a hill, carefully crossing a bridge and maneuvering through traffic.”

 

Everything I Know about Cars: A Collection of Made-​Up Facts, Educated Guesses, and Silly Pictures about Cars, Trucks, and Other Zoomy Things by Tom Lichtenheld

This book shares a host of information that’s “100% fact-​free,” but a lot of fun nevertheless. The wacky illustrations are matched by ever wackier info, such as “Some people aren’t satisfied while sitting on their butts; they want to go really fast while sitting on their butts. These people drive hot rods and race cars, which are stinkier and faster than regular cars.”

A Booklist review says “With an eye-​catching jacket and a terrific section on how to draw a car, this large-​format book has something for everyone (except maybe someone who actually wants to know about cars.)”

 

Journey by Aaron Becker

An homage to Harold and his purple crayon, Becker’s 2014 Caldecott Honor Book, Journey, tells the wordless story of a lonely girl whose afternoon becomes magical when she draws a door on the wall with red chalk … and walks into a new world. A Common Sense Media review shares: “Bravery, and a little help from the loyal bird, lead her to further adventures a bit closer to home, where she finds she’s not the only one with a magic crayon and an imagination.”

 

Bug on a Bike by Chris Monroe

A rhyming, read-​aloud treat, this book follows Bug on his journey to who knows where? Along the way, he picks up pals like Lizard Mike, Randy the Toad, and more. A Kirkus review states: “As entertaining as the text is, however, it is the illustrations that steal the show. Singularly absurd in their renditions (the lizard wears madras shorts, the snake dons a tubular blouse), the menagerie all nonetheless manage to look determined and earnest as they follow the bug on a bike—who himself has the endearing focused look of a toddler just learning to ride a two-wheeler.”

A non-​spoiler: Finding out Bug’s final destination is worth the wait.

 

Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea by Steve Jenkins

This book—with its wonderful cut-​paper illustrations—takes readers on a journey from the surface of the ocean into the deepest sea canyon, showing more than fifty creatures who call the deep waters their home. A Kirkus review states: “Along the way he introduces such oddities as a three-​foot comb jelly called a Venus’s girdle, a glowing siphonophore colony and a hairy angler with her parasitic mate. Browsers will be delighted by the variety of species, shown in their appropriate colors although not to scale.”